Modeling Reinforcement and Creating Shop Drawings in Autodesk Revit - SE3142-L - Hands-on Lab

Oct 23, 2026

Hands-on lab material on modeling reinforcement and producing shop drawings directly from Autodesk Revit Structure using a typical parking garage example. It covers practical reinforcement modeling techniques across drilled piers, columns, beams, slabs, and walls, plus Revit scheduling workflows and integration with Microsoft Excel for rebar bend schedules intended for fabrication export. The handout also demonstrates Revit 2014 reinforcement modeling overrides, custom tags, and annotation element creation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryTechnology

FormatPDF

Pages40

Reading Time1 h 41 min

AccessFree to download

Learning Objectives

About the Speaker

Why (and When) to Model Rebar

Why/When to Model Rebar

Why/When NOT to Model Rebar

What Isn’t Covered in This Class

General Considerations for Starting the Model

Separate vs Combined Models

Modeling Reinforcement and Creating Shop Drawings in Autodesk Revit Dan McCloskey, P. E.– MB BIM Solutions SE3142-L In this hands-on lab, you learn how to model reinforcement and create shop drawings from the model in Autodesk Revit Structure software. We use a typical parking garage as an example, and demonstrate techniques to use various tools within Revit, third-party add-ins, Revit® Extensions, and parts and assemblies to model rebar. We learn which modeling techniques are practical for different types of concrete elements, such as drilled piers, columns, beams, slabs, and walls. We then use the scheduling tools in Revit Structure, as well as add-ins that export and import our schedules to Microsoft® Excel® , to create and modify rebar bend schedules for the use in shop drawings and for export to fabrication. The new features in Revit Structure 2014, particularly the ability to apply overrides to the default host constraint behavior on a selected rebar element, are demonstrated. We also learn how to create custom tags and annotation elements that are useful in creating rebar shop drawings. Learning Objectives At the end of this class, you will be able to: • Use the reinforcement modeling tools in Revit, as well as Revit Extensions and third-party add-ins. • Describe the new reinforcement modeling tools in Revit 2014 and explain when to use them. • Use schedule and links to Excel to create and modify rebar bend schedules and data for fabrication. • Create custom annotation families, parameters, and tags to use in creating shop drawings from the Revit model. About the Speaker Dan received his bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at ChampaignUrbana. After spending two years in Tampa designing bridges for URS Corporation, Dan attended Purdue University, where he focused his research on seismic design in steel-framed buildings, and received a Master's Degree in Structural Engineering. Dan then moved to Denver, Colorado, where he worked as a Structural Design Engineer, and later, Structural Project Engineer for S. A. Miro, Inc.. During his five years with Miro, Dan became an in-house expert in Autodesk Revit Structure, and moved into the role of BIM Manager. In 2011, Dan co-founded MB BIM Solutions as a BIM-focused consultancy that provided construction-level modeling of structural systems and components for its clients. Dan is active in the Denver-area BIM community, with Rocky Mountain Building Information Society, as well asthe BIM Users Group. [dmm@mbbim.com](dmm@mbbim.com) Modeling Reinforcement and Creating Shop Drawings in Autodesk Revit Introduction Why (and When) to Model Rebar: There has been much debate on LinkedIn groups, and other internet forums, on why anyone in their right mind would model rebar to a fabrication level of detail. It is true that modeling rebar for an entire building is very time intensive and takes considerable effort. Modeling rebar for the sole purpose of meeting an arbitrary BIM LOD (level of detail) requirement is not recommended, unless that rebar model is going tobe pushed downstream into fabrication/construction and used to save schedule or money. Why/When to Model Rebar: • Shop drawing production o Why = construction schedule and material tonnage ($$) savings • Constructability, congestion, and coordination studies o Why = better constructability, reduced congestion issues, enhanced coordination Why/When NOT to Model Rebar: • Because you can o Why not = you’ll blow your budget • To draw details for construction documents o Why not = you’ll end up chasing around bar in other unrelated views, modifications are more of a pain, and you can draw details faster using detail components What Isn’t Covered in This Class: For the sake of time, I won’t be demonstrating how to edit rebar shapes and hooks, welded-wire fabric, how to set up project and shared parameters, modeling rebar in curving concrete element

FAQs

When is modeling rebar to fabrication-level detail recommended?

It is recommended when the rebar model will be pushed downstream into fabrication/construction to save schedule or money, rather than to meet an arbitrary BIM LOD requirement.

What are the main reasons to model rebar for shop drawing production?

The document links shop drawing production to construction schedule and material tonnage savings, supporting overall cost and planning improvements.

How should models be managed when an EOR both models reinforcement and creates shop drawings?

The handout recommends starting with two separate models—design and construction—then linking and using copy/monitor, though it notes that some firms may combine them using worksets.

Oct 23, 2026

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