Engineering Design 'Stack' 4

[MRob909]

Hi All,

I was listening to a podcast where some software developers were discussing their 'tech stack'. Meaning the various bits of software they use in their day to day to undertake their work. This got me thinking that every structural engineer I talk to uses different tools and resources to deliver their projects. I've listed out some of mine below, maybe there will be some useful tools here that we can share, feel free to add your own below:

Personally I use the following:
Frame Analysis & General FEA: Dlubal RFEM
Steel Connection Design: https://www.ideastatica.com/
Manual Calculations: (Simple Elements, or Repetitive Calculations): MathCAD
Anchors, Resin: Hilti Profis

3D Modelling: Autodesk Inventor
Model Review/ Markup (For 3rd Party): https://viewer.autodesk.com/
Drawing Review/ Markup: IPad with Goodnotes App
Digital sketches: IPad with Concepts App
Online Sketches: www.witeboard.com

Historic Geotechnical Data for UK: British Geological Survey (Boreholes)
Historic Maps for UK: National Library of Scotland Viewer

Useful Problem Solving Website: https://untools.co/
Useful Charts, Diagrams, Visuals: https://flourish.studio/

 

[EngDM]

Frame Analysis & General FEA: RISA-2D (Old perpetual license version)
Steel Connection Design: RISA Connection/Structural Central (Looking into maybe switching permanently to Structural Central since its a lot of the same calculators I use from RISA, but no CSA intregration. There's a few that it doesn't have that RISA can do).
Manual Calculations: (Simple Elements, or Repetitive Calculations): SMath, Excel, Excel, Excel, Excel, Excel
Anchors, Resin: Hilti Profis, Simpson Strongtie Anchor Designer
Masonry Design: MASS

2D Modelling: AutoCAD LT
Model Review/ Markup (For 3rd Party): Trimble Connect
Drawing Review/ Markup: PDF XChange (Obligatory f*** Adobe)

Frame Analysis & General FEA: Dlubal RFEM

Have you used RSTAB Design at all? Looks like it's a perpetual license and nearly costs less than a year of RISA 3D.

 

[RenHen]

Frame Analysis: RISA-3D
FEA/3D Solid Analysis: Autodesk Inventor
Glass Analysis: SJ MEPLA, AWGD

I prefer Dlubal's RFEM for all of the above, but don't presently have access.

Manual Calculations: Mathcad, Excel
Anchors: Hilti Profis, Dewalt Design Assist, HTA (Halfen)
Drawing Review/Markup: Bluebeam
Drafting/Data Extraction from Drawings: AutoCAD
& not really structural but I do also regularly use these - Thermal Performance/Condensation Risk Analysis: THERM, WINDOW, Optics, CI Tool

Managing Research/References: Zotero
Free digital copies of various references, standards, etc.: public.resource.org, archive.org
ASCE Design Criteria: ASCE Hazard Tool

 

[lexpatrie]

Excel, Word.... people going to be disappointed with me

 

[Ussuri]

Drawing Review/ Markup: PDF XChange (Obligatory f*** Adobe)

Does every company do this?

Mine has done it twice now changing to Nuance before reverting back to Adobe; and then changing to NitroPro before reverting back to Adobe again.

 

[MRob909]

Have you used RSTAB Design at all? Looks like it's a perpetual license and nearly costs less than a year of RISA 3D.

I haven't used RSTAB only RFEM, but assuming the pedigree is the same I'm sure it will be very useful. They do offer a fairly long trial period, so might be worth downloading a copy to try out. Being probably the only company remaining that offers a perpetual licence was one of the main reasons I went with them in honesty. Very good piece of software, and certainly not disappointed.

 

[MRob909]

Excel, Word.... people going to be disappointed with me

Arguably the bedrock of structural engineering!

 

[CJLCivilStruct]

Steel frame design : CADS A3DMax
Concrete / General FEA : SCIA Engineer (Do have a STAAD License but find it much less user friendly in comparison to SCIA)
Manual Calculations: SAND SCALE structural proforma & Excel
2D Modelling: Pencil
3D Modelling: Send 2D pencil sketch to technician

 

[ALK2415]

• Frame Analysis & General FEA:
  • ETABS
  • SAP2000
  • STAAD.PRO
• Steel Connection Design:
  • RAM Connection
  • IDEA StatiCa
  • Tekla
• Manual Calculations (Simple Elements, or Repetitive Calculations):
  • Hand calculations
  • Excel spreadsheets
  • MathCAD
• Anchors, Resin:
  • Hilti Profis
  • Fischer Design Software
  • Resin products like Hilti HIT-RE 500 V3
• Special Structural Member Modelling and Simulation:
  • ANSYS
  • ABAQUS

 

[EngDM]

Does every company do this?

