Successful Advance Steel User Day in UK

February 15, 2013 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

GRAITEC announces another successful Advance Steel User Day organised by its UK office. The event took place at one of the most prestigious locations in the Midlands – the Branston Golf and Country Club, Burton on Trent in Staffordshire.

Carl Spalding, Managing Director of Graitec UK, opened the event by presenting an overview of the global business and concentrating on the expansion and growth locally in the United Kingdom.

Successful Advance Steel User Day in UK

With GRAITEC UK and GRAITEC HQ staff in attendance, the day provided an excellent opportunity to go through detailed demonstrations of the major enhancements the new Advance Steel 2013 release has to offer, all the while re-covering some of the enhancements of previous versions.

The project winners of the Advance Steel 2012 UK User Competition were also announced and presented with their awards whilst other impressive projects completed by number of other clients using Advance Steel were also reviewed.

Successful Advance Steel User Day in UK

The day provided an opportunity to talk about the continued expansion of Graitec UK with the opening of their new office and training facility in Staffordshire, and also Graitec UK’s exciting plans for the future.

The User Day was a big success, with more than 30 attendees battling with snowy conditions to be there! Feedback from the event was extremely positive with everyone looking forward to attending the next UK User Day.

Advance Steel webinars for Asia-Pacific

January 15, 2013 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

Advance Steel

Advance Steel® is specifically designed for steel professionals who require easy-to-use BIM structural steel software for automating drawing creation, documentation and fabrication.

List of FREE webinars organised by GRAITEC Asia-Pacific, Singapore

1/ General overview: discover the software in 30 minutes

Short presentation of Advance Steel showing the advantages and the main features

Thursday, January 31^st, 2013

⇒ 15:00 PM – 15.30 PM (South East Asia time)

2/ How to improve your productivity on steel detailing with Advance Steel

Discover a number of the features and enhancements in Advance Steel that increase your productivity

Thursday, February 14^th, 2013

⇒ 15:00 PM – 15.30 PM (South East Asia time)

3/ How to generate automatic drawings, BOM lists and NC files in Advance Steel

How to easily generate and configure the 2D drawings, BOM lists and NC files from a 3D model in just minutes

Tuesday, February 26^th, 2013

⇒ 14:00 PM – 14.30 PM (South East Asia time)

4/ Advance Steel easy to learn for AutoCad® users

You know how to use AutoCad? You can easily learn how to make 3D models in Advance Steel using theacad standard commands

Wednesday, March 13^th, 2013

⇒ 15:00 PM – 15.30 PM (South East Asia time)

November free webinars

November 1, 2012 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

Structural Engineers, Steel and Concrete Detailers…

…Discover our Structural BIM suite!

Advance Design

Advance Design® is specifically dedicated to structural engineers who require professional and easy-to-use BIM solution for simulating and optimizing all their projects. It includes a user-friendly structural modeler, an automatic load generator, a powerful FEM engine, comprehensive wizards for designing concrete and steel members, and efficient post-processing and report generators. Advance Design® implements the latest European standards, American standards ACI and AISC.

1/ General overview: discover the software in 30 minutes

Tuesday, November 6^th, 2012

⇒ 9:00 AM CET to 9:30 AM CET

⇒ 6:00 PM CET to 6:30 PM CET

2/ The advanced post processing tools in Advance Design

We will show you the available post processing tools in Advance Design to make your project’s results post processing step more easy and efficient: isoregions, diagrams, result curves, stresses on sections… You will also see how you can update all the created documents in one click when changing the model using the “result memory” technology.

Tuesday, November 20^th, 2012

⇒ 9:00 AM CET to 9:30 AM CET

⇒ 6:00 PM CET to 6:30 PM CET

Advance Design free webinar

Advance Steel

Advance Steel® is specifically designed for structural engineers and steel detailers who require professional and easy-to-use BIM structural steel detailing software that automates the production of drawings, BOMs and NC files. Advance Steel® drastically increases productivity and drawing quality, while reducing the risk of errors. Advance Steel® can be used with or without AutoCAD®.

1/ General overview: discover the software in 30 minutes

Thursday, November 8^th, 2012

⇒ 9:00 AM CET to 9:30 AM CET – Metric

⇒ 6:00 PM CET to 6:30 PM CET – Imperial

2/ Advanced tools for miscellaneous steel

We will show different techniques when using Advance Steel for miscellaneous steel, from the 3D modeling to the automatic creation of all necessary documents for fabrication and erection.

