Nick Johns, Head of Digital Production for Graitec UK, gave an interview to the prestigious online magazine PBC Today, in which he explained in detail the issues regarding the adoption of BIM by manufacturers in the construction industry, suggesting the benefits it brings BIM adoption: profitability, efficiency, expanding the market share and win new tenders.
The full article can be read here.
GRAITEC, an international BIM and CAD software developer with more than 30 years expertise in AEC, and Autodesk® Platinum Partner, is proud to announce that one of its online courses made the short list of trending classes at Autodesk University.
The Future of Making-Rebar in Revit session is among the most viewed course this month, and it provides an in-depth view on automating the modeling, detailing and scheduling of structural elements within Revit in one connected workflow.
The course delivers a both engaging and comprehensive session, showing how intelligent BIM data in a connected workflow can enable structural elements (such as footings, columns, and beams) to be automatically modeled, detailed, and scheduled using Revit software.
The session includes four key learning points:
The main focus lies on a more automated creation of designed 3D reinforcement cages in Revit software, with the use of default or custom structural Revit families. The course also explores the configuration of automated drawings, views, bar scheduled and design reports using standard Revit families.
Access the link below to change the way you approach designing rebar in Revit:
Graitec: The Future of Making-Rebar in Revit
An important advantage of the innovating multi-platform Advance BIM Designers collection of apps that allow automatic generation of 3D reinforcement for reinforced concrete elements is the possibility of direct integration into the interface of the Advance Design calculation software.
One of the many benefits of this integration is a more efficient footing presizing process, after the structure is modelled and a FEM analysis is performed directly in Advance Design.
Advance BIM Designers reuses all information related to material, size or forces in a support and automatically generates reinforcement cages, drawings and reports, based on user-defined reinforcement assumptions.
Clic HERE if you would like to know more about the Advance BIM Designers or the 30 days free software trial period!
In his article, BIM For Reinforced Concrete – It’s In The Details, Pawel Piechnick points to the delay in adopting Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the concrete industry, due mainly to the fragmented supply chain, involging the collaboration of several designers and suppliers for final product delivery.
With varied demands coming from Autodesk users regarding BIM-centric solutions for concrete – gaining more engineering information while coordinating with local building code requirements (engineers and designers), maximizing production and delivery while minimizing time spent with detailing and coordination with the field (fabricators), and planning optimization through access to accurate quantities in early project phases (contractors) – it is becoming clear that the industry is ready for a big change.
Pawel goes on to say that Autodesk’s strategy for reinforced concrete involves integrating steel reinforcement detailing with the structural design process, as well as the detailing process, resulting in more accurate documentation, as well as connected, end-to-end workflows. Autodesk Revit is a clear example, as a model authoring platform supporting BIM workflows for any discipline or trade.
Autodesk’s strategy is completed by partnerships with technical partners who have a record in delivering rebar design-to-detailing-solutions for users in the concrete industry still working with traditional 2D CAD platforms. Software developers such as SOFiSTiK, aSa and Graitec are providing Revit based tools adapted to local standard requirements, process automation, and advanced productivity requirements, and are rebuilding on Revit so they can provide their customers and future reinforced concrete partners a more collaborative BIM environment.
Carl Spalding, GRAITEC Product Strategy Director, thinks that the concrete industry is about to change “thanks to the global adoption of BIM, advances in software technology and countless lessons learnt”.
The main advantages of BIM-centric solutions for the concrete industry:
Read full article “BIM For Reinforced Concrete – It’s In The Details”
Structural engineers and structural technicians, get ready to harness the power of engineering BIM data and connected structural workflows to automate reinforced concrete design, calculation and detailing directly from Revit®. The next-generation BIM technology for reinforced concrete in Revit® has arrived, GRAITEC Reinforced Concrete BIM Designers. The question is are you ready? Here’s what you need to know…
In an age where BIM is driving benefit-proven change across the industry, it is still surprising that the workflow between structural engineers and designers is mostly stop-start, with little or no connected workflow. There are always exceptions, but at best it seems there is an initial transfer of model geometry, and in some cases material property data, from one party (or product) to another. This appears to be used to get the project started and, more often than not, a one-off one-way process, ill repeated thereafter. It seems for reinforced concrete there is still a tendency to favor communication of design changes and sharing of project properties using digital 2D or printed documentation – arguably a liability constraint or necessary to avoid jeopardizing the integrity of the digital model. Continue reading
GRAITEC, an international BIM and CAD software developer for AEC, and Autodesk® Platinum Partner in US and across Europe, is delighted to announce the launch of its new GRAITEC Advance Suite 2017, providing the very best modeling and design software solutions to the Architecture, Engineering and Construction market.