Mine has done it twice now changing to Nuance before reverting back to Adobe; and then changing to NitroPro before reverting back to Adobe again.

The only one I will even consider switching to is BlueBeam.

 

[lexpatrie]

I forgot. Foxit PDF reader. Even though it's a reader, it does offer a fair bit of markup, and if pressed, it is possible to do things like signatures and shop drawing stamps. Free. (I receive no compensation for "endorsements")

 

[RPGs]

• FE Analysis & Design:
  • RAM Elements (I see I'm the only one here--my firm's choice. I preferred RISA 3D at my old job to be honest)
  • Enercalc SEL
• Steel Connection Design:
  • RAM Connection
• Manual Calculations:
  • Hand-written calculations (Samsung S9 Tablet Notes)
  • Excel spreadsheets
• Anchors:
  • Hilti Profis
• PDF Markup:
  
  • Bluebeam Revu
• Drafting:
  • AutoCAD LT
  • Trimble Sketchup (for 3D rendering/visualizing the occasional complex assembly)

I genuinely appreciate how (surprisingly) little software is required to make a decent living working on small to mid-size projects.

I want to hear from @phamENG ; I'm trying to set up my one-man show in the near future and very curious what you employ if you're willing to share.

 

[driftLimiter]

• FE Analysis & Design:
  • RAM SS
  • RAM Elements
  • Enercalc SEL
  • Risa 2d
• Steel Connection Design:
  • Risa Connection
  • RAM Connection
  • Idea Statica (for the fun stuff)
• Manual Calculations:
  • Hand-written calculations. 0.7mm HB Pencil on Grid paper
  • Excel spreadsheets
  • MathCAD
• Anchors:
  • Hilti Profis
  • Anchor Pro
  • Quick Anchor
• PDF Markup:
  
  • Bluebeam Revu
  • PDF-Xchange (at home one time license cost basically the same as Acrobat)
• Drafting:
  • Revit

I'll be transitioning next year to managing partner, I am going to try to consolidate software packages, here are some of my thoughts on this current stack.

-I'm not sold on RAM SS / Elements. I can see the relevance but I am looking for a more general solution that is more intuitive to use. Risa 3d and Dlubal are currently at the top of my list. Dlubal looks awesome, and its a fixed license. But the upfront cost may be prohibitive because you pay to expand the functionality to your own needs.
-MathCAD licensing is a real pain. I plan on ditching that and finding another solution moving forward. I've seen CalcPad, and a calculation module for MS Word that look promising. SMath just doesn't feel right to me although I can see why people would like it.
-I'd like to explore using a tablet or drawing input for doing calculations, sketches and markups.

Any feedback on tablet's for calcs/drawings and dlubal software would be awesome. If you want to message me to keep this thread clean please do !

 

[phamENG]

I want to hear from @phamENG

FE Analysis & Design:

Risa 3D - considering adding floor.
Enercalc SEL - looking forward to dropping this one. Some how they've managed to make it simultaneously too complex and too simple.

Steel Connection Design:

Risa Connection. Not as intricate a some of the others, but I don't do enough steel to justify ideastatica.

Manual Calculations:

Hand-written
Excel spreadsheets
Starting to get into some python programming, so I'm looking forward to writing some programs.

Anchors:

Hilti Profis
Hand calcs for masonry

PDF Markup:

Bluebeam Revu

Drafting:
Revit
AutoCAD
(I broke down and got the AEC package. Revit LT was just infuriating. Might have been okay for some stuff and simple buildings, but houses have enough oddities that it wasn't cutting it)

Sorry for the formatting - on my phone

 

[Just Some Nerd]

FEA:
Etabs (concrete structures)
Spacegass (steel frames or small structures with more complex geometry than what ETABs can do)

Slab design (RC+PT) :
RAM Concept
RAPT

Shoring/Retaining walls:
WALLAP (for getting design actions and assessing movements)

Manual calcs:
Excel
Bit of SMath
Structural Toolkit I also consider manual calcs, just premade spreadsheets after all

Anchors:
Hilti Profis

Drawing markups etc:
Bluebeam

Drafting:
Revit


We used to have RAM Connection for steel connections also, but it's not been worth keeping up the license recently.

