Steel detailing organizations face a difficult business environment with tight schedules, slim margins, and intense competition, more so with Building Information Modeling (BIM)
becoming an expected practice and sometimes a prerequisite for new business!
This Autodesk White Paper explores how Autodesk® Advance Steel enables a more seamless BIM workflow and gives you that competitive edge!
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, 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
GRAITEC and AceCAD offer a direct link so that a 3D model done in Advance Steel can be successfully imported in BIMReview and then StruMIS.
This movie demonstrates how users may take advantage of this link by exporting the Advance Steel model to a *.gtcx file format and how this fully detailed model is imported and can be viewed & manipulated like any other BIMReview model.
As you can see with this movie, GRAITEC Advance Steel is fully BIM compliant allowing easy and seamless data sharing with BIMReview for easy project collaboration.
GRAITEC has signed a new business partnership with novaCITYNETS Pte Ltd, a company located in Singapore. The cooperation agreement signed between the two companies entitles novaCITYNETS Pte Ltd to promote, sell and support GRAITEC’s 3D BIM Steel Detailing Software, Advance Steel, in Singapore.
Singapore is a gateway to key markets in Asia. From commercial to residential, new development to upgrade, retrofits to restorations, Asia is the engine of growth. The Singapore construction sector has enjoyed robust growth with building contracts worth S$25.7 billion, representing an annual increase of 14% in recent years. To further propel this growth, the Singapore Government and the Building & Construction Authority (BCA) have been steering the construction industry to achieve higher productivity through the buildable design legislation. This has gained great momentum with the introduction of the S$250 million Construction Productivity and Capability Fund (CPCF). Funds from the CPCF are allocated to firms seeking to improve productivity through technology adoption, re-engineering. We are beginning to see builders adopting productive technologies like construction IT and Building Information Model (BIM); such as the ones provided by GRAITEC.
novaCITYNETS began as a pioneer in developing and implementing specialized building and construction solutions, consultation services to various government and private sectors locally and overseas. In 2007 with the rise in Building Information Modeling (BIM), novaCITYNETS started a business unit, novaBIM to embarked on a fully focused BIM solution where BIM consultation and implementations are tailored and customized to the individual company’s needs, thus, assisting numerous companies with ground zero knowledge to be BIM ready for future projects. Today, novaBIM is the leading solutions and service provider of design and technology for the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, with works spanning across many notable and iconic developments both locally and regionally including Reflection in Keppel Bay, Garden by the Bay, Tanjong Pagar Tower, V in Shenton, Bedok Residence, The River in Bangkok, Al Najaf in Iraq (400 Bed Educational Hospital in Iraq), Al Ain Hospital in Abu Dahbi and Anglier Hydroelectric Dam in Canada. Currently with offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Philippines, our staffs from both architecture and engineering background bring about invaluable knowledge to the field.
The choice of a promising partnership between GRAITEC and novaCITYNETS in Singapore has clearly been driven by the aforementioned market opportunities and mutual fields of complementary skills and expertise.
Pascal Bergougnou, Managing Director of GRAITEC Pte Ltd (Singapore, Asia Pacific), comments: “Today, BIM managers, architects, engineers, detailers, draftsmen and fabricators want compelling products, which include not only the software, but the services, dedicated industrial applications and customer support that bring value and increase productivity. GRAITEC and novaCITYNETS will combine their strengths to deliver an end-to-end lifecycle environment to our Clients in Singapore and beyond.“
Eddy Tan, Vice President & Head Virtual Construction at novaCITYNETS Pte Ltd adds: “We are excited about this partnership with GRAITEC. Our customers thrive when fueled by innovation and strong local presence support. This partnership provides incredible scale, vast expertise in best practice processes and software innovation and a proven ability to execute projects.“
About novaCITYNETS Pte Ltd
novaCITYNETS Pte Ltd is the leading Solution and Service Provider of Design Technology for Building & Construction industry in Asia. For the past 20 years, novaCITYNETS has been partnering with some of world renowned AEC application software developer and involved in numerous prestigious projects with its solutions and services. NovaCITYNETS, a member of BuildingSMART Alliance Singapore Chapter, is actively promoting Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) for the benefit of AEC/FM industry to improve the communication, productivity, delivery time, cost, and quality throughout the design, construction, operation and maintenance life cycle of buildings.
