CAD User July/August 2015

CAD UserJULY/AUGUST 2015

VOL 28 NO 04

IINNDDUUSSTTRRYY NNEEWWSS •• CCAASSEE SSTTUUDDIIEESS •• HHAARRDDWWAARREE && SSOOFFTTWWAARREE FFOOCCUUSS •• PPRROODDUUCCTT RREEVVIIEEWWSS •• FFEEAATTUURREESS

WWWWWW..CCAADDUUSSEERR..CCOOMM

EEaarrllyy ddeettaaiilliinnggUsing BIM to shorten construction times

RReevviivviinngg ffaaddeedd gglloorriieessThe challenge of scanning old architectural documents

MMaakkiinngg lliigghhtt wwoorrkk ooff ssttrruuccttuurreessCreating geometrically nonlinear structures withOasys GSA Suite

DDeessiiggnnss oonn tthhee ffuuttuurreeVectorworks Design Scholarship showcases the

next generation of design talent

&RYHU��T[G��3DJH��

DESIGNS ON THE FUTURE 30

There is still just about time to enter the 2015Nemetschek Vectorworks Design Scholarshipcompetition - and potentially start yourarchitectural career with a landmarkachievement

Modern lightweight structures are brought tostunning life with Oasys GSA structuralanalysis software. Here, Oasys applicationspecialist Peter Debney shares his enthusiasmfor the subject

TEKLA STRUCTURAL DESIGNER 14With Tekla Structural Designer tekla hascombined analysis with design, enablingengineers to configure optimum designsolutions for buildings within one package

CO

NTE

NTS

LIGHTWEIGHT, YET COMPLEX 16

WORLD CUP WINNER 22

Graphisoft provided a perfect pitch for stadiumdesign in Brazil with ArchiCAD, one that wasquickly taken up by Brazilian architects FAA -with remarkable results

JU

LY

/AU

GU

ST

2

01

5

I NEWS................................................INDUSTRY NEWS....................................................................................................6• LESS THAN CONSTRUCTIVE CLC CHANGES? • TIME TO MEET YOUR MAKERBOT IN THE UK

SOFTWARE REVIEW........................FIT FOR A KING’S COURT.................................................................................10• WATERMAN GROUP CHOOSES STRUSOFT TO DESIGN THE CONCRETE ELEMENTS OF KINGS COURT

AWARDS PREVIEW..........................CONSTRUCTION COMPUTING AWARDS 2015.................................................18• IT’S TIME TO GET NOMINATING FOR THE 2015 CONSTRUCTION COMPUTING AWARDS FINALISTS!

CASE STUDY...................................REVIVING FADING GLORIES...............................................................................20• DGVAULT MEETS THE CHALLENGE OF DIGITISING AND ARCHIVING ANCIENT ARCHITECTURAL DOCUMENTS

CASE STUDY....................................A SMART SOLUTION..........................................................................................23• CSCS SMART CARDS ARE HELPING MCGEE’S TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY

CASE STUDY...................................WHY YOU’LL LEARN TO LOVE COBIE.................................................................24• BEN WALLBANK AND JOHN ADAMS AT VIEWPOINT CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE ON THE MERITS OF COBIE

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS...................EARLY DETAILING...............................................................................................26• FITZPATRICK ENGINEERING GROUP USES BIM TO SHORTEN CONSTRUCTION TIME FOR STEEL BUILDINGS

CASE STUDY...................................MUCH MORE THAN THE PROJECT FILING CABINET.......................................28• HB REAVIS SELECTS CONJECT FOR THE £68M KING WILLIAM STREET PROJECT IN LONDON

TRAINING MAP................................AUTODESK TRAINING.........................................................................................32• YOUR GUIDE TO AUTODESK TRAINING

SOFTWARE REVIEW........................ARCON EVO.........................................................................................................34• NEXT-GEN ARCHITECTURAL VISUALISATION SOFTWARE FROM ELECOSOFT

July/August 2015 3

CONTENTS

FDG�FRQWHQWV�T[G��3DJH��

Steel yourseEditor:David Chadwick

([email protected])News Editor:Mark Lyward

([email protected])Advertising Sales:

Josh Boulton([email protected])

Production Manager:Abby Penn

([email protected])Design/Layout:

Ian [email protected]

Circulation/Subscriptions:Christina Willis

([email protected])Publisher:

John [email protected]

Published by Barrow & Thompkins Connexion Ltd.