Thursday, November 15^th, 2012

⇒ 9:00 AM CET to 9:30 AM CET

⇒ 6:00 PM CET to 6:30 PM CET

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

3/ Drawing customization

Advance Steel allows users to get high-quality drawings by using presentations delivered by default. We will show in this webinar how block titles and drawing styles can easily be customized to fit the company’s way of providing workshop and general arrangement drawings.

Thursday, November 22^th, 2012

⇒ 9:00 AM CET to 9:30 AM CET

⇒ 6:00 PM CET to 6:30 PM CET

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

4/ StruCad® switchover to Advance Steel

Discover a number of the features and enhancements in Advance Steel that StruCad® customers require.

Thursday, November 29^th, 2012

⇒ 9:00 AM CET to 9:30 AM CET

⇒ 6:00 PM CET to 6:30 PM CET

Advance Concrete

Advance Concrete® is specifically designed for structural engineers and reinforced concrete detailers who require professional and easy-to-use BIM software that automates the production of drawings, BOMs and NC files. Advance Concrete® drastically increases productivity and drawings quality, while reducing the risk of errors.

1/ General overview: discover the software in 30 minutes

Wednesday, November 14^th, 2012

⇒ 9:00 AM CET to 9:30 AM CET

⇒ 6:00 PM CET to 6:30 PM CET

See all the webinars organized for the rest of the year

Successful Advance Steel road-show in Brazil

October 16, 2012 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

Our reseller ARKISOFT organized in August 2012 different roadshows to promote Advance Steel in the capitals of 10 different states of Brazil. The events were met a great success with a total of more than 400 participants (e.g. 100 participants in Natal, 80 participants in Salvador, and also many interested ones in the cities of Vitoria, Fortaleza, Cuiaba, Campo Grande, Goiania, São Luis, Curitiba and Palmas).

Successful Advance Steel road-show in Brazil

All these seminars were supported by CREA (Conselho Federal de Engenharia, Arquitectura e Agronomia, which means Regional Council of Engineering and Agronomy) and took place in the auditorium of the CREA local offices.

Successful Advance Steel road-show in Brazil

The audience was very impressed with the capabilities of Advance Steel for its automatic detailing to get high-quality drawings together with the easy-of-use and possibility to get all documents automatically updated in case of modifications in the 3D model.

Successful Advance Steel road-show in Brazil

Alexandre Miranda, managing director at ARKISOFT says: “This partnership with GRAITEC is providing technologies with competitive advantages for the steel construction in Brazil, enabling a significant increase competitiveness and satisfaction to Architecture, Engineering and Construction Overview professionals.“

ARKISOFT will organize other Advance Steel road-shows in October 2012 in different cities of the São Paulo state.

GRAITEC UK continues to expand: new office and training facility in Staffordshire Open

October 10, 2012 / graitecgroup / 1 Comment

GRAITEC is pleased to announce the opening of a new office and dedicated training suite in Burton-Upon-Trent, Staffordshire, UK. The additional office will complement GRAITEC’s existing headquarters in the South of England, offering the latest in design and analysis software for the construction industry.

The construction industry is a highly competitive sector and it is obvious that businesses in the UK are not just looking to survive but thrive. GRAITEC UK is committed to delivering cutting-edge technology designed to help improve its customer’s productivity and efficiency.
Making our technology and quality services more accessible, to more businesses, gives them the confidence and support they need to invest in our technology and get ahead of the game.

Carl Spalding, GRAITEC UK Managing Director

Carl Spalding, UK Managing Director comments: “This is a very exciting time for GRAITEC UK and our expansion is as a result of our continued growth both in the UK and globally. In addition to the incumbent strength of our Analysis and Design technology, SuperSTRESS, our best seller is our 3D BIM software for steel engineering and detailing, Advance Steel. It is through the demand and success of our Advance Steel software that has enabled us to expand at such a rapid pace and our new office, strategically located in Staffordshire, will provide easy access from all the major road networks and airports.”

