steel detailing

Free webinar: how to boost productivity and shorten project life cycles when detailing stairs & railings

/ graitecgroup / Leave a comment

Discover how Advance Steel boosts productivity and shortens project life cycles when detailing stairs & railings on our free webinar!

Register today to get an insight into how the software can be utilised for architectural metalwork detailing with a particular focus on using glazed components within the stair structure.

Discover how Advance Steel boosts productivity and shortens project life cycles when detailing stairs & railings on our free webinar!

Join our technical specialist to see how we can use the Advance Steel toolset to add a glazed staircase complete with customised sections for the stringers and glazed panels for the railing components. In this masterclass we will show the key modelling techniques involved and how to get the best from the software.

The webinar will conclude with a Q&A session with our technical specialist.

Webinar Host: Nial Ball
Date: 30th August 2016
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

 

Register your place today!

Advertisement

Export Advance Steel to Navisworks Freedom

/ graitecgroup / Leave a comment

Navisworks Freedom enables all construction professionals to review integrated models and data, in order to gain better control over project outcomes, using integration, analysis, and communication tools to help resolve conflicts, and plan projects before construction or renovation begins.

Advance Steel offers bidirectional interoperability with Navisworks and allows the integration of data for a whole-project review and also effective collaboration. Advance Steel models can be exported into Navisworks Freedom software for multidiscipline collaboration, construction simulation, and whole-project analysis, enabling specialists to work more closely and efficiently with other project stakeholders to help reduce the risk of unexpected issues at the job site.

Ultimately, Navisworks Freedom is a free QA tool that can assist in many areas.

  • The user can collaborate with engineers and architects who can view and approve the 3D model;
  • Fabricators can view the model parts and assemblies via. iPad or laptop on the shop floor to analyse and validate complex items in 3D;
  • Installers can quickly locate parts and assemblies on site in relation to compass orientation, grids and levels. The installer can zoom into complex areas and see exactly how the items are assembled reducing the need for complex paper documentation.
  • The 3D design samples can be shared through Navisworks Freedom to better market services to potential client.

To see the full demo, please follow this link

GRAITEC MBS2BIM link helps Steelway Building Systems achieve streamlined BIM workflow between MBS and Advance Steel

/ graitecgroup / Leave a comment

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.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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.

 

Custom Connections: Ready to harness the full power of Advance Steel?

/ graitecgroup / Leave a comment

Custom Connections: Ready to harness the full power of Autodesk Advance Steel?Advance Steel already comes with a comprehensive library of parametric connections that can be readily adapted to suit a wide variety of standard situations. But where you have a more specific or complex need or want to combine several connections together to create a bespoke connection, the power of creating you very own intelligent Custom Connections library in Advance Steel delivers a whole new level of performance. Why not create your very own intelligent Customer Connection libraries and learn how to:

  • Convert standard elements, such as beams, plates, special parts, folded plates, bolts, welds, features, weld preparations, etc. to intelligent Customer Connections.
  • Combine several parametric joints together to create unique multi-joint situation saving the result to your Custom Connection library for reuse.
  • Build your own bespoke connections from scratch, defining and controlling the parameters of each element, using Advance Steel intelligent ‘bricks’

Learn how to get more performance from your Advance Steel by downloading your free copy of GRAITEC ‘Custom Connections’ tutorial from GRAITEC Advantage customer portal now!

Autodesk White Paper: Exploit your AutoCAD investment with dedicated tools for structural steel detailing

/ graitecgroup / Leave a comment

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!

Autodesk White Paper: Exploit your AutoCAD investment with dedicated tools for structural steel detailing

This Autodesk White Paper explores how Autodesk® Advance Steel enables a more seamless BIM workflow and gives you that competitive edge!

Download Autodesk Advance Steel White Paper    Download your Autodesk Advance Steel free trial

 

Steel-Glass façade for the most inclined Tower of the world

/ graitecgroup / 1 Comment

Steel-Glass façade for the most inclined Tower of the worldThe façade of the Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi was constructed by Waagner-Biro Stahlbau AG with Advance Steel, the 3D-Software for steel constructions.