GRAITEC has continuously strived to provide first-rate advancements for innovative software solutions to its valued customers, and the recent launch of its new and upgraded product range for 2017 is no exception, proving they are still top of their game in terms of providing top-level Construction, AEC and Building Design software solutions worldwide.
Francis Guillemard, GRAITEC CEO enthuses: “Our 2017 product range introduces practical functionality across all products to address the daily needs of our customers, whilst helping us meet the growing demands of our expanding markets. Providing our customers with more choice, better value and improved technological solutions to everyday challenges is a key part of our commitment.” Mr Guillemard continues: “BIM is also challenging software developers to rethink the way their technology is applied to project design challenges and accessed across globally dispersed teams. GRAITEC is constantly improving how we engage with our customers and continually pushing the technology boundaries to deliver real value to our users and this is reflected in the 2017 product range.“
Mr Guillemard concludes: “This year we decided to include a preview version of our highly anticipated range of Reinforced Concrete BIM Designers. We wanted to introduce the structural market to the next-generation structural technology that is making it possible to transition to a connected BIM workflow, and use BIM data to provide a high-degree of automation across structural design to detailing cycles, all without having to radically change what they are already doing. It is clear that customer are expecting more from their software and their loyalty will lie with technology that works harder to deliver what they need. We are confident our new range of Reinforced Concrete BIM Designers will set new standards for future BIM technology.”
GRAITEC’s flagship Finite Element Design and Analysis solution, Advance Design, has been enhanced to include full integration with the new GRAITEC Advance BIM Designer collection. The Steel Connection BIM Designer, Reinforced Concrete BIM Designers and the Steel Structure Designer integration enables advanced structural BIM workflows and next-gen process automation across disciplines and multiple platforms including Revit®. With a committed focus on improvements in managing steel projects, further updates include the use of Excel to enable tabular access and grid control as a way to easily modify the properties of structural elements, the ability to enable or disable structural objects for calculation, new load groups added to the Moving Load Generator and the possibility to create a rigid element with a single click without having to manually define a rigid section or material, resulting in a highly simplified workflow.
Commencing with the 2017 version, North American users can benefit from a set bundle comprising Advance Design 2017 and Advance Design America 2017. Advance Design America includes the same expert structural analysis and design software, in-line with North American norms and standards. Users are able to install and use either Advance Design or Advance Design America. For further information, please contact one of our GRAITEC offices.
After the successful launch of Advance WorkshopSteel Fabrication Management Information System last year, the rapid uptake and high demand has seen GRAITEC accelerate development to significantly improve native interoperability with Tekla and Advance Steel. Through embedding its BIM linking software – BIM Connect – advanced connected BIM workflows can be supported and connected to the fabrication process whilst Advance Steel users benefit from an extended profile management, which links directly with Autodesk® Advance Steel databases.
A wider range of CAM Manufacturer’s new machine ranges are supported, whilst provision for smart phone integration can enable cost-effective rapid delivery and tracking of production, using bar codes. The support of Unicode characters and new languages expands the natural market for the product. Users can also manually tweak planning sequencing to improve project management. Additional features comprise new algorithms for importing irregular plate shapes, advanced waste-reduction nesting calculations, stock optimization, material traceability and Time Reader reports for utilization analysis, plus many new features to assist sales and management.
The GRAITEC Advance PowerPack for Revit® 2017 is compatible with both Autodesk® Revit® 2016 and 2017 and comes with a range of tools dedicated to improving and speeding up the user’s daily experience when using Revit® software. New to this version, the BIM Data Link tool, which links Revit® and Excel, introduces new ways to share and reuse project data whilst uniquely retaining any colours, formatting, filtering and sorting applied in either platform. Two additional exciting new tools, highly requested by users of the PowerPack for Revit® are the Numbering tool and Impact Views Manager.
The Numbering tool is incredibly powerful as it can be applied to any Revit® category or family detected in the active project, allowing the created numbering to be further used for tagging everything from rooms to doors and windows to MEP services to grids and everything in between. The numbering tool breaks the traditional boundaries, enabling combinations of active type parameters, prefixes and suffixes as well as grouping to be applied together with user interactive selection sequences or predetermined context sensitive algorithm-paths.
The Impact Views Management tool enables complex views to be created which display both the active elements together with any hidden ‘impact-elements’ or load-bearing elements which may, for example, be above and/or below a selected slab. More unlike traditional workarounds which create static views that do not update, views created with the Impact Views Manager remain connected to the model and update to reflect any changes.
Additional, notable MEP tools include Pipe Opening which detects all clashes between MEP services and Structural elements and allows openings to be applied in all instances on the fly or globally, based on user preferences. The tool monitors all clashes and manages the relationship throughout the project. Other MEP tools include a variety of pipe tags for naming and thickness. Enhancements have also been made to a number of existing tools such as the Family Manager, with the option to add network folders and many more.
