Software continues to advance to meet the needs of engineers, architects, designers, and end-users. The sophisticated programs offer flexibility, customization, and numerous features. Many are available as free trial versions, and demonstrations are available for most via company websites.

In response to an open invitation from Structural Engineer, a number of companies provided the following information about their products. Company web addresses are provided for immediate access to additional information. To participate in Structural Engineer Specifiers’ Guides, visit www.gostructural.com/specguide

StruCad says its AceCad Software (www.acecadsoftware.com), a 3D structural steel detailing system, puts an array of modeling and detailing tools into the hands of drafting professionals, providing an advanced and productive solution to steelwork detailing.

ADAPT Corporation (www.adaptsoft.com) offers a comprehensive suite of software for the design of concrete floor systems, foundations, beams, and bridges. Highlights include: 2D strip method; 3D finite element analysis; dynamic rebar modeling and design; investigation mode; integrated vibration analysis; time-dependent behavior; and full integration with Revit Structure.

Adobe’s (www.adobe.com) Acrobat 9 Pro Extended can convert virtually any 3D/2D CAD file — and other critical project data — into one, more secure PDF-formatted file. PDF Portfolios provide a means for organizing documents and CAD files into a single, navigable document.

Advitam (www.advitam-group.com) offers asset management software for bridges to manage the inventory, inspections, and the tracking of maintenance items. The systems are also collaborative tools allowing every member of a department the ability to share and exchange information.

FastTrack Schedule 9 by AEC Software (www.aecsoftware.com) features graphical timelines to display project status, cash flows, and deadlines — keeping clients informed and work schedules in order. With new project consolidation features, planning and controlling multiple projects is easier.

AF&PA (www.awc.org) offers a free Online Connections Calculator at www.awc.org/calculators/index.html It provides users with a web-based approach to calculating capacities for single bolts, nails, lag screws, and wood screws per the 2005 National Design Specification.

CAD data stores critical information and knowledge that will be leveraged throughout every phase of an asset’s lifecycle; therefore, it needs to follow CAD standards to avoid costly inefficiencies. Altiva Software, Inc. (www.altivasoft.com) claims its CADconform is the right approach to CAD standards and improve data quality.

Applied Science International’s (www.appliedscienceint.com) Extreme Loading for Structures (ELS) software allows structural engineers to perform both linear and non-linear analysis capable of following the behavior of structures through separation, collision, and collapse. ELS includes loading types, such as static loads and dynamic loads, which includes those generated by blasts, seismic events, impacts, and wind loads.

Autodesk (www.autodesk.com/robotstructuralanalysis) Robot Structural Analysis Professional 2010 software is a collaborative application that extends BIM for structural engineering with analysis capabilities for buildings, bridges, and civil and specialty structures. Analyze complex domestic and international projects with a comprehensive library of design codes.

Avatech Utilities for Revit are a variety of applications developed by Avatech’s (www.avatech.com) Software Development Solutions group in partnership with its professional services team.

BASF Construction Chemicals (www.masterbuilders.com) offers a Macro-Polymeric Fiber Dosage Wizard to help determine the amount of MasterFiber macrosynthetic fibers required to replace welded-wire reinforcement or small-diameter bars used as shrinkage and temperature reinforcement.

Bentley’s (www.bentley.com) new technology, ISM Synchronizer v8i, provides engineers with a shared and dynamic repository for all of their structural content — including visualization and revision history — facilitating increased coordination.

Bluebeam Software, Inc. (www.bluebeam.com) allows users to go paperless with Bluebeam PDF Revu by keeping everything digital in PDF and then using Bluebeam’s redline tools to review and stamp shop drawings electronically, submit RFIs, and more.

BillQuick, by BQE Software Inc. (www.BQE.com) automates the time entry process by allowing access to each employee to enter their time and expense electronically for various projects and tasks to which they are assigned.

Cadre Analytic’s (www.cadreanalytic.com) CADRE Pro 6 For Windows Vista/XP/2000 (32 and 64 Bit) solves mechanical and architectural structures for internal loads, beam section or plate stresses, displacements, vibration modes, and natural frequencies. There are advanced features for stability, buckling, shock, and seismic loads.