35 Station Square, Petts Wood, Kent BR5 1LZ

Tel: +44 (0) 1689 616 000Fax: +44 (0) 1689 82 66 22

SUBSCRIPTIONS: UK £35/year, £60/two years,

£80/three years; Europe:

£48/year, £85 two years, £127/three years; R.O.W. £62/year

£115/two years, £168/three years. Single copies can be bought for £8.50

(includes postage & packaging). Published 6 times a year.

© 2015 Barrow & ThompkinsConnexion Ltd.

All rights reserved. No part of the magazine may be

reproduced, without prior consent in writing, from the publisher

COMMENT

Steel yourselves for the future

We're a bit top heavy on structuralengineering in this issue, buteach of our four articles on the

subject examine different aspect of theindustry. I was particularly taken byOasys' exploration of the issues thataffect non-linear and lightweightstructures, and the wonderful explanationof 'tensegrity' - the way in which thestrengths of lightweight structuressometimes rely on opposing forces. Thearticle explains it far more lucidly andfeatures some excellent examples, fromspider webs to Arup's Marsyassculptures in the Tate Modern.

StruSoft is represented with a casestudy detailing how FEM_Design wasused to design the concrete elements ofthe Kings Court project, a prestigiousnew seven storey residential, retail andrestaurant development in CoventGarden. The analytical and designsoftware was used in conjunction withother StruSoft analytical tools due to thecomplex nature of the different loadcombinations in the design.

We also take a look in this issue atTekla Structural Designer, a total designsolution that incorporates both theanalysis and design of concrete andsteel structures within one package.Recently launched, the software givesengineers the chance to analyse astructure, review the results, modify thedesign and re-analyse without having toleave Structural Designer - with theobvious benefits in terms of efficiencyand time saving that brings.

Finally we have a case study fromBentley that illustrates how effectivecollaboration between designers anddetailers using AECOsim's BIMcapabilities has enabled a couple ofmonths to be cut from the construction ofa new scientific facility - a saving for theclient of $1M a month!

There's a lot of chat in the industry atthe moment about skill shortages andfuture challenges. Throughout,contractors are becoming alarmed at thelack of young people emerging with theskills to take the industry forward -something that may well impede the rateof progress in an industry ramping up itscommitments to large scaleinfrastructure projects.

On the other hand, the BIM 2050 Groupof young construction professionals hasresponded to Paul Morrell's "directchallenge" in his recent EdgeCommission Report, 'Collaboration forChange', to lead from the front and helpradically improve the industry, and tocreate a profession capable of meetingthe needs of the 21st century.

The 25 individual members of the BIM2050 Group, set up in September 2012by the Construction Industry Council, andeach representing different institutionswithin the CIC, have accepted PaulMorrell's challenge, and stress that thefuture lies in effective collaboration. Theyhave vowed to look ahead and positivelyshape the future of the industry,researching and reporting on how theindustry will develop through BIM Level 3and beyond.

With one of Paul Morrell's criticalconcerns relating to the industry'sresponse to climate change, it will beinteresting to hear the 2050 Group'sresponses, which they promise to air inOctober at Digital Construction Week.

Keeping with the theme of up andcoming stars in the industry, we alsoshowcase in this issue the most recentwinner of the Nemetschek VectorworksDesign Scholarships. If you are quickenough, and still a student, then you maystill have time to enter the 2015competition - see the article on page 30for more details.

by David Chadwick

Articles published reflect the opinions of

the authors and are not necessarily those

of the publisher or his employees. While

every reasonable effort is made to ensure

that the contents of editorial and advertis-

ing are accurate, no responsibility can be

accepted by the publisher for errors, mis-

representations or any resulting effects

4 July/August 2015

FFoorr mmoorree mmaaggaazziinneess ffrroomm BBTTCC,, pplleeaassee vviissiitt::

www.btc.co.uk

&RPPHQW�&8�-XO$XJXVW��T[G��3DJH��

INDUSTRY news

July/August 20156

LESS THAN CONSTRUCTIVE CLC CHANGES?

