Jump to content


Photo

Building Height


  • Please log in to reply
28 replies to this topic

#1 Harrison Loxton

Harrison Loxton

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 22 posts

Posted 02 October 2018 - 07:20 AM

With so many municipalities having a maximum height allowance for a building, I think it would be extremely handy to have a quick way of finding the height of a building without having to generate an elevation and measure.  

 

This could be off the top of foundation, for example.

 

It seems to me like a simple enough calculation to be added into the software, and something I've been asking for now for several years.  

 

Would anyone else find this useful?  



#2 Kevin Rabenaldt

Kevin Rabenaldt

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 391 posts
  • LocationSan Antonio

Posted 02 October 2018 - 08:13 AM

It would be useful.  If you have one of the calcuators that does the feet - inches thing, then it is a quick and easy calculation.  Also the SP on board calculator will do it to.  Measure on screen the distance from max ridge to a outside wall, then with pitch you can make the determination of height.  If you need exact exact then yes you need an elevation but if you are checking to see if it fits under the max height allowed you would be ok.  When you need the exact, I dimension off the elevation in my final drawings.



#3 Harrison Loxton

Harrison Loxton

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 22 posts

Posted 02 October 2018 - 08:38 AM

I measure off the elevations for the final too, but on some of my projects, I have a 12/12 pitch to a point just below the maximum height, the change to a flat roof.  If a building height dimension showed up on "roof mode", for example, it would be a huge time saver.  I will often offset a plane from the site to the maximum height and make sure the roof all comes in below that.  I'd rather not save the elevations multiple times just to verify the height when it seems unnecessary. 



#4 Philip Frank

Philip Frank

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 559 posts
  • LocationMaine, USA

Posted 02 October 2018 - 10:03 AM

Have you tried measuring off of the 3d elevation view? You can use the "Distance " tool (on the "Dimension" ribbon) to get a vertical distance. Not perfect, but will get you close and will also always reflect what you have in your drawings (you can change the pitch and the 3d elevation will change and you can then recheck the distance. There is no need to keep recreating the 2d elevation)

Attached Files


  • Heath Foster likes this

#5 Harrison Loxton

Harrison Loxton

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 22 posts

Posted 02 October 2018 - 12:14 PM

Thanks for the replies on this.  I never thought of doing that.  

To me, though, it just seems like something that could be incorporated into future versions so I wouldn't have to move off of the roof tab.  With some of the larger homes, the client and/or builder wants the roof to within fractions of an inch of the maximum height and it has to be an exact calculation.

Attached Files



#6 Keith Almond

Keith Almond

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 5,092 posts
  • LocationBrockville, Ontario, Canada

Posted 02 October 2018 - 01:51 PM

The roof plan already has the ability to display the plate heights. Adding a feature to display the ridge height "should" be relatively simple. However, then you have to take off the ground level heights, it's probably much more than a simple calculation.


Keith

There are 10 types of people in this world ....... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

Softplan user since version 5.5.2.5

www.homehardwarekingston.ca

#7 Kevin Rabenaldt

Kevin Rabenaldt

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 391 posts
  • LocationSan Antonio

Posted 02 October 2018 - 01:56 PM

Harrison,  what do they do?, get a surveyor out to measure elevation?  Your measurement will be very close and what is draw on the plans does not mean the framer is exact on his ridge placement.



#8 Harrison Loxton

Harrison Loxton

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 22 posts

Posted 02 October 2018 - 02:02 PM

That's exactly what they do.  They measure off the top of the established grade to the maximum height of the ridge.  A good framer will be right on with the dimension.  That's the reason we have engineered trusses and framing members. 



#9 Kevin Rabenaldt

Kevin Rabenaldt

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 391 posts
  • LocationSan Antonio

Posted 02 October 2018 - 10:20 PM

Wow, that is what is called a razor's edge on a bull dozer blade.  Where is this if I may ask?



#10 Dennis Hilborn

Dennis Hilborn

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 816 posts
  • LocationDFW Texas

Posted 03 October 2018 - 07:40 AM

They do so in Fort Worth Texas also.  Maybe not every time but if the roof looks too high they will measure it.  I don't know what they do if it's too high.  I try to never submit a set of plans that are closer than 1' to the max height.  There is usually something that can be done to reduce it a bit.



#11 Thomas Roman

Thomas Roman

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 341 posts
  • LocationSacramento, CA

Posted 03 October 2018 - 09:09 AM

"Established grade" is key aspect.. and relationship to floor level needs to be indicated.. project could be a cut or a fill.. lot could be steep cross slope.. on a sloped lot some parts of structure can be taller than others, depending if on uphill or downhill part of lot / structure...all would need to be accurately entered into the softplan model to to have softplan track a building height from established grade... hate to be Debbie Downer here, but that sounds like a super tricky thing, to me, to make user friendly and worth the up-front time to dial that all in accurately.. Except, I suppose, for a level flat lot would be far easier..