Computers & Structures, Inc.’s, (CSI, www.csiberkeley.com) products 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.

ConstructionCalc, Inc. (www.constructioncalc.com) developed an Excel-based software program in 1995 that offers 30-second solutions for beams, joists, rafters, posts, studs, and footings for wood, engineered wood, and steel.

CONTECH Construction Products Inc.’s (www.contech-cpi.com) Design Your Own Bridge (DYOB) program now has the ability to provide drawings for structural plate and truss shapes, in addition to CON/SPAN and BEBO precast arch structures. Users input parameters and receive a schematic bridge drawing via e-mail within minutes. The newest plate shapes include multi-plate, super-span, low-profile arch, super-span high-profile arch, and super-span pear arch.

CSC World (www.cscworld.com) says its FASTRAK structural software quickly optimizes the design of buildings. Detailed design calculations, drawings, and material lists are derived from a BIM-compliant model. There is no practical limit to the complexity of the building’s geometry.

Daystar Software (www.daystarsoftware.com) introduced iStructural.com, a web-based structural engineering software program. From any computer with an Internet connection, engineers can analyze and design concrete and masonry retaining walls.

According to Design Data, SDS/2 (www.sds2.com)designs connections automatically using a 3D model with many options for beams, columns, bracing, and joists. Designate material, edge distance, cope criteria, and other connection specifications and SDS/2 will automatically generate the connections.

LGBEAMER v7 Pro by Devco Software, Inc. (www.devcosoftware.com) allows users to design cold-formed cee’s, zee’s, and channels with uniform, concentrated, partial span, sloped, and axial loads. Single or multiple spans with cantilevers and 2004 NASPEC provisions as adopted in the 2006 IBC are included.

Dimensional Solutions’ (www.dimsoln.com) DSAnchor, Foundation3D, Mat3D, or Shaft3D can reduce time spent in foundation analysis and design. Quickly complete anchor, spread, combined, mat, and drilled pier foundation projects from concept to construction.

ENERCALC, Inc.’s (www.enercalc.com) Structural Engineering Library Version 6 provides an extensive selection of structural design modules for common components of all typical building structures.

FRAMECAD (www.framecad.com) ProDesign is an add-on to IntelliCAD that designs and performs structural engineering analysis for CFS structures. FRAMECAD ProDesign produces designs for cold-formed steel framing, complete with engineering calculations and structural analysis. With this capability, material use can be optimized to reduce construction costs. The software provides design and engineering for walls, trusses, and sub-floors, and incorporates full structural analysis, complying with numerous international building standards and codes. It engineers for full environmental conditions, such as various wind zones, roof loads, and snow loads, while allowing users to optimize designs for the best use of material while maintaining structural soundness.

Advance Steel by Graitec, Inc. (www.graitec.com) automates the entire structural CAD process (fabrication, erection drawings, single line, et cetera, with various reports) and creates NC fabrication data in AutoCAD.

GTSTRUDL’s (www.gtstrudl.gatech.edu) Comprehensive Linear/Nonlinear, Static/Dynamic analysis has features for frame and finite element structures including moving load generation, response spectrum, transient, and pushover analyses. The program includes models for plastic hinges, discrete dampers, tension/compression only members, and nonlinear connections.

VisualAnalysis 6.5, by IES Inc. (www.iesweb.com) is a tool for general purpose analysis and design. It offers incredible power (automatic load combinations, AISC Direct Analysis Method, et cetera) within a practical, easy interface.

iLevel (www.ilevel.com) offers Forte Software from the makers of TJ-Beam software, a structural-frame design software that’s free. Whether sizing joists, beams, or columns, iLevel Forte software performs load calculations and identifies solutions for the conditions and geometry that users input. View multiple output options to see which framing member is best for the job. Let side-by-side display comparison values and iLevel TJ-Pro Ratings help balance floor structural system costs with customer expectations. Forte software helps optimize budgets and structural performance, while saving time, labor, and material waste, the company said. Request a free copy by phone at 800-833-9491 or online at www.ilevel.com/forte

Interactive Design Systems (IDS, www.ids-soft.com) offers Bridge Designer II (BD2) for 2D structural design analysis, BD3 for 3D structural design analysis, and MC3D for bridge construction geometry control. IDS products are targeted to designers of concrete and composite bridges.