For more information, please visit www.novaBIM.com
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/
The article describes how we can create reinforcement and formwork drawings for structures with a complex geometry, namely bridge abutment using Advance Concrete. The bridge abutment is a part of infrastructure which is created at the ends of the bridge in order to take the transmitted loads of the bridge superstructure and the supports of the access path to the bridge.
To define the chosen geometry, an ACIS block can be created or the complex geometry can be divided into several blocks having a simple geometry which can be assembled in order to obtain the initial model.
We chose the second method for reasons related to the flexibility of Advance Concrete while modeling volume elements.
How to create any 3D concrete shape
Advance Concrete provides the creation of any 3D and 2D shapes. The predefined concrete shapes can be chosen from the library or new ones can be created. To add a new concrete shape it is enough to create a closed contour and then save the shape in the concrete library. These new shapes can then be used either in the current drawing or for other projects.
The created concrete elements are defined as beam and column structural elements. These are positioned one in regard to the other, composing the entire concrete ensemble.
How to obtain a 3D reinforcement cage for special concrete shapes
The reinforcement drawing is created by selecting all the concrete elements. In the created reinforcement drawing, sections are added through the specific concrete zones.
The definition bars are created in one section and then distributed in elevation or top view. Several types of bars (straight, U and L bars) and distributions (linear, variable, multiple and quantitative) are available for use. The most frequent reinforcement bars are polygonal and straight bars and linear and variable distributions. Concrete covers can be set for each leg of the polygonal bar.
A reinforcement bar distributed in one view will automatically be available in all views, as long as the 3D power option is activated in the reinforcement drawing.
In order to obtain a correct reinforcement cage, the collisions between bars have to be avoided. The bar collisions can be visualized in 2D and 3D representations. They can be easily checked and corrected, at any point.
The bar detailing and reinforcement symbols can be done both manually (they can be customized and saved in the reinforcement symbol library) and automatically.
The bars numbering and lists creation is automatically done. Sub-entity marks are assigned for variable distributions, emphasizing that the variable distribution belongs to a single shape definition bar.
The drawings are created according to standard STAS 438/1,3 -89. The drawing creation according to other standards is similar.
Formwork details
The formwork drawing is created by adding the desired sections and elevations for structural elements, assigning specific hatches and line weights. The dimensioning of sections is quickly done by adding intersection and level dimensions.
Layout and Print
The reinforcement and formwork drawings can be placed in any page format. Also the views can be grouped and the title block can be attached according to the chosen format.
Numbering of the reinforcement bars and lists can be done in layout mode. The drawings can be printed one by one or by selecting several from the available print window.
Test it yourself
We have shown a simple example of a formwork and reinforcement cage created for a complex shape of the structural element. If you want to see the model described above, please download the specific model and drawings from here or, as a pdf file from here.
The example was created in Advance Concrete 2013.
Launched at the end of February 2013, BIM GRAITEC ADVANCE is the global CAD / Analysis & Design solutions for the construction engineering field. Advance CAD is part of the GRAITEC structural BIM solution and a newcomer in the GRAITEC Advance suite.
GRAITEC’s Advance CAD is fully compatible DWG® CAD software. It provides its users a simple, natural and economical solution to the frequent requirements of drawing creation and modification. Advance CAD creates all 2D entities (lines, poly-lines, arcs, circles, polygons, etc.) and associates all desired colors, line styles and shading. Concepts such as “layers”, “snap points”, “windows” are available as well as all navigation features (zoom, pan, orbit, etc.). Advance CAD can also create and handle 3D solids (cubes, spheres, cylinders, etc.) and perform Boolean operations.
In the complete 2D/3D CAD environment of the software, you can find all the common CAD tools and features, several innovative features meant to enhance user productivity, but also 3D modeling tools for drawing 3D solids, functions that allow face editing for 3D elements, all these wrapped up in a user-friendly, simple and intuitive interface.
The user interface is designed to get you familiarized fast with all the software elements and functionalities: quick access toolbar manager, ribbon tabs, customizable menus, keyboard shortcuts, auto-completion of commands, selection filters. It also offers you the possibility to customize general settings such as display, paths/files, user preferences, crosshairs or profiles.
Advance CAD provides full compatibility with AutoCAD®, using most of the same file formats including those for drawings (.DWG files), commands, line types, hatch patterns, and text styles. Advance CAD reads and writes .DWG files in their native format without data loss, from AutoCAD® 2012 and going all the way back to Version 2.5, including AutoCAD LT®. Because Advance CAD uses Autodesk® DWG™ format as its native file format, no conversion is required.
