• Revit

Create beams in Revit

Create beams in your building engineering model in Revit.


Tutorial resources

These downloadable resources will be used to complete this tutorial:


00:03

Beams are primary structural framing members that span horizontally between supports.

00:09

In Revit, there are many ways to add beams to your building model, and there are also many types of beams that can be created.

00:16

For example, you can add individual beams, chains of beams,

00:21

or beams along grid lines—and you can do so in a plan, section, elevation, or 3D view.

00:28

To create a beam, on the Structure ribbon, in the Structure panel, click Beam.

00:34

Next, expand the Type Selector to see the beam types that are available in the project.

00:40

Take note that in Revit, beams are structural framing elements and are loadable families.

00:46

If needed, you can create different families and types for your project.

00:50

Here, select the type of beam you want to place.

00:54

The ribbon changes to the Place Beam contextual ribbon.

00:58

In the Options Bar, you can specify the Placement Plane.

01:02

It is currently set to Level 1, since the Level 1 structural plan is the current view.

01:07

However, you can specify any level or work plane in your project.

01:12

Beams are sketched using one of the options in the Draw gallery.

01:15

For this example, select Line.

01:19

Zoom in to the top left of the grid in the drawing window.

01:22

Click to place the beam start point, and then move the cursor in any direction.

01:27

Revit displays the listening dimensions for the length and angle of your beam.

01:32

Click again to create the beam.

01:34

After you place the beam, a temporary dimension appears for the length,

01:39

with temporary dimensions at each end of the beam.

01:42

These are for the start level offset and end level offset.

01:47

Click any of these temporary dimensions to make them active in order to change the value.

01:52

To place a chain of beams, with the tool still activated, in the Options Bar, select Chain.

01:59

Click to place a beam start point, move the cursor to the right horizontally, and then click to place a second beam.

02:09

Finally, click Modify to end the command.

02:13

To place multiple beams along grid lines, first activate the Beam tool again.

02:18

Then, on the Place Beam contextual ribbon, in the Multiple panel, select On Grids.

02:25

When selected, you can place beams by selecting a span of grid lines.

02:30

To see how this works, use a crossing window to select all the grids.

02:34

A preview of the beams appears between the columns.

02:38

When all the information is correct, click Finish to create the beams.

02:43

Click Modify to end the command.

02:47

You now know how to place beams in your building engineering design.

Video transcript

00:03

Beams are primary structural framing members that span horizontally between supports.

00:09

In Revit, there are many ways to add beams to your building model, and there are also many types of beams that can be created.

00:16

For example, you can add individual beams, chains of beams,

00:21

or beams along grid lines—and you can do so in a plan, section, elevation, or 3D view.

00:28

To create a beam, on the Structure ribbon, in the Structure panel, click Beam.

00:34

Next, expand the Type Selector to see the beam types that are available in the project.

00:40

Take note that in Revit, beams are structural framing elements and are loadable families.

00:46

If needed, you can create different families and types for your project.

00:50

Here, select the type of beam you want to place.

00:54

The ribbon changes to the Place Beam contextual ribbon.

00:58

In the Options Bar, you can specify the Placement Plane.

01:02

It is currently set to Level 1, since the Level 1 structural plan is the current view.

01:07

However, you can specify any level or work plane in your project.

01:12

Beams are sketched using one of the options in the Draw gallery.

01:15

For this example, select Line.

01:19

Zoom in to the top left of the grid in the drawing window.

01:22

Click to place the beam start point, and then move the cursor in any direction.

01:27

Revit displays the listening dimensions for the length and angle of your beam.

01:32

Click again to create the beam.

01:34

After you place the beam, a temporary dimension appears for the length,

01:39

with temporary dimensions at each end of the beam.

01:42

These are for the start level offset and end level offset.

01:47

Click any of these temporary dimensions to make them active in order to change the value.

01:52

To place a chain of beams, with the tool still activated, in the Options Bar, select Chain.

01:59

Click to place a beam start point, move the cursor to the right horizontally, and then click to place a second beam.

02:09

Finally, click Modify to end the command.

02:13

To place multiple beams along grid lines, first activate the Beam tool again.

02:18

Then, on the Place Beam contextual ribbon, in the Multiple panel, select On Grids.

02:25

When selected, you can place beams by selecting a span of grid lines.

02:30

To see how this works, use a crossing window to select all the grids.

02:34

A preview of the beams appears between the columns.

02:38

When all the information is correct, click Finish to create the beams.

02:43

Click Modify to end the command.

02:47

You now know how to place beams in your building engineering design.

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