Keystone Retaining Wall Systems’ (www.keystonewalls.com) Keystone Technical CD contains current Keystone product specifications and CADD details, as well as Keystone’s current KeyWall design software.

Use LUSAS (www.lusas.com) Bridge for fundamental frequency, seismic, dynamic, nonlinear, buckling, and fatigue analysis needs. Staged construction, creep modelling, prestress/post-tensioning and curved girder analysis is supported. Vehicle-load optimization simplifies worst-case loading patterns. The program supports AASHTO and other design codes and provides extensive results viewing and printing facilities.

MasterGraphics (www.mastergraphics.com) says it helps businesses in the building industry focus on innovation by enhancing their design and post-design processes to increase productivity, cost effectiveness, quality control, and operational efficiency.

MDX Software (www.mdxsoftware.com) is a curved and straight steel girder bridge design and rating software in accordance with the AASHTO ASD, LFD, and LRFD specifications.

Meridian (www.meridiansystems.com) says it is the plan-build-operate technology solutions leader for project-based organizations. Building owners, construction and engineering firms, and public agencies use Meridian software to manage capital building programs and facilities. According to Meridian, it offers construction project management and infrastructure lifecycle management solutions that reduce project costs and schedules across the plan-build-operate project lifecycle.

Midas Civil integrated solution system for bridges and civil structures by MIDASoft (http://eng.midasuser.com) offers 3D analysis and design software for all bridge structures — curved girder, composite, segmental post-tensioning, suspension, cable-stayed, skewed slab, frame, and culvert bridges. It also includes live load optimizers for AASHTO LRFD, CSA-S6, BD37, BS, and Eurocode.

Omnitech Associates, Inc.’s (www.desconplus.com) DESCON software designs connections of steel moment and braced frame structures based on latest AISC specifications using U.S. customary and metric units in allowable stress (ASD) and load and resistance factor (LRFD) procedures including seismic design. DESCON produces detailed calculation reports and scaled engineering drawings of the designed connections.

Opti-Mate, Inc.’s (www.opti-mate.com) bridge engineering software titles include Merlin Dash for steel or concrete bridges, Descus for horizontally curved steel I or box girders , TRAP for trusses, and SABRE for sign bridges.

POSTEN Engineering Systems’ (www.postensoft.com) POSTEN Multistory is an efficient and comprehensive post-tensioned concrete software that was specifically designed to produce efficient, cost-saving, sustainable designs with automatic documentation of material savings for LEED, according to the company. The program helps reduce pollution, increase efficiency, enable the architect’s creativity, and save construction and design costs.

Ram Jack (www.ramjack.com) Foundations Solutions provides easy helical design solution for piles such as underpinning, new construction, and slab; and anchors such as tiebacks and guys. Based on an individual bearing method, the company says its user friendly and flexible design software provides design confidence. It is free to design engineers.

RISA-3D by RISA Technologies (www.risa.com) designs and optimizes steel, concrete, masonry, wood, and cold-formed steel with a fast, intuitive interface, according to RISA. It offers state-of-the-art solution algorithms and customizable reporting options. Integration with other products such as RISAFloor, RISAFoundation, and Revit Structure, make RISA-3D make it a premier choice for general-purpose structural analysis and design.

RSG Software, Inc. (www rsgsoftware.com) says its CFS is a comprehensive, general-purpose, cold-formed steel component design tool with a friendly graphical interface. For most any cold-formed shape, users can calculate: full, net, and effective section properties; strength for compression, tension, shear, bending, and web-crippling; strength increase from cold-work of forming; member checks for combined axial/bending, shear/bending, and web-crippling/bending; multiple-span beam and beam/column analysis with diagrams; and elastic buckling analysis.

