ShapeBuilder calculates geometric section properties, like area, moment of inertia, etc. It handles multiple materials and composite sections. ShapeBuilder also performs advanced stress analysis, cracked analysis, and calculates the strength of reinforced concrete sections.
ShapeBuilder is a powerful utility for anyone who needs to calculate geometric or structural properties of plane areas. The primary purpose of ShapeBuilder is to help engineers determine properties of custom or combined sections for structural design.
The tool is useful for architects, forensic engineers, mechanical engineers, and others needing to calculate the properties of irregular plane areas.
ShapeBuilder goes way beyond a simple calculator though, offering advanced stress distribution analysis, cracked reinforced concrete analysis and capacities, as well as significant aides for understanding torsional behavior of thin-walled, open, cross-sections.
ShapeBuilder and Other IES Products
ShapeBuilder runs stand-alone, but can export shapes to the database used by VisualAnalysis and AnalysisGroup. ShapeBuilder is essential for using certain capabilities in VisualDesign, such as generic design, and wood structural composite lumber design.
The Shape Database Editor, which is included with ShapeBuilder is a necessary tool if you wish to import libraries of foreign or custom shapes for use in VisualDesign. The Material Database Editor can be handy for certain types of wood design checks.
Note: See the 'Extras' tab for the Shape and Material Database Editors.
Feature Contents
Properties Calculated
- Dimensions
- Width & Height
- Perimeter (paint area)
- Geometric Properties
- Area (gross and net)
- Moments of Inertia
- Section Modulus
- Radius of Gyration
- Centroid
- Weight per unit length
- Plastic Properties
- Plastic Modulus
- Plastic Neutral Axis Location (both directions)
- Principal Properties
- Principal axes and Orientation
- Principal Moments of Inertia
- Product of Inertia
- Polar Properties
- Polar Radius of Gyration
- Polar Moment of Inertia
- Advanced Analysis Properties
- Torsion Constant
- Warping Constant
- Shear Center
- Shear Areas
- Polar Radius of Gyration about Shear Center
- AISC Flexural Constants (H, C, etc.)
- Composite Properties
- All properties "transformed" with modular ratio
- Yield-stress weighted Plastic Modulus
- Reinforced Concrete
- Cracked Moments of Inertia
- Pure Compressive Strength
- Pure Tensile Strength
- Modular Ratio, ACI's "n"
Analysis Results
- Advanced Stress Results
- Axial, Bending, and Shear Stresses
- Combined Stresses
- Warping Normal Distribution
- St. Venant Torsion Stress
- Reinforced Concrete Analysis
- Bar Forces
- Neutral Axis Location & Orientation
- Interaction Diagrams
- Moment and Axial Capacities
- Strain in Concrete
- Whitney Factor
- Effective Section Analysis
- Reduced Section Properties (or create reduced shape)
- Stress-limited Shape Capacities (per AISI)
Editing Functionality
- Drag & Drop over 30 different Parametric Shape Components
- Simple Polygons
- Complex & Hollow Polygons
- Curved Shapes
- Rolled Shapes
- Bent Thin-walled Shapes
- Drag & Drop from library of US and Foreign Manufactured Shapes
- AISC Steel
- Aluminum
- British Steel
- Canadian (CISC) Steel
- Cold Formed Steel: HUD, LGSI, SSMA
- NDS Wood: Lumbers, Timbers, Glu-lams, Posts, etc.
- Wizards for Typical Reinforced Concrete Sections
- Rectangular Beam
- Tee Beam
- Spandrel Beam
- Circular Column
- Square Column (Circular Bar Pattern)
- Rectangular Column (Bars 4 Faces)
- Rectangular Column (Bars 2 Faces)
- Sketch Custom Shapes Graphically
- Outline (with optional curves and fillets)
- Centerline for thin-walled shapes
- Import & Export
- Import Outline (x,y) Points
- Import DXF Outlines
- Export to Shape Database (VisualAnalysis, AnalysisGroup, etc.)
- Usability
- Many Preference Settings (colors, sizes, fonts, performance, notation, etc.)
- Flexible Unit Systems with Styles
- Mouse-wheel Zoom and Pan
- Filter Settings on Views
Shape Database Editor
Included with ShapeBuilder is a utility program for working directly with the IES Shape Database. The database is a system of data files that stores structural analysis and design properties for a wide variety of manufactured shapes. You can customize this database with ShapeBuilder or the Shape Database Editor. The editor provides easy ways to import entire libraries of shapes or to directly modify (or correct) shapes that already exist in the system.
This utility program is essential if you intend to work with custom cold-formed shape libraries for use with VisualDesign. This tool can import .scl files that have been created using RSG Software's CFS program. CFS is the back-end calculation engine that IES uses to provide cold-formed steel checks in VisualDesign.
This tool is also useful for assigning shape capacities for use with VisualDesign's generic design module.
Material Database Editor
The Material Database Editor is a small utility program for working directly with the IES Material Database. This database is a system of data files containing common structural materials. Engineers can add shapes to this database directly through VisualAnalysis, but the editor provides more powerful organization and customization features. You may import entire libraries of specialized materials for use in IES products.