"A good tool is half the job done": This proverb could be applied equally to the software industry. The more a program is task-tailored, the more efficiently the tasks can be solved. The variety and complexity of today's problems, especially in structural engineering, require specifically tailored solutions. Creating your own programs by means of textual programming requires in-depth knowledge and a great ability to abstract. Understandably, only very few engineering offices face this challenge. For this reason, there are additional software solutions providing the user with a visual development environment.
Daniel Dlubal's bachelor's thesis focuses on presenting and highlighting the chances, advantages, and opportunities of BIM when performing the structural analysis and design of buildings. The essential information of a structural analysis is shown and the data exchange between the CAD and the structural engineering software is explained in detail as well.
The proportion of glass used when planning a building is increasing. Open, light-flooded buildings represent the modern art of architecture. However, specialized engineers have to face new challenges during planning. One such example is ceiling-high glass facades loaded by a handrail. The influence of this loading, as well as the calculation of the deformation, are shown in this article.
The increasing use of the BIM method in planning buildings also opens up new possibilities for structural engineers. Once a comprehensive 3D model of a building has been created, you want to continue using it for the structural analysis and gain the maximum benefit from it. However, there are also some new challenges for the structural engineer and the software used, which are described in this article.