Graitec UK is extremely pleased to welcome James Flatt to the team as the Regional Sales Manager heading up the Midlands office. James began his career in the construction industry working as a draughtsman for a large steelwork fabricator. In recent years he has worked for several major software companies supplying 3D modeling and BIM solutions to the market. James’s knowledge and experience will be valuable asset to both GRAITEC and its customers. James Flatt, Regional Sales Manager at GRAITEC UK

James Flatt adds: “I’m absolutely delighted to have joined GRAITEC at such an exciting time for the company. Seeing growth of +45% in 2011 compared to the previous year speaks volumes in terms of the direction in which we are going. The new standalone version of Advance Steel is receiving very good reviews and should be considered a viable option for steelwork fabricators and detailers alike.”

To help support and further develop the fast rate of growth we are experiencing in the UK market, GRAITEC UK has also contracted theconsultancy services of Wayne Rawson through his company – Wayne Rawson Consulting Ltd. Wayne has been in the steelwork industry for over 30 years and has worked at senior level with several large industry-specific software providers. His knowledge of the steelwork industry and steel detailing software solutions in particular is proving a great addition to Graitec team. He has already been instrumental in helping numerous companies with advice and business planning through to software deployment when they are considering an upgrade of their existing CAD software to Advance Steel as their preferred steel detailing software solution.

Wayne Rawson, Wayne Rawson Consulting Ltd. Wayne

“Having worked with suppliers of steel detailing solutions over a good number of years, I understand both the capabilities available within the CAD products in the market and what detailers really need from a steel detailing solution. Advance Steel is an excellent 3D multi-material modelling system that offers a very serious alternative for companies using older software systems that are looking for a highly competent and flexible software solution with increased capabilities, backed by a very successful organization growing at an incredible rate“

Formally Integer Software Ltd (est. 1984), Graitec UK boasts an integrated range of structural design and analysis software used by 90% of the top 100 UK engineering consultancies and offers a wide range of quality services from professional training to custom software development to ensure customers get the best from us and our software. Importantly its support service is rated extremely highly by its customers and it is imperative that the company ensures this level of service is maintained from our Midlands office. The appointment of James combined with Wayne’s experience and the full backup and support of its established technical team will ensure its quality services are continued.

GRAITEC UK new office in Staffordshire

October free webinars

September 28, 2012 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

Structural Engineers, Steel and Concrete Detailers…

Discover GRAITEC Structural BIM Suite

…Attend our free upcoming webinars!

Advance Steel

1/ General overview: discover the software in 30 minutes

Thursday, October 4^th, 2012

⇒ 9:00 AM CEST to 9:30 AM CEST – Metric

⇒ 6:00 PM CEST to 6:30 PM CEST – Imperial

2/ StruCad® switchover to Advance Steel

Discover a number of the features and enhancements in Advance Steel that StruCad® customers require.

Thursday, October 11^th, 2012

⇒ 9:00 AM CEST to 9:30 AM CEST

⇒ 6:00 PM CEST to 6:30 PM CEST

Thursday, October 25^th, 2012

⇒ 9:00 AM CEST to 9:30 AM CEST

⇒ 6:00 PM CEST to 6:30 PM CEST

3/ Advanced tools for miscellaneous steel

We will show different techniques when using Advance Steel for miscellaneous steel, from the 3D modeling to the automatic creation of all necessary documents for fabrication and erection.

Thursday, October 18^th, 2012

⇒ 9:00 AM CEST to 9:30 AM CEST

⇒ 6:00 PM CEST to 6:30 PM CEST

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

Advance Design

1/ General overview: discover the software in 30 minutes

Tuesday October 9^th, 2012

⇒ 9:00 AM CEST to 9:30 AM CEST

⇒ 6:00 PM CEST to 6:30 PM CEST

2/ Seismical analysis EC8

Discover how you can handle a seismical analysis according to EC8 with Advance Design: spectrum generation and modal analysis. During this ½ hour presentation, you will discover how you can benefit from dedicated tools in Advance Design to handle multi-material projects in seismical areas: automatic generation of seismical spectrum, behaviour coefficient definition, additional torsional eccentricity effects, results postprocessing per mode…

Tuesday, October 23^th, 2012

⇒ 9:00 AM CEST to 9:30 AM CEST

⇒ 6:00 PM CEST to 6:30 PM CEST

Advance Design free webinar

Advance Concrete

1/ General overview: discover the software in 30 minutes

Wednesday, October 10^th, 2012

⇒ 9:00 AM CEST to 9:30 AM CEST

⇒ 6:00 PM CEST to 6:30 PM CEST

2/ Several ways to create reinforcement drawings

Thanks to Advance Concrete, discover different ways to create reinforcement drawings:

• Based on the 3D model elements with reinforcement styles
• Based on the 3D model without using reinforcement styles
• Create the rebar drawings based on a pure 2D drawing
• Rebar symbols, bending details and reinforcement lists

Finally we will create a 3D view of the reinforcement, run a clash check detection and place the reinforcement drawings on a layout.

