Precast support with Planbar and Tim 2022 offered

“Planbar 2022 is a BIM-CAD-program built for the future. We appreciate, for example, the PythonPart menu very much because we can now create structural precast elements like columns, beams or stairs faster than ever before,” explains test user Egil Humstad from Con-Form, who is delighted with the latest versions of Planbar and Tim. Allplan Precast, Allplan’s competence center for prefabrication, focuses its software solutions specifically for precast construction through both the continuous development of proven functionalities and new workflows with additional productivity benefits.

Planbar is considered one of the world’s leading BIM solutions for the design and detailing of precast concrete elements. It is easy to learn, with automated workflows such as one-click reinforcement or the quick import of architectural models and fixtures, as well as smart features for highly efficient and safe workflows. The latest version of Planbar makes the working lives of design teams even easier and enables seamlessly integrated processes. The more complex and extensive construction projects become, the more participants work together on a project. Allplan’s software solutions ensure that designers can work efficiently together on large construction projects with both internal and external partners.

Planbar 2022: seamless collaboration with IFC

The new IFC interface in Planbar 2022 enables users to collaborate efficiently: all precast elements can be exported, including attributes as well as fixtures, reinforcement, and formwork. The object structure of the precast elements corresponds to the IFC4precast standard. Allplan is thus one of the first software providers worldwide to be certified for this new global standard. IFC4precast was developed by BuildingSmart together with industry partners.

Collaboration made easy with openBIM and Bimplus

The merger of Nemetschek brand Precast Software Engineering with Allplan GmbH creates numerous advantages for customers. For example, a major gain in terms of collaboration is easier access to Bimplus, Allplan’s open, cloud-based BIM platform for all disciplines to collaborate efficiently on building projects. Bimplus enables design projects to be completed faster, at lower cost, and with higher quality. Progress is quicker through simultaneous, location-independent access of all project participants to the current planning status and defined tasks. Cost-effectiveness and quality is improved as planning errors can be identified and corrected before construction begins.

For the 2022 release, Allplan’s development team has added the complete structural precast structure – this means Bimplus now supports all precast types, as do the Issue Manager and the Precast Roundtrip. The Norwegian company Con-form has been using Planbar since 2006 and tested Bimplus extensively as part of a pilot partnership. “I think it’s great that we now have access to Bimplus Professional free of charge. It makes collaboration so much easier. I especially like how quickly we can transfer the 3D model from Planbar to Bimplus. It only takes a few seconds. This way, different designers can create different precast elements in the same building in Planbar and get an overview of all precast elements in the building in Bimplus in just a few seconds,” enthuses key user Egil Humstad.

Perfect data through extended quality assurance in Tim 2022

In addition to the design of precast elements, Allplan Precast also uses Tim to provide vivid work preparation in 3D, direct access to all relevant project information, and sophisticated quality assurance. Tim 2022 offers a whole range of helpful functions especially for improved data quality. In the new Tim version, for example, the Quality Manager can now also check topics. The question of how many critical topics are currently open in current projects can thus be answered at the push of a button.

Furthermore, the new Quality Manager can check how many precast elements are to be scheduled for the respective plant. In practice, users can apply a quality rule check to any number of elements and thus quickly find out to which plant the precast element in question is assigned. The bottom line is that the Quality Manager guarantees error-free production data and thus protects the schedules and cost plans of design offices and precast plants.

Automation and digitalization as guiding stars

A large part of the new features and improvements in Planbar and Tim 2022 are due to direct feedback from customers. This is something Fabian Scheller, Product Manager at Allplan Precast, is keen to emphasize. “For me, automation is not an empty phrase – it is at the heart of our corporate philosophy. That is why automation is the central theme in our product portfolio. After all, only automated processes enable the long-awaited increases in efficiency for the design and execution of precast projects,” he explains.