Advance CAD offers users all the professional 2D and 3D modeling tools and functionalities and at the same time it is cost effective.
GRAITEC BIM Connect is a software add-on for Autodesk REVIT and part of the GRAITEC BIM solution. With GRAITEC BIM Connect, Autodesk REVIT users can quickly connect their REVIT models to the GRAITEC Advance suite and then optimize the design of their structures in accordance with U.S. and EUROCODE standards, produce effective and error-free general arrangement drawings, fabrication drawings, BOMs, and NC files both for steel and concrete structures.
With version 2013, important features have been added:
Many new improvements have been included to speed up performances and allow more response for handling big projects:
Using GRAITEC BIM Connect 2013, you can also import/export to other BIM file formats such as IFC, SDNF, CIS2 (already certified), PSS and KISS.
You can read here the full documents of new features and improvements for GRAITEC BIM Connect 2013. Please feel free to give us your feedback to help us improve other functionalities of the software.
GRAITEC, European software developer for modeling and drawing creation for the construction industry, announces the release of the GRAITEC Advance 2013 suite.
Driven by sustainable development challenges, the increasing complexity of projects, time constraints and smaller budgets, construction professionals have no other choice than to make the leap to innovation. GRAITEC, a player in dynamic innovation, dedicates a signifi cant portion of its Research & Development investments in Digital Modeling or BIM (Building Information Modeling), in particular in its GRAITEC Advance suite.
This technology associates each real object to its virtual equivalent in the digital model and offers users the ability to simulate the behavior of the real structure, to automate the creation of technical documentation of their projects, to maintain consistency through the changes to the project and facilitate technical collaboration with all project stakeholders.
GRAITEC Advance has more than 15,000 users and 7 new users join the community every day. The uniqueness of GRAITEC Advance is to offer a solution that is very effi cient because it is dedicated to building professionals: design, calculation and creation of fabrication drawings, easy training, and provides a rapid return on investment, usually from the fi rst project.
The GRAITEC Advance suite consists of software products dedicated to the BIM structure: Advance Design, Advance Concrete and Advance Steel and Advance CAD, a new drawing tool that completes the suite.
Version 2013 has many improvements and strengthens its position: simplicity and power.
For Francis Guillemard, CEO of the GRAITEC Group: “In 2012, the GRAITEC Advance suite saw sustained growth of 35% in a market where the average growth rate was 8%.
The user community has almost doubled in 3 years. It is truly a sign that the profession is looking for solutions that offer the best compromise of Power/Simplicity and obviously at a low cost. This positioning ensures the growth of GRAITEC Advance. We contribute to the democratization of BIM in construction and make it very practical for our users.“
Independent of the AutoCAD® platform since Version 2012, Advance Steel 2013 improves its ergonomics and ease of use by providing a new user interface element, the “palette”, which contains animated buttons and tooltips.
It has many new innovations: first, the ability to create custom connections allowing users to define, store and reuse custom connections in their projects and thus easily adapt to all types of situations.
The new release also adds new connections for cold rolled profiles. Many other features are also available such as the option to create welding lines in drawing and a new recognition technology of “notable points” that applies to manual dimensions that are updated automatically by Advance Steel 2013.
Advance Concrete 2013 main focus is to offer users the freedom to use Advance Concrete with or without AutoCAD. Advance Concrete 2013 includes its own graphics engine allowing the user to select the desired CAD platform.
Advance Concrete 2013 provides greater control and better coordination with the “External drawing technology” allowing the user to place each new view and each new layout in a separate DWG. This results in smaller DWG files and better performance.
A new bar mark management functionalities is also available.
Version 2013 also improves user efficiency and productivity thanks to the new, redesigned Ribbon arrangements and the new Graitec tool palettes.
Advance Design 2013 goes further than ever in helping engineers to optimize the design of concrete, steel and timber structures according to the Eurocodes and North American codes.