Wednesday, October 17^th, 2012

⇒ 9:00 AM CEST to 9:30 AM CEST

⇒ 6:00 PM CEST to 6:30 PM CEST

New memberships with the AISC and the ASI

September 12, 2012 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

GRAITEC is now an Associate member of the

American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)

GRAITEC is now an Associate member of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), headquartered in Chicago, is a not-for-profit technical institute and trade association established in 1921 to serve the structural steel design community and construction industry in the United States. AISC’s mission is to make structural steel the material of choice by being the leader in structural-steel-related technical and market-building activities, including: specification and code development, research, education, technical assistance, quality certification, standardization, and market development.

GRAITEC is now an Associate member of the

Australian Steel Institute (ASI)

GRAITEC is now an Associate member of the Australian Steel Institute (ASI) Australian Steel Institute (ASI) is the peak national body of the steel industry. The ASI works to increase the awareness of the benefits of steel and promote Australian made steel as the material of choice. Increasing the competitiveness of the Australian steel industry and its member companies is central to that vision. Technical advice is available to members. Services include a library and resource centre from which information and advice are available from a wide range of overseas and local publications. The ‘Steel Australia’ magazine is published by the ASI.

GRAITEC ADVANCE Steel – Before and After Standalone

September 7, 2012 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

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.

GRAITEC ADVANCE Steel – Before and After Standalone

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.

Here you can dowload the pdf version of the article appeared in June edition of Roof & Facade Asia magazine

GRAITEC signed a new partnership for China with DMS Software

August 29, 2012 / graitecgroup / 1 Comment

GRAITEC announces a new business partnership with DMS Software Co Ltd, a company located in Beijing, China. The partnership agreement signed between the two companies entitles DMS Software Co Ltd to promote, sell and support GRAITEC’s 3D BIM Steel Detailing Software, Advance Steel, in China.

GRAITEC pays attention to the Chinese market regarding its abilities and services in the steel industry and the increasingly major role that China plays on the international scene. GRAITEC upholds granting means and energy toward the Chinese market to achieve goals with higher efficiency and trust in the software used.

GRAITEC is partnering with DMS Software Co Ltd in China for promoting the innovative solution Advance Steel

DMS Software Co. Ltd is the only nationwide authorized reseller for Autodesk plant software and services which establish the company legitimacy in the precise field of steel detailing, BIM solution and Building operation. Over the years, DMS Software Co Ltd has built its network thanks to a dedicated staff, numerous contacts throughout the country and a solid background making it a respected company that can count on client satisfaction.

This new partnership between GRAITEC and DMS Software Co Ltd. has promising business opportunities and growth in China, as well as substantial investments from GRAITEC to develop the industry.

GRAITEC and DMS Software Co. Ltd share the goal of bringing to the market competitive technology solutions that will increase their customer productivity for steel structural design, modeling and detailing.

Pascal Bergougnou, Managing Director of GRAITEC Asia Pacific, comments: “We have been working constantly this past year to expand our partner network and reach. With the appointment of DMS Software in China, our Value Added Reseller program is enriched with a company that combines the knowledge and contacts within their local markets with a comprehensive appreciation of our technology solutions.“

Zhao YANG, Marketing Specialist of DMS Software Co., Ltd adds: “We see many very positive benefits in GRAITEC’s products that we believe will be very attractive to our Chinese customers. Based on our experience in steel we are convinced that Advance Steel is the leading steel detailing software and an important step towards a BIM Structural process.“

