Top 4 BIMs You Need To Know For A Career in High-Rise Building Construction

 

Humanity has held a cultural fascination with tall structures. 

 

The pre-modern humans believed that the sky was the realm of the gods. The taller the spires of a building the closer it was to the abode of Gods. This was the reason why the tallest buildings in the ancient and medieval periods were places of worship. 

 

As technology improved humans began to employ math in the construction of buildings. We understood the load exerted by a high-rise building and how to displace this force safely to the foundation. The advent of modern buildings was, in hindsight, a foregone conclusion. 

 

Every year, new high-rise buildings create new records as they break through the clouds. From the 10-storey shopping mall of the 1900s to the 163 floors of the towering Burj Khalifa, high-rises continue to captivate us with their marvel.

 

Trends in High-Rise Building Design

 

The global civil engineering industry will produce economic activity in the range of USD 16 trillion by 2025, an increase of 9% from 2021 standards. The rapid urbanization in countries like China, India, Vietnam, and other South-East Asian countries is one of the drivers behind this growth. This rise in construction activity has seen an increase in the number of jobs in the civil engineering domain. 

 

Civil engineers who want to pursue their career in high-rise buildings should have experience in Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools like AutoCAD, Tekla, REVIT, and others. 

 

BIMs are computer tools that can improve the efficiency of projects and reduce the time taken to complete them. These tools allow collaboration between architects, engineers, draftsmen, and other professionals in the civil engineering domain. BIMs can be integrated with tools like AutoCAD to bring 2-D lines to life. The ‘information’ gathered by a BIM can render realistic 3-D models of the structures and help engineers add features to the existing structure. These features can include steam beams, prefabricated walls, hollow columns, and glass fixtures. 

 

BIMs Used in the Design of High-Rise Buildings

 

Tekla Structural Designer 

Modern designers do not have to reach for help from their stars. Nor can a single project last longer than 40 years. Tools like Tekla Structural Designer saves countless work hours for design engineers by automating processes that would have otherwise taken hours. 

 

Globally, 4090 companies used Tekla Structural Designers. There are 2661 jobs available for engineers trained in using Tekla Structural Designer. Engineers with industry experience in Tekla Structural Designer can expect to earn an average salary of INR 4,80,000

 

India has six per cent of the companies that use Tekla. 265 companies that work in the civil engineering domain, construction, architecture, and Information Services.

 

Tekla structural designer is a Building Information Modeling (BIM) software. A civil engineer will be able to design and create Reinforced Concrete Structures (RCC) and steel structures. Engineers will be able to design, model, and analyze their concepts using Tekla’s Structural Designer. This BIM software allows team members to work on the same project file. Increasing productivity and reducing the time taken to complete a project. 

 

Tekla’s structural designer is primarily used for modeling and analyzing steel frames. Engineers prefer Tekla over other BIMs due to its easy-to-use and its automation features. Civil engineers will not have to enter the data for each rebar field. The software also reduces the chances of mistakes by automating repetitive processes. 

 

Structural Analysis And Designs Program or STAAD.Pro

 

The Structural Analysis And Design (STAAD) program helps designers improve the final civil engineering structure. 

 

Engineers who have experience in this software tool will be able to start their career as a Trainee Design Engineer, Jr Design Engineer, Bridge Design Engineer, Structural Design Engineer, RCC Design Engineer, and STAAD.Pro Trainer. 

 

Engineers who understand the underlying principles behind the use of the software can expect a base annual salary of INR 4,54,000. 

 

STAAD.PRO is a favorite among civil engineers because it makes the graphical modeling of problems easy. This software is also used to calculate the shear stress on the walls and beams. The prebuilt models in STAAD.Pro’s library are intuitive and can be easily modeled according to the building specifications. Engineers can use STAAD.PRO to integrate steel and concrete structural designs into existing plans. 

 

Engineers can use STAAD.PRO and use pre-built templates, reducing the work time. Seismic analysis is an important part of constructing a high-rise building. STAAD.Pro’s functionality allows for both static and response spectrum analysis of seismic loads. 