Following an agreementbetween aerial mapping

company Bluesky and hazardmapping specialists JBA RiskManagement, visitors to theBluesky’s online Mapshopcan now view and downloada high resolution flood mapfor the whole of the UK.

Detailing peril from six differ-ent types of flooding, theComprehensive Flood Map(CFM) is a leading tool forflood insurance underwritersand is used by over 70 per-cent of the UK insurance

industry. Bluesky will also beable to supply the data foroffline sales to their clientbase, including Local Authori-ty planners, property devel-opers, emergency respon-ders and environmental con-sultants.

"The winter of 2013-14 wasthe wettest winter on record,and it is estimated that insur-ers paid out over £446 millionin claims to customers whosehomes, businesses and vehi-cles were flooded - the equiv-alent of £6.7 million per day,"commented Bluesky's Manag-ing Director Rachel Tidmarsh.

The CFM is a highly detailedflood map. At 5 metre resolu-tion it covers six flood perils -river, coastal (including waveovertopping), surface water,groundwater, canal failure anddam break, in Great Britain. www.blueskymapshop.com

The Construction IndustryCouncil (CIC) has com-

mented on the decision by theDepartment for Business, Inno-vation & Skills (BIS) to restruc-ture the Construction Leader-ship Council (CLC), scrap theCouncil's Delivery Group, andabolish the role of Govern-ment’s Chief ConstructionAdvisor (CCA). While the CIChas welcomed the renewedemphasis on dialogue itexpressed disappointment atthe Government’s decision todiscontinue the role of theChief Construction Adviser.

Tony Burton, CIC Chairman, aformer member of the CLCand senior partner at Gardiner& Theobald, is disappointed atthe lack of dialogue with indus-try in arriving at these deci-sions. He said: "It is a pity that

this announcement comeswithout meaningful consulta-tion with industry about theproposals This is especially sogiven the industry’s unanimoussupport for the continuation ofthe Chief Construction Advis-er’s role and it is a pity thatthis united voice has beenignored.

"The two CCAs in post overthe past six years (Paul Morrelland Peter Hansford) have pro-vided a key role both in termsof their advice to governmentabout being a better client andbecoming the key interfacebetween government and theindustry. CIC has supportedthe role throughout and wewere happy to increase thelevel of that support since webelieve that the role is so vital." www.cic.org.uk

Nemetschek Vectorworkshas becomes the headline

sponsorship of Build New YorkLive, a collaborative, virtualdesign competition held over48 hours starting on September21, 2015. Winning teams willreceive a prestigious Build Liveaward for their "Best Use of BIMfor Design."

By using the power of collabo-rative working in the cloud andinternational developments ininteroperability, Build New YorkLive will demonstrate the powerof these new paradigms forarchitecture, engineering, plan-ning and construction.

"Build Earth Live validatesopenBIM's efficacy as a way forgeographically disparate firmsto coordinate BIM projectsusing an array of technologiesthrough collaboration with anopen standard format like IFC,"said Jeremy Powell, director ofproduct marketing at

Nemetschek Vectorworks."We're honoured to be a part ofsuch a highly anticipated event,and we look forward to theresults from all of the teamsparticipating." The event is opento worldwide participants, whocan form their own teams orelicit assistance from Asite toconnect with potential teammembers.

"We are delighted thatNemetschek Vectorworks hasagreed to be the headlinesponsor of our latest BuildEarth Live Event - Build NewYork Live," said Tony Ryan, CEOof Asite. "During the virtual BIMcompetition, one of the majorfocuses of this event will be theProject Information Model (PIM)and the Asset InformationModel (AIM) output, which wehave been delivering for a num-ber of our UK clients over thepast two years."www.buildearthlive.com

SO GOOD THEY’RE BUILDING IT TWICE!

