recentgrad - You will most likely get all sorts of comments on this from the site - usually with individuals who have experience with one of the above, but probably not two or more. Thus, you won't necessarily get a good "comparative" perspective on these. However, each person's experience can give you a good feel for how satisfied they are with the product.
We use RISA 3D as well as RAM Structural System - both are good products with good technical help, etc.
GT Strudl and Staad are both based on the original STRUDL code but with unique user interfaces. I have used Staad many years ago - didn't like it then but its product today could be much different and improved.
I used a Strudl-Pro software from McDonnel Douglas which eventually sold out to GT Strudl - Good software, but again, it was based on the old Strudl batch-file code which was cumbersome.
I agree with JAE though I have experience with all four programs. I work for a large company and we have staad, gt-strudl and sap2000 along with some very complex FEA programs.
For immediate use, I don't think you can go wrong with staad and risa. However, I am reluctant to use either for very complex tasks.
For very large models and complex behavior and analysis such as non-linear, springs, plates, shells, combination elements, variety of elements etc, I routinely fall back to GT-STRUDL. Others here do the same with SAP2000.
So as much as anything it depends on what you're going to do with it. GT-STRUDL and SAP can do a lot of things, but if you don't, then those features don't mean much.
Regards,
Qshake
Eng-Tips Forums:Real Solutions for Real Problems Really Quick.
what about Robot millennium ?
In my opinion it's the best structure package .
-Very powerful in modeling ,analysis ,design.
-No more boring mesh .
-Consider all design steps for all popular codes.
(other than most general FEA programs, which not carry many of the design code prerequisites) .
iam using also Etabs, for dynamic analysis and shearwall design.
Just to throw my two cents in, we have used STAAD, and Strudl in our practice however on a limited basis. Neither are very user friendly as has been stated before. Our most common used program on probably 95% of our projects is RAM structrual system and/or RAM Advanse. RAM has done well in incorperating the modeling, lateral analysis, and component design. It is a very good software for building design.
but I guess it is not very popularly known. In hydropower business, we use it for static, dynamic as well as thermal anaylysis of concrete dams. Has a lot of element-types and modeling is easy. A high end software for complex structures. The marketing guys claim that it was developed by NASA. I don't know the truth in that remark.
I think it all depends on what you are doing. If you are doing simple steel frames, some of the products you listed are overkill. Everybody we come in contact with uses STAAD. Sometimes I wonder why those guys don't consolidate the industry down to a few products - make it a lot easier on us rather than using all this CIS bullsh$%&t to get my stuff from one program to another. We use a lot of Enercalc as well. We don't like RAM because of the bugs/crashes. It is good for buildings, but not much else. RISA is good, but weak on the more advanced dynamics. We use STAAD for the structure and the foundation.
SAP-2000 if you want to perform complex seismic analysis of buildings and bridges.
STAAD have some theoretical deficiencies for plates.
GT STRUDL does not report nodal rotations.
I am in the same boat at recentgrad, as I have recently graduated and am doing researach for my small civil/structural firm for structural analysis software. I have read through this thread and would like to ask a few questions on my individual search.
We currently have a full version of RAM Advanse and a Demo version of RISA 3D and are pretty much choosing between the two, except if another program out there is better. We would like to do code checks in: ACI, AISC, AASHTO, NDS and would like to do an analysis of: connections, footings, retaining walls, steel joists, block walls, steel frames and concrete.
I know this is asking a lot of one program but between RISA and RAM, which do you reccommend? Also is there another program out there that is head and shoulders above either of these?
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