#12 Thomas Roman

Thomas Roman

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 341 posts
  • LocationSacramento, CA

Posted 03 October 2018 - 09:33 AM

For a flat lot, I'm thinking that you might model a "plane" (use a simple solid) that is set "x" ft. above your established grade elevation.. then as you design, you can see if any element of structure touches or pokes up above this plane.. would work best looking at a model elevation view..
  • Keith Almond and Tom Rogers like this

#13 Dennis Hilborn

Dennis Hilborn

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 816 posts
  • LocationDFW Texas

Posted 03 October 2018 - 10:14 AM

I'd be happy if there was a way to get a number from top of first floor to highest point of roof as I'm working on the roof.



#14 Harrison Loxton

Harrison Loxton

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 22 posts

Posted 03 October 2018 - 11:59 AM

For a flat lot, I'm thinking that you might model a "plane" (use a simple solid) that is set "x" ft. above your established grade elevation.. then as you design, you can see if any element of structure touches or pokes up above this plane.. would work best looking at a model elevation view..

 

 

"Established grade" is key aspect.. and relationship to floor level needs to be indicated.. project could be a cut or a fill.. lot could be steep cross slope.. on a sloped lot some parts of structure can be taller than others, depending if on uphill or downhill part of lot / structure...all would need to be accurately entered into the softplan model to to have softplan track a building height from established grade... hate to be Debbie Downer here, but that sounds like a super tricky thing, to me, to make user friendly and worth the up-front time to dial that all in accurately.. Except, I suppose, for a level flat lot would be far easier..

I do project the plane to make sure that I'm below that.  Since I work with the surveyor who indicates what "established grade" is, it would be a simple calculation.  We determine the top of foundation off established grade, and add that on to the calculation.  Perhaps there's even a "add 10" to the calculation" toggle, or something like that.  If  the calculation was to top of foundation, to me it seems simple.



#15 Keith Almond

Keith Almond

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 5,092 posts
  • LocationBrockville, Ontario, Canada

Posted 03 October 2018 - 05:21 PM

The bottom line ... it doesn't exist at the moment!

 

Perhaps you could use Softplan's Suggestion page ... http://softplan.com/?page_id=818 ... to make a suggestion as to what you want to see.


Keith

There are 10 types of people in this world ....... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

Softplan user since version 5.5.2.5

www.homehardwarekingston.ca

#16 Harrison Loxton

Harrison Loxton

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 22 posts

Posted 03 October 2018 - 06:05 PM

I know it doesn't exist, and hence my question of "Would anyone else find this useful?"

 

​It's something I've mentioned to several technical support guys and sales guys for 15+/- years, and I've always heard "that's a great idea", but nothing has ever come of it.  I've also put it on the suggestion page, but nothing has ever come of it.  

 

Again, that's the reason I've asked the question, to see if I should press the issue or not.  I guess if it's not possible, I'd at least like to hear a "no" from someone.



#17 Keith Almond

Keith Almond

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 5,092 posts
  • LocationBrockville, Ontario, Canada

Posted 03 October 2018 - 08:07 PM

I agree, it's a useful addition. As I said earlier, If Softplan can make it display the ridge height the same as it displays the plate height, then I personally can work my allowable heights easily from there.


Keith

There are 10 types of people in this world ....... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

Softplan user since version 5.5.2.5

www.homehardwarekingston.ca

#18 Thomas Roman

Thomas Roman

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 341 posts
  • LocationSacramento, CA

Posted 04 October 2018 - 09:35 AM

I suppose it would save the need to use the roof pitch-run-rise calculator at times.. I think for me an indication of ridge height would be more useful when trying to determine the relationships of perpendicular ridges with different roof widths, plate heights, and pitches, and generally when designing complex roofs..
Most of our building lots are sloping here in the sierras, so the established grade varies around the perimeter of structure so probably less of a building height tool for us, but could see how rhat could be a quick building height reference tool for you flat-landers .. ;-)

#19 Brent Hyndman

Brent Hyndman

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,549 posts

Posted 04 October 2018 - 11:07 AM

I have logged a suggestion to add the Ridge Heights to roof mode akin to the way that we currently display Plate heights. 


  • Keith Almond likes this

#20 Don Gibbons

Don Gibbons

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 375 posts

Posted 04 October 2018 - 11:55 AM

Brent, can you also include the midpoint of the roof plane as well? It varies from township to township here.


  • Jim Johnson and Keith Almond like this




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users