The spectacular skyscraper “Capital Gate” was created directly to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, the biggest area for trade shows and events in the Middle-East. The Capital Gate is 160m high and has an impressive inclination up to 18 degrees. Therefore it is more inclined than the leaning tower of Pisa that has only an inclination of 4 degrees. In the Guinness Book of Records the Capital Gate is already listed as the most leaning tower of the world. The building was erected between 2007 and 2010. It consists of 40 levels and is used as an office complex. In the 16th upper floors a five-star-Hyatt Hotel is located.

Waagner-Biro AG from Vienna was responsible for the modeling, construction, detailing and assembly of this extraordinary and organic formed steel-glass-facade of the Capital Gate. The tower has a polygonal foundation and the facade is one degree per level sloped and twisted. At the most inclined part the facade leans out more than 24m over the ground floor. The main-load bearing structure consists of a diamond structure.

Waagner-Biro Stahlbau AG

More than 720 diamond elements were field-assembled by triangle sections with the glass and finally mount complete to the main structure. Each of those large-sized elements called “Diamonds” covers two levels and consists of 18 triangular areas and 33 single rods. For the entire facade 23.760 single bars and 12.960 glass panels were used. Because of the complex free formed surface each triangular glass panels and each single bar is unique. All in all more than 1.200 tons of steel and 24.000m2 glass was used for this extraordinary facade.

In order to realize the complex and challenging project in cost and on schedule, the 3D-CAD Software Advance Steel was used for planning. Thanks to its extensive 3D-tools it was easy to model the sculptured surface with nodes, rods and joints between them. Advance Steel processes the entire 3D model data, accelerates all document creation and insures all-around drawing consistency. An in-house programming on top of Advance Steel created all workshop documents (assembly drawings, GA-drawings, BOMs, NC-files) automatically from the 3D model.

Steel-Glass façade for the most inclined Tower of the world

Mr. Gert Weimann, head of engineering and construction department at Waagner-Biro AG, explains: “The project Capital Gate was a big challenge for us especially concerning the geometry, construction, detailing and assembly. Advance Steel increased the productivity in engineering and in the participated departments by more than 50% due to its 3D abilities and its possibilities of a comprehensive programming“.

About Waagner-Biro Stahlbau AG
Waagner-Biro is an international company for steel constructions and has its headquarters in Vienne, Austria. The company was founded in 1854. More than 1.000 employees work for Waagner-Biro in 16 offices in Europe, in South-East Asia and in the Arabic countries. Waagner-Biro is specialized in steel-glass-technology, bridge constructions, stage constructions and special mechanic engineering. Some of their main references are the cupola of the Reichstag in Berlin, the YAS-Marina Project in Abu Dhabi, the new airport terminal in Baku (Azerbaijan) and the Sony-Center in Berlin.

Advance Steel – Stairs and Railings review by CAD Digest Magazine

/ graitecgroup / 3 Comments

Advance Steel offers an extensive library of smart objects, automatic joints and specific tools for creating not only standard structures, but also stairs, railing and miscellaneous steel work. CAD Digest, one of the most popular online sources for CAD, CAM & CAE articles and testimonials, reviews the ADVANCE Steel – Stairs and Railings feature set.

For this review, the author created two sets of stairs, one straight andone spiral, describing each step of the process – drawing, editing stairs properties, adding, removing or modifying landings or handrails – highlighting the efficiency and ease-of-use of the software: “I was impressed with how easily Advance Steel creates stairs to my specification, and the ease with which I could modify their properties, along with associated components.”

With Advance Steel, it is easy to create, modify and customize all types of stairs, landingsand railings. Using the software’s advanced tools, with a few clicks defining the height, the tread width and the direction, the entire stair can be created.

Other benefits of the stairs and railing feature of Advance Steel include the large library of predefined objects and the automatic creation of all necessary documents (including NC files). “GRAITEC includes a large library of stair tread types, and I had the option to define my own types and save them as templates for future use. I recommend anyone looking for an efficient way to design and document miscellaneous steel projects to consider GRAITEC’s Advance Steel Software.”

