Release notes IDEA StatiCa Steel 20.1

Introduction

The new version of IDEA StatiCa is here! 

Whether you are using IDEA StatiCa as a standalone app or via BIM links with FEA/CAD applications, the version 20.1 will speed up your connection design dramatically. All that with our focus to enable engineers to evaluate the requirements of the national code thoroughly, and use the optimal amount of material. 

Highlights of this version are:

• Cost estimation - know how much the connection will cost, real-time in the 3D scene, based on your fabrication data. 
• Pre-design - IDEA StatiCa engine proactively models parts of connections for you, speeding up the process of fine-tuning your designs to be the best of the best.
• Bulk selection of connections from Tekla, Advance Steel, Revit - no more selecting connections one-by-one in 3 steps. Just drag over 10 connections in Tekla and IDEA StatiCa exports them automatically. Some changes in Tekla? Just click "Sync all".

Next to that, we prepared some improvements on the IDEA StatiCa licensing to enable you flexible and comfortable license management.  

We hope you will enjoy all our new features and improvements and would love to hear your feedback anytime. 

Calculate yesterday’s estimates!

IDEA StatiCa Connection improvements

Cost estimation

Prices of individual connection components can be specified on a cost per unit weight basis in Settings. Costs can currently be defined for four basic entities:

• Steel parts (plates and added steel members, grade dependent)
• Welds (single and double fillet welds, ½ V and K butt welds, weld size dependent)
• Bolt assemblies (grade and diameter dependent)
• Hole drilling (as a percentage of bolt assembly cost)

The resulting value is presented in the 3D scene and is updated according to manufacturing operations used in the design. Detailed cost calculation is an optional part of the calculation report.

See how it works

Watch the webinar recording part where our colleague Ryan introduces the Cost estimation feature. 

Available in Expert and Enhanced edition.

Pre-design

The feature is in its early stage and was primarily implemented for I-shaped cross-sections and these most common manufacturing operations:

• Fin plate
• Splice
• Shear endplate
• Flush and extended endplate
• Welds

How does it work? 

Pre-design reads input data from the properties table of the given manufacturing operation and then creates a suggested initial design. In general, material and geometrical data of the connected members, bolt assembly, and weld data are all read as inputs for the process of pre-design. As a result (output), plate thickness, weld sizes, number, and layout of bolts are generated.

The resulting design is roughly based on the resistance of the connected cross-sections or plates. The percentage of this resistance can be modified in pre-design settings (top ribbon). A higher percentage will yield more robust designs.

There are several other preferences you can change in Settings, including preferred dimension increments for plate thicknesses, weld size, and bolt spacing.

In case a given operation is supported, you can call pre-design by right-clicking the operation name in the tree of operations, or by clicking the button in the orange tab at the top of the operation property grid. Pre-design is also called automatically on creating a new operation. It is also possible to get the pre-design in batch for all supported operations just by right-click on Operations in the tree.

Available in Expert and Enhanced edition.

BIM links

Versions of applications supported by IDEA StatiCa 20.1 (Steel)

Licensing

Licensing improvements highlights:

• Possibility of the automatic sign out after you close IDEA StatiCa 
• IDEA StatiCa launches 40 % faster   
• Better error messages so you know what the problem with your license is  
• New License dialog with “Forgotten password” button at hand