If you’re considering Revit for building information modeling (BIM), it’s important to make sure it’s also a good fit for electrical engineers.
BIM software is a game-changer for modern engineering. It makes designing easier, lets users collaborate better, and provides more accurate simulations. And for electrical engineers, finding the right BIM tool can boost productivity and build better projects.
Revit is one of the most popular BIM software packages, but how does it break down in terms of electrical engineering tasks? The Electrical Engineering BIM Scorecard has ten “yes” or “no” questions, that are used to rank Revit features and their ability to meet the needs of electrical engineers.
For more information on the scorecard itself see this video that discusses it, and there is a scorecard graphic available also to let others personally score their BIM software.
Scoring Revit
As a rule, as soon as there’s a “no” response to any question, the scoring is complete.
- Does engineering exist?
- Does MEP exist?
- Does electrical exist?
With these first questions answered “yes”, Revit easily covers BIM’s basic features for electrical engineering.
- Can you insert electrical devices?
- Can you do panel schedules?
Both questions also receive “yes” answers, and by meeting number four, Revit now matches the capabilities of AutoCAD.
- Can you do a panel load calculation?
A major part of any electrical engineering design, yes, Revit can do these important calculations too.
- Can you do voltage drop calculations?
And with this question comes the first challenge to the software. Technically, yes, Revit does include voltage drop calculations, but as soon as the feature is tried, it’s clear that the calculations can’t be done, so no score is given.
- Can you do fault calculations?
- Can you do a single-line diagram?
It’s a “no” for both numbers eight and nine, and with that Revit’s limits are clear.
What This Means
With “no” for all the last questions, the review process came to an end. The review of Revit finished scoring a six out of ten on the Electrical Engineering BIM Scorecard. Although not bad, there is obviously room for improvement.
Revit has many advantages over AutoCAD, there’s no doubt about that. But when it comes to meeting the complex needs of electrical engineers, it falls short.
In the end, Revit can handle basic electrical engineering tasks within the BIM workflow and even exceeds the basics at some points. However, some clear limitations keep it from fully satisfying the demands of today’s electrical engineering designs.
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