Best Connection Design Software 1

[mfritze]

Hello,

I am a mechanical engineer but I frequently use the AISC codes and design guides when designing frames and structures and in particular connections. I typically will automate a calculation in mathcad or excel which is extremely time consuming. I realize there is commercial software that accomplish this objective.

I have been using a trial of RISA Connection but it seems very limited. It is lacking common connections (like vertical brace to column baseplate) and it is somewhat dumb --it can't recognize simple variations on the basic connections or when coping a beam would make the connection work.

What other alternatives are there for connection design software?

 

[JAE]

Tekla
SDS/2

But expensive...

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[delagina]

I used tekla before, I thought it was just for shop drawing, not sure if it's doing connection analysis now which I think what OP is asking.

I think the best steel connection analysis I've used is Descon.

 

[canwesteng]

Does the AISC Manual not have standard connections you can use? For what you're doing this should be sufficient.

 

[Guest262653]

Here are some additional programs, although I'm not sure if they all design to AISC standards.:
- Bentley Limcon
- Bentley Ram Connection
- csJoint
- PowerConnect
- Prokon
- SCS
- C.S.E. Castalia
- IDEA StatiCa Connection

The full versions of the last two allow you to establish any geometry for the connections.

 

[mfritze]

I use the SCM for simple connections. The manual calculation overhead on extended-end plate moment connections, bracing connections, baseplate brace connections,etc can be quite high. For example, most recently I was trying to automate example 5.5 from Design Guide 29 "Corner Connection to Column Web: General Uniform Force Method' --there are 33 pages in this example. No use reinventing the wheel ...

 

[MacGruber22]

Descon is an inexpensive program that works well for engineers not doing heavy amounts of complicated connections. I use it and like it alright.

"It is imperative Cunth doesn't get his hands on those codes."