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With rising prices on a global scale, engineers, architects, contractors, and owners are all looking for cost-effective options within traditional structural steel products and design software. These suppliers are up for the challenge, offering software that builds on current systems and products that allow for difficult applications, while maintaining sensitivity to environmental impact.
In response to a request from Structural Engineer, a number of companies provided the following information about their products and services. Some companies declined to participate by failing to return the questionnaire by our deadline. We apologize for inadvertent omissions. To be added to our contact list, please e-mail Jennifer Goupil, P.E., at jgoupil@zweigwhite.com.
AceCad Software Inc. provides an array of software products for the structural steel industry incorporating the latest BIM technology for engineers, detailers, and fabricators. StruCad provides engineers with load calculations, erection drawings, and the capability to link to third-party analysis and design software. In addition to the engineering capabilities, StruCad offers detailers the ability to produce automatic drawings, material lists, and CNC data for the fabrication shop. AceCad Software’s MRP system, StruM.I.S, gives fabricators the ability to manage every stage of the project, including inventory, estimating, purchasing, and bar coding. Together, they represent a complete BIM solution.
www.acecadsoftware.com
Albina Pipe Bending Co., Inc., has been specializing in spiral bending, forming, and fabrication of pipe, square, and rectangular tube as well as structural steel shapes since 1939. Albina Pipe Bending has the ability to bend architecturally exposed material ranging from 1/8 inch to 26 inches OD for pipe and 1/2 inch up to 20 inches for tubing (easy-way, hard-way, compound, or off-axis); angle, flat bar, square bar, wide flange (I-beam), channel, plate, and split tee (easy-way, hard-way, or off-axis); and architectural exposure quality spiraling of tube steel, channel, plate, and pipe to tight radii and steep pitches.
www.albinapipebending.com
The Alpine Structural Consultants group of ITW is an independent structural engineering firm. Their services include the design of structural steel trusses, transfer girders (including many designs using structural tubing), space frames, and special bolted and welded connections. Their specialty is the interface between structural steel framing and cold-formed steel or wood framing, as well as structural/cold-formed steel hybrid structures.
www.alpinestructural.com
The American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. (AISC), established in 1921, is a non-profit, technical institute and trade association to serve designers, contractors, and owners. AISC activities include specification and code development, research, education, technical assistance, quality certification, standardization, and market development. The AISC’s Steel Solutions Center is a free service that provides conceptual solutions, technical assistance, innovative ideas, and tools on how to design and specify structural steel. The Steel Solutions Center is a source of information that supports steel projects by including a framing plan, member sizes, steel quantities, schedule considerations, and life cycle costs. Complementary project assistance is available through AISC’s Steel Solutions Center at 866.ASK.AISC or email solutions@aisc.org.
www.aisc.org
Bentley’s ProSteel is a 3-D modeling environment for structural steel and metal work supporting construction and planning tasks. Applicable to both MicroStation and AutoCAD platforms, according to the company, users get an intuitive and integrated multi-material modeler perfectly suited to layout complex structures, produce shop drawings, assemble all connections, and manage bill of materials. The interoperability of ProSteel allows it to integrate seamlessly with other facets of the engineering design chain, including structural analysis and design (such as STAAD and RAM) and plant design (AutoPLANT).
www.bentley.com/structural
Canam Steel Corporation designs and fabricates structural steel trusses and complex components for commercial and institutional buildings. The product design team provides value-added engineering solutions for complex truss and joist design. Visit the company’s website for information.
www.canam-steeljoists.ws
Cascade Consulting Associates, Inc. introduced StruCalc Version 8.0., which the company claims is the premier software solution for the design and analysis of beams, columns, joists, rafters, and footings using solid sawn lumber, structural and tube steel, structural composite, glulams, flitch beams, and I-joists. This is the first version to take advantage of the latest in easy-to-use interface design for XP and Vista. Utilizing new one-page printouts and a single-screen interface, StruCalc 8.0 puts more information at users’ fingertips. It includes the new 2006 IBC, 2005 NDS, and full AISD 13th Edition Steel Calculations, collar ties, hip beams, stud walls, and many other features, and sells for $495. Visit the company’s website for custom pricing.
