What structural software are you using?

[brianks]

Just curious to know what software people are using to design buildings? Do you find some software particularly good for a particular construction (steel, concrete, wood, masonry) but not for others? What limitations are you finding with the software? Have you found a design flow that works well for your design firm? Please share.

 

[SLTA]

There have been a ton of threads on this - might want to do a quick search. Good luck.

 

[ishvaaag]

In Spain I would say for concrete structure buildings CYPECAD outnumbers by far any other program in the field. This status has been attained through very a very good input interface (directly snapping to actual plan of the structure by levels, and easy input of the loadings) and a very good output (near complete elimination of draughtsman work for structural work). The inner works may be more criticable from the abilities of good structural analysis programmers, maybe as well by some degree of opacity, and some other related viewpoints, but in general seems to be more than conservative enough, and able to be put in place to the general approval of those intervening in the project. You may find places where if you don't provide the rebar works as generated by this program the rebar people looks you with a blank stare. I don't see this preeminence as good, since it undermines the true core of analysis, yet it is imperative to reckon that from a market viewpoint it has been always very well targeted through

1. Reduction of errors at input time
2. General conservatism of the solution to not get designs with problems
3. Overall reduction of drawing errors and even omissions, since the program provides complete rebar design.

It also contemplates a nice bunch of international codes.

What above, coming from me, that don't like particularly this program, is compliment enough.

As of now I use mostly RISA 3D for steel work design, results to be drawn in Autocad or whatever. Since I bought it first in 1993 or so it has not produced a single incidence in steel work, and adapts well to the irregular setup of plans I have been involved with, mainly by setting the model first in an Autocad dxf model import.

The "by hand" work I do mainly through Mathcad worksheets that I produced in the over 2000 number range around the years 2000-2002; I find comfy the ability of invariably soundly treat the engineering units as provided by default by Mathcad, and the sheer investment I did in producing the worksheets paid -if not always in money, that is entirely another equation- in better understanding of the problems therein dealt with.

I am able to use and in fact use for some projects some dozens of other programs, but these are the mainstays of my structural work when I have to do some design.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

RISA 3D

 

[delagina]

StaadPro - Direct Analysis Method

 

[JLNJ]

Risa 3D.

 

[Ron]

RISA 3D

 

[kamagi]

in Tanzania we prefer Master series, Procon and spreed sheet for design

 

[Lion06]

RAM Structural System
RAM Elements
Excel Spreadsheets

 

[delagina]

these are the available softwares we have in structural department

Staad for analysis
PDS for 3d modeling
Tekla for 3d modeling depending on the project
Smartplant for 3d viewer
Lasergen for 3d viewer of existing structures
Microstation for 2d drafting
Descon for connection
Foundation3d and Mat3d for foundation
Staad Foundation for foundation
spColumn, spBeam, spSlab
RisaBase

 

[BAretired]

Has anyone tried SODA? I tried an earlier version and found it a bit awkward for data input, but I note they have a new version which appears to be more user friendly.

http://www.sodaspace.ca/

BA

 

[ATSE]

RISA 3D

 

[Brad805]

BA, Soda, does that ever bring back memories. We use

SAP2000 for general analysis
Woodworks
Concise for PC beams
Excel spreadsheets for various items
Autocad
Tekla Structures

Brad

 

[a2mfk]

Surprised not one mention of enercalc. For low rise building pieces and parts, individual member design, etc. it is very useful, easy to use, and affordable. It has its negatives like anything else and is not an overall analysis software like RISA or RAM.

 

[nuche1973]

At my last job I was using RISA-3D. Now it's old school: pencil, paper and Excel.

There are days when I wake up feeling like the dumbest man on the planet, then there are days when I confirm it.

 

[a2mfk]

old school is good too nuche, and I use mathcad for some things where I have written templates and formulas... Especially good for iterative problems.

 

[nuche1973]

I rememer mathcad from college,I wish I had it now. However, I've gotten pretty good with Excel. I also used Enercalc 5.5. I found it usefull on the basic stuff, but glitchy (yes a technical term) on the complex stuff like built up section moduli. I never used the new release.

There are days when I wake up feeling like the dumbest man on the planet, then there are days when I confirm it.

 

[DWHA]

last job:
RISA 3D & Foot
Dcalc (ms dos, ugh)
Tedds
Pilebuck
excel

current job:
mathcad
excel

 

[hello12345hello]

Ram structural system is good software but we can't analyse two diaphragm. Like say 90% building roof is at 10' level and 10% building is 13' level. The software won't analyze the system for lateral loads and gives error.

 

[BAretired]

hello12345hello,

I don't know anything about Ram software but I don't understand why you would use a computer program for that type of analysis. That would seem to be a problem to be solved by hand methods.

BA