GRAITEC is an Autodesk® Platinum Partner in Europe and America and continuously develops its PowerPack to provide significant value to its Revit® customers worldwide.
Compatible with Autodesk® Advance Steel 2017, the GRAITEC Advance PowerPack for Advance Steel introduces a wide selection of exclusive joints, tools and utilities for Advance Steel users. The PowerPack now includes new profiles for worldwide Cold Rolled systems manufacturers with a range of intelligent parametric Cold Rolled joints that automatically adapt to the selected suppliers preferences for purlins, apex-ties and anti-sag systems. These joints combine the functionality of over 15 individual joints to simplify the process of adding cold rolled systems to your projects, or even switching suppliers. Users are also able to select folded or flat plate cleats, stays or sleeves between two purlins. Other improvements can be seen in the commands to export parts to ACIS models and the folded plate extender which adds plates and folds along any selected edge of a plate.
GRAITEC Advance BIM Designers are a collections of apps dedicated to streamlining structural BIM workflows, for automating the traditional design and modelling processes and the production of technical documentation, and are capable of working on multiple platforms. In this release GRAITEC expands its Advance BIM Designers Collection to include Reinforced Concrete BIM Designers and Foundation BIM Designers, both of which are available as a preview-release and expected to be commercially available after the summer.
Steel Structure Designer 2017
The Steel Structure Designer allows the user to quickly configure complete steel structures in a wide variety of shapes and is fully compatible with Autodesk® Advance Steel and GRAITEC Advance Design. The 2017 version now enables curved roofs to be created in either direction, with purlins that automatically align to the curvature of the roof – a notoriously tricky task to manage manually. This version also sees the introduction of a library feature, with save/load options, and predefined building configurations that instantly create structural buildings complete with bracing, railings, floor beams, platforms, door and window openings, and cladding in a few seconds.
With options for controlling all aspects of setting out or designing a steel structure including column placement, floor management, bracing types, gables walls, openings, and even side rails and roofing systems, including cladding – which is instantly trimmed to the area and around openings and should alone save hours – and the ability to save and load your designs on the fly adding to the library, the Steel Structure Designer is a powerful building configurator that reduces modelling time to a fraction of the time compared with standard modelling practices.
Stair & Railing Designer 2017
Steel Railing Designer 2017 (formerly Ball Post Railing Designer) is fully compatible with Autodesk® Advance Steel 2017 and sees enhancements to the existing Ball Post Railing systems, whilst introducing new railing types including standard railing and wall railing. One of the new key features of the Railing Designer is the ability to now place any railing along a simple line or polyline or even by fixed points, rapidly expanding the flexibility and capability of the system. The Ball Post module supports various user-defined or manufacturer-specific ball post railing systems, with the flexibility to create and modify kickrails, post lengths, handrail parameters, distance between posts, connections and more applies in all cases. The wall mounted railings will be a welcome feature by many users.
Steel Stair Designer 2017
New to the collection is the Steel Stair Designer which introduces the ability to configure Balanced and Saddled Stairs systems. These new additions to the BIM Designers Collection offer a glimpse of expected future capability and offer new levels of productivity for Autodesk® Advance Steel users. Traditionally, these are very complex or time-consuming stair configurations. Options for the balanced stair include single, double or central stringers from plate, flat or sections, automatically calculated winders with manual override, multiple tread types and complete control over the fixing. Equally applicable to the saddled stair: users can switch between double support stringers from section profiles, to saw-tooth plate stringers with cantilevered treads.
Steel Connection Designer 2017 **Preview-Release**
New to the BIM Designer Collection, the Steel Connection Designer is an interactive connection designer for calculating common steel connections including Base Plate, Moment End Plate and Apex Haunch to Eurocode EC3. Supporting international design codes, the Steel Connection Designer is compatible with Advance Design 2017 and available as a preview release. With the ability to manage and calculate bolted and welded joints, and with fully detailed design reports that include the calculation formulas and reference to the design code, the Steel Connection Designer introduces a higher degree of accuracy.
RC Column Designer / RC Beam Designer / RC Footing Designer 2017 **Preview Release**
New to the BIM Designer Collection, and introducing radical changes including a high-degree of automation to traditional structural workflows, the Reinforced Concrete BIM Designers for Columns, Beams and Footings are compatible with, and integrated in Autodesk® Revit® 2016 and 2017, GRAITEC Advance Design and also available as a standalone solution.
Working to EC2 standards, the Reinforced Concrete BIM Designers enable a truly connected and automated structural BIM workflow, leveraging both BIM data and multi-platform integration:
The Reinforced Concrete BIM Designers can be applied at any stage of the process to support multiple workflows from completely isolated process to a fully connected BIM. For example, the reinforcement generator which uses the FEM results to calculate the rebar, can be used to simply generate rebar cages based on user input. Equally, the user can apply estimated forces and use the Reinforced Concrete BIM Designers to produce the reinforcement cages for the entire project’s columns, beams and footings.
