Structural engineering used to mean separate drawings, separate analysis models, and a constant battle to keep everything coordinated. Revit’s structural modelling tools change this fundamentally: the structural model is the drawing, the analysis model, and the coordination tool all in one. Beams, columns, and foundations placed in Revit generate both the documentation deliverables and an analytical model that can be exported to structural analysis software — all from the same geometry.
Autodesk Revit is available from GetRenewedTech for £39.99 per year. This guide covers the core structural modelling workflow for beams, columns, and foundations, and explores how Revit integrates with the broader structural engineering process.
Setting Up the Structural Model
Structural engineers working in a collaborative BIM project typically link the architectural model into their Revit structural file rather than working in the same file. Go to Insert > Link Revit, select the architect’s model, and choose Auto – Origin to Origin as the positioning method. The architectural model appears as a reference — visible but not editable — providing the grids, levels, and building outline that the structural model is built on.
Before placing any elements, verify that the Grids and Levels defined in the architectural model match your requirements. Structural grids and levels in Revit are shared reference planes; elements snapped to them will update automatically if the levels or grids are adjusted.
Placing Structural Columns
Go to Structure > Column > Structural Column. In the Type Selector, choose the appropriate section — UC (Universal Column) for steel, or a concrete column family for in-situ or precast work. If the section you need is not in the project, click Load Family and browse to the UK structural section families (available in the default Revit content library under Metric > Structural > Framing > Steel).
Columns in Revit are placed with a base level and top level constraint. For a column running from Ground Floor to First Floor, set the base to Ground Floor level and the top to First Floor level. When the level heights change, the column height adjusts automatically. Place columns at grid intersections by snapping to the intersection of grid lines.
Adding Structural Beams and Framing
Beams are placed via Structure > Beam. Select the beam family and size from the Type Selector, then click the start and end points. Revit automatically snaps beams to columns at grid intersections and sets the beam’s reference level from the active level. The beam will adjust its position relative to columns when column positions change.
For more complex framing, use the Beam System tool (Structure > Beam System) to place a regular array of secondary beams between two primary beams. Specify spacing and layout direction, and Revit fills in the secondary framing automatically. If the span changes, the beam system updates to maintain the specified spacing.
Foundation Types in Revit
Revit supports three primary foundation types under the Structure menu:
- Isolated Foundation — pad footings or pile caps under individual columns. Select the column, click Structural Foundation: Isolated, and Revit attaches the foundation to the column base.
- Wall Foundation — strip footings under structural walls. Select the wall and apply the foundation; it follows the wall geometry.
- Foundation Slab — a structural slab element used for raft foundations and basement slabs.
Foundation elements are automatically linked to the elements above them. Move a column, and its pad footing moves with it. This tight parametric linkage eliminates a common source of errors in traditional 2D documentation workflows.
Structural Walls and Floor Slabs
Structural walls in Revit are placed via Structure > Wall: Structural. Unlike architectural walls, structural walls carry a structural usage designation (bearing, shear, combined) that is exported with the analytical model. Concrete slabs are placed via Structure > Floor: Structural; assign the appropriate slab thickness and material from the type properties.
The Analytical Model
One of Revit’s most powerful features for structural engineers is the automatic generation of an analytical model alongside the physical model. Every structural element has an associated analytical element — a line for beams and columns, a surface for walls and slabs — that forms a complete structural analysis model.
Access the analytical model via Analyze > Analytical Model Tools. Check that analytical lines are correctly connected (green dots indicate proper connections; red indicates disconnections that need resolving). Export the analytical model to structural analysis software via File > Export > FEM Analysis (for packages like Robot Structural Analysis, ETABS, or STAAD.Pro) or as IFC Structural.
Structural Drawings and Schedules
Once the model is built, generating structural drawings is largely automatic. Create a structural framing plan by setting up a plan view at the relevant level with structural visibility settings. Revit tags columns, beams, and foundations using tag families that read directly from the element properties.
Structural element schedules — listing every column mark, size, base level, top level, and material — are created via View > Schedules > Schedule/Quantities. These schedules update automatically when the model changes, ensuring your documentation is always consistent with your design.
Clash Detection with the Architectural Model
Using Revit’s built-in clash detection or exporting to Autodesk Navisworks, structural engineers can check for conflicts between structural and architectural elements. A beam running through an architectural ceiling, or a column clashing with a door opening, is immediately flagged — problems that might only be discovered on site in a traditional workflow are identified and resolved at the design stage.
For firms looking to adopt a BIM-centric structural workflow, Revit at £39.99 per year from GetRenewedTech represents one of the most cost-effective entries into professional structural BIM. For firms needing Revit alongside multiple other Autodesk tools, the AEC Collection (£149.99) includes Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and a suite of additional tools in a single package.