Dassault Systèmes is work-ing with the National

Research Foundation, PrimeMinister's Office, Singapore, todevelop Virtual Singapore, arealistic and integrated 3Dmodel with semantics andattributes in the virtual space.Advanced information andmodelling technology will allowVirtual Singapore to be infusedwith static and dynamic citydata and information.

Virtual Singapore is a collab-orative platform that will beused by Singapore's citizens,businesses, government andresearch community to devel-op tools and services thataddress the emerging andcomplex challenges Singaporefaces. It will build upon Das-sault Systèmes' 3DEXPERI-ENCity to create a dynamic,3D digital model of Singapore.www.3ds.com

VIRTUAL SINGAPORE TO BECOME A REALITY

COMPREHENSIVE FLOOD MAP ONLINE

BBuuiilldd LLoonnddoonn LLiivvee 22001122 ""BBeesstt UUssee ooff BBIIMM ffoorr DDeessiiggnn,, DDrraammaa,, aannddEExxcciitteemmeenntt"" ddeessiiggnneedd bbyy BBIIMM UUnnlliimmiitteedd

&$'�QHZV��T[G��3DJH��

A WINNING WAY TO PREVIEW DEVELOPMENTS

INDUSTRY news

July/August 20158

POINTFUSE MODELS HEAD TO SKETCHFAB

Nottingham-based ArtSys-tems have been appoint-

ed as the UK and Ireland dis-tributor for MakerBot, the glob-al leader in desktop 3D print-ing ArtSystems will be distribut-ing the full range of MakerBotproducts including the award-winning MakerBot Replicator3D printers

Launched on the market in2014, the advanced fifth gener-ation printers all share theMakerBot 3D Printing Platformthat includes MakerBot appand cloud-enabled 3D printing,and gives instant access toThingiverse.com, MakerBot's3D design community for dis-covering, printing and sharing

free 3D models. The modelsalso have an onboard camerafor monitoring and sharing,along with the new MakerBotSmart Extruder, that is easy toswap or replace and tells theuser if it needs to be replaced.

To ensure the success ofMakerBot in the UK, ArtSys-tems are now working withhigh quality resellers to helpcontinue the growth of Maker-Bot and give the company agreater presence in key marketsectors.

ArtSystems is set to hold 3Devents throughout Septemberthat will address all of the keymarket sectors for MakerBot.www.artsystems.co.uk

Arithmetica is making 3Dmodel project collaboration

easier by taking advantage ofSketchfab, the online platformfor sharing 3D files. By auto-matically converting very largepoint clouds into manageable3D models, at a fraction of thesize, and uploading its Point-fuse Pro generated textured 3Dmodels to Sketchfab, Arithmeti-ca can share content and helpusers visualise their projects intrue 3D.

So far, Arithmetica has shareda number of visually stunning3D models created from themillions of individual measure-ments recorded by laser scan-ners. These models include theinterior of a Byzantine Church, adetailed model of a turbine and

a city centre hotel - convertedusing Pointfuse Pro from a 700million point dataset recordedby Belgian based RealVisuals.

"We have some of the quick-est, easiest to use and mosttechnologically advanced soft-ware for the creation of highlydetailed, accurate 3D texturedmodels," commented MarkSenior, Pointfuse DevelopmentManager. "By utilising the powerof Pointfuse we can quicklyexport, upload and display our3D textured models usingSketchfab. More importantly, wecan easily share and allowusers to collaborate andexplore the 3D content ondesktop webpages or mobiledevices."www.arithmetica.com

At the CGarchitect.comArchitectural 3D Awards,

held in La Coruna, Spain inJuly, digital communicationsagency Wagstaffs won theinteractive category award fortheir pioneering sales andmarketing tool, VUITNOW,which enables buyers to take avirtual tour of a developmentbefore it is built.

"These awards, in the field ofarchitectural visualisation arevery important for us," saidJason Hawthorne, MD atWagstaffs. "We know this is agroundbreaking piece of tech-nology but it is great to have

an endorsement from the 3Darchitectural visualisationindustry."

