Tomas Amor, P.E., MBA, is a Senior Structural Engineer at Target Corporation in Minneapolis, MN. He chairs the National BIM for Masonry Structural Modeling Workgroup and is an Autodesk Revit Certified Professional. Tomas can be reached at tomas.amor@target.com.
It’s been several years since the inception of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in our industry. Substantial progress has been made by the different software developers to provide us with the tools needed to tackle any type of project. As BIM use increases and progresses from design offices to construction trailers and fabrication shops, new needs emerge for the different professions and trades. …
Once in a while, every engineer encounters a project that presents new opportunities for innovation and advancement. Almost seven years ago, it was a small chiller plant that tempted me to dabble with a new software called Revit, which was slowly making its way into our industry. Today, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a household name in the A/E community where interoperability between documentation, analysis, design, and fabrication models can be achieved. But how close are we really from taking the architectural massing model from concept to fabrication in an efficient manner? I recently had the opportunity to address that question in the design of a 36-foot tall monumental exposed steel tower structure. Once the team decided to step away from traditional design methods and embraced the new technologies, the answers I found were surprising. …