Reinforced Concrete BIM Designers have been localized for Europe and are available as a preview-release, expected to be commercially available after the summer.
If you would like try out the preview-release of the Reinforced Concrete BIM Designers please contact your local GRAITEC office or click here to request access.
This powerful, free plugin for Autodesk® Revit® from GRAITEC provides bi-directional, intelligent Structural Building Information Modeling (BIM) model sharing, including the transfer of FEM results data, between GRAITEC engineering and fabrication solutions (Advance Design, Arche, SuperSTRESS, Advance Workshop, etc) and Autodesk® Revit® and Autodesk® Advance Steel products.
BIM Connect 2017 is fully compatible with Revit® 2016 and 2017 and comes with improvements to synchronization control, retaining materials when section changes, definitions of circular sections by the radius or diameter and more. Important enhancements see improved transfer method of efforts from Advance Design to Revit® as well as ways to manage stacked walls, which are no longer exported from the Revit® model, creating seamless structural BIM workflows.
Architects, structural & MEP engineers, main contractors, building owners & operators and the sub contract supply chain.
We have two more stop’s on our BIM 360 UK Tour after London:
Manchester – 14th June 2016 and Newcastle – 15th June 2016.
Technologies and trends are significantly impacting and disrupting the construction industry today and will continue to do so in the future.
Effective collaboration is becoming crucial as construction cycles are becoming shorter and project stakeholders at all levels demand deeper insight into projects and greater visibility early in the process, driving the need for instant global access to up to date centralised dynamic data.
Join us in London for a BIM 360 Tour event as we help you understand the Future of Project Collaboration, how it can help you and the opportunity you have to help shape the future of construction collaboration.
Topics covered on the day include:
Furthermore, the person or company who registers the most people who attend the event will be invited to a once in a lifetime trip to San Francisco* to meet Autodesk at Pier 9 and visit the Autodesk gallery.
Click the button below to find out more about the BIM 360 Tour, the prize to San Francisco and to register.
GRAITEC, an international BIM and CAD software developer for AEC, and Autodesk® Platinum Partner across Europe, delivers exceptional value to its customers by offering the Advance PowerPack for Autodesk® Revit® 2016 as a complimentary benefit to all its subscribed Revit® customers.
GRAITEC recently launched the impressive new application for Autodesk® Revit®, which incorporates a wide set of unique features tools and functionalities designed to aid design or improve productivity and efficiency for Revit® users across all industries, and today announced all customers who hold a full Revit® product subscription with GRAITEC will receive the PowerPack for Autodesk® Revit® as a loyalty benefit – free of charge. Packed with slick modeling tools, smart annotation controls, a variety of quick and auto-dimensioning tools, and a powerful Revit® family manager, the GRAITEC Advance PowerPack for Autodesk® Revit® is quickly delivering a wealth of benefits to users.
It is understood that GRAITEC’s Autodesk® Revit® subscription customers will benefit from complimentary access to the powerful Revit extension as part of their subscription contract when taken or even renewed with GRAITEC, potentially saving GRAITEC customers thousands. In addition, those who do not have their Revit®subscription contract with GRAITEC are able to purchase the Advance PowerPack for Autodesk® Revit® directly from GRAITEC or from one of their extensive partners worldwide.
To find out more about what’s in the PowerPack for Revit® or to download a free trial check out the GRAITEC website: graitec.com/pp4revit
Carl Spalding, Group Product Strategy Director for GRAITEC comments: “GRAITEC recognizes and values the importance of customer loyalty and we continually strive to provide customers with the best possible advice, service and technology solutions. Offering the Advance PowerPack free to our subscribed Revit® customers is one of the ways we are adding unique value to our customers and rewarding them for their loyalty.“
GRAITEC, an international BIM and CAD software developer for AEC and Autodesk® Platinum Partner across Europe, is delighted to announce its new complementary extension to Autodesk® Revit® – Advance PowerPack 2016 for Autodesk® Revit® 2016.
This impressive new application from GRAITEC for Autodesk® Revit®, provides a set of unique tools and functionalities for significantly increasing productivity and efficiency of Revit® users across all industries.
Advance PowerPack for Revit® is a powerful supplement incorporating a wide range of modeling commands and controls designed to complement and enhance your Revit® experience, including practical, everyday utilities focused on speeding up modeling, simplifying family management and predefining annotations, dimension and drawing views to better automate processes and documentation. Similar to the Advance PowerPack for Autodesk® Advance Steel, GRAITEC plans to release several updates to the 2016 version throughout the year building-in more and more functionality. To name a few, the 2016 version of Advance PowerPack for Revit® 2016 also offers the following commands:
GRAITEC Autodesk® Revit® subscription customers will benefit from complimentary access to the Advance PowerPack 2016 as part of their subscription contract, taken or renewed with GRAITEC, whilst others are able to purchase the Advance PowerPack for Revit® directly from GRAITEC or from one of their extensive partners worldwide. The Advance PowerPack 2016 for Revit® is available to download with a five day free trial, directly from the GRAITEC website.