About DMS SOFTWARE Co Ltd
DMS Software Co Ltd is dedicated to the Plant and BIM industries to serve as a complete solution provider and consultant who meets all the needs from the customer. It focuses on introducing or developing the most suitable software solutions to the Chinese customers and thus consequently pushes forward the development of the quality and efficiency of the industry in China. From its knowledge DMS can provide services such as technical support, consulting, training and implementation and software customization. DMS offers a complete combination of digital plant solutions, including process simulation, P&ID designing, instrumentation, electrical designing, drawing and journal sheet generating, 3D simulation and conflict detection, project content management, and facility maintaining and management systems.
For more information, please visit www.dms365.com

Cluj Arena Stadium, designed with ADVANCE Steel, nominated for the WAN Awards 2012

August 28, 2012 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

Cluj Arena Stadium, designed with ADVANCE Steel, nominated for the WAN Awards 2012

This year, Cluj Arena Stadium was nominated for the WAN Awards 2012, in the Civic Buildings category, by the International Awards for Architecture.

With a budget of over 35 mil Euros, Cluj Arena Stadium in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, managed to meet the highest norms in performance and functionality, totaling latest UEFA and FIFA standards.

The stadium built in the central part of the city, was designed to be multipurpose, accommodating numerous social events including football and sports competitions.

Cluj Arena Stadium, designed with ADVANCE Steel, nominated for the WAN Awards 2012

Some brief details:

30 328 seats (approximately 1500 seats for the VIP section and 30 seats for people with disabilities);
8 lane accredited athletics track;
80 meters practice track for young athletes;
2 electronic scoreboards (60 square meters each);
Underground parking for over 300 cars;
Nocturnal lights for HD transmissions;
Video surveillance system, with over 100 surveillance cameras throughout the entire stadium.

Dico şi Ţigănaş Design Office was in charge of modeling and detailing this complex project, which was finished in the autumn of 2011.

“It is more than a stadium; it is the new landmark of the city, in which we managed to capture the passion, the emotions and most of all, the spirit of fair-play”, Eng. Florin Dico from Dico şi Ţigănaş Designe Office.

Cluj Arena Stadium, designed with ADVANCE Steel, nominated for the WAN Awards 2012

For more details, you can visit the official web-site of Cluj Arena Stadium: http://www.clujarena.ro/

AEC Day 2012 – Presentation of BIM GRAITEC Advance suite

August 21, 2012 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

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.

Another success story – Tesco Superstore, Woolwich, UK

July 26, 2012 / 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.

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:

Graitec Pte is looking for a Technical Manager

July 16, 2012 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

GRAITEC offers a dynamic, ambitious, and high growth potential work environment coupled with the opportunity to add a commercial flavor to your engineering background. Competitive salary + performance bonus matching experience. Only candidates deemed suitable shall be contacted.

GRAITEC is looking for it’s subsidiary in Singapore a Technical Manager (pre-sales Advance Steel AE)

Job Purpose:

To contribute to the increased profitability and development of Graitec customer base by providing a range of pre and post sales consultancy and training services and utilising in depth technical experience to work with the teams across the business to enhance the company’s services and product offerings.
To fully understand, use, demonstrate, position and localise where applicable our flagship Steel modelling and detailing product Graitec Advance Steel in accordance with the Asian market.
To support the pre and post sales efforts of the sales teams and company as a whole by expertly providing varying and relevant product demonstrations, support, training, consultancy, configuration and customisation to clients and prospective clients.

Key Accountabilities:

Positioning Advance Steel as the preferred solution for the relevant industries.
Providing product training for both AutoCAD and Advance Steel and any other agreed products either at Graitec reseller site and potentially at client site or within Graitec Asia offices.
Developing an understanding of the complete functionality of Advance Steel to ensure every opportunity is maximised.
Preparing Advance Steel for the Asian market. This will required monitoring associated and relevant standards. Creating and updating product databases, product defaults and specifications. Contributing to the continued enhancement of the product based on personal and client feedback.
Technically liaising with suppliers and manufacturers and creating specification documentation according to developments required to create libraries of the components and sections they provide. Thereafter interpreting and converting these specifications, following industry standards and best practices into useable product macros and libraries.
Providing product demonstrations, presentations and creating, specification documents for customising application software to meet specific requirements.
Providing ongoing product support and promotion in conjunction with the sales and technical teams. This will include conducting online webinars and other similar activities as required.
Supporting customers and staff with technical queries face to face, by telephone, online and via email.
Organising and running technology workshops for new and existing customers/ resellers to further enhance Graitec Asia reputation as a leading advisor and consultant in the market.
Being an ambassador for the Graitec during all customer interactions and acting as a role model for the behaviours which will develop Graitec into a truly service orientated business.
Supporting “the people” strategies, which hold the integrity of the Graitec Group values.
Participation in Company projects as and when required.
Carry out any other ad-hoc duties within your capabilities that are relevant to the job and reasonably requested of you by your manager.

