Revit modelling InstaCrete vs Revit comparison

InstaCrete 2.0 vs. Revit : which one is the best for Revit modelling?

In this article/ blog, I’m going to put the Revit add-in InstaCrete 2.0 and Autodesk Revit itself to the test.
The comparison is limited to Revit modelling (structural concrete) only.
So if you’re looking for a DEEP comparison of these two modelling tools you’ve come to the right place.
I’m going to compare InstaCrete 2.0 vs. Revit in terms of the following tools:

The Revit add-in InstaCrete & Revit both have these tools.
So it’s time to answer key questions. Who is better for concrete structure modelling overall?

Let’s do this!

Table of Contents

Who is better InstaCrete or Revit while drawing the grids?

First, I decided to see which tool was best for drawing the grids.
Let’s see who came out on top.

InstaCrete grid manager 

Revit modelling Grid manager dialogue box

Revit Grid Tool 

Comments 

Conclusion 

Who is better InstaCrete or Revit while drawing the levels?

Next, let’s compare the tool Level.

InstaCrete Level Manager 

Revit modelling adding levels

Revit – The Level tool

Comments 

Conclusion 

Who is better InstaCrete or Revit while placing the Foundations?

I am going to compare the structural foundation tool from the perspective of its placement in the drawing.

InstaCretes Foundation tool 

revit modeling foundation manager

Revits Structural Foundation tool : Isolated

Test Result 

For testing purpose, let’s add a few gids, levels & then place foundations using InstaCrete & Revit. Revit took 11 minutes to complete the task. InstaCrete completed the same task in 7 minutes. 34% of time-saving.

Video – Grid, Level & Foundation comparison.

Comments 

Conclusion 

Who is better InstaCrete or revit while placing the Columns?

Let’s see who fares better while placing the structural columns in the drawing.

InstaCretes Column tool 

There are two tools to place the columns.

Revit modelling adding columns
revit modeling single level column

Revits Structural Column tool 

Test Result 

Let’s add a few columns in the drawing. The Revit procedure took around 3 minutes 50 seconds while InstaCrete took two minutes twenty-eight seconds to complete the same procedure
Instacrete saves 36% of user time while drawing the columns.

Video – Structural Column tool comparison.

Comments 

Conclusion 

Who is better InstaCrete or revit while placing the Beams?

Now, that we have seen the foundation & column tool, wherein, InstaCrete was seen to be faring better. Let’s test the beam tool.

InstaCretes Beam Tool 

There are four tools to add beams in the drawing.

Quick Beam 

Quick beam manager

Beam by Selection 

Revit modelling - Beam by selection

Direct Beam 

Revit modeling- direct beam

Cantilever Beam 

revit modelling adding cantilever beams

Revits Beam tool

Test Result 

We have 20 columns from Level 1 to Level 2. We will have 19 continuous beams in between these columns. These beams have different sizes. All these beams are arranged along with one of the column edges.

Revit completed the procedure in three minutes 39 seconds. While InstaCrete took two minutes 29 seconds to complete the same procedure. Around 32% of time-saving.

Video – Structural Beam tool comparison.

Comments 

Conclusion 

Who is better InstaCrete or Revit while building the Structural Floor Model?

We have seen that InstaCrete can build grids, level, foundations, columns & beams from the dialogue box. Let’s see if it can build the floor model from the dialogue box & how it fares with the Revit’s structural floor tool.

InstaCretes Structural Floor 

InstaCrete uses the structural floor manager to build the floor.

Revit modelling to build the Structural floor.

Revits structural floor tool

Test Result 

Revit completed the procedure in 3 minutes 45 seconds. While InstaCrete took 1 minute 18 seconds to complete the same procedure. Around 65% of time-saving.

Video – Structural Floor tool comparison.

Comments 

Conclusion 

Who is better InstaCrete or Revit while building the Walls?

In the following analysis I am going to compare the wall tool.