www.strucalc.com
CMC Steel Products is the leading manufacturer of the SmartBeam. With depths ranging from 12 inches to 60 inches and the ability to manufacture asymmetrical sections, the SmartBeam is ideally suited for composite floor construction. The SmartBeam provides an economical solution for the structural frame with web openings that allow mechanical services to be integrated efficiently into the structure at no additional cost; thus, producing a lower floor-to-floor height as well as cost savings on building façades. CMC Steel Products has two strategically located plants and five regional engineering/sales offices to assist structural engineers in specifying the most efficient design possible.
www.cmcsteelproducts.com
Computers and Structures Inc. (CSI), founded in 1975, says it is recognized worldwide as the innovative leader in development of software for structural and earthquake engineering. Products from CSI are used by thousands of engineering firms involved in the design of buildings, bridges, and other major projects in more than 160 countries. CSI software tools include SAP2000, ETABS, SAFE, and Perform 3-D.
www.csiberkeley.com
Steadfast and Continental vehicular and pedestrian structural steel truss bridges from CONTECH Construction Products Inc., fit naturally and attractively in any environment as safe, durable, and affordable structures, according to the company. Designers can choose from a variety of shapes and sizes, with spans up to 250 feet and more. These prefabricated steel truss structures provide aesthetic designs, fast installation, and are accompanied by extensive technical support. Bridges are available in a variety of finishes, including weathering steel, painted, hot-dip galvanized, or spray zinc metalized. The company’s fabrication facilities are Major Bridge Certified with Fracture Critical and Sophisticated Paint Endorsements.
www.contech-cpi.com
Daystar Software, Inc. offers Multiframe, which provides linear and non-linear analysis and a full range of modeling tools, including 3-D drawing, tension only/compression only members and springs, automation, thermal effects, dynamic analysis, and more. Other modules allow users to draw section shapes quickly and install them in the section library and perform design checks for a wide range of design codes. Multiframe’s graphical interface is visual and intuitive. Its flexible construction capabilities dramatically reduce the time it takes to set up structural steel models, the company says, and real-time 3-D rendering makes it easy to pick out areas of interest in the model.
www.daystarsoftware.com
With SDS/2 Version 7.1, Design Data introduced new features that it says will streamline processes and increase functionality. The software now allows users to add curved members with connection design and add clevises and turnbuckles into the 3-D model. With this version, members can be grouped and detailed together with the bill of material, and it’s easier to copy and paste member information, such as connections and specifications, from member to member. SDS/2 is the only structural steel software with the built-in intelligence to automatically design connections using a 3-D model with a multitude of options for beams, columns, bracing, and joists.
www.sds2.com
Georgia Tech-CASE Center’s GT STRUDL software, is used by structural engineers in more than 30 countries for analysis and design of utility, transportation, offshore, industrial, and civil works facilities. GT STRUDL integrates graphical modeling, analysis, and structural steel and reinforced concrete design into a powerful information processing system. Key analysis features of GT STRUDL include linear/nonlinear static, dynamic, pushover, and buckling analysis. A wide range of 2-D and 3-D elements are available, including cable elements. U.S. and International Steel Design Codes and ACI and British Concrete Design Codes are available. CAD interfaces are available, including the ability to import and export CIS/2 files.
www.gtstrudl.gatech.edu
The Hilti HIT RE 500-SD Adhesive Anchor System and Hilti Kwik Bolt TZ Expansion Anchor from Hilti North America were the first anchor systems with an ICC report verifying compliance with the 2003 and 2006 International Building Code (IBC). These anchors are suitable for use in structural steel structures located in areas of high seismic activity where engineers are required to consider the effects of cracked concrete.
www.us.hilti.com
Heckmann Building Produucts Inc. offers a variety of anchoring systems for attaching concrete masonry units, brick veneer, or stone to structural steel. Several styles are available for welding, bolting, or hooking onto flanges. Heckmann has been providing quality anchoring systems since 1923.
www.heckmannanchors.com
IES Inc. offers ShapeBuilder 4.5—a utility program for structural engineers to calculate structural steel section properties. It is designed for custom, forensic, or repair work where section properties are not easily found in a manufacturer’s table. Quickly create built-up or cut-down member shapes to determine the geometric (for example, area or moments of inertia) and structural (for example, plastic modulus or torsion constant) properties. Users can also use it to find the shear center, or get the exact distribution of stresses under a given loading.