Among the many new functionalities in regards to Eurocodes: major 3D climatic generator improvements for EC1 (more accurate wind parameters definition, better management for isolated roofs, additional fields for CsCd calculation), several improvements on the EC2 engine (possibility to place real reinforcement on linear and planar elements, new slab punching verification, availability of a detailed design report including a reinforcement sketch for concrete beams, etc.), EC3 engine improvements (accurate lateral torsional buckling calculation considering intermediate restraints and load application point,buckling check for circular hollow sections of class 4, new joints and improved user interface for the steel connection module, etc.), EC5 improvements (residual area in case of fire verification, improvement of deflection check in the detailed report, etc.).
One main new functionality is dealing with the “Capacity design” implementation helping users to optimize members design according to seismical requirements (especially for EC8).
Advance CAD is a new comer in the Graitec Advance suite. It is a fully compatible DWG® CAD software. It provides its users a simple, natural and economical solution to the frequent requirements of drawing creation and modification. With a modern easy-to-use interface, Advance CAD creates all 2D entities (lines, polylines, arcs, circles, polygons, etc.) and associates all desired colors, line styles and shading. Concepts such as “layers”, “snap points”, “windows” are available as well as all navigation features (zoom, pan, orbit, etc.). Advance CAD can also create and handle 3D solids (cubes, spheres, cylinders, etc.) and perform Boolean operations.
With GRAITEC BIM Connect, Autodesk Revit Architecture 2013 and Autodesk Revit Structure 2013 users quickly connect their Revit models to the GRAITEC Advance suite and then optimize the design of their structures in accordance with U.S. and Eurocode standards, produce effective and error-free general arrangement drawings, fabrication drawings, BOMs, and NC files both for steel and concrete structures. Release 2013 provides key improvements such as extended profile mapping and ACIS solids transfer.
Following our mutual longstanding development work with GRAITEC, AceCad Software is delighted to announce a new model link to the GRAITEC platform.
This new model link connection enables the round tripping of information from GRAITEC products into BIM Review and StruM.I.S with feedback into the GRAITEC authoring product. Thus a true circle of information can be completed to the benefit of all in the construction supply chain and facilitates true Building Information Modeling (BIM).
This alliance will allow greater flexibility with our mutual clients for data sharing, facilitating amongst many other exciting possibilities – Entity Face Clash Detection and 4D Planning and Progress Feedback with StruM.I.S. Furthermore, this development will offer an easy and adaptable multiple data sharing system enabling significant time savings through labour and error minimization.
Alexandre Tartas, GRAITEC Group COO commented: “We are very pleased with our recent development venture with AceCad as it provides improved flexibility to our reciprocal clients in data sharing and the multi model merging process; it will save users valuable time handling and managing key operational data through multiple fabrications solutions. This partnership will enhance our products functionality and will strengthen our position in the dynamic and ever changing AEC market providing increased competitive advantages.”
Technical Director for AceCad Software, Mr Simon Inman, commented: “This great achievement is once again a result of our longstanding partnership with GRAITEC. This exciting collaboration will reinforce our continued outstanding relationship and it will prove to be beneficial to our mutual clients in delivering exceptional business efficiencies.”
About AceCad Software
Established in 1986 AceCad Software Ltd, a member of the international RDS Group is a leading supplier of advanced software solutions to the international construction industry, delivering sustainable and advanced competitive advantages to our valued international clients. AceCad develops a range of software for BIM collaboration, design to construction project management and dedicated steel work fabrication. AceCad products have consistently transformed its customers’ business in the construction supply chain. With core business areas in the AEC Building and Construction and Industrial, Process and Plant sectors, AceCad has international operations in ten countries and provides software to customers around the world.
Lantek, a world leader in sheet metal and structural steel manufacturing solutions, and GRAITEC, specialists in BIM (Building Information Modelling) are collaborating to integrate their software solutions to provide a seamless design and manufacturing solution for the structural steel industry. Furthermore, the partnership will allow both companies to expand and consolidate their businesses in new markets.
Lantek develops and markets world class CAD/CAM/MES/ERP software solutions for the sheet metal and structural steel industry and, with the announcement of the signing of a collaborative agreement with GRAITEC, aims to develop its extended technical innovation programme. The alliance will enable both companies to offer clients a single, integrated and technologically advanced system. The partnership signifies the start of a professional relationship for the two companies, enabling them to consolidate their position in the sheet metal and steel construction industry at an international level.
GRAITEC is a pioneer in the development and marketing of software dedicated to structural design and engineering for the construction industry.
It has more than 25 years of experience in this market, 12 branch offices dotted around Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, a team of 260 employees and more than 40,000 users worldwide.