Read the full article here

ADVANCE Steel 2013 reviewed by AEC Magazine

/ graitecgroup / Leave a comment

AEC Magazine

AEC Mag.com is the online presence of AEC Magazine, UK’s number 1 journal for decision makers in Architecture, Engineering and Construction. AEC Magazine has a bold agenda that reflects the evolutionary nature of this fast-moving sector with its proliferation of software and hardware technologies and the collaborative working practices that are integral to today’s design and engineering workflow.

Greg Corke, Managing Editor for AEC Magazine, offers a first look at GRAITECs first release for this year: ADVANCE Steel 2013. For version 2013, the software remains focused on quality and enhanced efficiency: “Having done a major re-write last year, the 2013 release is about improving user productivity. GRAITEC has focused on four main areas — user interface, raw performance, modeling enhancements and drawing issue and re-issue.”

Advance Steel 2013 reviewed by AEC Magazine

The start page is new, offering users a quick look at recent projects, videos, tutorials, FAQs and others. For the interface however, the biggest change is found in the tool palette, from which many of the model manipulation commands are found. In terms of performance, the graphic engine has been optimized, new viewing modes are available and the general speed has been improved. “GRAITEC has placed a big emphasis on performance and 64-bit support means there are now no limitations on model size, providing the workstation has enough system memory.”

The modeling process has been improved thanks to new intelligent tools made ​​available to users. This reflects directly to the production and quality of the drawings, which are now “less manual”on the way these are updated or referenced.

“While the performance improvements will no doubt be welcomed with open arms, it is the workflow enhancements that will arguably have the biggest impact — particularly when it comes to minimizing the amount of manual re-work required on re-issued drawings”, Greg Corke concluded.

Click here to read the full review 

Advance Steel Project: Manchester Road Bridge

/ graitecgroup / 1 Comment

Advance Steel project: Manchester Road BridgeManchester Road Bridge in part of the Living Street Project, a lottery-funded project focused on the development of a suitable, convenient and safe route across Manchester Road, which will have the potential to visually enhance this important gateway into the city. This new walkway is a people-orientated, street environment that links up people with places using broad, high-quality, avenue-like routes for pedestrians and cyclists linking up residential areas, schools, shops, health care, parks and town center.

The steel structure of unique design was detailed in ADVANCE Steel by Briton Fabricators Lt.  The building process started in November 2011 and over 10,000 components have been put together to compile the structure. It forms an elevated section of the Living Street and will be a gateway feature for Manchester Road. The bridge is close to a surface level signalized crossing which serves a bus stop on the guided bus route. All bridge ramps are 1:20 gradient, and the bridge 3.7 m in width. Access through the public park is 1:15 gradient.

Advance Steel project: Manchester Road BridgeIt is made of over 350 tonnes of steel, 210 meters long in total with two main spans over Manchester Road of 22 meters and 24 meters.  It is supported by almost 100 piles buried into the ground carefully engineered to avoid underground services and Bradford Beck.  At the central reservation dividing Manchester Road a 17m high rectilinear extension to the column forms a towering central feature which marks the visual centre of the bridge crossing.

The fantastic new bridge links up local communities on either side of the bridge, providing a pleasant route for cyclists and pedestrians, and enabling quick and easy access to the town centre and other essential links, which were missing before. It also offers a more gentle approach to the old footbridge, which was nearly 40 years old and in need of serious maintenance to address time related deterioration. Manchester Road Bridge was built approximately in the same position as the old footbridge and was completed in September 2012. Hundreds of people turned out to see the bridge officially being opened. Although, during an average weekday, 621 people use the surface crossing of Manchester Road, and only 340 the footbridge, for reasons of safety the public authorities encourages everybody to use the new bridge to cross this busy junction.

Advance Steel Release of Version 2013

/ graitecgroup / Leave a comment

Advance Steel Release of Version 2013GRAITEC announces the release of version 2013 of its flagship 3D structural steel detailing software for automating drawing production: Advance Steel.

Advance Steel is specifically designed for steel professionals who require an easy-to-use 3D structural steel detailing software for automating drawing production. Advance Steel is based on the implementation of a digital model (BIM / Building Information Model) and automates the creation of drawings, BOMs and NC files. Advance Steel drastically increases productivity and drawing quality, while reducing the risk of errors. The software also allows users to communicate information in the digital model to all project stakeholders.

