Design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) principles play an integral part in the development of prefabrication and modular building construction projects. In this class, we'll discuss specific lessons learned in applying DfMA to building construction for designers, construction managers, and trade partners. Using examples from recent projects, we'll explore the processes and tools used to make DfMA successful. We'll highlight the best practices and strategies for implementing DfMA to projects all along the spectrum of prefabrication, from single trade assemblies to full structural volumetric modules, and how we're pushing the boundaries in utilizing Revit, Navisworks, and Autodesk Construction Cloud in the design of industrialized construction projects. By the end of the presentation, you will have a deeper understanding of the DfMA rules and rails for building construction and how to apply them to your own projects.

This lecture will examine the approach of various timesaving, valuable processes utilized on a new 5-story healthcare addition. Prefabrication, integrated colocation (Big Room), quality install with laser scanning, and fully coordinated shop drawing creation are processes Kitchell used to induce critical waste-cutting techniques in order to shorten an already aggressive schedule. Kitchell selected 3 key areas of construction that the prefabrication process would benefit, including corridor utility racks, patient room headwalls, and patient bathrooms. We will go over the various Autodesk, Inc., software platforms utilized by trade partners in the coordination process, and we will show how co-locating to the prefab shop was a must. Participants used laser scanning to spot check areas for install and cross-referencing issues with the coordination model. Given the success of the project, Kitchell has adopted prefabrication and timesaving processes as a quality approach to be put forth on present and future projects for Kitchell.

Curtain walls represent a special category of Revit software elements that we can use in many diverse ways. In this class we will focus on building efficient curtain wall panels, profile, and mullion family types for a variety of construction uses. You will learn how to build out a library of construction ready, manufacturer-based components for efficient detailing, documentation, and cost estimation; create flexible corrugated panels; and capitalize on adaptive components for creating rigs for complex curtain wall layout. We’ll also explore some non-traditional use cases for curtain wall elements, such as casework and railings. During class we’ll show actual project examples that demonstrate where and when to use these advanced modeling techniques in the real world.

Curtain Walls in Revit software represent a special category that can be used in many diverse ways, and Revit 2025 has added new important features that improve this complex and flexible category even further. In this session, we will learn techniques and best practices for building our comprehensive, robust, and highly detailed curtain wall types of various common assemblies, appropriate for both the design construction documentation as well as manufacturer shop-drawing production. We’ll review how to build out not just traditional glazed assemblies, but also commercial insulated metal panel systems, flexible corrugated panel systems, and standing seam panel systems. For each of these assemblies, participants will understand how to create an entire library of construction-ready, manufacturer-based components for fast, efficient modeling—complete with automated Level of Detail (LOD)—and get high-quality detailing almost for free.

Since over two decades ago, when the speaker started the field of large scale 3D printing, no other activity in the field was initiated for over a decade. More recently the number of related developments have been exponentially increasingly. Technologies using various materials and various robotics approaches have been recently under development targeting a multitude of applications including building construction. A historical perspective, a review of current activities and discussion of future prospects focusing on construction for terrestrial and planetary applications of large scale 3D printing will be presented. Potential areas of interface with some current technologies such as CAD, BIM, IoT, etc. will also be discussed.

This class will explain the fundamentals of laser scanning, explore its value and application in building construction, and reveal how reality-capture tools are shaping the future of the industry. Attendees will gain a basic understanding of what data is collected and how, typical scan-data processing workflows in ReCap software, and analysis for ASTM E1155 Concrete Floor Flatness & Levelness (FF/FL) reporting. We will share best practices for capturing data in the field; accurate and precise scan registration to ensure reliable results; and several examples of actual projects where ReCap software was used to enhance processes and communication. This session features ReCap.

This class is a case study on the integration of Revit by a small to mid-sized engineering firm working in building construction. The class will explore the implementation of Revit by delving into a few BIM projects. The study will show that Revit is not restricted to large projects; rather it is well suited to the “everyday” buildings, such as housing, schools, offices, and more. The focus is on experiences the firm had along the way from CAD to BIM such as detailing, coordination, and standardization. Those experiences are lessons that will increase any firm’s proficiency using Revit without sacrificing production. The class will also show the collaboration between architectural and engineering companies on multi-disciplinary Revit projects. In the end, we hope to show architects and engineers of any sized company for any sized project how to integrate Revit into project delivery and how new technologies such as Autodesk A360 will further increase the efficiency of the BIM.

