Tekla Structures: The best problem solver in detailing
By utilizing Tekla software, Advenser Engineering was able to revolutionize its approach to a major school replacement project, thanks to its superior 3D modeling and efficient workflows. Tekla's advanced features were crucial in improving communication, streamlining coordination, and accelerating the construction process.
Advenser Engineering is a renowned CAD & BIM service provider in the global AEC industry, backed by 16 years of experience. Their expertise lies in meeting the specific needs of architects, builders, fabricators, engineers, and contractors. Since its inception in 2007, the company has consistently adapted to technological advancements to maintain its competitiveness. Through continuous improvement, they enhance their capabilities and widen their range of services. They assure that the key to their success lies in their commitment to developing, reinventing, and aligning knowledge with the changing demands of the AEC sector.
“We chose Tekla software to manage the whole process from the commencement to delivery of this project so that we could support our client on job planning and project management. Tekla enabled us to maintain our quality throughout the detailing process even though we faced several challenges. The needs of the customer may be innumerable, but the solution is one word - Tekla Structures! Today, Advenser acknowledges that investing in Tekla software was one of our most decisive steps that helped open doors of larger General Contractors, Fabricators and Erectors, for us, since Tekla is the software of choice for most of them too.”
- Mr. Harikrishnan K, Director, Advenser Engineering Services Pvt. Ltd.
Establishing the new 193,000 sq. ft. Fairmont Heights High School
Prince George's County Public Schools, the owner, selected Grunley (GC) for the $80 million replacement of the old Fairmont Heights High School. The new 193,000-square-foot high school replaced the existing facility in Hyattsville, Maryland.
The design of the new school facility provided improved layouts that maximized the potential for use by different community groups while separating the academic and administrative spaces from the full-size gymnasium, cafeteria, and auditorium. The high school includes new athletic facilities comprising a stadium, soccer field, baseball field, and athletic support amenities.
At Advenser, their main objective/responsibility for this project was structural steel detailing. They were responsible for delivering shop drawings, models, GA drawings, reports, and bills of construction materials.
Challenges faced by the construction project team
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Tight job schedule: The project was to replace the old Fairmont Heights High School with the new 193,000-square-foot high school. Since the school authorities didn’t want to interrupt the school's functioning, the project timeline was further restricted, and the executing team had to deliver the project on a very tight deadline.
- Design change: The client requested the initial approval drawings, but the unavailability of an accurate connection design hindered the operations during the onset of this project.
- Other trade coordination: The project comprised many joists, concrete members and RTUs. The project team had to fix joists as per the joist manufacturer’s drawings and had also to add connections for joist supports.
- Erection of steel members: Early steel members are always “hot” while considering their significance in site erection. Similarly, embed plates, loose lintels, and anchor bolt modeling were tedious tasks for the executing team.
- Large number of RFIs: Preparation and tracking of RFIs were also a huge challenge for the team
- Complicated modeling: As per the architectural designs, connections were complicated. The majority of the brace connections were changed to the complex because of wind load calculation. The project team simplified these connections using Tekla’s Custom Components. Further, the team included various miscellaneous modeling like stairs, rails, ladders, etc.
Tekla Structures: The best problem solver in detailing
The project team faced a significant concern regarding design changes due to the unavailability of accurate connection design. Fortunately, the macro application platform offered by Tekla Structures proved to be useful in modifying the connections after the final design had been achieved.
The execution of Joist drawing coordination was made easy by using accurate 3D models, which were created by inserting the PDF as a reference. Additionally, the project team had no trouble modeling RTUs thanks to the helpful visualization provided by the precise 3D models. While some revisions were required, the final deliverables were submitted without any discrepancies. To facilitate coordination, IFC files were also received. The Tekla Structures tool proved to be particularly useful in this stage. Finally, the coordination output files exported from Tekla were well-received by the other trade coordinators involved in the project.
With the advanced options provided by Tekla, incorporating close to 250 RFIs and their related responses into the model was a seamless process. Utilizing a 3D model snapshot, the project team could clearly communicate issues with the client, architects, engineers, and manufacturers for improved coordination. The ease with which RFIs were handled allowed for a smoother overall project process.
The Tekla interoperability feature proved to be highly beneficial for the project execution team as it facilitated seamless coordination with the client using various tools such as Trimble Connect and Tekla Model Sharing. Additionally, the team could effortlessly export DXF, KSS, and STP files on request from fabrication shops.
Utilizing Tekla Structures offered a host of advantages. By utilizing the software, the executing team could expertly coordinate the steel member erection, skillfully placing concrete elements and locating early steel to sidestep any potential issues on the project site. Furthermore, Tekla’s user field options, phasing capabilities, and other tools effectively tackled various miscellaneous items, such as stairs, rails, and ladders, that are notoriously challenging to track on larger projects. Additionally, Tekla Organizer facilitated multiple submissions, streamlining the submission process and ensuring a smooth project timeline.
“One of the key factors while considering my responsibilities as a ‘AGM Engineering’ is to boost my team’s overall productivity and ensure the quickest project delivery. And in this, Tekla Structures has been an amazing tool for achieving our goals. While comparing to other software tools that would need hours to complete a task, Tekla Structures consumes only a few minutes - which is indeed an amazing thing! We are extremely satisfied with its features and look forward to continue working & growing with this industry-leading tool.”
- Ms. Rekha Murali, AGM Engineering, Advenser Engineering Services Pvt. Ltd.