How do you document your calcs? 3

[mikhelson]

Pretty much everyone on this forum has to do this day in and day out. What do you use to document your calculations? MathCAD, spreadsheets, LaTeX...? Are you satisfied with the tools you use? Can you copy & paste your calcs in the report, or do they require additional editing?

Thanks!

 

[peinapod]

Blackmaddog:
Yes, I insert from Risa into MathCad. Just copy and paste from menu bar. Works brilliantly.

PEinApod

 

[vmirat]

I'm wondering if anyone has looked at using Microsoft Onenote? You can paste in all kinds of stuff and it works just like a notebook. I haven't used it yet but this post made me think about it for designs.

 

[Lutfi]

For everyone of my projects I prepare a three ring binder (I may have multi volumes depending on the project size). Here is how I divide up my calculations:

1. Code search and brief narrative as to the codes used, assumptions, and construction material types to be used.

2. Loads (dead, live, wind, snow, seismic, etc). I usually make copies of relevant code tables and material data that will be used for the project. I also compute wind pressures for MWFRS and C&C. FBC requires C&C pressures, amongst other data, be placed on the drawings.

3. roof framing members to include deck, joist, beams and girders. This will include FBED, computer input and output regardless of which software I use. I learned that hard drives will crash and without hard copies you will be SOL. I always list name of software used.

4. Floor framing members to include deck, joist, beams and girders. This will include FBED, computer input and output regardless of which software I use. I learned that hard drives will crash and without hard copies you will be SOL. I always list name of software used.

5. Column section to include load tabulation and sizing. Hand calculations and computer output is included.

6. Foundation section that will include:
a. Geotechnical report
b. Summary of foundation loads
c. Any relevant sketches
d. Foundation design to include hand and computer output of calculations.
e. Footing schedule
f. Relevant sections and details.

7. Wall Section to include:
a. Wall loads
i. Vertical dead and live loads.
ii. in plane lateral loads
iii. Out of plane lateral loads
b. Wall design calculations.
c. relevant sections, details and connections.

8. Drawings. I usually place a permit set (11X17) with the calculations.

9. Correspondence section. This section usually has the following:
a. Statement of work from client
b. meeting minutes
c. e-mails from clients including architects, owners, vendors and fellow engineers (MEP)
d. written phone messages
e. Pictures of field conditions
f. any relevant misc. item that I deem important.

I may be missing few items since I am writing from memory at home.






Regards,
Lutfi

 

[ajose]

I have made calculation in different software.

For normal calculation that do not involved FEM (bar, framed structures are particularities) i used to work with microsoft excell but now i do it with mathcad.

I usually insert diagrams made in microsoft word when there is no electronic drawing availlable (it is easy but not to scale).

When there is a electronic media i use print screen, paste it on word cut and then to mathcad.

Mathcad has advantages like it is said before, you can read the equations, you can place personnal commetaries and hide them later on. If you need work and optimize once the first made it is easy to solve parameters.

Mathcad 2001 come with tools to draft, but i have no found time to learn, every project is in a hurry.

 

[kslee1000]

Back to the DOS era, I believe one company had developed electronic based sketch pad that translates hand sketch draw on the pad to a graph file. I don't think it exists now. It would be nice one day we can prepare electronic sketch by hand and to scale intuitively.

 

[IRstuff]

There were and still are various capture utilities that snapshot hand drawings into graphics files. SmartPad was one that existed about 5 yrs ago.

An older version of Mathcad interfaced with SmartSketch, and you could even parameterize drawings in Smartsketch that would respond to values generated from Mathcad. A more recent version did something similar in Visio.

TTFN

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