GRAPHISOFT, RISA AND SCIA team on disruptive BIM workflow

GRAPHISOFT, RISA, and SCIA—as three Nemetschek companies—have announced a new disruptive BIM workflow and unique solution in the overall AEC market.

The Group has announced a new workflow solution for architects and structural engineers that enables them to unite on BIM model authorship, with an integrated and embedded analytical model in Archicad 24 that has bi-directional connections to RISA and SCIA engineering solutions.

BIM and Integration

The solutions also involve a shared BIMcloud environment for users of Archicad 24, SCIA Engineer, and RISA 3D. And of course, the Nemetschek Group is still committed as ever to OPEN BIM.

So what is the new disruptive BIM workflow at its heart?

Today in the BIM world architects and engineering consultants each develop their own discipline-respective BIM models. When the architect makes a change, like proposing to move a column or its size or shape, she generally updates the structural engineer through a process that involves sending her BIM model to the structural engineer. If the architect and the engineer are both using the same tool (eg: Autodesk Revit) the architect simply sends her Revit BIM model file to the engineer. If they are using different tools, then they exchange BIM changes via an open industry standard file format like IFC.

The world’s 2nd tallest skyscraper was designed and documented in Archicad. Now Integrated Design with analytical models will help all architects work more efficiently with their structural engineers, including Merdeka 118’s architects Fender Katsalidis. (Image: Merdeka 118 – Fender Katsalidis | fkaustralia.com. All rights reserved.)

This process is known as the “federated model” approach. A series of separate BIM models each produced by various consultants, architects, and even the general contractor, get brought together (federated) at various stages of the process. The structural engineer’s BIM model is sent to the architect and vice versa many times over as part of the normal design, engineering, and documentation phases of the project. This process also repeats with other consultants and the architects—like for MEP.

Integrative Design

Today the Nemetschek Group has introduced a new non-federated model approach. It starts with Archicad 24 and its full support for an “analytical model” that can communicate bidirectionally with both RISA and SCIA (RISA-3D and Scia Engineer, respectively). RISA is market-leading structural engineering software for analysis and design in North America while SCIA is essentially the same but the market leader in key European markets.

MORE: GRAPHISOFT delivers Archicad 24 — major updates to BIMx and BIMcloud

Now when the architect wants to move that column or its size, the analytical model in Archicad 24 can bidirectionally communicate with the analytical model in either RISA or SCIA engineering analysis tools. If the engineer makes a change the change can be communicated back the other way to the architect.

One Model

“Architects and engineers working together on a shared model in real-time leads to informed decision-making, and, ultimately, better buildings,” says Huw Roberts, CEO, GRAPHISOFT.

The integrated design workflow, as opposed to a federated model BIM workflow, delivers increased productivity and reduced errors, by leveraging a seamless and transparent shared information flow between architects and their engineers and vice versa. Real-time notifications and color-coded visualization keep all parties up-to-date on changes.

“Integrated design allows engineers to leverage model information created by the architect to create a more seamless workflow while minimizing the duplication that is typical of today’s design process,” says Amber Freund, CEO, RISA Tech.

Graphisoft, RISA, and SCIA are the first companies inside the Nemetschek Group who have established this kind of connected workflow. They are likely not going to be the last.

Learn More

To learn more about Archicad 24, visit here.

To learn more about RISA, please visit them online. For information on Scia Engineer, please visit them online.