To speed up and optimize the BIM design of lightning protection and grounding systems in the Autodesk Revit environment, we have developed a special plugin — an add-in program. The plugin extends the capabilities of TIM — technological information modeling in power supply by integrating engineering calculations, specifications, and ZANDZ products directly into the Revit model.
Target Audience and Benefits
The plugin is designed for power supply system designers, BIM coordinators, BIM managers, and all specialists working in Revit on power supply sections, including lightning protection and grounding. It significantly reduces design time, eliminates manual modeling errors, and allows generating a specification with a list of ZANDZ equipment and materials, including all products used in the project with their part numbers and standard sizes.
Key Features
- Automatic loading of ZANDZ families, specifications, sheets, and settings into the project.
- Configuration and automatic installation of expansion joints, fasteners, and connectors, as well as placement of conductors and lightning protection elements considering reference planes walls, roofs, and other structural elements.
- Calculation of modular and electrolytic grounding resistance considering geology, seasonal factors, and other parameters.
- Monitoring the integrity of lightning protection circuits, with automatic correction of conductor connection errors.
- Modeling of free-standing lightning protection systems both foundation-mounted rod types and free-standing wire types, linked to actual ZANDZ products.
- Generation of specifications and schedules, including calculation of conductor consumption by bundle (length).
- Full compliance of the created model with the requirements of SP (Code of Rules) 333.1325800.2020, considering current and future amendments to the regulatory document.
The plugin also allows for calculating the resistance of grounding devices either without using model data (preliminary calculation) or using parameters of elements already modeled in the project.
Supported Revit Versions
The plugin is compatible with Revit versions 2022–2025. When different versions are used, temporary files adapted to the specific Revit version are automatically created for the current session.
Development Plans
Future versions are planned to include:
- Support for installing clamps on pitched roofs and parapets.
- Expanded conductor routing capabilities considering complex building geometry.
- Automatic calculation of lightning protection zones according to the requirements of RD 34.21.122-87, SO 153-34.21.122-2003, and GOST 59789-2021.
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