Harvey's Residential Plumbing Fabrication to Construction

Justin Butcher - Selby's and Jay Ayala - Autodesk

July 15th, 2015

Today was our first attempt at integrating our Autodesk Revit prefabricated plumbing assemblies in the field through the utilization of a TopCon LN100, Autodesk's Point Layout and BIM 360 Glue Software. Through many months of preparation, development, and determination we have developed our plumbing assemblies to be functional models that are accurate representations of the physical parts our plumbers build with everyday. This is all achievable thanks to SysQue and Building Data's content to ensure accuracy of our components, and in turn an accurate deliverable to the field for construction.

Thanks to Jay Ayala - Autodesk MEP Technical Specialist and Justin Butcher - Selby's Bozeman, Montana for making this reality happen, we are now able to understand how to push our process to the next level of construction!

Determining the TopCon LN 100's height

We first began by placing the tripod in a functional location on the site. This location needed to be free from workers and other people on the site, so that it wouldn't be bumped for re positioning later. Based on our careful and efficient placement of the unit, the concrete form makers were able to continue their jobs while we began to calibrate the machine. This process took about ten minutes of figuring out where we wanted to zero in, measuring the unit and poles location above the ground, and then choosing the two points with the pole. After locating these two points we were ready to start placing points. Points that originally were specified in our office based on the architectural plan-set. The beauty of these points is that we are able to leverage the selection of points out in the field to match the points generated from the computer. This allows us to make adjustments in the field that may be changed due to construction related reasons, or simply things unaccounted for in the plans. This in turn dials in the designs coordination with the field. Allowing our design to coincide with the data in the field by leveraging each other to provide feedback to the design team. The amount of time saved just from pulling lines is incredible. In a matter of thirty minutes we had half of our points placed, and were quickly getting the hang of the setup.

TopCon LN100 Robotic Total Station

Determining the diamonds height

Prefabricated Assembly
Revit - SysQue - Building-Data Content

Jay Ayala helping place flags

(Left) Tyler Graff placing initial points for zeroing in the laser.
(Right) Bob Harvey, Jay Ayala and Justin Butcher dialing the TopCon LN 100 in to the points.

When all the points were placed, through the utilization of labeled sprinkler flags, we were able to see all the points in perspective and relationship in the field. Not only did this ensure us that the contractors are now set to lay their pipe, but it also ensured us that the design team had accurate data for further coordination of the design. This process proved itself to be efficient at eliminating much of the errors that could be made from pulling lines in the field originally, effective at answering the questions that could arise from inaccurate plan sets, and at coordinating the unknowns of the drawings between the designer and the application of those designs in the field.