www.iesweb.com
Lindapter North America Hollo-Bolts cavity connections provide a simple, cost-effective solution when connecting to square, rectangular, or circular tube. It is effective in connecting to any steel where access is available from one side only. Lindapter Hollo-Bolts are ideal to use with any steel structures and eliminates the need for welding, tapping and unsightly strapping. Used with either shop- or site-drilled holes, the Hollo-Bolt enables connections to be quickly, securely, and easily made. As with all Lindapter products, the Hollo-Bolt is fully tested and has a guaranteed safe working load with a safety factor of 5:1.
www.lindapterna.com
LUSAS Bridge software is used by many leading engineering firms. For instance, Atkins, the UK’s largest engineering consultancy, uses LUSAS Bridge software to investigate first and second order critical buckling analysis of plated steel girders to the new Eurocode—proving substantially larger load factors, especially for nonlinear analysis. INCA Engineers Inc. used LUSAS Civil & Structural to optimize the design of steel plate flood defense gates in New Orleans, reducing modeling time significantly compared with previously used applications. LUSAS software can be used for all types of structural engineering applications from steel bridge design to the analysis of steel frames, masts, towers, and tanks.
www.lusas.com
MIDASoft Inc. offers several useful engineering software programs: Midas Civil (Bridges) provides 3-D analysis and design for curved/straight girder, composite, segmental post-tensioning, suspension, cable-stayed, skewed slab, frame, arch, and culvert bridges with live load optimizers. Midas Gen (Building and General Structures) provides analysis of static, dynamic, pushover, inelastic time history, material/geometry nonlinear, masonry structures, cables, pre/post-tensioning, time-dependant material models, column shortening, construction stage, and heat of hydration analyses. Midas FEA (Detail FE Analysis) provides ultimate finite element analysis with built-in CAD geometry modeler and auto-mesh generators, linear, nonlinear material/geometry/interface, nonlinear concrete crack, reinforcement and tendon in shell/solid elements, fatigue, linear dynamic, construction stage, and buckling analyses.
www.midasuser.com
For steel structural and civil design work, MultiSUITE Software Inc. offers MuliSTEEL CAD. It is a highly effective and easy-to-use, low-cost structural steel detailing and drafting software, allowing users to work in both 2-D and 3-D and linking to many other applications. The program is used in a range of industries on many types of projects—from oil derricks, towers, and platforms, to commercial or residential steel frames. It combines AutoCAD OEM Technology with MulitSUITE Software’s structural tools in the same application.
www.multisuite.com
NUCOR-Vulcraft / Verco Group recently introduced the Ecospan Composite Floor System, which is designed for use in residential and commercial multistory buildings as an elevated floor structural system. Ecospan is an innovative, simple, effective, and economical method of providing all steel, structural open web components incorporating the benefits of lighter-weight composite design. Ecospan is UL Listed for up to three-hour assemblies, has very high sound ratings and can be completely installed using mechanical fasteners. Ecospan use more than 80 percent recycled materials and qualifies for LEED credit. Ecospan Composite Floor System’s components are fabricated at all Vulcraft facilities throughout the United States.
www.ecospan-usa.com
Opti-Mate, Inc. has a complete package of software for analysis, design, and rating of structural steel transportation structures. Design and rating code checks are performed using the AASHTO WSD, LFD, and LRFD specifications. Software titles include: MERLIN DASH for constant depth, tapered, or haunched steel I-girders, reinforced concrete girders, or prestressed concrete girders; DESCUS I for horizontally curved steel I-girders; DESCUS II for horizontally curved steel box girders; SABRE for sign and luminaire structures; and TRAP for truss bridges. In addition to analysis of the AASHTO standard live loads, users can defined non-standard live loads for analysis and rating.
www.opti-mate.com
Fast, accurate, and productive are just a few ways engineers describe RISA Technologies’ RISA-3D, the company says. Packed with the most current structural steel, concrete, cold-formed steel, and timber design codes, RISA-3D gives users the tools to tackle multi-material projects with confidence. Advanced features such as flexible design rules allow engineers to control the design, not just the program. Review results for the entire model graphically, or view member detail reports to see analysis results and design calculations for each member. RISA-3D also integrates seamlessly with RISAFloor and RISAFoot, including links to top detailing, drafting, and BIM packages for a complete building design solution.
