Skip to main content

2016 North American BIM Awards - 1200 Intrepid

Unique office building with one facade not only varying in radius at each level but tilting outward as much as 23.5 degrees. Panels are 'stacked' on one another with only lateral connections to steel. Each panel is unique in size and has varying chamfers on front corners to align with windows which are set out of skew from panels. Another challenge is locating the pre-welded hardware onto the beam flanges. The angles don't sit square with beam since panels are arced and beam is segmented. Due to complexity of panel placement, robotic station is planned for setting panels in field using Layout Manager.

Modeling the east panels was definitely a challenge. High Concrete Group, LLC started out using a variable cross section but that led to issues. We consulted our Tekla rep and he advised using a slab which went better however later on while cutting chamfers individually we wondered if we shouldn't have stuck with the section. We had trouble matching what the Architect was looking for until we finally got a copy of their model done in Rhino. We were able to massage our panels by using their model as a reference model.