The future of Structural Engineering

Structural engineering in terms of processes and actuality includes 3 very important edges;

· Analysis and design in accordance with international codes.

· Deliverables configuration and production: With high quality standards for construction.

· Digital environments that allow saving the As Built models and can be reused for different purposes in the future.

A. Analysis and design in accordance with international codes:

This process is known and usually managed through the use of FEM (Finite Element) tools that allow modeling the behavior of systems with an adequate precision level to predict engineering scenarios under loads / conditions and define the structures accordingly.

Currently there are a series of programs audited and preferred by the different markets, most of which have a high% reliability and success cases.

General requirements that every FEM tool must include.

? Intuitive modeling.

? Powerful discretization commands.

? Ease of interpretation of results.

? International design codes.

B. Deliverables configuration and production (Blueprints)

It is the process of developing -Blueprints- in printable formats for construction work. From traditional CAD, to more advanced ones such as BIM or DigitalTwin at its LOD 350 level onwards.

Although NOT all structural programs include blueprints productions. There is a significant amount of software that DOES generate it, mostly in 2D CAD format.

Producing Steel Blueprints.

C. Digital environments

It refers to the generation of intelligent models, from the traditional BIM (Building Information Modeling) to the powerful DigitalTwin that includes all the information collected from the model. (Geometry, properties, loads, assets, others).

DigitalTwins Concept

At present, some calculation programs include the export of models in IFC formats (compatible with many platforms), while others have direct communication to formats of different commercial brands.

Formats to Export Digital Models.

Digital environments through robust models (BIM, DigitalTwin) do not guarantee that the deliverables (Blueprints) will be improved compared to their CAD predecessor, however this corresponds to one of the initial steps for its own evolution that includes intelligent structural detailing tools to achieve these objectives.

The future of structural engineering is aimed at condensing the actuality of all the commented processes (engineering, modeling, deliverables) to their most compact simplicity (single environment with open source to all possible formats).

Having in the same environment a technology that allows:

1. To do FEM Models.

2. Click on the beam-column nodes and design joints (both metallic and reinforced concrete).

3. Click on supports and design foundations (all possible typologies).

4. Discretize in finite elements both the model and the connections + foundations.

5. Allow communication with Soil-Structure.

6. Generate and export BIM or DigitalTwin files.

7. Generate robust models of intelligent structural detailing.

8. Export drawings or deliverables from the intelligent 3D model.

Let's imagine for a moment that we have a large work table of at least 60 inches (touchscreen). That allows us to model the entire structure, no matter how complex (Step6). At the same time, invoke a command that activates the analysis phase and allows to discretize the FEM system (Step1), once the model has been analyzed, define the steps (Steps 2, 3, 4). At all times have the ability to save models in DigitalTwin or BIM formats. And finish the configuration and generation of deliverables (Steps 6 and 7).

In the immediate future, we will achieve everything with the same tool and we will be able to audit it from the mobile phone. Structural Navigator

In the near future we will have the ability to export models from our tablets / mobiles with the possibility of being audited by the revision engineers. INFRAWEEK Tech talks

In a future that is already present, we will be able to monitor the entire system through a -digital twin- reviewing the information on the timeline with all these capabilities included.

The criteria will be editable and will advance according to the codes.

Technology will be closer to avoiding that engineers spend time in numerical processes to dedicate themselves to what is best for them. Make the decisions for the design!

Design is to decide...

By [email protected]