www.risa.com
Sherwin-Williams Protective and Marine Coatings’ Polylon HP Polyurethane is a two-component, low-VOC, polyester-aliphatic urethane coating that provides a high-gloss and excellent chemical resistance. An excellent choice for tank exteriors, pipelines, structural steel bridges, and high-performance architectural applications, Polylon HP Polyurethane provides excellent color retention and chalk resistance, according to the company. It also resists splashes, spillage, and fumes from dilute acids, alkalis, solvents, and fuels. It is abrasion and impact resistant, and is available in a wide range of colors. Polylon HP Polyurethane is also Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) compliant, with a VOC level <250 g/L.
www.sherwin.com
SidePlate Systems, Inc. engineers, GSA blast-tested, steel connection technologies. Developed in response to the 1994 Northridge earthquake, SidePlate unites enduring structural integrity with maximum design versatility, all while exceeding the most stringent building codes, the company says. SidePlate is the leading choice of forward-thinking hospitals, government institutions, schools, and commercial enterprises who want to protect lives—and their significant investments—against natural and manmade catastrophes. SidePlate connection technologies are value engineered, decreasing construction time while creating stronger, more ecologically sound structural steel frames. The company’s engineering experts are readily accessible to coach engineers, contractors, and fabricators through every step of the simple, highly effective SidePlate process.
www.sideplate.com
Simpson Strong-Tie’s Titen HD Heavy Duty Screw Anchor is now code listed for cracked and uncracked concrete. The Titen HD anchor is a patented, high-strength, screw anchor for concrete and masonry. It is designed for optimum performance in both cracked and uncracked concrete—a requirement of the 2006 IBC for post-installed anchors. The high-strength, easy-to-install Titen HD anchor has been tested and shown to provide outstanding performance in cracked and uncracked concrete under both static and seismic loading conditions (see ICC-ES evaluation report: ESR-2713). The self-undercutting, non-expansion characteristics of this anchor make it ideal for structural steel base plate and other applications, even at reduced edge distances and spacings. The Titen HD is recommended for permanent dry, interior, non-corrosive environments or temporary outdoor applications.
www.simpsonanchors.com.
Strand7 is a sensibly priced, Windows FEA system used widely for structural steel structures such as the Beijing Olympics Water Cube. Strand7 is feature packed and comprises pre-processing (including CAD import, auto-meshing), solvers (linear, nonlinear static/dynamic, and thermal) and post-processing (contour plots, graphing, and reporting). Release 2.4 provides many new features including staged construction, fiber stress nonlinear material (and tapered) beams, new geometry tools, and export options. Solver additions include load influence and quasi-static for creep/relaxation problems. The Strand7 API provides integration to any application and also allows users to customize and develop complementary features for Strand7. Strand7 is distributed in the United States by Beaufort, Analysis Inc. Call 252-504-2282 for all sales and pricing queries.
www.strand7.com
Structural Desktop integrates analytical programs with AutoCAD. Users can build analytical models inside AutoCAD, import those models into the analytical program where the models are analyzed and designed, and then import those models back into SDT for adjustment and automatic creation of annotated AutoCAD 2-D and 3-D .dwg drawings. According to the company, Structural Desktop reduces costs, increases accuracy, and has a minimal learning curve. It draws concrete, AISC, LGSI, and AISI light-gage sections, steel joists, wooden beams, studs, and others. It creates solid models for rendering and 2-D drawings for contract documents that are 100-percent compatible with AutoCAD.
www.structuraldesktop.com
Tekla’s Structures is building information modeling (BIM) software that that company says streamlines the delivery process of design, detailing, fabrication, and construction organizations. The software easily integrates with other systems such as architectural, MEP process layouts, as well as analysis and design solutions. Use the same model to save time and ensure quality projects. Tekla Structures provides fabricators and structural steel detailing offices an effective solution to manage project information. The same intelligent, 3-D model pulls all the information, so everyone on the project can collaborate in real-time. Tekla Structures includes an extensive range of tools to automate the detailing process.
www.tekla.com/us
Williams Form Engineering offers various bar steel grades, thread configurations, and diameters in lengths up to 50 feet. Williams thread forms are RH or LH and include, but are not limited to, coil, UNC, Acme, and Modified Acme. Most thread forms are rolled for concentricity and strength. The bars can be continuously threaded or threads may be put on ends. All bar types and diameters have matching fasteners, including hex nuts and couplings designed to develop the full tensile strength of the bar.
