Engineering analysis + design software

Software Option for Bridge and Civil & Structural products

Steel Frame Design

The LUSAS Steel Frame Design option builds upon the renowned modelling and analysis capabilities of LUSAS and extends the engineer’s workflow to allow design code checking of steel members.

In some finite element software systems, sectional design is offered through summary pass/fail checks on a model. Whilst LUSAS offers this, it also provides users with full details of the calculations made, referencing all relevant clauses and equations from a design code - giving a step-by-step calculation transparency normally only found in simple frame analysis software. Full details of the design checks undertaken can also be written to a model report.

The following design codes are currently supported:

AASHTO LRFD 7th Edition (2014) - AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 7th Edition, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, 2014.
AASHTO LRFD 8th Edition (2017) - AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 8th Edition, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, 2017.
ANSI / AISC-360 (2016) - ANSI/AISC 360-16 Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, American Institute of Steel Construction, Chicago, July 2016
AS 4100-1998 Steel Structures (Australia) - Australian Standard: AS4100-1998, Steel structures, Standards Australia International Ltd, Sydney.
BS5400-3:2000 - Steel, concrete and composite bridges – Part 3: Code of practice for design of steel bridges, British Standards Institution, Chiswick, May 2001.
CSA S6-14 Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code - CSA-S6-14, Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code, Dec 2014, CSA Group.
CSA S6:19 Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code - CSA-S6:19, Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code, Dec 2019, CSA Group.
EN1993-1-1+A1:2014 - EN 1993-1-1:2005 Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures – Part 1-1: General rules and rules for buildings.
EN1993-2: 2006 Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures - Part 2: Steel Bridges.
GB50017 - GB50017-2017 Standard for design of steel structures, China Architecture & Building Press, China.

 


Viewing design results

Design check results are visualised as Utilisation ratios on a results viewing layer for a selected design code, and active loadcase, load combination or envelope. Results components for individual design checks can be chosen for viewing, and maximum utilisation factors can also be obtained.

Design summary reports

Produce a tabular summary of design check results for selected members and loadcases. Save results for use with Microsoft Excel or save to a text format. Add results to a model report, and each time the report is generated design summary data will be updated to match the current state of the model.

Formatted member reports

Generate formatted member reports to investigate the design calculations carried out for particular members. These show all calculations made and reference clauses and equations from the code. Create individual steel member design reports and optionally append to a main model report. Define model report templates to speed reproduction of similar content.

 

Watch the Steel Frame Design option in action

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We used key clients to help assess the Steel Design option whilst it was in development. Read what benefits they see from testing the utility.

One of the key benefits that we see in LUSAS’ new steel design capability is the provision of fully-detailed calculation output. This allows us to easily check the steps in the calculation. We are also pleased to see that the facility sits fully inside LUSAS, rather than as an external utility. This means it functions in a familiar way for the engineer as the rest of the modelling process.


John Harrison, Structural Engineer, Reid International


The new section checking facility... provides everything the user needs to interrogate and verify the implementation of the design codes, which is a welcome contrast to the ‘black box’ approach of some other software packages.


Ben Curry, Senior Engineer, COWI


In summary

  • Extend your workflow from analysis into detailed design.

  • Say goodbye to “black-box” approaches that hide the calculations from the user and increase the difficulty of checking and submission. 

  • Don’t need the detail? Produce summary information instead in graphical, tabular and report-based formats and quickly see pass/fail criteria. 

  • Learn it fast. Existing users can easily apply the steel frame design option because it works in exactly the same way as other tools they have become familiar with.

  • Create design reports individually or append them to the report for the whole model. Mix summary reports for the whole structure with detailed reports of critical members. Create templates to speed reproduction of similar content.


 

 

Other design options

 

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Software Information


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Any modelling, design and analysis capabilities described are dependent upon the LUSAS software product, version and option in use.