To place steel columns in Revit, go to Structure tab > Column, click Load Family, open Structural Columns > Steel, pick W-Wide Flange-Column and the size you need. Click the grid intersections to place the columns, then set each column’s Base Level and Top Level in Properties so it sits on its footing.
Part 4 of my Revit structural series. The spread footings are in, so now the steel columns go on top of them. The main things here are loading the right column family and setting the base and top levels so each column actually sits on its footing.
Download the file
Download the Revit file from the previous part for free.
It’s saved in Revit 2021 format, so you need Revit 2021 or newer. Revit can’t save to older versions.
Video walkthrough
How do I load a steel column family?
- On the Structure tab, click Column.
- Click Load Family. In the dialog, open Structural Columns, then the Steel folder.
- Pick W-Wide Flange-Column. A table of sizes opens.
- Select the size you need and click OK.
How do I place structural columns in Revit?
- Place a column at a grid intersection when both grid lines light up blue.
- If the footing seems to disappear, open a 3D view and fix the column’s levels in Properties: set the Top Level first, then the Base Level, and don’t forget the offsets from each level.
- Copy that column to the other locations with Copy, or use
CS(Create Similar). - After copying, check the properties of each new column. Copies don’t always pick up the right levels and offsets for their location.
Create the rest of the columns the same way.
Why don’t my columns show in plan?
Usually it’s the view range. A column has to be inside the plan view’s range to show. Check View Range in the view’s Properties, and check the column’s base and top levels.
That wraps up the structure up to the columns. For the whole series, see the Revit tutorial index.