Carl Spalding, GRAITEC Product Strategy Director comments: “The strategy of GRAITEC is to become a global BIM provider, combining both Autodesk and GRAITEC technologies. The new Advance PowerPack for Revit® is a key product for GRAITEC. It allows us to introduce some of our powerful tools in bite-sized chunks, delivering real benefits to existing clients and reaching new customers around the world.“
GRAITEC is excited to launch its new Steel Fabrication Management Information System (MIS) – Advance Workshop 2016.
Advance Workshop 2016 is an extremely versatile, well-rounded fabrication management solution (MIS), perfect for optimizing, controlling and managing every aspect of the process with high levels of accuracy and quality. Designed to give steel fabricators complete control over every stage of production including inventory management, traceability for quality control, human resources and CNC processes to increase efficiency and reduce costs – ultimately optimizing total business performance.
Advance Workshop manages digital manufacturing and production data, derived directly from the BIM model and uses this to simulate a “virtual workshop” ensuring all aspects of the production process are optimized, promoting a controlled and efficient steel fabrication facility.
This flexible software has the ability for full integration with high-end ERP systems and supports all major 3D steel BIM software including Autodesk® Advance Steel, with built-in drivers for major equipment manufacturers to completely support a BIM to fabrication workflow. More so, the bi-directional link available via the Advance PowerPack for Autodesk® Advance Steel, enables real-time production status to be tracked and graphically represented by color in the project model as each part progresses through production.
Advance Workshop includes several tools designed to assist throughout every aspect of the workshop process:
Available in five convenient packages, including a lightweight DSTV viewer, Advance Workshop is professionally designed to meet the demanding needs of any sized steel fabrication business or steel service center. Visit the GRAITEC website for more information.
Manuel Rosolen, Production Manager at MAEG, comments: “We chose Advance Workshop because of its capabilities as a tailor made solution for the Steel Fabrication industry. Advance Workshop allows us to be more competitive, with increased efficiency and material optimization for huge cost and time savings on our 90,000 ton annual production.”
Francis Guillemard, GRAITEC CEO adds: “GRAITEC has spent almost three decades delivering professional technology and expert services to the steel industry and as a market leader, it is natural that we continue to deliver high-end fabrication solution to our customers. Advance Workshop MIS solution is a great way for us to show our commitment and add more value for our customers. GRAITEC is always quick to react to market needs and new industry trends, and with BIM adoption accelerating around the world, the need for intelligent and fully integrated BIM-to-fabrication solutions will become a necessity. Advance Workshop will be there managing high volume capacity and ever tighter deadlines.“
This week, global Autodesk Reseller and Platinum Partner GRAITEC, successfully began its European BIM Tour in Newcastle, UK and is continuing the tour in Leeds on Wednesday 15th April, with further dates booked in major cities across the UK over the next few months.
The GRAITEC BIM Tour will also be visiting key locations across Europe: France, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy and Romania, bringing expert BIM intelligence and knowledge to industry professionals across Europe.
Supported by Autodesk and local industry specialists, GRAITEC aims to share years of experience in helping customers develop and implement integrated BIM technology strategies and processes, across all types of industries and environments.
Don’t miss out on these fantastic BIM events across Europe. Register to attend here: www.graitec-bim.eu
We look forward to seeing you there.
GRAITEC, an international BIM, CAE and CAD software developer, Autodesk Platinum Partner in seven countries across Europe and global Autodesk reseller and developer, announces a first-of- a-kind European BIM Tour across 18 cities in 8 countries.
Kicking off with the first event in Newcastle, UK on the 14th April 2015, the GRAITEC European BIM Tour will visit eight countries; France, UK, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy and Romania, in eighteen major cities over a four month period, reaching thousands of industry professionals in the construction, infrastructure and manufacturing space.
GRAITEC European BIM Tour attendees can expect to discover industry proven ‘best BIM practices’ whilst exploring an extensive portfolio of the latest advanced BIM technology. GRAITEC will also explain how customer-centric advice, development and support services can help businesses who are new to BIM define a strategy to rapidly and efficiently adopt BIM successfully,whilst simultaneously identifying key praxis to refine mature BIM environments.
GRAITEC aimsto share years of experience in helping customers develop and implement integrated BIM technology strategies and processes, across all types of industries and environments. GRAITEC has extensive practical experience and those present will receive an honest account of valuable lessons learned including ‘time-consuming and expensive pitfalls to avoid’ and ‘proven and successful practices to consider’enabling them to make informed and intelligent business decisions.
