Design is an option for VisualAnalysis.
VisualAnalysis with Design performs steel, concrete, wood, and cold-formed steel design. The software checks members and picks least-weight sizes according to current US design specifications. It supports design and checking of members according to ACI, AISC, AISI, and NDS specifications. The concrete module will also check flat slabs and walls in bending.
Design features are very easy to use and offers design flexibility, great time saving options, and concise reporting capabilities. It supports a graphical approach to code checks and least-weight design. Create professional design reports that you can edit and customize. Reports show intermediate results and reference the controlling equation from the specification for easy verification--this is not a "black box" solution.
Design Specifications Supported:
- Assistance with IBC 2006 (CBC 2007) provisions, but optional, customizable.
- Steel: AISC 2005; ASD or LRFD; Composite Beams
(Also previous versions: LRFD 3rd Edition and the ASD 9th Edition) - Steel: CISC (8th Ed. 2004)
- Concrete: ACI 318-05
- Wood: NDS 2005
- Cold-Formed: AISI 2005 + Canadian & Mexican
- Generic Design (Stress or Force level checks for any shape & material combination)
Design Benefits:
- Work Easier Than Ever: Through Superb Graphical Presentations
- Work With Steel, Concrete, Wood, and Cold-Formed Steel
- Learn It Fast: Integrated Seamlessly Within VisualAnalysis
- With A Consistent Interface Across Materials
- Includes "Getting Started" Tutorial Projects
- Save Yourself Some Time with Full-Circle Iterative Design Support
- Solve 90% of Your Design Problems Faster
- Cover All Your Design Needs: Forensic Design Checks
- Preliminary Member Sizing
- Double-check Your Own Spreadsheet or "Hand Calcs"
- Optimized Component Design
- High Quality, Professional Reporting
- Wood Structural Composite Lumber Design
- Automatic Effective Length (K) Factors
Common Capabilities
Handle Your Typical Design Problems
- Automatic Effective Column Lengths (K) (Advanced level allows you to override K values)
- Tension Members
- Columns And Other Compression Members
- Beams And Other Flexural Members
- Biaxial Bending
- Easy Lateral Bracing Options
- Least-weight member optimization
- Group members together to streamline design and construction
- Advanced level allows overrides on Cb and Cm factors
Make Design Easier With These Extras
- Size Constraints Limit Member Depth (Advanced level allows width constraint)
- Deflection Checks Service Load Checks
- Check member (local) or total (global) deflections
- Beam checks for L, D, L+D, or (W or S) load cases
- Absolute Deflections Or Span Ratio Limits
- Advanced level offers weak-axis beam deflection limits
- Optimized Design Selection
- You Control Design Criteria And Final Selection
- Simple Redesign Or Adjustments
Output To Uphold Your Professional Image
- Concise, Easy To Read Reports
- Easily Cross Check Results With Specification
- Many Intermediate Values Shown
- Show Summary Or All Details
Limitations
- No Connection Design
Steel Design Capabilities
Major Steel Features
- AISC 2005, CISC Specifications
- ASD or LRFD or both in the same project
- Factored Load Combinations From VisualAnalysis
- Automatic Or Adjustable Second Order Frame Effects
- Correct Application of Confusing Appendices
- HSS and Single Angle Specifications supported
- AISC, CISC, British and more shapes in a database
- Easily check standard (parametric) shapes
Steel-Specific Details
- Compact, Non-compact Local Buckling Provisions
- Automatic Q Factors and Reduced Allowable Stresses (local buckling)
- Beams And Other Flexural Members
- Automatic Bending Coefficient, Cb
- Shear Stress Check (including St. Venant torsion stress)
- Combined Stress Checks
- Automatic Coefficient, Cm
- Composite Construction
- Steel Beam And Slab with or without Metal Deck
- Shear Connector Calculations
- Automatic Metal Deck Reductions
- Partial Composite Action Requirements
Concrete Design Capabilities
Simplify Your Work
- ACI 318-05 Strength Design Provisions
- Serviceability Checks: Z Crack Factors
- Automatic And Adjustable Member Sizing
- Recommended Reinforcement Selection
Beam Design
- Uniaxial Bending Checks
- Shear And Torsion Checks
- Main Reinforcement Sizing
- Stirrup Sizing And Placement
- Flexible Detailing Regions
- Rectangular, Tee, And Spandrel Shapes
Beam-Column Design
- Compressive Force Checks
- Biaxial Bending Checks
- Graphical Interaction Diagrams
- Four Reinforcement And Shape Options
- Four Reinforcement Splice Types
- Slender Columns
- Adjustable Design Length
Wall & Slab Design
- Rectangular Tank Design
- Shear And Flexure Checks
- Critical Section Adjustment
- Rectangular or Irregular Meshes
- Up To Nine Design And Detail Regions Per Mesh
- ACI Minimum Wall Reinforcement
- Serviceability Crack Criteria
Limitations
- No shear wall design
- No drop-panel slab design
- No specific support for tilt-up construction
- No pre-stressed design
- No post-tensioned design
Wood Design Capabilities
NDS® Wood Design
- NDS 2005 Specification
- Standard Lumber And Timbers
- Full Sawn Lumber And Timbers
- Structural Composite Lumber (LVL, PSL, etc.)
- Western And Southern Glue Laminates
- Posts
Code Checks
- Biaxial Bending
- Biaxial Shear
- Tension Or Compression
- Combined Bending And Axial
- Biaxial Deflection
- Beam Deflections, Column Drift
- Allowable Stresses For All Species And Grades
Options and Extras
- Customizable Factors
- Bolt-hole reductions
Limitations
- No wood shear wall design
- No automated truss layout or optimization
- No wood connection design
Cold-Formed Steel Design Capabilities
Supported Specifications
- 2005 AISI USA (ASD and LRFD)
- 2005 NAS (Mexico, Canada)
Database of Manufactured Shapes
- SSMA
- LGSI
- HUD
Import & Design Custom Shapes
You also have the ability to utilize custom cold-formed shapes you create through RSG Software's CFS and then import using IES ShapeBuilder (specifically the Shape Database Editor component). Using these two extra tools, you can design just about any cold-formed shapes you need.
Generic Design Capabilities
Perform very primitive unity checks on structural members regardless of shape or material settings. Check either stress or force levels in members against limits that you define. In addition, deflection checks are also part of the generic design process. There are no codes or specifications used in setting limits for the checks so this method is viewed as "generic" relative to materials and shapes.
You might use this module for quick preliminary checks on the following types of members:
- Steel Joists
- Wood I-Joists
- Aluminum Shapes
- Fiberglass Shapes
- Castellated Steel Beams
- Or Anything Not Directly Supported by VisualDesign