BIM for plumbing design - Revit Plumbing - Sep 2018

Oct 25, 2026

Guide to Revit-based BIM workflows for plumbing design, focusing on improving clarity, coordination, and productivity. Covers traditional 2D drafting versus BIM-generated views, avoiding false clashes in overlapping ranges, and creating clearer 3D riser diagrams. Explains how to tailor Revit templates with shared parameters, schedules, filters, keynote templates, incremental pipe size charts, and schedule-based conversions of notes into structured data, while emphasizing collaboration time, families, and parametric objects.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryTechnology

FormatPDF

Pages30

Reading Time1 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

BIM for plumbing design

Design & selection of plumbing systems

New best practices for plumbing using BIM

Improving a Revit Plumbing template

Increasing productivity with BIM

Revit design tips and time savers

BIM content & objects relating to plumbing

SBS5411 Building Information Modelling for BSE [http://ibse.hk/SBS5411/](http://ibse.hk/SBS5411/) Revit Plumbing Ir. Dr. Sam C. M. Hui Faculty of Science and Technology E-mail: [cmhui@vtc.edu.hk](cmhui@vtc.edu.hk) Sep 2018 | | | | --- | --- | | Contents | | | • BIM for plumbing design
• Plumbing systems
• Revit Plumbing tutorials | | | BIM for plumbing design
| | --- | | • Design & selection of plumbing systems
• Both architect & plumbing engineer are involved
• Traditional plumbing design/drafting practices: 2D drawing, diagrammatic (to improve clarity)
• New practices for plumbing:
• Using BIM modelling to create different views
• Avoid false clash in overlapping views
• Create riser diagrams in 3D view (much clearer and accurate than traditional)
• Embrace the concept of parametric design (See also: New Best Practices for Plumbing [https://www.augi.com/articles/detail/new-best-practices-for-plumbing](https://www.augi.com/articles/detail/new-best-practices-for-plumbing)) | | New best practices for plumbing using BIM | | | --- | --- | |
Diagrammatic 2D practice

Overlapping section |
Overlapping view ranges

3D riser diagram | | (Source: New Best Practices for Plumbing [https://www.augi.com/articles/detail/new-best-practices-for-plumbing](https://www.augi.com/articles/detail/new-best-practices-for-plumbing)) | | | BIM for plumbing design
| | --- | | • Plumbing design in the BIM environment
• Need to adjust the workflows & develop templates & content that enable us to adapt & function effectively
• Revit is a powerful resource for plumbing engineer, but user customization is necessary to reach its full potential
• Take time to tailor & craft a Revit template that fits the unique needs of the plumbing discipline inan organisation | 12 ways to improve your Revit Plumbing Template | 1. Use shared parameters & schedules to automate fixture unit calculations. | 7. Create construction lines. | | --- | --- | | 2. Import spreadsheets for more complex calculations. | 8. Create a view template for working sections. | | 3. Make use of parametrics to enhance your fixture & equipment tags. | 9. Create more pipe slopes. | | 4. Create filters to hide unwanted fixture types. | 10. Eliminate repetitive sheet assembly tasks. | | 5. Create a master keynote template file. | 11. Convert general notes, demo notes, abbreviations, etc. into schedules. | | 6. Create incremental pipe size charts for your template. | 12. Streamline general notes by adding ‘editing notes’. | (Source: [http://digital.plumbingengineer.com/app.php?RelId=6.1.4.0&BookCode=20160601&PageLabel=57](http://digital.plumbingengineer.com/app.php?RelId=6.1.4.0&BookCode=20160601&PageLabel=57)[ ](http://digital.plumbingengineer.com/app.php?RelId=6.1.4.0&BookCode=20160601&PageLabel=57)[https://www.phcppros.com/articles/2640-12-ways-to-improve-your-revit-plumbing-template](https://www.phcppros.com/articles/2640-12-ways-to-improve-your-revit-plumbing-template)) | BIM for plumbing design
| | --- | | • The use ofBIM in plumbing projects creates deeper project knowledge, delivers a more robust product, and can reduce total project costs*
• How to increase productivity with BIM
• Use of Families & 3D parametric objects
• Objects available in Revit format from the material or equipment manufacturers
• Allocate enough time for collaboration
(See also: BIM for plumbing design [https://www.csemag.com/single-article/bim-for-plumbing-design.html](https://www.csemag.com/single-article/bim-for-plumbing-design.html)) | | BIM for plumbing design
| | --- | | • Revit design tips for plumbing design
• Revit Plumbing is more complicated than HVACor electrical design because it deals with sloped piping, sanitary drain vent, storm drain lines
• It also requires lots of piping in small spaces
• Plumbing design in AutoCAD is typically schematic in nature, so it requires a shift in mind

FAQs

How does BIM improve plumbing design compared with traditional 2D drafting?

BIM enables creating different views to improve clarity and accuracy. It also supports 3D riser diagrams that are clearer and more accurate than traditional methods.

What practices help avoid false clashes in overlapping views?

The document recommends being mindful of overlapping view ranges in BIM and using BIM views designed to reduce misinterpretation, rather than relying only on traditional clash assumptions.

What are the key steps to improve a Revit Plumbing template?

Use shared parameters and schedules for automation, apply parametrics for tags, create filters, build a master keynote template, and add incremental pipe size charts. It also suggests converting notes into schedules and streamlining repetitive sheet assembly tasks.

Oct 25, 2026

Uploaded by Riley West