Structural & MEP Workflow & File Size & Speed

[Gus]

I'm working on Very Large residential projects with complex modernist structural steel and concrete and complex MEP. Our steel builders use Revit Structures that they export to .ifc files. Our MEP comes from Revit MEP and is exported to .ifc and emailed to us as well. Our architectural model is ArchiCAD and is a large file. When I merge the MEP and Structural .ifc models with our Architectural ArchiCAD 19 model I think it slows down the system. It's hard to tell, but the file sizes are large and I am having a lot of "ArchiCAD not responding" showing up on my PC Task Manager. Also, I am working on these projects using teamwork.

So my question is this:
Should I merge the .ifc files from the Structural and MEP contractors directly into my ArchiCAD architectural model

or

Should I open the MEP and Structural .ifc files as ArchiCAD files, share them using teamwork, and then merge those teamwork files into my ArchiCAD architectural model?

I'm trying to figure out this workflow so that I don't have trouble with productivity speeds and crashes etc. Does anyone know the best way to do this kind of thing. I've watched the Graphisoft how to videos, but they are lacking in details and options.

Any thoughts or experiences or solutions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

-Gus

[Erika Epstein]

Gus,
The answer depends on how you are planning to use the overlapped models.

Revit files are VERY large and so I am not surprised you are having problems maneuvering in Archicad when they are all in one Archicad file.

If you are overlaying the models for reference and such as clash detection then you really only need the geometry. Your consultants can send you 3D DWGs which are much smaller files but have no other data. Depending on how many facets are in the models they may still be problematic, but try it.

Another solution is to upload all the files, including yours, to Tekla BIMsight or another cloud application which can handle the larger combined models. They have built-in team commenting, redlining, task assignment and tracking etc.

So, back to my question, what are you trying to achieve when you overlap the models?

[Gus]

We overlap the models so that we can coordinate window heights, and ceiling heights as they relate to each other and to MEP and Structural Layouts with very little room for error in tight modernist homes.

[Erika Epstein]

In that case you don't need the data attached, just the physical model.
Try one of the suggestions I made yesterday.
- import 3D DWG models
-use a cloud file which has more memory to overlay the full BIM models

It is rare that an architect would be modifying another trade's model or drawing.

[Anonymous]

The way I work with consultants files is that I have separate structural and services models into which I reference in the consultants models whereby I model the relevant parts using native ArchiCAD elements.
These models are hotlinked into my model.
The reason I do it this way even though it may be more work is that I can control how elements are represented in my drawings and I can control how much info I have in the model (do I really need to have nuts/washers/bolts in my 1:100 plans).
With the current project I am working on I have 7 stories but the Revit file from my consultants has 12 stories, if I insert their model directly it totally messes up pretty much all my drawings, this is why I only reference / overlay consultant files

Scott