Person Specification

Outline Competencies:

Customer Focus
Quality Focus
Communication
Personal Organisation
Personal Development
Teamwork
Self Motivated
Commercial Awareness
Innovation and Problem Solving
Product Knowledge
Industry Knowledge
Training
Building Relationships
Influencing Others

Technical Skills:

Training experience
Experience of Autodesk products supported by Advance Steel (incl. AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture and AutoCAD MEP or current and past versions)
Experience within any technical industry, ideally Architecture, Construction or Structural Engineering

Locations:

Singapore
International travel will also be necessary from time to time

If interested please send your resume to: info.asiapac@graitec.com

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

July 12, 2012 / 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

SSMB Magazine Anniversary Issue: GRAITEC – Providing advanced technological platforms for steel structure detailing

May 30, 2012June 5, 2012 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

“Steel Structures & Metal Buildings” is an Indian journal designed to promote and encourage companies from the steel building field and to showcase the latest projects and innovations in the industry. May’s edition is a special anniversary issue, which includes industry viewpoints concerning Indian building and construction, international and Indian case studies and best structures of 2010-2012.

One of the main focuses of this issue is answering one important question: How do specialists perceive the growth of the structural steel industry in India from a technological point of view? Being one of the magazine’s “Brand to watch out for”, GRAITEC was also asked to make a statement on this matter. And who better to do so than Pascal Bergougnou, Managing Director at GRAITEC Pte, in Singapore, managing the Asia-Pacific area.

Despite its rapid growth, India, the 7^th largest country in the world and one of the oldest civilizations, still has a developing economy. However, presently, India is one of the largest exporters of computer software products. It exports software solutions to over 90 countries worldwide, and “has established a good reputation as a structural steel detailing partner with many companies because of its executive support and willingness to be flexible as business needs change”, Pascal Bergougnou declares.

The Asia-Pacific region has major business opportunities as it continues to mature in BIM technologies. With the ADVANCE portfolio, GRAITEC has the opportunity and challenge to target these markets and contribute to the international development of the group in the BIM market. GRAITEC is committed to meeting clients’ needs in the growing construction-engineering sector, always promoting performance and efficiency.

Another winning performance at the Allianz Arena!

May 23, 2012 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

Congratulations Chelsea!

The magnificent Allianz Arena, opened in 2005, is home to both major Munich clubs, Bayern and TSV 1860. GRAITEC’ software was used in the design of the arena.

Allianz Arena Munchen

After a construction period of 951 days, the modern Allianz Arena was officially opened to the public.

This was a challenging construction, and another demonstration that GRAITEC continues to provide cutting edge software solutions that allow our customers to be efficient and competitive in the market.

Some facts on the Allianz Arena:

The Allianz Arena opened in 2005
Graitec software was used in the design
A total of 66,000 seats
A total base of 120m x 83m
A roof area of 38,000m²
A facade of 26,000m²
120,000m³ of concrete
22,000 tonnes of Steel

Other stadium projects completed using Graitec’s Advance Steel:

Metallic Roof for Grenoble Stadium Grenoble, France	Valenciennes Stadium Valenciennes, France
“Wörthersee” Stadium Klagenfurt, Austria	Cluj Arena Stadium Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Roof construction for an ice rink Beaufort, Luxemburg	Restoration and building of soccer stadium in Jihlava Jihlava, Czech Republic
Stadium with ice rinks and pool Cologne, Germany	Touring stage for the U2 360º Tour worldwide concert tour

GRAITEC Group announces + 19.9% turnover growth for first Quarter 2012

April 27, 2012 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

GRAITEC announces 19.9% turnover growth for the first Quarter of 2012, compared to 2011.

After a very intensive 2011, the first quarter of 2012 exceeds expectations from a turnover and margin perspective for GRAITEC.

Going more into the details, the performance of GRAITEC France, USA, Russia and Germany are absolutely remarkable. The new subsidiary in Italy has also realized a superb performance with a turnover that exceeds the objectives by +34%.