 

STAAD.PRO is an almost perfect software for civil engineering firms. However, it does have a few drawbacks. It cannot estimate the price of a construction project. It is also unable to simulate curved shells and render surfaces that have a parabolic curve. 

 

Extended Three-Dimensional Analysis of Building System (ETABS) 

 

There are over 7000 job openings for engineering with experience in ETABS. The average salary for an engineer with industry experience in ETABS is INR 5,00,000. The pay is proportional to the experience of the engineer. 

 

Developed by Computer and Structures Incorporated and powered by SAP Fire, ETABS is one of the best software simulation tools for civil engineers. The in-built structural modeling tool eases the creation and editing of new structural models. 

 

Among the features that set ETABS from the competition is its ability to generate reports from various structural inputs. No modern construction project is complete without the addition of concrete and steel. ETABS has special modules that allow for the entry of these two materials. 

 

ETABS is one of the few software tools developed to design high-rise buildings. Engineers can use ETABS to quickly and easily replicate levels. Concrete structures are exposed to stress and force, both laterally and vertically. 

 

The concrete and steel structures used in buildings should not buckle under this pressure. An easy way to estimate the amount of force that can break Reinforced Concrete Cement is to break down the concrete into smaller structured meshes. 

Splitting the concrete slab into smaller sections and applying uniform pressure to all the units will help engineers estimate the breaking point. ETABS is one of the only structural design software that has this functionality. 

 

Modern high-rise buildings should adhere to strict guidelines that define the seismic and wind forces acting on the building. These two forces have the potential to bring down a building. ETABS allows the engineering team to run simulations of various wind and earthquake scenarios and the force they might exert on the structure. 

 

Automatic Computer-Aided Design (AUTOCAD)

 

 

Even if you do not have experience in any of the tools mentioned above, you can still find employment as a draftsman. But, without experience in AutoCAD, you will be like a fish out of water. AutoCAD has become synonymous with civil engineering and is a mandatory skill for professionals in the industry.

 

AutoCAD allows a civil engineer to generate blueprints of a high-rise building quickly. The software helps engineers reduce the time taken for redraws by spotting inconsistencies in the design.

 

Engineers will have to understand the various options available under AutoCAD. Understanding when to deploy hatching and how blocks affect the entire blueprint is a prerequisite. Civil engineers should also be proficient in using AutoCAD to visualize their designs and understand the 3D modeling functions of the software. 

 

Civil engineers use AutoCAD because it is one of the common tools across the industry. Expertise in the tool will allow engineers to collaborate on designs of everything from skyscrapers to dams. 

 

Online High-Rise Building Design Course

 

Knowing how to draw a line or use the revolve command  in AutoCAD is not equal to understanding the tool. Civil engineers have to understand the theory behind applications like AutoCAD.

 

Currently, there are around 4,00,000 students enrolled in civil engineering courses in colleges around India. On graduation, they will be added to the existing pool of engineers in the country.

 

To meet the Government of India’s target of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy by 2030, the country needs 4 million civil engineers. Only a fraction of that at 6,00,000 is currently employed or is going to work in the civil industry. 

 

Engineering firms are recruiting graduates who can create value from the first day. They are searching for engineers who have experience in working with industry tools. There are two ways to gain this experience. One, work in the industry for two-three years. Two, enroll at Skill-Lync and study 32-weeks.

 

Skill-Lync’s Post Graduate Program in High-Rise Building Design & Analysis is a 32-week project-based course that will help civil engineers start their careers. 

 

Our curriculum has been designed with assistance from leading industry experts. During the program, you will train in software tools like Autocad, REVIT, ETABS, and STAAD.Pro, Tekla Structural Designer, and Dlubal. 

 

Students enrolled in this program will work on ten unique projects. These projects are similar to the work conducted by popular civil engineering firms in India. 

 

It is normal to face minor hiccups while working on industry projects. Our expert group of subject matter experts will help you overcome any obstacle with clarity and confidence. Our student-first approach and project-based learning programs are the reasons why more than 15,000 students continue to trust Skill-Lync with their upskilling goals.

 

Take your career to greater heights in high-rise building design with our PG Program in High-Rise Building Design and Analysis, today.