Creating an As-Built of a Multi-Stepped Foundation on a Hill

[cougars32]

Creating an As-Built of a Multi-Stepped Foundation on a Hill

• Version X16

 

Hello,

 

I am working on an addition and remodel project for this split-level home which sits on a steep hillside. It has a multiple stepped foundations and level changes throughout the home, plus a partial daylight basement. We are adding a garage to the exterior/north side of the current garage and redoing both decks (which includes extending one roof and building a new one). We scanned the original blueprints, which I imported into Chief to draw off of. So far I have tried 2+ different attempts at the as-built, but am having a challenging time time getting the foundation and all the levels to look correct. I have included the scanned blueprints. How would you go about this if this was your project?

 

Thank you,

Ashley

 

 

 

Client A Original Plans Combined Set.pdf

[cougars32]

Replying to follow the topic*

[mthd97]

2 hours ago, cougars32 said:

Creating an As-Built of a Multi-Stepped Foundation on a Hill

• Version X16

 

Hello,

 

I am working on an addition and remodel project for this split-level home which sits on a steep hillside. It has a multiple stepped foundations and level changes throughout the home, plus a partial daylight basement. We are adding a garage to the exterior/north side of the current garage and redoing both decks (which includes extending one roof and building a new one). We scanned the original blueprints, which I imported into Chief to draw off of. So far I have tried 2+ different attempts at the as-built, but am having a challenging time time getting the foundation and all the levels to look correct. I have included the scanned blueprints. How would you go about this if this was your project?

 

Thank you,

Ashley

 

 

 

Client A Original Plans Combined Set.pdf 2.37 MB · 3 downloads

Hi @cougars32, first of all it is great that you have all those working drawings to go off. Split levels can be difficult but I would look for videos and resources on doing split levels with CA. Then also doing stepped foundations with CA. After doing your research then give it another try. Most of all take it step by step and don’t give up it can be done.

[SHCanada2]

I would probably start at the lowest level and move up. I find CA is very finicky and if your rooms above and below where the elevations change. do not match, CA will start changing other storey room heights.

 

I constantly check this with a cross section. I just did a split level and thought I was all good and then realized CA changed the basement height from 8ft to 6 ft. Sometimes I have had to create fake invisible walls to make a room that matches the other level ( I think the last time I did this was a bonus room in the garage). basically anytime the floor structure is not uniform, you have to do something to compensate for that, as CA will not adjust the floor thickness, but it will adjust room heights. And then you can go around in circles adjusting room heights on different levels only to realize when you change one level, CA will change the other.

 

The other thing I do to make my life easier is to not enclose all rooms on the floor, until all of the heights are sorted out for each level. And once I have that, I save that off as a version. Because inevitably I'll be going about making rooms, and then notice the heights are off. I use the action history a lot to go back and try and figure out what changed the heigths

Edited August 29 by SHCanada2

[mthd97]

15 minutes ago, SHCanada2 said:

I would probably start at the lowest level and move up. I find CA is very finicky and if your rooms above and below where the elevations change. do not match, CA will start changing other storey room heights.

 

I constantly check this with a cross section. I just did a split level and thought I was all good and then realized CA changed the basement height from 8ft to 6 ft. Sometimes I have had to create fake invisible walls to make a room that matches the other level ( I think the last time I did this was a bonus room in the garage). basically anytime the floor structure is not uniform, you have to do something to compensate for that, as CA will not adjust the floor thickness, but it will adjust room heights. And then you can go around in circles adjusting room heights on different levels only to realize when you change one level, CA will change the other

Yes this is true but thankfully we do have fake invisible walls to use these days. They all help in the process of controlling the auto rebuild functions in CA. As they try this they will also get other tips from experienced CA users who have done a few split level homes too.

 

Edited August 29 by mthd97

[cougars32]

@SHCanada2Thank you! I will keep your inventive suggestions in mind as I work my way up from the basement! 

[SHCanada2]

3 hours ago, cougars32 said:

I will keep your inventive suggestions in mind as I work my way up from the basement! 

btw, check multiple cross sections frequently

 

I also look at the framing overwiew to see where top plates suddenly change to a different height

[mthd97]

5 hours ago, SHCanada2 said:

btw, check multiple cross sections frequently

 

I also look at the framing overwiew to see where top plates suddenly change to a different height

Hi @SHCanada2, have you made any suggestions on how Chief could be improved to stop this sudden change to a different height ? Not only this but also the other problems you also have experienced above with the basement height change in creating a split level home.

Edited Saturday at 03:28 AM by mthd97

[SHCanada2]

23 minutes ago, mthd97 said:

have you made any suggestions on how Chief could be improved to stop this sudden change to a different height

Good suggestion. I did add onto jkedmos suggestion last week where you could specify a floor region similar to a terrain region.  Which after thinking about it that is probably the simplest way from the user perspective. The other way I've thought is to be able to lock the absolute elevation of the floor

[mthd97]

This official CA video may come in helpful in assisting you with your process with stepped footings and setting rooms to build a different levels ? Scott shows us how it’s done.
 

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/322/creating-a-split-level-structure.html

[Jake1976]

Hi everyone, thank you for the suggestions.  Cougars32 posted this comment based upon my direction and it's been a big help.  Thank you for the links and suggestions.  It looks like we've managed to figure this out.  Is anyone familiar with "level's" in Revit? In my mind, it's more intuitive.  Oh, another thing that we did was to get all of our numbers accurate first, for all of the levels and plate heights, it made setting up the defaults super easy and just worked like magic!  Thank you for the encouragement!

Jake

[mthd97]

14 minutes ago, Jake1976 said:

Hi everyone, thank you for the suggestions.  Cougars32 posted this comment based upon my direction and it's been a big help.  Thank you for the links and suggestions.  It looks like we've managed to figure this out.  Is anyone familiar with "level's" in Revit? In my mind, it's more intuitive.  Oh, another thing that we did was to get all of our numbers accurate first, for all of the levels and plate heights, it made setting up the defaults super easy and just worked like magic!  Thank you for the encouragement!

Jake

Hi @Jake1976, all good. Not real familiar with the how things work in Revit. CA has an interconnected room module system that we have to work with in editing a split level home design. It takes real experience to get a split level model to build correctly in CA. Many here are quite proficient in getting it done. I personally like the straight forward approach better or to design as you would actually build it and not have room modules interfere with that process.