The GRAITEC Advance suite has achieved during Q1 2012 an amazing growth of +43% compared to 2011: “This is a great performance that demonstrates the growth capacity of GRAITEC solutions but also their fit to the market, customer needs and BIM environment” comments Alexandre Tartas, GRAITEC COO.

Advance Steel continues on a very positive tendency growing by almost 40% during Q1, both mature markets and new markets have contributed to this success. Alexandre Tartas comments: “The impact of the Advance Steel standalone application has not been significant during Q1, due to a pretty late delivery during the quarter. We expect a real effect during Q2 and feel very optimistic since the customer feedback is absolutely amazing. GRAITEC has also registered significant sales to Strucad customers during Q1 and many contacts have been established with companies that are using this solution and are very happy to consider Advance Steel“.

Advance Design continues to benefit from a high adoption rate especially on the French market that recognizes that GRAITEC provides the very best structural analysis solution on this market. “The quality of the solution provided such as the comprehensive international codes and the service provided by GRAITEC have highly contributed to the great Q1 result for Advance Design with 45% growth“, says Alexandre Tartas.

Last but not least, Advance Concrete growth has been a strong contributor to the Advance suite performance, showing a 61% growth year to year. Alexandre Tartas comments: “We have spent a lot of time with our customers to deeper understand their expectations and have translated them in features to improve their Advance Concrete experience, we are proud to say the result of this work.”

Alexandre Tartas concludes: “Q1 2012 has been a great success but is just a step in the GRAITEC 2012 road to 29 million Euros and it shows the Group capacity to grow. We expect to continue to enjoy such performance in 2012.“

Graitec UK continue to expand adding a 3rd state of the art training suite in Southampton

April 5, 2012 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

Due to an ever increasing demand in customer training on our specialist CAD/CAE design technology, we have added a brand new state-of-the-art training room to help support the growing amount of customers on our courses. Last year Graitec UK achieved a 25% growth and this new training room is just one of the steps we have already taken to help our customers invest in their staff and make their business more effective.

Graitec UK continue to expand adding a 3rd state of the art training suite in Southampton

Our new-look training room is based in our Southampton office, UK and is fully equipped with state of the art workstations, dual screen setup and 50″ plasma trainer screen.

As with all our training facilities, the new room is bright and spacious with full air-conditioning encouraging a productive working atmosphere.

Did you know, we can also offer Advance Steel training in Dublin too!
We believe training is an essential part of our service to our customers, and we want you to leave our training sessions, motivated, enthused and well educated.

Graitec UK continue to expand adding a 3rd state of the art training suite in Southampton

Customer Feedback:

Chris Price, AC Steels Limited :

“Productivity should triple, allowing more time to concentrate on other areas of our business”

Paul Osborne, Fordingbridge :

“It’s excellent!”

Stuart Hall, Specialised Steelwork Limited :

“In addition to our core work we are now able to take on different types of work”

To find out more about all the courses on offer at Graitec UK, please contact a member of the team on 0844 543 8888 or mail@graitec.co.uk

Partnership with ROBOBAT Morocco and roadshow in Casablanca

March 16, 2012 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

On March 2^nd, GRAITEC and ROBOBAT Morocco organized in the seminar room of the “Le Royal Mansour Meridien” hotel in Casablanca (Morocco) a half-day presentationof the GRAITEC Advance BIM solution and particularly Advance Steel (BIM 3D steel detailing software).

Partnership with ROBOBAT Morocco and roadshow in Casablanca

The half-day started with a presentation done by Mr.Soufiane SMAILI (Managing director of ROBOBAT Morocco) of the solutions and partnerships proposed by ROBOBAT Morocco on the Moroccan market.

This event provided the opportunity to announce the partnership between GRAITEC and ROBOBAT Morocco allowing ROBOBAT Morocco to promote and sell Advance Steel on its local market.

Mr. Francis GUILLEMARD (CEO founder of the GRAITEC group) then presented the GRAITEC group and its presence all over the world; he explained the strategic aspect of the partnership and the importance of the Moroccan market for GRAITEC.

Partnership with ROBOBAT Morocco and roadshow in Casablanca

Mr. Babacar CISSE (Business Development Manager for Africa at GRAITEC) then detailed which partners have recently joined GRAITEC to promote the GRAITEC Advance solution on the African continent. Mr.CISSE insisted on the importance to have local motivated and well-trained partners allowing support and proximity assistance.