The improvements in Version 2013 are organized in the following categories:

  • Enhanced ergonomics and ease of use
  • New productivity tools
  • Availability in new markets: Australia, India, Brazil

ERGONOMICS AND EASE OF USE

Independent of the AutoCAD platform since Version 2012, Advance Steel improves its ergonomics and ease of use by providing a new user interface element, the “palette”, which contains animated buttons and tooltips. New features, such as direct access to workshop drawings with a simple right-click in the model or the improved capabilities of working with joint groups, further enhance the simplicity of this new version.

NEW PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS

Advance Steel 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.

For Olivier RASQUIER, Steel detailer at Ets J-C FASSLER (France) and Version 2013 beta user: “Until now, I was frequently creating my connections “manually” because my projects are all specific. With Advance Steel 2013, I can create my own custom connections and save them in my library. I can then easily reuse them in my new projects because they automatically adapt to new situations: changed profile orientation, different section etc. I can also clone them and create slightly different ones, as nothing is fixed anymore.“

Advance Steel Release of Version 2013

Version 2013 also adds new connections for cold rolled profiles (anti-sag and tie rod systems, trimmer cleats, and eaves beam connections) for faster and more efficient drawing creation.

Many other features are also available such as the option to create welding lines in drawings. This function is based on recognition technology of “notable points” that updates automatically when the model is changed which also applies to manual dimensions that are updated automatically by Advance Steel 2013. These innovations provide greater efficiency in terms of modeling and document creation for fabrication and assembly, and significantly increase user efficiency.

Advance Steel “Professional” and “Premium” versions come with an Application Programming Interface (API) which allows users with computer programming skills to enhance and customize the software.

NEW MARKETS

Version 2013 has been adapted for the Australian, Indian, and Brazilian markets.
Besides translation, the following software configurations are implemented: initialization of software settings according to local usage, enriched libraries (profiles, bolts, cladding, etc.), and drawing style configuration that meets local requirements.
Advance Steel 2013 has also been enhanced with specific connections for the Australian market.

Discover how you can easily create a gutter formed from a folded plate with Advance Steel!

/ graitecgroup / Leave a comment

This movie shows how you can easily create rectangular & polygonal plates for the all the different sides of a gutter and then use an automatic tool to get a gutter formed from a folded plate.
As a result, this gutter can be automatically displayed unfolded in the modeling as a preview but also within NC files and workshop drawings for fabrication.

CAD Digest – review of GRAITEC Advance’s BIM Capabilities for Structural Design

/ graitecgroup / 1 Comment

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.

CAD Digest – review of GRAITEC Advance's BIM Capabilities for Structural Design

“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.

CAD Digest – review of GRAITEC Advance's BIM Capabilities for Structural Design

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.

CAD Digest – review of GRAITEC Advance's BIM Capabilities for Structural Design

“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.

CAD Digest – review of GRAITEC Advance's BIM Capabilities for Structural Design

You can read the full review here.

Advance Steel – Sheet and plate metal work

/ graitecgroup / Leave a comment

Folded plates of various shapes are widely used in various fields of steel construction: stair ramps for buildings, pipe connection, gas ducts in petrochemical industry, etc. Usually these elements are difficult to model without 3D view, also, obtaining the workshop drawings is a time consuming task.

With Advance Steel it only takes two clicks to create an element, for example, a conical shape from two CAD entities (circle, square, etc.) or between two profiles with different diameters or different sections. All necessary documents (including NC files) are created directly from the model with a simple click. All folded elements are displayed unfolded in workshop drawings which means great cost and time saving.

Below are presented some fragments of the article, to read it full please click here.

Various shapes created in no time!

Automatic tools are available to create plates of any shape. It only takes a few clicks to create a folded element.

All shapes are accepted and can be easily created using a complete set of intuitive tools.

  • Rectangular plates (with one central point, two or three points)
  • Polygonal plates (created from a polyline)
  • Any contour can be cut to get the desired shape
  • Holes can be created

Advance Steel: Automatic tools are available to create plates of any shape

Conical and twisted plates

Advance Steel: Conical and twisted plates

Just two clicks to create a wide variety of complex irregular shapes such as:

  • A conical shape from two CAD entities (circle, square, etc.) or between two profiles with different diameters.
  • Square – to circular folded elements
  • Twisted elements from two curves or splines

Easy to modify while working in 3D

Once created, the folded plate is treated as a single element.
It can be easily modified without loosing the relations between the elements.