InstaCretes Wall 

There are three tools. Let’s analyse them one by one.

Quick Wall 

revit modelling for quick walls

Wall by Selection tool 

Wall by selection for Revit modelling.

Direct Wall tool 

Revit modeling for walls

Revits Wall tool 

Test Result 

Revit completed the procedure in 1minutes 56 seconds. While InstaCrete took 50 seconds to complete the same procedure. Around 57% of time-saving.

Video – Wall tool comparison.

Comments 

Conclusion 

Who Calculates accurate concrete cost? InstaCrete or Revit, let’s see.

During the execution of the construction project, the concrete cost fluctuates many times. InstaCrete as well as Revit help to arrive at a proper cost. Let’s analyse both the tools & see which is better.

InstaCretes Concrete Settings tool 

InstaCrete uses the Concrete Settings tool to define the concrete mix & it’s cost.

Revit modelling-concrete settings

Revits concrete settings tool 

Test Result 

There can not be a competition when it comes to the concrete cost of a project. InstaCrete handles this complex issue in the easiest possible way.

Video – Using concrete settings. (Illustration)

Comments 

Conclusion 

Who is better, InstaCrete or Revit while creating a Concrete in-place Stair Model?

In this section, I am going to make an in-depth analysis of the Stair tool.

InstaCretes Stair Model 

This tool is meant for the in-place concrete stair modelling. The user can build 5 types of stair models.

Revits Stair tool 

The user can use three methods to build a stair model.

Test Result 

There can not be a competition when it comes to build a concrete in-place stair model.

Video – Stair modeling. (Illustration)

Comments 

Conclusion 

InstaCrete vs Revit : Comparison between the Reports/ Quantities tool.

Extracting quantities from the 3D model is a very important procedure in BIM implementation. I will compare the Reports/ Quantities tool in the following analysis.

InstaCretes Reports tool 

Revits Quantities tool 

Comments 

Conclusion 

Who is better, InstaCrete or Revit while creating openings for MEP components?

Openings are provided for various purposes like, for artificial lights, for human movements etc. They are also provided to pass through various MEP components from the building objects.

InstaCretes Opening tool 

revit modeling openings

Revits Opening tool 

Comments 

Conclusion 

Who is better, InstaCrete or Revit while animating the model according to the schedule?

InstaCretes InstaSys tool 

Revit modelling simulation of the project according to schedule.

Revits tool for 4D animation 

Video – InstaSys in action.

Comments 

Conclusion 

RCCCAD InstaCrete vs. Autodesk Revit: And the winner is……… ……

I am using Revit since 2006. While doing structural concrete modelling, I use to think about these enhancements in Autodesk Revit. I have taken into consideration all those enhancements while developing InstaCrete.

InstaCrete software acts as data entry software. The user needs to select appropriate structural component sizes against the grid points. The placement/ modelling is taken care of by InstaCrete.

The data goes on accumulating as the user builds the model. The same data becomes handy to edit the model.

As InstaCrete is data-driven software, the designer can forward his design in the form of Excel format. This saves a lot of time as the designer is not required to convey his design in the form of drawings.

Last Word 

While considering the winner I took into the consideration following points –

Autodesk Revit is an “all-rounder” tool in the BIM space. But when it comes to structural concrete modelling, InstaCrete is a clear winner. It saves more than 50% of the modelling time.

And now it’s time to hear what you have to say.

When it comes to the InstaCrete vs. Revit battle, which tool do you prefer for concrete modelling?

Let me know by leaving a comment below right now.

Revit-modeling

Vikram Baraskar is the founder-director of the RCCCAD IT Solution Pvt. Ltd. He is a civil engineer by profession. He has got over 25 years of handling construction projects, teaching CAD software. He has carried out over 7 million sq. ft. of RCC auditing & Revit modelling work. 
He loves all the sports with a special liking to chess.

Scroll to Top
Scroll to Top