Partnership with ROBOBAT Morocco and roadshow in Casablanca

The Advance Steel software was demonstrated in detail by Mr. Philippe BONNEAU (Advance Steel Marketing Product Manager) with a “live” presentation of the new release of Advance Steel 2012, an explanation of the benefits and advantages provided to the user and also a focus on the interoperability with the other solutions present on the market (e.g. the successful import of a model from the analysis Robot software into Advance Steel).

Partnership with ROBOBAT Morocco and roadshow in Casablanca

This seminar was a great success with more than 90 Moroccan engineering offices and construction companies, and gave the opportunity of different exchanges during brunch.

Mr. Babacar CISSE comments: “In the direct continuation of the geographical expansion of the solutions developed by the GRAITEC Group, Morocco is part our strategy and we are very happy to welcome ROBOBAT Morocco in our distribution channel of partners.“

More doors open to Advance Steel

March 13, 2012 / graitecgroup / Leave a comment

With the shocking Strucad announcement, Strucad users are now faced with a difficult decision – or is it?
For anyone involved in Structural Steelwork, the way GRAITEC UK sees it, there is a clear and easy choice, Advance Steel 2012!

Advance Steel 2012 offers:

– Proven track record with more than 10,000 seats worldwide

Trusted market confidence

– Rapid adoption rate resulting in +50% growth in licenses in 2011 –

Tried and tested solution

– Increased functionality / productivity

New tools for all market sectors: BIM, Structures, Off-shore, Bridges, Architectural, Sheet-metalwork…

– Works as a standalone application or with AutoCAD –

Flexibility for users to choose platform to that suits them – no need to have AutoCAD

– Low initial financial outlay

A fantastic GRAITEC UK ‘Switch-offer’

– Quick and easy deployment

Set up company drawing borders in minutes

– Interoperability

DSTv NC files in all versions, IFC, SDNF, CIS2, Graitec BIM, KISS, PSS…

– Support and Helpdesk service rated 98% excellent or good by users

Dedicated team ready to help you by phone, email or remote assistance

The GRAITEC UK branch has never received so many phone calls and enquiries from people looking for an alternative solution to Strucad, and the feedback from those that have already moved to Advance Steel was “easy to use” and “very capable”.

If you have been affected and would like to see more about Advance Steel why not visit www.graitec.co.uk/advance_steel_2012.html or contact one of the Graitec UK team on 0844 543 8888 or email your enquiry to sales@graitec.co.uk

Civil Engineering Software Solutions

All about Software Solutions in Civil Engineering

world

Successful Advance Steel User Day in UK

Advance Steel webinars for Asia-Pacific

November free webinars

Advance Design

Advance Steel

Advance Concrete

See all the webinars organized for the rest of the year

Successful Advance Steel road-show in Brazil

GRAITEC UK continues to expand: new office and training facility in Staffordshire Open

October free webinars

Advance Steel

Advance Design

Advance Concrete

New memberships with the AISC and the ASI

GRAITEC is now an Associate member of the

American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)

GRAITEC is now an Associate member of the

Australian Steel Institute (ASI)

GRAITEC ADVANCE Steel – Before and After Standalone

GRAITEC signed a new partnership for China with DMS Software

Cluj Arena Stadium, designed with ADVANCE Steel, nominated for the WAN Awards 2012

AEC Day 2012 – Presentation of BIM GRAITEC Advance suite

Another success story – Tesco Superstore, Woolwich, UK

Graitec Pte is looking for a Technical Manager

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

SSMB Magazine Anniversary Issue: GRAITEC – Providing advanced technological platforms for steel structure detailing

Another winning performance at the Allianz Arena!

Congratulations Chelsea!

Other stadium projects completed using Graitec’s Advance Steel:

GRAITEC Group announces + 19.9% turnover growth for first Quarter 2012

Graitec UK continue to expand adding a 3rd state of the art training suite in Southampton

Partnership with ROBOBAT Morocco and roadshow in Casablanca

More doors open to Advance Steel

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GRAITEC is now an Associate member of the

American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)

GRAITEC is now an Associate member of the

Australian Steel Institute (ASI)

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Congratulations Chelsea!

Other stadium projects completed using Graitec’s Advance Steel:

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