GRAITEC European BIM Tour, delivered across all the GRAITEC Autodesk Platinum Partner regions, is supported by Autodesk, as well as local industry specialists and GRAITEC customers, who will share their experience of BIM Implementation. To learn more about the GRAITEC European BIM Tour, which cities will be visited or register to attend, please visit www.graitec-bim.eu
For further information, please contact:
GRAITEC INNOVATION SAS
Carl SPALDING – Product Strategy Director
Riverside House
Brunel Road, Totton
Southampton, SO40 3WX
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)23 80 527571
E-mail: carl.spalding@graitec.com
On 5th of November companies Graitec and Autodesk organized an event for leading architectural and engineering companies focused on BIM. The event took place on the premises of the ancient Brevnov monastery in Prague.
Mr. Patrik Minks, Autodesk Territory Sales Executive, opened the event with short summary of the terminology and benefits of BIM in the construction industry. Mr. Miroslav Vyčítal, main site manager at SKANSKA, introduced the audience to the construction company’s experience in the implementation of BIM processes in their projects in Czech Republic. On projects of customers using Advance Steel and Advance Concrete, Mr. Tomáš Huml, Graitec Local Product Manager, demonstrated the exchange data between individual professions, with focus on steel and concrete constructions. The participants appreciated the international know-how in the field of BIM delivered by Graitec.
Mr. Miroslav Kohout, Graitec country manager, highlights: “Succeeding in the strong competition on the market means for our customers the sophisticated implementation of modern technology with the support of the GRAITEC professionals.”
GRAITEC is preparing similar events in other European countries.
Attend our presentation on 14 October 2014 starting at 13.00 at Ramada Sofia Hotel – Maria Luiza 131 Blvd, Sofia, Bulgaria
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Why Advance Steel 2015? – Increased Productivity with the automatic 3D modeling tools – Precise and automatic creation and updating of construction documents – BIM and collaborative work Why Graitec Advance Design 2015? – Powerful modeling system dedicated to engineers – Advanced analysis features – Latest versions of Eurocodes implemented – “Result Memory” technology – BIM and Collaborative work Why Advance Concrete 2015? – Efficient structural 3D modeling – Unique reinforcement modules – User customizable – BIM and collaborative work |
Steelway Building Systems is a leading company located in Canada, which manufactures steel building systems, building components and material handling equipment for the commercial, agricultural, recreational and institutional industries, across North America and around the world.
The company has participated in the discussions and checking of the enhanced features in Advance Steel 2014, the MBS2BIM specification, and now has decided to continue with Advance Steel 2015, for better linking, accurate models and fabrication of steel components.
The MBS2BIM link is a specification which provides a converter between the output of the MBS (Metal Building Software, a program that does the complete design, detailing, costing and drafting of steel framed metal buildings.) and Advance Steel product, and converts the MBS files into GTC files. Many of the functionalities of MBS2BIM include importing tapered frames, connecting plates and angles, holes, bolts, welds and marks.
For Dennis BAK, VP-Engineering at Steelway Building Systems (Canada): “The linking was key for us; it meant being able to have a company that could take what we are currently doing and take our 2D design software and enhance it into a BIM model. With Advance Steel we see a lot of advantages: being able to complete our links in the shop floor and enhance them.”
For the complete interview of Steelway Building Systems, please check this video.
GRAITEC, European software developer and vendor for modeling and drawing creation for the construction industry, announces the release of the GRAITEC Advance 2014 suite.
Designed for structural engineers and professionals in the construction industry, GRAITEC Advance Structural BIM solution provides a complete environment for the development, design and production of all drawing and materials for steel, concrete, and wood structures.
GRAITEC Advance is a unique solution provider in the BIM field since it allows users to complete the entire structural process in a consistent environment, from finite elements analysis, to design according with the latest norms (Eurocodes, ACI, AISC…) and automated documentation production required for the fabrication: drawings, bills of materials and NC files.
GRAITEC Advance consists of three main structural software solutions: Advance Design, Advance Steel, Advance Concrete, completed with Advance CAD.
The “BIM GRAITEC” main characteristic feature is related to its capability to perform structural analysis and fabrication documents under the same concept. More than 10000 users, working daily with GRAITEC Advance, are involved in the design process of various structures such as towers, stadiums, civil engineering works, industrial buildings, stairs, etc.
For Francis Guillemard, CEO of the GRAITEC Group: “An accelerated growth of over 30% in the last two years and more than 10000 new users who joined our community means that GRAITEC Advance is the reference of the BIM Structural field. An innovative, technology, that helps engineers and construction professionals, to design and build their projects within time constraints and increasingly stringent quality.“
Advance Steel® is specifically designed for steel professionals who require an easy-to-use 3D, powerful structural steel detailing software for automating drawing production, BOMs and NC files.