This class will show you how to use Google Earth™ to import GIS information using AutoCAD® Civil 3D® and Autodesk® Revit® software. Autodesk Revit and Autodesk® Ecotect® Analysis software will be used to properly analyze, place, and orient the design of the building. Autodesk® Revit® MEP and Autodesk® Revit® Structure software will be used to design the energy analysis and cost analysis for the class. Upon completion of any structural-related building within Autodesk Revit, an energy analysis template will be used to track all electrical and heating costs for the owner’s operational use. A second template will dictate the cost of building construction using Autodesk Revit and Autodesk® Navisworks® software. Upon completion of the Revit 3D model and cost analysis templates, Autodesk Navisworks will be used to simulate the IDP construction process. The audience will see documentation on how 3D IDP is integrated, from the Civil GIS phase to the construction and bidding phase.

Start your Autodesk University week off right! For the first time ever at Autodesk University, we’ll have our own construction mainstage (well, a baby one). And the all-star lineup just keeps getting better. Hosted by Stacy Scopano, this 90-minute session will offer a fresh look at the issues dominating construction, and the future trends that will transform the industry, including Building Information Modeling (BIM), lean construction, collaboration, mobility, and more. Additionally, hear directly from your peers as they highlight the ways they have made their Autodesk Solutions work best for them. Finally, start the week pointed in the right direction with a quick overview of key construction-related events, classes, and ad-hoc sessions to help you get the most out of this year’s AU. Speakers include: Jim Lynch, Vice President of the AEC product group; Ryan Colker, Presidential Advisor at the National Institute of Building Sciences; Andrew Pryke, Managing Director of BAM Design; Brian Mullins, CEO, DAQRI; Joe Barr, CEO, Hansen Yuncken; and Nicolas Fonta, Product Manager, Design Animation Solutions Group.

By now you've probably heard about the latest trend to take technology by storm: augmented reality (AR). And from what you've read in tech magazines or seen on YouTube, you probably geek out about it like the rest of us. Yeah, virtual reality (VR), AR, and mixed reality (whatever that means) sound and look really cool, like everything we've seen in sci-fi movies is becoming REAL reality. We're approaching the point where we've accepted this idea, but how can we use the technology in a practical sense and actually get some value from these expensive headsets, other than just explaining to owners that it's "super cool?" That is what this session will be all about. We're going to demonstrate the ways and methods that you can use your design models (Revit software), use real information that is updated through BIM 360 software, and take them into an AR or VR environment (using the Stingray gaming engine) and actually view the stuff that matters in the field.

The class will discuss our cultural transformation from a plumbing/mechanical contractor to a manufacturer in our fabrication facility. With a focus on innovations and the future of building construction, Cannistraro embarked on a journey to modernize its piping fabrication facility with advanced proprietary equipment. The cornerstone of the success is the integration between Fabrication ESTmep software and the equipment. The goal was to utilize the "I" in Building Information Modeling (BIM) to program the equipment, minimize operator entry, and maximize production while adopting true manufacturing workflows.

BIM 360 software product suite encompasses the connection between design and construction. The purpose of this class will be to illustrate how the Building Information Modeling (BIM) products interact together to create a collaborative environment throughout the building construction lifecycle. We will provide an overview of BIM 360 software products that includes useful tips and best practices for administrators and new users in the set up, use, and distribution of information gathered from preconstruction to project handover.

This talk will provide an inside look at the benefits, hurdles, and vision of using reality capture technologies in practice to take on the intricacies of building construction. The class will demonstrate workflows that adopt laser scanning, spherical photography, and digital laser layout and how they enable more precise construction, adjust sequence for prefabrication, inform early business decisions, and produce a model that mitigates risk associated with designing and building around existing conditions. See how these workflows are achieved using ReCap software, Revit software, and custom tools, along with best practices using Collaboration for Revit cloud service and BIM 360 software.