Simpson Strong-Tie (www.simpsonanchors.com) Anchor Designer Software for ACI 318 Version 4.0 analyzes and suggests anchor solutions using the ACI 318, Appendix D strength design methodology. It provides cracked and uncracked concrete anchor solutions for numerous Simpson Strong-Tie Anchor Systems mechanical and adhesive anchors and eliminates the need for tedious calculations by hand. Download it free from the company’s website.

SPACE GASS by King & Associates LLC (www.spacegass.com) is a general-purpose structural analysis and design program for 2D and 3D frames, trusses, grillages, and beams. It comes with a full complement of features that the company says makes it suitable for any job, from small beams, trusses, and portal frames to large high-rise buildings, towers, cranes, and bridges.

Standards Design Group, Inc. (www.standardsdesign.com) produces software packages for professionals in the civil engineering and construction industries. Wind Loads on Structures 2005 software performs all the wind load computations in ASCE7-05, 02 and 98, Section 6. Window Glass Design 2004 performs all required calculations to design window glass according to ASTM E 1300-02/03/04. Blast Resistant Glazing Design 2007 finds its basis in the ASTM F 2248 design standard. More information and demonstrations are available on the company’s website.

Strand7 (www.strand7.com) is a general-purpose FEA system for Windows, comprising pre-processing, post-processing, and solver functionality in a single application. Strand7 is used for linear and nonlinear analysis of structures and components (static, dynamic, and heat transfer) and is well-suited to companies of all sizes in any engineering discipline, according to Strand7.

Structural Desktop (SDT) (www.structuraldesktop.com) integrates STAAD Pro, RISA 3D/RISAFloor, GT STRUDL, and SAP2000 with AutoCAD. Users can build analytical models inside AutoCAD, import that model into their analytical program for analysis and design, then import that model back into SDT for automatic creation of annotated AutoCAD DWG formatted contract drawings.

Struware (www.struware.com) Code Search program provides easy-to-use structural engineering software that provides pertinent wind, seismic, snow, live, and dead loads in just minutes. The program simplifies ASCE 7 and IBC (and codes based on these) by catching the exceptions to the rules, footnotes, and hidden items that many people miss. Struware also offers programs to analyze tilt-up concrete wall panels (typical reinforcing and panel legs next to openings), concrete beams with torsion, and steel-framed floor vibrations. Demonstrations are available on the company’s website.

Tekla Structures by Tekla (www.tekla.com) is a BIM solution for structural engineers. The program takes nearly any building project, regardless of size or complexity, from design to detailing, construction, and beyond. It also offers interoperability with 2D and BIM tools used by architects; mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers; and others. It also works with popular application and development programs and has modules for steel, CIP, and precast detailing.

Design cold-formed steel components with a free license of Steel Smart System (SSS) by The Steel Network, Inc. (www.steelsmartsystem.com). SSS users can design members, connectors, and fasteners in walls, floors, roofs, and trusses. Shear walls, openings, headers, load bearing walls, and curtain walls are all easily designed with SSS. Download a free license from the company’s website.

Tilt-Up Design Systems, LLC (www.tilt-werks.com) produces Tilt-Werks, a software as a service (SaaS), web-based application for the complete design, project management, and construction of tilt-up wall panels.

Transpo Industries Inc.’s (www.transpo.com) Break-Safe Sign Post Selection Program is designed for state Department of Transportation engineers, highway consulting engineers, and highway sign contractors. Using input from the design engineer, this program will automatically select the appropriate sign post section and the corresponding Break-Safe breakaway sign support assembly. Specification sheets for all Break-Safe assemblies and shop drawings are included.

VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems’ (www.versa-lok.com) Solid Solutions Estimating Software automatically calculates the number of VERSA-LOK units and pins and quantities of geogrid and aggregate for any VERSA-LOK project. It produces preliminary cross sections and totals material quantities, and it creates a report that includes sample details, photos, and a materials order form.