The technology allows buyersto walk through the develop-ment, into individual homesand orbit the site, as well asthe local area. The VUITNOWinterface, which can be usedacross multiple platforms, alsogives buyers the chance to:Filter accommodation by priceor number of bedrooms withthe results highlighted on thedigital model.

You can see VUITNOW inaction at the link below:https://vimeo.com/132918505

TIME TO MEET YOUR MAKERBOT IN THE UK

TEDDS 2015 FOR STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS

Tekla, a Trimble company,has introduced Tedds

2015, a new version of its soft-ware for automating repetitivecivil and structural calculationsfor engineers. Added afterTrimble's acquisition of CSC in2011, Tedds is an integral partof Tekla's portfolio of AEC andconstruction software.

Tedds 2015 includes new fea-tures and enhancements thatcan increase productivity andsignificantly reduce the timeengineers spend producingcalculations and associateddocumentation.

These new features allowengineers to better analyseand design beams toEurocode - the harmonisedtechnical rules developed bythe Europeean Committee forStandardisation, for the struc-tural design of constructionworks in the EU. The newcapabilities also enable usersto simultaneously review multi-ple loading configurations, andproduce high-quality docu-mentation that combinesnumerous calculations into asingle report.www.tekla.com/products/tedds

&$'�QHZV��T[G��3DJH��

Covent Garden is one of the best-loved, most iconic districts inCentral London. Buzzing with the

excitement of opera and theatre land,Covent Garden is a destination for foodlovers and fashionistas alike, and anynew development in the area must passthe sternest tests in terms of design andquality before they are accepted.

One development to pass the rigorousplanning approvals is Kings Court, a newseven story reinforced concrete structurein the heart of the select area. Thescheme will open up an additionalpedestrian route to transform the existingprivate courtyard into a new public area,named Kings Court.

The reinforced concrete structure is partof an ambitious development with a mixof new and refurbished buildings toregenerate the lesser used parts of thearea, establishing new high qualityresidential, retail and restaurant space inCentral London.

The London-based Waterman Groupwere appointed as the structuralengineers for Kings Court, and usedStruSoft FEM-Design to design theconcrete elements of the project

according to Eurocode 2. According toMassimo D'Ignazio, Structural DesignEngineer at Waterman Group "TraditionalBritish Standard codes of practice arenow becoming obsolete, so we are tryingto promote the use of Eurocode on all ofour new projects. That is why we neededa structural design package we couldrely on, such as StruSoft's FEM-Designconcrete package." He explained furtherhow the design of concrete elements isvery simple and clear with StruSoft FEM-Design. "We have learned to appreciatehow easy it is to check the results indetail assisted by colour maps, 3Dgraphs, contour lines, colour palettesand so on."

For Kings Court, StruSoft FEM-Designwas used to analyse the overall structuralbehaviour of the building and to designall the concrete elements - such ascolumns, beams, walls and slabs. "Dueto the large number of load combinationsrequired by Eurocode, StruSoft FEM-Design has been very useful to analysethe structure with only selected loadcombinations considered in eachanalysis run."

StruSoft FEM-Design is advanced

modelling software using finite elementanalysis for the design of load-bearingconcrete, steel and timber structuresaccording to Eurocode. It provides aunique, user-friendly workingenvironment using familiar CAD tools tomake model creation and structureediting simple and intuitive. The quickand easy nature of StruSoft FEM-Designmakes it ideal for all types ofconstruction tasks from single elementdesign to global stability analysis of largestructures.

StruSoft FEM-Design allows users toutilise combinations of all three of theabove methods of analysis, enablingthem to consider 2nd order effects -occasions where a simple analysis is notconsidered sufficient to analysesecondary forces dependent upon initialresults - especially with analyses of largemoments where the stiffness is largelyreduced by cracking.