Among all new functionalities of version 2014, two major developments stand out: significant enhancement of tapered beams in Advance Steel and the continuous investment in the ergonomics and ease of use refinements of Advance Steel.
On a continuous growing market in the emerging countries that invest more and more in their infrastructure, the use of tapered elements for steel structures increased, especially for portal frames having large spans. However, without dedicated tools to complete large and complex steel projects, the design process can take longer. Advance Steel 2014 provides valuable assistance to all designers with a very comprehensive set of features: a new object, “tapered beam”, which allows the user to define elements having a variable cross section, including the possibility to combine different constraints on each segment (fixed or variable lengths, parallel flanges or not, etc.).
Moreover, the user has the possibility to define tapered elements having a hollowed cross section with many options: continuous web or flanges, automatic welding features, etc.
All automatic connections work together with this new object – tapered beam. Thus, with Advance Steel 2014 users will obtain quickly all required drawings, BOMs and NC files for these steel members.
GRAITEC continues its efforts to improve the ergonomics and ease of use of its software solutions. The Tool Palette has now a variable design: its content can be changed interactively, and a “Favorites” category can contain the frequently used commands. The same principle is used for the management of assemblies and collision checks commands which are still accessible even when the user performs other operations.
More simplification: the fusion of all features (holes, notches, cuts etc.) which can be applied on profiles, plates or concrete elements. Likewise, all functionalities used to define structural elements (portal frames, purlins, bracings, connections etc.) were grouped into a new dedicated page in the Tool Palette.
Advance Steel 2014 also provides many other features designed to extend the possibilities for design and improve user efficiency:
For Dennis BAK, VP-Engineering at Steelway Building Systems (Canada): “Specializing in the design, detailing and fabrication of Pre-Engineering Buildings, which extensively utilizes many types of welded tapered plate beams, we participated in the discussions and checking of the enhanced features in Advance Steel 2014. We were impressed by the number of useful plate features and true parametric connections achieved and we now believe we have the best 3D CAD software for modeling, detailing and manufacturing of welded tapered plate beams“.
Advance Concrete® is specifically designed for structural engineers and reinforced concrete detailers who require professional and easy-to-use 3D BIM software for automating drawings creation.
With increased performance, Advance Concrete 2014 improves the user efficiency experience, especially when it is used on its integrated CAD platform. It also provides several functional changes in response to user requests.
Two of the key features of Advance Concrete (Multi File data storage and multi CAD platform) have been at the heart of version 2014. Performance and robustness have been brought in these two areas: the time to create new views and updating of existing views, has been largely optimized. More improvements in performance, which are very significant, are available: faster reinforcement elements renumbering in complex cases faster “3D Copy” feature which allows the users to copy the 3D reinforcement of an element in all corresponding views with its identification, symbols and associated dimension lines. Lastly, required corrections were made in Advance Concrete, with the target to deliver more stability and significantly higher robustness for Advance Concrete 2014.
Advance Concrete 2014 has many improvements in response to the feedback and different requests Graitec collected from Advance Concrete users:
Advance Design® is specifically dedicated to structural engineers who require a professional and easy-to-use BIM solution for structural FEM simulation and optimization according with specific design standards (Concrete, Steel or Wood).
Advance Design 2014 has many new features and improvements, mainly focused in two directions: BIM and the enrichment of design capabilities.
In a context where all structural designers are increasingly receptive to the BIM concept and its associated gains in terms of productivity and safety, Advance Design 2014 provides a set of new features designed to facilitate the BIM exchange in the design offices structure or between the architects and the design offices. The model which is used for structural simulation by the engineer can be a variation of the geometrical model produced by the architect which, in the end, can be significantly different: the elements are coplanar, intersecting axes, the elements extremities which are to closed are merged, small details of the facade are not modeled, etc.
Advance Design 2014 offers a range of tools that allows the engineer to greatly simplify the processing of geometrical models into analytical models.
The principle: a first audit function identifies non-intersecting axes or nodes which are too close and presents an interactive list of errors. The software then provides automatic adjustment features (magnetic modes, quick projection onto a plane, axis adjustment, etc.) which facilitate the correct geometrical conversion of the models provided from different partners.
After the calculation of the structure, when the elements are optimized, Advance Steel and Advance Concrete can retrieve all changes which took place in Advance Design (synchronization mechanism) and update the assembly plans or fabrications drawings. With Advance Design 2014, the aim is to enable the engineer to save a significant amount of modeling time by reusing the information through BIM expertise, while keeping in control the necessary adjustments to achieve the analytical model.
