Question about using a 3D model for a steel frame job

My old boss told me to skip the 3D model and just draft the 2D views for a big steel frame. I did it his way and we missed a major clash with a duct run. It cost us two days to fix on site. Anyone else had a job where a 3D model saved you from a big mistake?

4 comments

4 Comments

hunt.hayden1mo ago

Our last hospital job had 47 prefab steel pieces that all fit perfectly because of the model. That clash @max716 mentioned is exactly why we do it, it turns arguments about interference into a simple visual check. The real cost isn't just the two day fix, it's the hit to your team's trust in the plans.

alex8201mo ago

That trust thing is so true... once the crew sees a plan fail in the field, they start double checking everything and it just kills speed. @riverb13 is right about the "tax" for skipping the model, but it's a tax on morale too. Watching a boss get proven wrong feels good for a second, but then you're all just stuck in the mud fixing it. The model isn't about being fancy, it's about making sure everyone is actually looking at the same picture before the steel shows up.

riverb131mo ago

Classic case of old school meeting new school and the building site paying the price. Your boss probably still thinks a slide rule is high tech. Two days of field fixes sounds about right for the "we don't need no fancy models" tax. Bet he won't question the 3D approach on the next one.

max7161mo ago

Tbh you nailed it, @riverb13. My boss actually called the 3D model "a video game" during the meeting. The two days of fixes were just us trying to make his napkin sketch work in the real world. Ngl, watching him stare at the clash reports was almost worth the overtime. Pretty sure he's still salty about the whole thing, but at least the next project is starting in the model.