 

[STpipe]

I haven't used RSTAB only RFEM, but assuming the pedigree is the same I'm sure it will be very useful. They do offer a fairly long trial period, so might be worth downloading a copy to try out. Being probably the only company remaining that offers a perpetual licence was one of the main reasons I went with them in honesty. Very good piece of software, and certainly not disappointed.

RSTAB is the exact same as RFEM, just without the shell elements, so if someone likes RFEM, they should like RSTAB as well. I'm personally a big fan of the programs and wish I had access to them. The initial price is attractive, however once you get to all the addons for design and other features, it can get pricey. However, the nice thing with RFEM 5 was that it only used the license when actually using the addon (for example, if you're running steel design to check the members, the license is only pulled while that window is open to setup the parameters and to run the calculations - viewing the results does not use a license), so you didn't need as many licenses of the addons as you had of the main program.

Unfortunately, I think they changed that with version 6, and now the addons are 'locked' to one of the licenses for the main program.

Also, are the CSI products (SAP2000, Etabs etc.) no longer being offered on a perpetual license?

---

For my programs, I run with the following:

• Frame Analysis & General FEA:
  • SAP2000 for 3D
  • Ftool for 2D
• Steel Connection Design:
  • Excel/MathCAD/Smath Sheets
• Manual Calculations (Simple Elements, or Repetitive Calculations):
  • Hand calculations
  • Excel/MathCAD/Smath Sheets
• Anchors, Resin:
  • Hilti Profis
• CAD Software
  • AutoCAD

 

[Just Some Nerd]

Also, are the CSI products (SAP2000, Etabs etc.) no longer being offered on a perpetual license?

I don't believe so. From July 2025, even standalone licenses will be phased out for cloud ones.

 

[STpipe]

I don't believe so. From July 2025, even standalone licenses will be phased out for cloud ones.

That's unfortunate. So basically those that own perpetual licenses will have to switch to the subscription to get access to the newer versions with code updates etc.?

 

[dauwerda]

• FE Analysis & Design:
  • RISA-3D
  • PLS-Pole
• Steel Connection Design:
  • Risa Connection (used rarely as it doesn't handle most of the connections we do)
  • Excel Spreadsheets
  • Idea Statica
• Manual Calculations:
  • Excel spreadsheets
• Anchors:
  • Excel Spreadsheets
  • Hilti Profis
• PDF Markup:
  
  • Bluebeam Revu
• Drafting:
  • AutoCAD
  • Tekla

If I ever make the time to learn it and use it, I want to make the switch from RISA to Visual Analysis. RISA has just never been the same since it was bought out.

 

[Celt83]

• General Analysis
  • Autodesk Robot (Included in the AEC collection so it's my default when other licenses are in use, can do a lot but a lot of switches to toggle so high chance of garbage in)
  • RAM Elements ( Fisher Price Stiffness Analysis, but also gets the job done for what we use it for)
  • RISA 3D ( Have a few branch offices that use RISA and I'm in house tech so need to be familiar with it also)
• Building Design
  • RAM Structural System (borderline trash for anything that isn't composite steel beam design, it's 2024 and it still can only handle D,L, (S or Lr) for gravity design)
• Mild Reinf. Slab / PT Slab
  • Adapt-PT/RC (mostly used for preliminary design these days)
  • RAM Concept ( FEM of 3D plates, excellent mild/PT slab software at the expense of Italian mafia style licensing complete with knee busting)
• Component Design
  • Autodesk Robot - Concrete Beams
  • RAM Elements - Retaining Walls, Masonry Walls, Concrete Beams
  • SpColumn - Concrete Columns
  • Enercalc - (old lapsed license, Ok when it was cheaper way to many errors at the current price model)
  • LPile - Laterally loaded piles
• Manual Calculations
  • Onenote / Goodnotes
  • Slide Rule and/or SwissMicros DM42
  • Python
  • Excel
• Anchors
  • Hilti ( FEM analysis for a fee)
  • Simpson (Limited FEM plate analysis included for Free)
  • Dewalt
• PDF
  • Bluebeam ( It's functional the cost per license is entirely unjustified but they know they have the industry in a strangle hold)
• Drafting
  • Revit (+Dynamo)
  • AutoCAD
• Project Collaboration
  • Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro (BIM360) (No one actually uses this the way it's intended so it's basically just an expensive version of dropbox/onedrive)