This class will identify and prove the power of laser scan data, photogrammetry, and the resulting meshes and points in the design process. Using a live data set, industry professionals will demonstrate the simplicity, the flexibility, and the range of uses from a multidisciplinary point of view. They will then use scan data to redefine use of the phrase “as-built” for new building construction by introducing the concept of CPR (Construction Progress Recording) and how we can truly produce as-built Building Information Modeling (BIM) data sets for use in the real-world operation of buildings. They'll be talking about scanning hardware; Autodesk, Inc., software; data sources (laser and photographs); and the use of Autodesk cloud services to capture, process, and validate the data.

This class is intended for structural engineers/technicians and contractors who struggle with the on-time delivery of accurate structural analysis results. It's a daily challenge for structural engineers to make the right decisions on structural geometry based on limited project data. Being competitive in structural design means early delivery of building construction documentation. In this session you will learn how to perform early-stage analysis on your structural models in Revit in order to define the right foundation design. You will discover how to detect structural problems in your predesign stage of your Building Information Modeling (BIM) process using cloud analysis in Revit with the Structural Analysis toolkit. Find out how to share your analysis conclusions with the other stakeholders of the project. Finally, we will evaluate the predesign decisions with comprehensive detailed analysis of your structural model in Robot Structural Analysis.

Traditionally, price has been the sole factor considered in selection of construction contractors by project owners, and in awarding subcontracts further down the supply chain. Best-value procurement enables other factors (such as qualifications, schedule, quality, and performance-based criteria) to evaluate and select subcontractors, with the ultimate goal of providing the highest value for the end customer. BIM 360 cloud services have enabled owners and contractors working on thousands of projects to collaborate with their supply chain and access critical project data throughout the building-construction lifecycle. But it also keeps a record of this data, which can be analyzed to surface insights into supply chain performance. This class will focus on how contractors can now use objective indicators of past performance as a means for selection of their supply chain. This session features BIM 360 Field, BIM 360 Docs, and BIM 360 Plan. AIA Approved

Streamlining the process for preventative and scheduled maintenance of facilities has always been challenging due to lack of communication between designers and future facility maintenance (FM) crews. As evolution of Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been proven to increase efficiency and improve buildings’ construction, it is also improving processes and decreasing costs of FM and facility management. This class will explain how the integration of BIM models into FM systems has become a powerful tool in the building-management lifecycle. We will explain how the BIM model becomes an electronic owner’s manual—it helps visualize space and building components that need maintenance, and it automates a preventive maintenance program. It gives the ability to filter data and quickly search for specific information, which significantly improves efficiency, and saves the maintenance crew time and resources. This session will showcase studies data, software comparisons, and recommendations for industry professionals. This session features Building Ops, BIM 360 Field, and BIM 360 Glue. AIA Approved

The United Nation predicts that the world’s population will grow from 7.5 billion today to nearly 10 billion by 2050. To keep up with this population growth, urban areas will need to construct on average more than 13,000 commercial buildings daily. In this context, it is important to consider the impact that buildings will have on climate change, and the depletion of natural resources. It’s been estimated that building construction projects contribute 40% of the waste in landfills, and that buildings produce one-third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, use 25% of global water, and use 40% of global energy. The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry must fundamentally rethink how it designs, constructs, and operates the built environment for the world to meet its climate change reduction goals. Join us for this lively and inspiring panel discussion with key industry leaders to explore how the structural and MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) engineering industries can help address the climate crisis.

This class builds on previous Autodesk University classes that taught rebar modeling and shop drawing tools in Revit Structure software. We will expand on this by showing how to manage a large rebar model and shop drawings for large building construction projects in Revit software. Using a 2000-plus ton rebar model for a $1 million, San Francisco, mixed-use, mid-rise project as an example, we will discuss how to use the Revit software model and add-ins to manage pours, fabrication data, and coordination between the contractor, rebar fabricator, and installer. We will present techniques that will help you use partitions and bar numbering to manage data in a large rebar model, as well as how to use parameters and filters to control and QC rebar delivery data. We will demonstrate spreadsheet links and add-ins to export rebar fabrication data from the Revit software model to input directly into common rebar cutting and bending software applications. You will also learn tips and tricks to help you take advantage of repetition to efficiently model rebar and annotate shop drawings.