Cut any contour

  • Create any type of contour cuts on any of the faces or on the folded line
  • Create holes of any type: round, slotted, countersink, etc.
  • Trim or split any of the joined plates

Add weld preparations
Weld preparations are frequently required for heavy plate fabrication.
With Advance Steel, any chamfer (straight or fillet) can be added to a folded plate edge for weld preparation.

Secure modeling

At any moment it is possible to check if the created plate can be developed into one sheet of material. This insures a correct modeling – very important as Advance Steelcreates automatically the workshop drawing directly from the model.

The unfold representation can be displayed also during modeling.

Advance Steel: The unfold representation can be displayed also during modeling

Accurate drawings created automatically!

Advance Steel automatically creates workshop drawings of all folded plates! All necessary information is included:

  • The unfolded representation
  • Folding line
  • Bending direction
  • Folding angle
  • Dimensions

Bend allowance calculation

The end-user can control the bend allowance calculation when getting automatic workshop drawings with the representation of the part unfolded.

Advance Steel: Bend allowance calculationThere are different available choices:

  • By inner contours
  • By outer contours
  • By pure median line
  • By DIN
  • By table

Click here to read the entire article

Important notice about your StruCad license

/ graitecgroup / Leave a comment

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:

  •  Advance Steel professional license
  • 12 months software maintenance and suppor
  • Training (tailored StruCad-Advance Steel transition course)
  • No time restrictions for your continued use of StruCad
  • Upgrade any of your StruCad licenses, whether they are up to date with maintenance and support or not
  • We will upgrade any StruCad license i.e. StruCad Full, StruCad Lite etc to an Advance Steel Professional license with no limits!
  • Maintenance and support on-going costs some 50% less than our competitors and the price is fixed for a minimum of three years!
  • Training – dates to suit your requirements
  • Flexible payment terms with finance option

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

More info about our StruCAD offer

Another success story – Tesco Superstore, Woolwich, UK

/ graitecgroup / Leave a comment

Another success story in constructions - Tesco Superstore, Woolwich, UK

-> Architecture office: Sheppard Robson Architects

-> Structural Engineer: Walsh Associates

-> Master builder: Willmott Dixon

-> Steelwork Design: TSI Structures Ltd

-> Location: London, Woolwich

-> Dimensions: 180m x 85m x 52m

-> Specification: 80,000 sq ft Tesco superstore, various other retail units and 259 homes over 17 stories.

-> Total Build Cost: Woolwich Central – Phase 1 & 2 £400m

TSI Structures undertook the challenge of modelling a 17 story, post tensioned concrete structure for connecting secondary steel to a major new supermarket complex in Woolwich, UK.
The 80,000 sq ft Tesco superstore, various other retail units and 259 homes over 17 stories was a total build cost of £400m. The store opening date was set before construction started, so they were under pressure to complete the project to a tight deadline.

Another success story in constructions - Tesco Superstore, Woolwich, UKAnother success story in constructions - Tesco Superstore, Woolwich, UK

Advance Steel allowed TSI Structures to model concrete slabs, walls and beams. They were able to model the cast in channels, and using Advance Steel meant these elements came across onto the drawings. The DWG file format aided in the approval process.

Adrian Betts, from the TSI Structures LTD design office, explains why Advance Steel was the best solution for the completion of this project: “We would not have been able to produce this building in 3D without Advance Steel’s ability to model external elements such as concrete. We were the only member of the construction team with the ability, software resources and technical knowhow, to fully model the enormous concrete structure in three dimensions. Our model and the 3D drawings were used by the Architect for client presentations. With the AutoCAD base this enabled us to add different material renders to the concrete surfaces creating a more realistic and aesthetically pleasing model”.

Click here to see more images

Watch this video to see the story behind the project:

Focus Magazine, June Edition: Redefining the Future of Construction with Innovative IT in Asia Pacific

/ graitecgroup / Leave a comment

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.

Focus Magazine, June Edition: Redefining the Future of Construction with Innovative IT in Asia Pacific

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.

