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BIM Structure
A specialised structural BIM course equipping engineers to model, analyse, and coordinate building structures using BIM technology — covering 3D structural modelling, load analysis, clash detection, a...
BIM Structure
This course includes:
- 82h 07m 06s
- 480 Lectures
- 0 Downloadable resources
- Certificate of completion
Instructor
Eng. Selim Badwy
Overview
A specialised structural BIM course equipping engineers to model, analyse, and coordinate building structures using BIM technology — covering 3D structural modelling, load analysis, clash detection, and multi-discipline coordination with architectural and MEP teams across GCC construction projects. BIM Structure is the application of Building Information Modeling to the specific demands of structural engineering — enabling engineers to move beyond static 2D drawings into an intelligent, data-rich 3D environment where structural models carry complete information about materials, loads, connections, and specifications. At Charter Center for Training and Development, the BIM Structure course is built around the real challenges that structural engineers face on GCC projects: coordinating reinforced concrete and steel structures with architectural and MEP disciplines, managing design changes through parametric models, detecting structural conflicts before they reach the construction phase, and producing accurate construction documentation and quantity takeoffs directly from the BIM model. The course delivers hands-on experience across the full structural BIM workflow — from initial model setup and grid configuration through structural element modelling, analysis integration, reinforcement detailing, and final coordination with the federated multi-discipline model. Participants work on project-based exercises reflecting the building types and construction methodologies prevalent in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, leaving the programme ready to take a contributing role in BIM-enabled structural engineering projects from day one.
Description
Course Highlights
Structural Discipline Focus
Every module is built around structural engineering workflows — not generic BIM. Content addresses RC and steel systems, Saudi and GCC building codes, and structural office practice.
Analysis Software Integration
Covers the BIM-to-analysis workflow connecting Revit structural models to ETABS, SAP2000, and Robot Structural Analysis — bridging design and calculation.
Navisworks Clash Detection
Hands-on clash detection and coordination against architectural and MEP models — the skill that prevents costly site conflicts before they become variation orders.
GCC Project Context
Project exercises reflect building types and construction systems prevalent in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar — RC frames, flat slabs, shear walls, and foundation systems relevant to GCC soil conditions.
Course Curriculum
Structural BIM Fundamentals — Model Setup, Grids & Analytical Model
This module establishes the structural BIM environment from the ground up. Participants configure the Revit structural project template — units, coordinate systems, shared parameters, and the project browser organisation that reflects structural office practice. Structural grids and levels are configured as the governing reference framework: correct grid naming conventions, multi-storey level propagation, and the link between level configuration and element placement constraints that prevent common modelling errors downstream. The module addresses the critical distinction between the physical model (geometry used for documentation and coordination) and the analytical model (the simplified stick model used for structural analysis software exchange) — and the Revit settings that control analytical member centrelines, support conditions, and the release conditions that govern how loads transfer between elements. BIM Execution Plan (BEP) requirements specific to the structural discipline are covered: Level of Development (LOD) requirements at each project phase, structural model file naming and versioning conventions, and the Common Data Environment (CDE) submission workflows that govern how structural models are published and reviewed on BIM-mandated GCC infrastructure and commercial projects.
Structural Element Modelling — RC Frames, Slabs, Walls & Foundations
This module covers the complete structural element library in Revit, working systematically through each element type that appears in GCC building construction. Structural columns are modelled for both reinforced concrete (circular, rectangular, L-shaped, and custom profiles) and structural steel (wide flange, hollow section, and compound sections) — with correct parameter configuration for material properties, concrete grade, and steel specification. Structural beams and framing members cover rectangular RC beams, pre-stressed elements, and the steel beam families used in composite and steel-frame buildings. Slabs address flat slab systems (dominant in GCC residential and commercial construction), ribbed slabs, waffle slabs, and podium transfer slabs — with correct slab span direction, drop panels, column caps, and the slab edge conditions that affect connection detailing. Structural walls cover shear walls, core walls, and retaining wall systems with correct analytical boundary conditions. Foundation elements address isolated footings, strip footings, mat foundations, and pile cap systems — covering both the geometry modelling and the parameter sets that drive quantity schedules and foundation design. The module includes a structured comparison of how these elements are set up differently for RC versus steel construction and for the high-rise versus low-rise typologies that characterise GCC project portfolios.
Load Application, Analysis Integration & Design Optimisation
This module bridges the gap between BIM modelling and structural engineering analysis — the workflow that most structural engineers working in traditional software environments have had to manage manually through repeated export-reimport cycles. Participants learn how to define and assign structural load cases within Revit: dead loads (self-weight and superimposed dead), live loads by occupancy category aligned with Saudi Building Code (SBC) and ASCE 7 provisions, wind loads per ASCE 7-16 and the wind exposure categories applicable to Gulf coastal and inland urban sites, and seismic loading per SBC requirements for the Saudi seismic zones. The analytical model is reviewed and corrected: analytical member alignment, support condition assignment (fixed, pinned, roller), and the analytical model validation checks that must pass before export. Model export workflows to ETABS, SAP2000, and Robot Structural Analysis are covered — including CIS/2, SDNF, and direct .rsa import paths — and the reverse workflow of importing analysis results and section optimisation data back into the Revit model. The module addresses the practical challenges of round-trip exchange: geometry tolerance management, section modification workflow, and how to synchronise analysis model changes with the BIM documentation model without breaking drawing outputs or the coordinated federated model that other disciplines depend on.