With a turnover of more than 25 million Euros in 2011, GRAITEC is currently the only supplier able to offer a complete and integrated range of design and structural analysis solutions for the steel, concrete and wood construction industries.
GRAITEC offers innovative BIM technology, which increases productivity and safety through automation, integrated design and process control. Its software has the capacity to intelligently exchange data, making collaboration between professionals in construction design and those in the construction sector simpler and more flexible by facilitating sound, intelligent and fluid communication.
As part of the collaborative agreement, the two companies are working on a bi-directional integration process between the GRAITEC Advance BIM software and the Lantek Steelworks solution. This will bring together both technologies, by sharing the models designed in GRAITEC Advance Steel. As a result, a structural steel project will be able to be managed in Lantek Steelworks and its progress fed back into Advance Steel, providing users with a flexible and simple management process. The benefit is a more powerful and rapid solution, which makes it possible to dynamically generate and manage structural project information, substantially reducing the time and resources spent on design and construction.
As part of the collaboration the two companies will coordinate the innovation process and reserve the necessary technical and human resources to achieve their goals in such a way as not to affect their normal product development schedules. As part of this process, Lantek has implemented a training programme for its technical team in GRAITEC’s products to speed up and effectively manage the integration.
“Lantek intends to integrate with all structural design software applications on the market,” says Alberto Martínez, CEO at Lantek. “This initiative enables Lantek, once again, to manifest its desire to develop integral, dynamic and ultra-efficient solutions which are at the forefront of technology and adapted to the needs of users, enabling them to increase their competitive edge“.
“GRAITEC, just like Lantek, is an innovative and flexible company which focuses on globalisation and technical collaboration in order to enrich its solutions, particularly within the framework of structural construction,” says Alexandre Tartas, managing director at GRAITEC.
“We are very pleased about this initiative, as it means working with a company renowned in the industry. It allows us to enhance our Advance Steel solution from a functional and technical point of view, and gives us the means to respond efficiently to the challenges which face companies and structural engineers.“
In addition, the partnership between the two companies will give them both the opportunity to tap into new fast-emerging markets and increase their presence in other countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Asia for GRAITEC, and Canada and Romania, Eastern Europe for Lantek.
CAD Digest, one of the most popular online sources for CAD, CAM & CAE articles, reviews the capabilities of the GRAITEC ADVANCE suite as a complete solution for structural design.
The author of the review, Protim Banerjee (with 15 years of experience in construction management, structural engineering and AEC software development) provides an overview of the GRAITEC ADVANCE suite, highlighting the pros as well as the cons for compatibility and data exchange with Revit Structures 2012.
GRAITEC ADVANCE and Revit Structures have been compatible since 2006, up to the present time. This integration has allowed engineers and design offices using software solutions from both suites to run their structure calculation and drawing creation quickly, without recreating the model and with a minimal risk of errors. As an Autodesk partner for over 10 years, GRAITEC offers an application for Revit Structures – GRAITEC BIM Connect – that ensures the compatibility of Revit models with the GRAITEC Advance suite and with industry standards, such as IFC and SDNF. With GRAITEC BIM Connect, data is imported and exported between applications, using GRAITEC’s own transfer file format – GTC files. The free Revit add-on is available for download here. This add-on generates GTC files for import into GRAITEC applications, and also works as a two-way transfer.
“The Revit add-on allows model synchronization, a tool very useful for comparing the original model with updated ones. The changes that are alerted include member additions (appended), member modifications (modified), and member deletions (deleted); the alerts are made by color coding and by tabulating them in the synchronization dialog. You can review the changes, and then decide whether to accept them” Protim Banerjee states.
GRAITEC BIM Connectt is, in fact, a concept which has constantly improved since 2009. Its key features include data synchronization with the GRAITEC ADVANCE Suite, IFC Interface (Import / Export), CIS/2 Interface (Import / Export), SDNF Interface (Import / Export), PSS Interface (Import / Export). The 3D model is imported from Autodesk Revit Structure (or Autodesk Revit Architecture) to the desired GRAITEC Structural Analysis or Detailing product. To complete the model, a structural analysis and design process is run to optimize the structure, and then synchronized with the Revit Structure model to include any modifications. The implemented elements are structural elements (columns, beams, wall, slabs), custom families containing an analytical model, supports and loads.
