STRUCTURAL ENGINEER'S OBJECTS

[Takis]

Structural Engineers need special 2D & 3D library objects inside Archicad.

[Barry Kelly]

Takis wrote:
Structural Engineers need special 2D & 3D library objects inside Archicad.

Such as...?

Barry.

[Takis]

Cadimagetools offered Detail Element Tools (discontinued from Archicad 18 and above) that helped us as structural Engineers with detailing drawings.
We need a flexible reinforcement bar, mesh, bar cross section, stirrups, column and beam longidutinal reinforcement object for 2D drawings with the ability to choose:
1- reinforcement diameters
2- bar color and section fill
3- bending diameter of bars
Other very helpful improvements to avoid using various and complicated objects are:
Columns in Archicad should have the ability for any shape not just rectangular or circular. Also veneer should be more flexible by choosing on which sides of the column we prefer to have the veneer. This helps us to model when working with reconstruction and rehabilitation projects. The same veneer could be applied to beams for the same kind of projects.

When working in 3D environment we would like to have the ability to move beams freely to the desired joints. In current version 17, we have to draw beams flat and then change it to inclined.

[Barry Kelly]

This might help with the reinforcement objects but these ar more of a 3D option.

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Modeling/It-is-possible-to-drawing-Reinforced-Concrete-with-Arch...

Cadimage say they will provide info on methods to work around the loss of their detail tool.
I don't use Cadimage products so check with them for more info.

http://blog.cadimage.com/2014/02/important-announcement-for-cadimage-tools-customers/

As for irregular shaped columns (and beams) you can do that now with complex profiles.
Columns and beams can be any shape you want and you can add veneers exactly where you want them.
You can even import all of the standard UB, UC, RHS, SHS, CHS, L, T, I, etc., profiles directly for use as complex profiles.
Options menu > Import Standard Steel Profile...

If you know the angle (slope) of a beam you can model it that way straight up otherwise yes you have to place it and then adjust one end in 3D.

Barry.

[Takis]

Barry, I agree that someone can find a lot of structural elements in Archicad. What is really missing from Archicad is structural detailing like steel connections, rebars, etc and productivity tools for creating structural plans fast and easy.

My wish is to have a real structural version of Archicad,

I love to work with Archicad, my first Archicad was version 12, I don't like using other software for my structural details drawings cooperating with Archicad while I use only Archicad for my structural drawings.

Another very important issue is that Architects look down on plan while we engineers look up, so when I look on ground floor plan I would like to see the slab on top of the ground floor. I know this can be done using Layer Combinations but again I believe this is not the solution.
Graphisoft should think about making a tool similar to "Renovation Tool" and call it "Structural Tool" where structural Engineers may have the choice to make horizontal sections on the desire level and give some extra parameters to the structure like overwriting materials (defining slabs, columns, beams material to transparent for presentation purposes etc).

[Anonymous]

Have a look at the Eptar reinforcement plugin- real 3D rebar able to be scheduled

[Takis]

Yes, I've seen Eptar's reinforcement. Well the fact is that from an Engineer's side of view we do not really have to draw reinforcement in 3D beacause this is a waste of time.
Structural software in general have the ability to export 2D reinforcement details for columns, beams and slabs.
The main issue is to have the ability inside Archicad to draw fast specific 2D details without giving a lot of effort and money buying plugins which someday may be discontinued for newer versions of Archicad.

[Anonymous]

If you are searching for simple 2D Reinforcement Details, I have some:

[Anonymous]

Here are the Objects ( in Italian language!):

[alemanda]

I did some library elements by myself for RC drawings, especially to produce drawings for Reinforced concrete structures. I don't have yet library eleement for pillars and beams because I usually use the drawings automatically done by the structural calculation software (in Italy these software produce good drawings for that). So I use my library elements for walls, slabs, and other structural elements ...