Iron Worker / Rigger

3D joist modelling hits new heights. How Canam Group modernized the way it connects people, data, and workflows. Canam Group's digital transformation began when in-house developers created software for modelling joists in 3D. Images: Canam Group Canam Group has used digital models to improve steel fabrication through efficiencies, reduced errors, and minimized waste. The availability of digital data has allowed the company to go further by adopting a collaboration platform that allows it to share this data internally and externally. Powerful integrations. Canam Group's digital transformation began when in-house developers created software for modelling joists in 3D. This eventually became the company standard. It then expanded its use of 3D to building information modelling (BIM), adopting Tekla Structures, a third-party structural BIM platform from Trimble. Canam Group used Tekla Structures Open API to integrate its in-house system and the BIM platform. Open API allows developers to create new tools that work within Tekla Structures, customize and automate the modelling environment, and establish new properties to get the data they need. All user comments, feedback, and requirements can be addressed in Tekla. "The integration addressed the complexity of our joist production workflows, including specific fabrication rules and plant capabilities," said Daniel Fecteau, civil engineer at Canam Group. "We use it to manage our joist detailing process, from design to fabrication. It also enables communication with external stakeholders via the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) format, allowing us to collaborate on projects with complex coordination requirements. The ability to detail joists in a fully digital environment has reduced the need for manual data entry and helped us work faster and more accurately." Within the Tekla model, beams and columns can be created manually or imported from an IFC file. Detailers convert joist components from conceptual joists. "We can retrieve model data from more than 30 plug-ins and external applications and calculate 3D joist assemblies within seconds," said Fecteau. Improved collaboration. Modernizing the detailing and fabrication processes has opened the door for other digital data-driven technologies. For instance, to facilitate communication among internal departments and external stakeholders, Canam Group adopted Trimble Connect, a collaboration platform. Internal and external IFCs are available to everyone throughout the workflow. "We immediately benefit from this iterative collaboration to coordinate joist geometry and bridging positions with HVAC systems and sprinkler lines from the beginning stages of each project," said Fecteau. If information is missing from fabrication drawings, operators can use the tool to access measurements for 3D objects, which is helpful on night shifts when coordinators are not present to answer questions. "Before, assemblies were set aside until the next day or misplaced, which caused planning headaches for the day shift," said Line Cusson, Canam Group's technology project manager. "Now, they can get the information they need to continue working, which increases productivity and improves safety by eliminating the need to move the steel. Today, we have over 400 people using Tekla Structures and around 700 for Trimble Connect." Canam Group adopted Trimble Connect, a collaboration platform. Internal and external IFCs are available to everyone throughout the workflow. If information is missing from fabrication drawings, operators can use the tool to access measurements for 3D objects. In total, the company has increased its engineering process efficiency by 25 per cent, excluding time and cost savings realized by avoiding errors. Accelerated data exchange. In a typical project workflow, the engineer of record provides the primary joist designations and specific loading conditions, which Canam then uses for the final, detailed joist engineering. Although current BIM processes and tools offer limited possibilities for exchanging engineering data, working in a Tekla Structures model linked to Trimble Connect allows Canam to provide IFCs earlier in the process. The main benefit is the ability to quickly provide accurate joist geometries, precise bridging row locations, and joist chord widths. This allows the EOR to visualize and validate design decisions. This preliminary data is vital for steel fabricators, and for mechanical and sprinkler trades that need to coordinate their systems around the structure. It also helps prevent clashes that would otherwise force costly redesigns or the relocation of bridging elements. This foresight ensures the final joist system remains economical. To keep everyone aligned, Canam can regularly share updated models using IFC files. Looking ahead, the company's goal is to leverage BIM collaboration for engineering data exchange to achieve an expedited and truly collaborative 3D model approval process. A digital path forward. The company's digital transformation success is evident in its Lowell High School project in Lowell, Mass. This involved a new structural steel building attached to the existing school and structural framing for two new bridges connecting the buildings. Mechanical units were added to the roofs of both buildings, requiring reinforcement with steel braces, beams, and framing. With no up-to-date drawings of the existing buildings, Canam Group used a Trimble X7 laser scanner to scan the site and existing structures. It allowed the company to model the new bridges and steel reinforcement structures accurately, as well as scan the building's interior to generate precise data for modelling the new steel reinforcements. "Without existing data on the buildings, it would have been difficult to complete the project without the scan data," said Cusson. Canam Group also uses Trimble RealWorks in the field to visualize, register, and analyze the point cloud data and create surface geometry. With this data, the detailing team designs the necessary structural steel reinforcements. "Trimble Connect made complex data merged with 3D models easy to understand," Cusson said. Canam Group's work shows how structural engineering firms can transform how projects are delivered. By standardizing 3D modeling, integrating data across platforms, and enabling collaboration, firms can improve accuracy, reduce rework, and shorten project timelines.

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