Simplifying Structural Reinforcement in Revit®

Revit features numerous structural reinforcement options and continues to improve upon them. From rebar to sheet reinforcement and everything in between, detailing structural reinforcement in Revit may seem daunting at first, but we will try to simplify the process for you in this blog.

Rebar can be hosted in basically anything that is structural concrete – walls, floors, columns, beams, and footings, to name a few. Before placing rebar, modify the Rebar Cover Settings and the Reinforcement Settings. This is especially important to include hooks and end treatments in the Rebar Shape definition. Find both of the setting dialog boxes by expanding the menu on the Reinforcement panel of the Structural tab.

To place rebar, click on the Rebar button. Select the preferred shape – there are quite a few options already built into Revit, or you can create a custom shape. The rebar can be placed Parallel to the Work Plane, Parallel to Cover (horizontal or vertical lines in the view), or Perpendicular to Cover (dots). Choose whether to place a single piece of rebar (very time consuming for a large building!) or a Rebar Set. Varying rebar sets can be used for a slanted wall profile or floor boundary. The Rebar Set can be constrained by a Fixed Number, Maximum Spacing, Number with Spacing, or the Minimum Clear Spacing. Spacing calculations are based off of the Rebar Cover Settings.

As you move the mouse inside of the host, reference lines will show the extents of the cover boundaries. Click inside the extents to place the rebar.

Rebar can be modified after placement by clicking on a rebar object and using the tools available on the green contextual tab or in the Properties dialog box. As a default, rebar is only visible in the view in which it is created. To view rebar in other views, click on the rebar and in the Properties dialog box, open the View Visibility States dialog box. Select the views where the rebar should be visible, and in the case of a 3D view, whether the rebar is shown as a solid.