Another development for Advance Design 2014,the enhancement and enrichment of the design engines: automatic calculation of the support rigidity based on the properties of the soil layers, considering of real transverse reinforcement for columns (Eurocode), many changes regarding the steel connection design, 2D climatic generator for a quick design study (New !), possibility to post-process results on a pre-defined grid for planar elements allowing designers to achieve full gantry and quick study, able to post-process the results of an independent grid mesh element.
Advance Design 2014 has many changes and other adjustments:
Graitec BIM Connect is the latest BIM technology available from Graitec enabling structural models created in GRAITEC BIM software to be exported to Autodesk REVIT applications.
In this example a Reinforced Concrete structure with several steel members, was created in ADVANCE Design. The structural elements are organized into different groups, each one representing a different level. This model also contains a number of different load cases which are also grouped by their load type.
Notice that all the frames, slabs and walls are concrete while the vertical bracings are defined with steel cross sections.
Using the standard transfer functions available in all Graitec Software, this structural model will be exported using our unique Graitec BIM *.gtcx format; a light-weight file which can be shared with other systems using our free GRAITEC BIM Connect technology.
With Graitec BIM Connect installed in Autodesk Revit Suite and available under in the Add-Ins Tab you can see that the same file can be quickly transferred to Revit.
After the transfer is complete the structural model is imported preserving all its original geometry. Especially important to notice is that all the sections have been automatically converted to their corresponding Revit families defined in the Autodesk Revit Suite, creating a true Revit model. The loads & load cases have also been fully transferred.
Graitec BIM Connect allows model data to be shared in both directions so an Autodesk REVIT model can also be imported into any GRAITEC Advance Software.
Even more powerful is the unique ability to synchronize these models across different applications – only possible with Graitec BIM Connect.
GRAITEC, the fastest growing global structural analysis and detailing software vendor, announces the availability of the new GRAITEC BIM Connect 2014 release as well as its availability in the Autodesk Exchange for Autodesk Revit.
With GRAITEC BIM Connect, Autodesk Revit Architecture and Autodesk Revit Structure users quickly connect their Revit models to the GRAITEC Advance suite and then optimize the design of their structures in accordance with North American and Eurocode standards and produce effective and error-free general arrangement drawings, fabrication drawings, BOMs, NC files for both steel and concrete structures.
From Revit Structure to Advance Design for structural analysis
Essentially based on customer experience feedback, the new GRAITEC BIM Connect 2014 release focuses on details and performance. The new release provides full bidirectional transfer to GRAITEC Advance of any kind of building, regardless of the geometry complexity, starting from the simplest geometries to the most complex ones. This is achieved even if the structure contains custom profile shapes or random solid bodies, with no shape limitation. From common element sections to curved walls with various openings, curved foundations, any hole shape in structural members, stairs, curved ramps and roofs or sloped slabs, all these are perfectly transferred and allow a smooth data transfer between Revit and GRAITEC Advance, with an immediate effect on the time spent on the projects.
From Revit Structure to Advance Steel for Steel detailing
More than that, the entire library of the Revit families was mapped to their correspondent profiles in the Advance Steel and Concrete library, leading to an accurate profile exchange.
GRAITEC BIM Connect was also reviewed by Autodesk and is now available for free in the Autodesk Exchange for Autodesk Revit for all Revit users.
The release is also available on www.graitec.com/revit.
For Manuel Liedot, Chief Product Officer at Graitec: “The partnership with Autodesk is key in the Graitec strategy to deliver BIM to structural engineers and detailers. Construction professionals now have powerful tools for going from structural engineering with Revit to structural analyses, design and detailing with Advance Design, Advance Steel and Advance Concrete.“
From Revit Structure to Advance Concrete for concrete detailing
From April- 17th 2013 GRAITEC presented its Structural BIM Solutions “Advance Steel” and “Advance Design” at the NASCC Conferences in St-Louis, USA. The highlight was the presentation of the new 2013 versions of Advance Steel.
The NASCC takes place every year and it is the most important fair for the steel construction industries in the USA and one of the biggest fairs The Americas.
The GRAITEC team is very satisfied with the result. They had interesting discussions with GRAITEC customers and established contact with many new qualified prospects.
GRAITEC will exhibit at India Warehousing Show 2013 in New Delhi, India on 02-04 May: http://indiawarehousingshow.com/.
Visit us a Booth No D 41 A.
AppliCAD, GRAITEC’s Business Partner in Thailand, will exhibit at ARCHITECT EXPO Bangkok 2013, Thailand on April 30- May 5: http://www.architectexpo.com/.
GRAITEC will exhibit at BACE EXPO (Building Architectural Construction And Engineering) Trade Show in Kochi, India on 24-26 May: http://www.biztradeshows.com/bace-kochi/.
Please visit us at Booth No 5.
And in the recent past, GRAITEC exhibited at: INDIA STEEL 2013 on April 11 – 13 at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai: http://indiasteelexpo.in/
Civil Engineering Software Solutions 