“GRAITEC has carefully conceived the overall BIM process with the use of its GTC file format. The concept of cross section mapping and synchronization of changes is certainly very innovative. GRAITEC scores good points when it comes to the software design”, Protim Banerjee concludes, stating also that the GRAITEC ADVANCE suite covers all aspects of structural BIM workflow.
May and June editions of Roof & Facade Asia,present the versatility of ADVANCE Steel for easy fabrication and erection at site without any errors, either with or without AutoCAD.
Historically based on AutoCAD, Advance Steel is the software solution 100% dedicated to steel construction. It can accelerate the design phase by offering an extensive library of smart objects, automatic joints and specific tools for creating standard structures, stairs, railing and miscellaneous steelwork.
In 2012, the standalone version was released, offering users the possibility to select the desired CAD platform, thus using the software with or without AutoCAD.
May edition of Roof & Facade Asia magazine has a case study for the ADVANCE Steel software solution, used directly on the AutoCAD platform, in the making of Valenciennes Stadium, in France. In short, ETI started using AutoCAD® to draw the firstlines of the project in 2D and submit it to thecontracting owners. The project owner’s and architect’s need to view more precise details in3D the most complex assemblies required the use of Advance Steel, which has a BIM approach. Advance Steel enabled fast modeling of all steel structural elements. From the 3D model, Advance Steel allowed the automatic creationof all fabrication and assembly drawings, with all the necessary labels and dimensions for the workshop.
So, was this easy for ETI? Surely not. The size of the project required four people working full-time on it: one Project Manager, Mr Fabrice Grisot, one Construction Engineer, Mr Stéphane Dottori, and two draftsmen. In order to follow the architect’s wish to have no visible bolts on the structure once the construction is erected, ETI had to design assemblies early from the study phase. Thus, bolted assemblies were designed to ease the transport of parts (that can reach a weight of 10 tons each) and the parts were welded together at site with fastening plates. The welds were then painted and grinded to get a perfect aspect. Therefore, it was necessary to model many weld preparation chamfers on the edges of the plates and the profiles to get a realistic result and, most of all, for these elements to appear clearly on the fabrication drawings.
But was it error free? Certainly seems like it…Mr. Stéphane Dottori, Construction Engineer for ETI Design Office later declared: “We did not receive a single phone call from the site foreman to report any error!”
Well, how great is that!? All the tools are provided for fast and efficient modeling either in 2D or 3D, depending on the user’s preference, subsequently creating all project documents (drawings, lists, NC files), covering every step, from structural modeling, to drawing creation, document management, up to manufacturing and fabrication, with no risk of errors.
So, if the union between AutoCAD and ADVANCE Steel offers so many benefits, why would a Standalone version be better?
First of all, the Standalone version of ADVANCE Steel has many improvements and innovations in functionality, graphics and drawing quality. Second, it features the very well known ‘Ribbon’ interface, for model ‘creation’. Of course, so does AutoCAD, even with a more polished appearance and hosting the Advance Steel commands to the right of its standard tools, while the standalone version stores the most commonly used commands in the home tab, with more advanced features available further along the ribbon.
But in terms of display modes, the Standalone version “features basic wireframe and flat shaded”, while AutoCAD has a more advanced real time display mode. AutoCAD users will benefit from the ability of the platform to quickly model particularlycomplex curves. “While it is possible to do advanced compound geometry in the standalone version, it will be much quicker to do this in the full AutoCAD.”
So, is the standalone version still a competitive and advanced tool for customers? We hope so. Advance Steel’s ability to make lightwork of complex detailing tasks such as stairs and railings, means there is much potential and also still room for improvement.
Most of all, receiving the advanced features of AutoCAD and at the same time, shaving $4,000 off the overall cost by using Advance Steel Standalone is pretty hard to ignore. For existing AutoCAD users, the learning curve for the Standalone version is very fast, benefitting from good interoperability, built-in rendering tools, good 3D navigation tools and DWF available for design/review and sharing data over the web.
“At the core of the product there is little difference between the two versions. Layers, XREFs and other AutoCAD features are all supported in the standalone version and the workflow inside the products is virtually identical” – June’s edition of Roof & Facade Asia magazine states.
Still not made a decision about your StruCad upgrade?
You may have only upgraded some of your StruCad licenses?
You do have options!