Reinforcement Detailing in BIM — Rebar Placement, Scheduling & Shop Drawings
Reinforcement detailing is where structural BIM delivers one of its most commercially significant productivity gains — replacing the manual bar bending schedule process with a parametric, model-driven workflow that updates automatically when section sizes or reinforcement layouts change. This module covers the complete rebar workflow in Revit's reinforcement environment. Concrete cover parameters are configured globally and per-element in compliance with ACI 318 and Saudi Building Code concrete durability requirements for the exposure conditions prevalent in GCC coastal and arid environments. Rebar placement covers the full range of structural elements: column longitudinal bars and ties, beam top and bottom steel with stirrup spacing, flat slab top and bottom reinforcement mats with column strip and middle strip differentiation, shear wall vertical and horizontal bars with boundary element detailing, and isolated footing bottom mat and edge bars. Shape code assignment follows BS 8666 and ACI shape code conventions — both commonly specified on GCC projects — with participants learning how shape code selection affects bar bending schedule output and fabrication order documentation. The module addresses the automated reinforcement schedule workflow: configuring Revit rebar schedules to produce bar bending schedule output compliant with Saudi Aramco, NEOM, and typical GCC consultant submittal requirements. 3D rebar visualisation for design communication and congestion checking — identifying areas where bar placement creates construction access or vibration problems — is covered as a practical quality control technique. The module concludes with rebar drawing sheet production: detail views, section cuts through reinforced elements, rebar annotation, and the drawing output settings that produce reinforcement drawings to the standard required for Saudi municipality and engineering authority approvals.
Multi-Discipline Coordination — Clash Detection, Federated Model & CDE Workflow
The structural model does not exist in isolation — it must coordinate with the architectural envelope, the MEP services, and the civil infrastructure model to produce a constructable design that can be built without significant field coordination problems. This module covers the complete multi-discipline coordination workflow that structural engineers participate in on BIM-enabled GCC projects. Model export from Revit to Navisworks Manage is covered in full: NWC file export settings, model federation in Navisworks, discipline-specific viewpoints, and search sets for structural element categories. Clash detection covers the three clash types in the structural context: hard clashes (structural beams penetrating MEP ducts, columns intersecting pipe runs, slab penetrations conflicting with duct routing), soft clashes (minimum clearance violations between structural elements and MEP equipment requiring maintenance access), and workflow clashes (structural concrete pours sequenced in conflict with MEP sleeves that must be cast in). The clash review workflow is covered in production detail: clash report generation, clash grouping and prioritisation by structural element and MEP system, the coordination meeting agenda, RFI preparation for unresolved clashes, and the design change workflow that resolves clashes and updates both the structural and MEP models simultaneously. Common Data Environment (CDE) publishing workflows for structural models are addressed: model naming per ISO 19650 conventions, revision management, model status classification (Work in Progress → Shared → Published), and the coordination review cycle that governs how the structural model is reviewed by the client, lead consultant, and other disciplines before publication at each project stage.
Structural Documentation, Quantity Extraction & Project Delivery
The final module brings together all upstream BIM work into the construction documentation and project delivery outputs that structural engineering offices produce for permit submissions, contractor tendering, and construction execution. Structural drawing production covers the full range of outputs expected of a BIM-enabled structural team: general arrangement plans at every floor level, structural section cuts with correct annotation and dimensions, foundation layout and detail drawings, connection detail sheets, and the rebar shop drawings generated from the parametric reinforcement model developed in Module 04. Sheet organisation, title block configuration to match Saudi municipal and engineering authority standards, view scale management, and annotation symbol families are addressed in the context of production efficiency — the drawing management practices that allow a BIM team to issue complete structural drawing packages faster and with fewer coordination errors than a traditional CAD approach. Quantity takeoff and BOQ production covers the complete structural schedule suite: concrete volume schedules by element type and floor, steel tonnage schedules by section profile, formwork area schedules for estimating purposes, and the rebar quantity schedules that cross-reference bar mark, shape code, diameter, length, and total weight — formatted for direct use in GCC tender pricing and procurement. The module concludes with the as-built model handover workflow: updating the structural model to reflect site revisions, adding construction record data (pour dates, concrete test cube results, approval references) as Revit parameters, and preparing the IFC export of the structural model for delivery to the facility management team — completing the structural engineer's contribution to the full BIM project lifecycle from design to operation.
Software, Standards & Tools Covered
Professional Competencies Developed
Structural BIM Modelling
Build complete, coordinated structural models for RC and steel building systems — from conceptual layout through LOD 400 construction-ready detail — using Revit's parametric structural environment.
Analysis–BIM Integration
Manage the bidirectional exchange between BIM geometry and structural analysis software — eliminating duplicate modelling and maintaining model consistency between design and calculation.
Clash Detection & Coordination
Run and manage structural clash detection in Navisworks against architectural and MEP models — producing coordination reports, driving issue resolution, and reducing field variation orders.
Documentation & Quantity Delivery
Produce permit-ready structural drawing packages, automated rebar schedules, concrete volume takeoffs, and IFC model exports directly from the BIM model — meeting Saudi and GCC submittal standards.
Expected Outcomes Upon Completion
The ability to build complete, coordinated structural BIM models for RC and steel building systems — from project setup through LOD 350/400 construction documentation — ready for submission on BIM-mandated Saudi and GCC projects
Competence to manage the BIM-to-analysis workflow — connecting Revit structural models to ETABS, SAP2000, or Robot Structural Analysis and returning optimised section data — eliminating the parallel modelling duplication that currently slows structural design offices
Parametric reinforcement detailing capability — placing rebar, generating automated bar bending schedules compliant with BS 8666 and ACI requirements, and producing reinforcement shop drawings directly from the BIM model
Full structural documentation and quantity output capability — permit-ready drawing packages, BOQ schedules, rebar quantity reports, and IFC model exports — meeting the delivery requirements of Saudi municipal authorities, Aramco, NEOM, and GCC government infrastructure clients