CAD/BIM Tips & Tricks

In any company — but especially in small companies — every production minute contributes to the overall viability of the company. Every dollar spent must produce significant results in order to justify the expense.

Is golf one of those sports you think of as high tech? Do you imagine CAD specialists gathered behind the caddy and the golf professional, lending their engineering insight to the power and accuracy of the swing? No? Then you may not be tracking with how far the modern game has come.

A great productivity tool in the hands of great CAD users can produce truly astonishing results. Time is money, which means that timesaving on any project is always desirable, and we all understand that the bottom line is, well, the bottom line.

Does it matter to you if the building you designed is going to be built on a slope? How do you know if your design will be built in the most optimal space? What about the bridge you’re going to build?

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be part of the Mars mission, here’s your chance to find out — without leaving Earth.

We could easily have titled this article, “Engineer Puts Copywriter to Shame,” but the engineer in question so impressed the copywriter that there are no hard feelings at all. In fact, the copywriter’s admiration for members of the AEC industry grew.

Who in the AEC industry would say no to a form of concrete that was lighter, stronger and more environmentally friendly? We can hear those cog wheels turning already. Oh, the possibilities . . .

From 3D printing to building materials, plastic is sticking its nose in everywhere. Here’s a look at some of the smart ways the AEC industry is repurposing this frequently unpopular substance, earning the thumbs-up from environmentalists, consumers and bean counters alike.

Far be it from us to preach about concrete and cracking to a roomful of architects and engineers, but we’d like to take a minute to outline a couple of basics for those readers who are less familiar with the intricacies.