 To see the full June edition of Focus Magazine, click here

GRAITEC is partner with PEDDINGHAUS

/ graitecgroup / 1 Comment

Established in 1903, Peddinghaus Corporation is the acknowledged global leader providing innovative machine tool technology for structural steel and plate fabrication. From Anvils and Bench Vises to Technologically Advanced Structural and Plate Fabrication Systems, Peddinghaus has served the Steel Construction, Heavy Plate Fabrication, and related Metal Working Industries for more than 100 years.

Being committed to the industry for such a long time, Peddinghaus turned to GRAITEC’s ADVANCE Steel, because of its ability to automatically generate bills of materials and NC files. With ADVANCE Steel, there is a direct link from the model to the Peddinghaus machine tool. Basically, CNC machines can be programmed by advanced design software, enabling the manufacture of products that cannot be made by manual machines, even those used by skilled designers or engineers. Modern design software allows designers to simulate the manufacture of their ideas. There is no need to make a prototype or a model. This saves both time and money, while providing the most accurate, productive, and profitable parts or products.

ADVANCE Steel creates all fabrication drawings and offers a large selection of tools for automatic detail creation, dimensions, annotations, and accelerates the creation of general arrangement drawings, fabrication drawings, list of materials and NC files: complete library of structural elements, parametric and customizable connections, wizards for miscellaneous steel (stairs, railing), materials library, sections, bolts, and others.

Needless to say, the advantages of combining computer aided manufacturing (CAM) and computer aided designing (CAD) are many: reduced cycle time and non-production time, jobs can be set up more quickly, improved accuracy, reduction of scrap and lower scrap rates.

How Advance Steel can help your business profitability

/ graitecgroup / Leave a comment

In 2010, an article written on www.submityourarticle.com stated that the ultimate aim of specialized steel detailing software is to increase a company’s bottom line profit. But in 2012 what was a concern for steel fabrication businesses, steel engineering companies and even self-employed steel detailers has now become a fact. Those who have the most competitive steel detailing software solution are the ones that are the most profitable on such a dynamic market.

In short, investing in a steel detailing software helps you save time, optimizes your resources and reduces costs with materials and labor. A good example is given by one of our customers, Nial BALL from Westbury Park Engineering which worked with ADVANCE Steel for a boat mold structure (35-40 m long steel structure for fiberglass bouts). He states: “With three days to go before ‘D Day’ our TWO men arrived on site with the pre-fabricated assemblies and in TWO days the structure was erected and we were home in time for tea with a day to spare. Thanks to ADVANCE Steel, we knew the structure would fit long before we arrived on site.”

Stairs and platforms for Arcelor Mittal Steel Plant, Galati, RomaniaOff course, not all projects can be finalized in two days using just two men, but reducing the time spent on a very complex project from maybe three months to three weeks is not that bad either. Gheorghe CEPRAGA, engineer at UZINSIDER ENGINEERING, has been working with ADVANCE Steel at his most recent project – assembly of new elements (stairs, railings and platforms) on an existing structure in the ArcelorMittal steel plant. For him,the decision was clear: “I have been working with AutoCAD, especially in 3D view, for a very long time now. I think it is safe to say that it would have been very difficult for us to model the entire structure in AutoCAD. Without ADVANCE steel, the execution would have taken too long”.

Can it be that simple? Sometimes, time saving leaves room for errors. Not a problem because ADVANCE Steel drastically increases productivity and drawing quality even for the most complex and unusual projects, while reducing the risk of errors.

Bregenzer Festival Stage, Bregenz, Austria

For the Bregenz festival in Austria, Bregenzer Festspiele fascinated with a spectacular stage engineering, resulting in the biggest sea stage in the world (17m long, 15m wide and 15m high),portraying Jean Paul Marat, one of the leaders of the French Revolution. The construction of the head was connected to a steel construction which was already located at the sea stage.

