Designing a CLT timber building with BIM
Nov 8, 2022
Posted by Maria Begouleva
BIM was used in the design stage, production planning as an input and to ensure the compatibility of final production plans.
The project used a BIM approach to ensure compatibility between different designs, especially for glued or cross-laminated timber structures that require high precision.
The tolerance of CNC wood parts is (+/- 3 mm), which means greater than usual dimensional accuracy and reference marks.
- All timber structures are completely detailed in Tekla Structures, including
all surface treatment and fasteners, - The working plan is made according to fabricators’ machinery and the CAD.
Project name: Kommun Building
Project category: Small projects
Company: PMtech Engineering OÜ, SIA CLT Profi
Project location: Denmark
Small residential house of CLT built based on BIM
The design of an office building (administrative centre) from CLT using BIM Tekla Structures
Work on the Public Commune project included the implementation of a full cycle of structural design from the customer’s requirements for the project to the formation of an order for the delivery of finished CLT, GLT panels to the construction site.
The initial data for the development of the working draft of the project were:
- Architectural design, technical drawings of the main solutions and site plan of the site of the stage Technical (architectural design).
- Structural design was carried out based on BIM in CDE Trimble Connect and Tekla Model Sharing.
- Structural and manufacturing drawings, as well as a significant number of procurement and construction reports, were derived from the Tekla Structures 3d model (IFC).
High-tech solutions for sustainable construction
CLT is a promising material for the construction of facilities. According to the conclusions of the study of the entire life cycle of CLT panels, the main positive environmental characteristics of the panels include:
- carbon storage;
- reduction of greenhouse gas emissions during the production process;
- overall reduction of environmental impacts compared to non-wood materials.
Eco-friendly and environmental solutions in construction materials
Future achievements for the construction industry. PMtech Engineering OU (Estonia) sees the future in an automated design format and data transfer to production.
- Automation of design tools (Tekla Structures API) to set up automatic panel cutting for CNC Timber machines;
- At the last stage, BIM is considered to be able to save energy costs, reduce CO2 emissions, etc., through the use of suitable materials (One Click LCA analysis tools).
- BIM tools for an experiment with imitation of the dismantling of the building are still at the design stage. Virtual demolition will allow you to check how a building can be recycled and even recycled with minimal effort and waste.
Maria Begouleva
Director of Engineering (CTO), PMtech Group