We are aware that StruCad users are faced with some tough decisions regarding software upgrades over the coming months. StruCad is a very good system and we respect your investment in it. We at GRAITEC believe Advance Steel is a highly competent modern 3D modelling CAD system developed for the steelwork industry that will serve all your needs for many years to come.
We would like to help StruCad users protect their investment in StruCad by offering a sensible solution to upgrade their software to Advance Steel.
Our StruCad upgrade offer:
With 10,000 clients around the world. GRAITEC UK alone have over 800 clients using their software, with 200 + clients investing in Advance Steel, a number which is continually expanding in the UK. GRAITEC’s Advance Steel solution guarantees a future proof investment for all your steel detailing and 3D modelling requirements.
-> To view our Advance Steel 2012 videos CLICK HERE
-> To view client projects CLICK HERE
What our customers are saying:
“Blows other software providers out the water”
Builders Beams, David May
“A project that could have taken four weeks can now be completed in a week”
Rob Miller, IAC Ltd
“Productivity gain will double using Advance Steel”
Mark Simmen, RS Construction
“Using Advance Steel will increase productivity in every area”
Joe Bennett, Roltech Engineering LTD
“Using Advance Steel will increase productivity in every area”
Joe Bennett, Roltech Engineering LTD
“Using Advance Steel will prevent drawings bottle necking the company”
Michael-John Varrall, MJV Design
AppliCAD was founded in 1994 by a team that decided to penetrate the Windows based CAD/CAM market after experience in UNIX-CAD/CAM with SUN Workstation for 4 years. The company started its business with Plant Design Management Software and expanded the product line. Presently, AppliCAD is highly committed to offering customers the best solutions for their requirements. Thereby, it is recognized as The Best Design Technology Expert in Thailand.
With over 15 years of experience, AppliCAD Thailand is a “GRAITEC ADVANCE Authorized Reseller” enriching our Value Added Reseller program. It provides mechanical solutions, architecture engineering and construction solutions, rapid prototype and 3D scan solutions and also plant solutions for a wide range of customers in Asia Pacific.
For the 2012 AEC Day, AppliCAD presented the BIM GRAITEC Advance suite as a complete solution for architects, engineering offices, detailers and fabricators which require global CAD / Analysis & Design solutions. AppliCAD highlighted the GRAITEC Transfer Center (GTC) which allows all the models created with GRAITEC software to be synchronized, with no data loss and no need for data reentry. The GTC is an important step in creating and handling a BIM (Building Information Model).
The main subject of the presentation, however, was ADVANCE Steel and Concrete software, as an advanced modeling and detailing system, easy to use, time saving and cost effective.
You can watch the presentation below, and although it is in Thai, the above summary describes its content.
Focus Magazine, a prestigious magazine aimed at promoting French businesses in Singapore and in the region, is a publication written in English, produced by the FCCS (French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore ) and distributed to the French, European and Singaporean Business Communities in Singapore. Each issue deals with a specific subject related to French businesses in Singapore or in Asia.
Last month’s edition welcomed our very own Pascal Bergougnou, Managing Director of GRAITEC Asia-Pacific in Singapore, to talk about the major changes that occurred in Asia Pacific, mainly Singapore, in recent years and his strategic move for the GRAITEC PTE subsidiary. He states: “From commercial to residential, new development to upgrade, retrofits to restorations, Asia is the engine of growth. The Singapore construction sector has enjoyed robust growth with building contracts worth 25.7 billion USD, representing an annual increase of 14% in recent years.”
Singapore’s construction industry is set to grow significantly over the next years. But the political scenario is not as favorable as it should be. Several changes to government policies have affected the construction industry, including a 40% reduction in foreign workers by 2013. As Hubert H. Humphrey, former Vice President of the United States of America, once stated: “Asia is rich in people, rich in culture and rich in resources. It is also rich in trouble.”
Despite this, the Asia Pacific economy is showing signs of recovery from the global recession. The construction industry’s growth will be sustained by demand for public housing and other major infrastructure projects. Organizations like Build Smart Singapore and Building & Construction Authority have been extremely active to achieve higher productivity through the buildable design legislation.
With more than 13 years of experience in sales and business development across Asia, Pascal Bergougnou has a comprehensive understanding of business in Asia. After a year and a half as Managing Director for Asia Pacific, he articulated the goals of the GRAITEC Singapore subsidiary: exploring business avenues, expanding market share and penetrating into emerging markets and sectors of growth in Infrastructure and Construction.
