I think he is referring more to the argument for using software A for certain types of jobs vs software B for other types of jobs.
I imagine some folks will say something along the line of, "For residential projects I use software A because of the following reasons..... But, for commercial projects (or bridge projects, or concrete projects or such) then I use software B for the following reason...."
I will leave it at that because I don't want to bias the discussion towards any one particular software or another.
I use RISA 3D for all complicated steel framing problems! I also use tnxTower married with RISA3D when I have to create structures that tnxTower cannot.
RISA 3D and an old HP calculator....I would pull out my slide rule but I recently used it to beat a young engineer for not thinking about the answer before it got spit out from the computer....just kidding....I generally use baseball bats....I wouldn't want to ruin a perfectly good slide rule.
Same here, with the addition of Strand7 for frame or FE analysis, combined with the Strand7 API and Excel to generate/modify models and read/analyse results.
Advantages: The combination will do just about anything (including dynamic, 3D, non-linear etc), and doing the design work in Excel means you know what is going on.
Disadvantages: The API has a steep learning curve (but copying and pasting to/from the Strand7 editor is also quite effective and very easy).
I would recommend Inventor Professional as you get a bag of apportunities using this software like FEA analysis, Frame analysis, endless design accelerations as per natioanal standards plus you do take benefit of saving you time. Additionally Solidworks and Staad pro are valuable softwares for Structural Engineers.
I use mostly Excel, Retainwall and a brilliant 2-D frame program call FrameMac (I am a Mac office)
I also use CFS and AISIwin for cold formed steel design and occasionally BC-CAlc for I-joist or column design (these run on the PC side of my Mac)
If it gets more complicated than that or I can't do it by hand, I don't' take the job.
We use Tedds by CSC for hand calc type stuff and RISA. I'd like to look into SMath for creating my own calcs as it is a free version of Mathcad.
Tedds for Word is good if you want nice looking calcs that are easy to follow. It is not the most powerful program but it does let you create your own calcs. It is like a less powerful mathcad and in a way replaces excel calcs or makes them easier to follow. I know IDS will jump on here and tell me how I'm wrong and I probably am, its just that excel/spreadsheet calcs can be difficult to follow. But then again if that really isn't your priority then it's hard to argue with excel.
I think the best combination of making clear and concise calculations is using Microsoft as your desktop publisher and then paste tables from Excel and other third party software. With this method you can always have a consistent header, hand pick the output you want to show, and the couple your tabulated results with nice graphics.
Excel for all basic tabular calculations. Programmed by myself or handed down from other engineers where I know exactly what the limitations are of the spreadsheet. No enercalc for me.. all excel.
I use Profis for Appendix D calcs.
RamSteel for composite beam design with Ram Frame is a good way to go for a steel structure.
ETABS for concrete structures.
Risa 3-D is Ok, but I prefer either Ram or Etabs.
ETABS with SAFE is a good work flow, similar to Risa-3D to Risa foundation. I like the computers and structures software because I think it uses the best algorithms for dynamic results. And it is great for concrete design.. not so much for composite design.. With that I stick with RamSteel, RamFrame, Ramfoundation software.
It really depends on the types of structures you're designing. I feel certain softwares handle certain building types best. I have been lucky to be exposed to many different softwares.. I currently use Risa 3D/Risa Floor/ Risa Foundation. It works OK, but sometimes I miss my Ram..
I don't like how Risa Floor calculates girder deflections and cantilevers..And i dont like how it handles self weight camber, and mass. More control with camber and mass using Ram.
Ooops.. .using Microsoft WORD as your desktop publisher.. This is how Tedds is set up.. It runs in word basically.
On another note, I tried Tedds some but left the company that was using this software. It appears to be very powerful but does have some setup time and understanding of how it works and flows. but from what I can see it could really be set up to save time and stream line calcs if someone had the time to really get into it.
at my design office, we are using Cross Section Analysis & Design, as an independent, external tool suitable for:
[ul]
[li]Moment Curvature Analysis of arbitrary cross secrtions[/li]
[li]Interaction diagrams (Axial force vs Moment or Moment X vs Moment Y[/li]
[li]Automatic reinforcemenet design[/li]
[li]Check of a provided reinforcement pattern[/li]
[li]Calculation of sectional properties of arbitrary cross sections[/li]
[li]Cracked concrete analysis[/li]
[li]Calculation of neutral axies location, and representation of stress contours and strain diagrams under given nromal force and biaxial bending[/li]
[li]Support of the following reinforced concrete codes: AASHTO, UBC, AS 3600, IS 456, ACI 318, BS 8110, CSA A233, EC2, NZS 3101, CP 65[/li]
[/ul]
We find this package extremely useful and easy-to-use.
It has helped us a lot in the design phase of structural elements, after having obtained the corresponding internakl forces from an analysis program.
Moreover, when performing non-linear analyses (material non linearity, like push-over), we use to create moment curvature diagrams in this software, export their coordinates in a text file and easily import that in SAP.
Apart from this, we need many times to check the adequacy of some irregular or complex cross sections using allowable stress design (retrofitted concrete section, timber sections, masonry, composite, steel etc), whcih is a time-demanding task. This software helped us a lot in such cases as well.
If anyone has any other experience from this software, please feel free to share, as it feels that it is too good to be tru to me
tnx guys for your reply, I'm still young in structural engineering and I want to become like you in the future... If that time comes, I will buy my own structural software . .
![[rofl2]](/data/assets/smilies/rofl2.gif "[rofl2] [rofl2]")