Although, ultimately, the best steel detailing software is the one that addresses the business’ needs and issues, ADVANCE Steel can efficiently accelerates the design phase (either single or multi-user mode) by offering an extensive library of smart and efficient objects, automatic joints and specific tools for creating standard structures, stairs, railing and miscellaneous steelwork. For the renovation and extension of  TIGNESPACE Center, a sports complex equipped with modern multipurpose structures, Thierry Depollier, Eng, at Ets BOUCHET states: “The ability of ADVANCE Steel to work in realistic mode together with 3D navigation have greatly facilitated our work and have improved the efficiency of our weekly meetings with the other disciplines. It is worth mentioning that the fabrication of the welded beams at workshop was simplified with the high-quality drawings automatically created “.

Renovation and extension of the TIGNESPACE center

Functionality-wise Advance Steel detailing software has everything you would expect from a specialist structural steel detailing package. Ultimately, what makes ADVANCE Steel special is its accessibility to any type of company which is interested in investing in steel detailing software.

Boat Mould Structure – Customer project

/ graitecgroup / 2 Comments

Nial Ball, Westbury Park Engineering: “This contract was something a bit unusual and was carried out for a prestigious UK based boat building company. I say boat, but I suppose technically they were ships being 35 – 40 metres long! The problem was turning a mould following manufacture in order to release the boat from the mould. Being fiberglass it isn’t such a good idea to have the mould flex and crack the finished boat deck.

The steelwork for the project was designed and built around a 3D surface model supplied by our client and converted for AutoCAD by Graitec. The strange thing about surface models is that the surface isn’t actually there, well not in a solid drawing sense, but I was able to draw a series AutoCAD construction lines from key points on the surface model using XEDGES etc. Once the construction lines were in place the remaining structure was a breeze using Advance Steel. There were no major issues and the model was completed in three days and all drawings were created within the week.”

“The client was showing some concern with less than a week before the first mould had to be turned and released that we were not on site to install the steelwork. It seems that formerly the installation took seven men and two to three weeks as the structure was fabricated on site and in situ. With three days to go before ‘D Day’ our TWO men arrived on site with the pre-fabricated assemblies and in TWO days the structure was erected and we were home in time for tea with a day to spare. Thanks to Advance Steel we knew the structure would fit long before we arrived on site, the structure could be built in manageable sub-assemblies and with bolted joints there was no need for any welding on site.”

Webinar “Discover Advance Steel 2012” planned for May 3rd 2012

/ graitecgroup / Leave a comment

Steel detailers, Structural Engineers: 
Discover Advance Steel 2012: The Powerful and Affordable Steel Detailing Software

on Wendsday, May 3rd, 2012 from 9:00 to 9:30 am CET or 5:00 to 5:30 pm CET

Register online to this webinar

Advance Steel® is specifically designed for professionals who require an easy-to-use 3D structural steel detailing software that automates the production of drawings, BOMs and NC files.

Advance Steel® is part of the GRAITEC structural BIM solution, automating the entire structural design process, from engineering design to detailing and fabrication.

Advance Steel TOP 5 benefits:

Advance Steel: BIM software for structural steel engineering, detailing and fabrication

1 – More Productivity with the flexible and efficient 3D modeling automatic tools: complete international catalogs, library of parametric joints, single or multi-user mode, etc.

2 – Short learning curve: reduces new employee ramp up time

3 – Specific features for miscellaneous steel and sheet metal: automatic functions for all type of stairs and railings, automatic tools for sheet metal creation, folded and twisted plates, etc.

4 – Precise and automatic creation and updating of construction documents: BOMs automatically created from the 3D model, revision control, revision clouds, drawing presentation template, automatic drawing scaling, paper formats and views, etc.

5 – BIM and collaborative work: DXF / DWG / Revit imports, multi-user technology, interoperability with major industry leading detailing / fabrication / engineering / MRP packages (CIS/2, SDNF, DSTV, KISS, etc.), etc.

Advance Steel: Professional Steel Detailing Software Solution for AutoCAD

Historically based on the AutoCAD® platform, Advance Steel® 2012 allows users to use their software with or without AutoCAD®. In fact, the product includes its own graphics engine, and the user can select the desired CAD platform. Regardless of the selected platform, all the essential functionality of the software is retained, as well as DWG® compatibility.
This major change has also allowed GRAITEC to simplify the user interface by focusing on and organizing the industry specific functionality of the software.
Another major impact for users: the overall cost of the solution and the ease of installation and deployment. The return on investment for the current version is improved by 30%.