Brentwood School Sixth Form Centre designed with Advance Steel was awarded at RIBA 2012
Brentwood School’s new Sixth Form Centre has won the 2012 RIBA Award from the Royal Institute of British Architects. The new Sixth Form Centre, designed by architects Cottrell and Vermeulen, took almost two and a-half years to build and was completed in August 2011. Although, it has been used by students since the beginning of the new academic year in September, the Sixth Form Centre was officially opened in November 2011 by His Royal Highness, Prince Edward.
RIBA judges were very impressed by this project, stating that the three buildings which make up the centre (the remodeled Victorian vicarage, the classroom block and the Wessex Auditorium) “celebrate the spirit of education, unfolding as a sequence of spaces for learning, socializing, and gathering: a new sixth form block, a remodeled Victorian vicarage and a new assembly block. Drawing inspiration from the existing Victorian vicarage, the new design is expressed in a language that is both contextual and contemporary. The sculpting of the roofs creates non-standard, domestic-scaled classrooms filled with natural light, reminiscent of the gabled roofs of the Victorian vicarage, but with an added measure of playfulness.”
The project consists of the three buildings which make up the centre – the remodeled Victorian vicarage, the classroom block, made of a steel/concrete hybrid design, with a very complicated roof and the Wessex Auditorium, an assembly hall with a complex box section truss design.
Facilities include common rooms and private study areas; 16 additional classrooms equipped with up-to-date teaching aids, interactive whiteboards and the internet; a dedicated computer suite and the multi-purpose auditorium, with 400 seats. The rooms are heated by a ground source heat pump which draws water from 15 vertical pipe loops penetrating 100 meters below the ground. A sophisticated building management system allows the temperature in the building to be controlled remotely and windows opened or closed automatically.
Adrian Betts, from the TSI Structures LTD design office, explains why Advance Steel was the best solution for the completion of this project: “The ability to import AutoCAD drawings and convert these lines into Advance Steel objects was essential. Without this command many extra office hours would have been spent modeling the new concrete steel structure and the existing building.”
GRAITEC is supporting FORUM 8, its Value Added Reseller operating in Japan, by providing free Advance Steel and Advance Concrete licenses to the participants of FORUM 8’s 2nd Student BIM and VR Contest open to students worldwide.
The theme of this year’s contest is “The Sustainable Design of a Marine City. The objective is to design a sustainable and self-sufficient Marine City on the sea with innovative designs to overcome the problems all modern cities face in the 21st century.
Work by each and every contestant will be uploaded on FORUM 8’s cloud server, VR-Cloud(R) server, to be judged on its logistics, technical and design aspect, as well as its creativity and how innovative it is. Participants are required to use FORUM 8’s award-winning software UC-win/Road, and at least one other software of their choice from a lineup of BIM and VR software available for free rental during the contest.
Advance Steel and Advance Concrete are among the software the participants can rely on to design and model innovative structure. For this purpose GRAITEC have conceded 50 free short term licenses of both Advance Steel licenses and Advance Concrete for the students. In July 17, Advance Steel and Advance Concrete experience seminars will be organized through 5 cities in Japan (Live-Tokyo TV Conference system- Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka. Sendai).
The Award for the winner is a grand prix worth approximately US$3,600 including scholarship, certificate, World cup Trophy and mementos. Among the rest of the participants, 5 lucky ones will also receive a laptop and every contestants will of course win a participation reward for their work. Applicants have until September 30th to register online. Once they have registered and created their VR model, they will need to submit their work including scripts during the period from October 1st to October 23rd, and once they have submitted their work, they will be notified of the webpage on FORUM 8’s VR-Cloud(R) server to which they can access to browse and test their submitted model, along with their login ID and password. FORUM 8 and special guest judges will come to a decision and determine the winners on November 20th, and they will be awarded in the awards ceremony the following day.
Check out last year’s winners: http://www.forum8.co.jp/english/studentBIM1-Award-e.htm
About FORUM 8
FORUM8, the Japanese 3D software specialist, produces state-of-the-art 3D VR and engineering software. Founded in 1987, FORUM8 is at the forefront of 3D Visual Interactive Simulation (3D VIS) technology and provides 3D VIS capabilities to specialists from various professions, including transportation, engineering, planning, emergency training, architecture, road safety and many more.
For more information, please visit www.forum8.com
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