A striking example of this isdemonstrated with Kings Court, whereuplift, due to 'ground heave' is prevalent.StruSoft FEM-Design was used toevaluate the important phenomenoncaused by the expansion of London clay,

CASEstudy

July/August 201510

Waterman Group chooses Scandinavian quality from StruSoft to design the concrete elements ofKings Court - the prestigious new Covent Garden development

Fit for a King's Court

VWUXVRIWB�UG�5(9,6('�T[G��3DJH��

FEM-Design

StruSoft DKDiplomvej 373, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark+45 2844 [email protected]

StruSoft AB is a Swedish leading engineering software provider for the building industry, with more than 30 years of experience. StruSoft's main software packages FEM-Design, WIN-Statik, PRE-Stress, IMPACT and VIP-Energy have been applied in analysis and design, 3D-modeling, detailing, assembly and energy. The software applications have been developed into well proven products, which are now used by customers in more than 20 countries around the world.

Best Scandinavian software for Structural Engineers

StruSoft FEM-Design is an advanced modeling software for finite element analysis and design of load-bearing concrete, steel and timber structures according to Eurocode.

Why Structural Engineers prefer StruSoft FEM-Design?

¾ Highly intuitive user interface ¾ Integration with BIM software ¾ Advanced concrete design capabilities with Cracked

section analysis, Peak smoothing function & much more ¾ Powerful Finite Element mesh generator ¾ 3D Soil module for accurate ground deformation analysis ¾ Unique documentation module ¾ Personal and high quality support team

Book a free webinar ¾ by email at [email protected] or

¾ by phone at +45 2844 5065

What will you gain from it?

¾ get a free commercial license during your testing period ¾ get a free weekly online training with our consultants ¾ get a special price offer for our software packages

Just try. It’s free!

upon which Covent Garden is built,under certain conditions. "With StruSoftFEM-Design, it has been possible toconsider this behaviour because thesoftware has a powerful non-linearcalculation method and allows the userto set free rotation components."

For those unfamiliar with StruSoft, thecompany has other applications fit forthe building industry.

IMPACT is an advanced softwareapplication for designing prefabricatedbuilding elements. It has beenspecifically developed to handle differenttypes of prefabricated building elementsand the connections between them.Users can design an entire building,create 3D BIM models from which cangenerated shop drawings, assemblydrawings and reports. The informationincludes reinforcement, cast-in material,joints, electrical- and other componentsfor slabs, hollow core- and form slabs,walls, sandwich- and double walls andcolumns and beams.

WIN-Statik, another application fromStruSoft, is a powerful but easy to usesoftware. WIN-Statik is used for commonengineering design tasks enablingengineers to design and analyse

columns, beams, sections, frames andpre-stressed elements according to achosen design code - in this caseEurocode (EN 1992:1-1-2004(E))standard or with national annexes. Usingmoments and shear forces to ascertainlongitudinal re-reinforcement and stirrupsin concrete beams. WIN-Statik alsocontains analysis routines for things likecracked section deflection analysis forspecifying reinforcements for cracks anddisplacements. This method of analysislooks at instability using either stiffnessor curvature methods of analysis, or canbe used to check biaxial bending.

PRE-Stress is an advanced software forcalculating pre-stressed concreteelements, from factory casting, to thefinal product in the building. It cananalyse the effect of cracking that mightoccur in the early stages of an element,how it lives on throughout the calculation,and how it might affect final calculations.Pre-stress is used for most types ofprestressed elements, includingrectangular beams, T-beams, hollow-cores, flange-beams, normal and slopedI-beams.

Lastly, VIP-Energy, is used forcalculating the energy performance of

buildings - hour by hour for a whole year.A complete year's calculation, however,only takes a couple of secondsirrespective of its complexity, enablingusers to test different scenarios quicklyand easily. VIP-Energy comes with alibrary of material, walls, ceilings androofs, floors, windows, valves, heatpumps etc. Custom-made libraries canbe set up for individual clients, togetherwith calculation templates, to speedcalculations for individual projects evenfurther.

Structural models used for StruSoftFEM-Design calculations can easily becreated in 3D, due to the CAD userinterface of the program or importeddirectly from other BIM Softwareapplications - Autodesk Revit Structureand Tekla Structures. StruSoft hasdeveloped a free StruXML Revit Add-Inthat makes the direct data transferpossible. The program is also OpenBIMcompliant through the IFC file format.

Written by Massimo D'Ignazio -Structural Design Engineer at WatermanGroup & Nicolae Nonu - StructuralEngineer, StruSoft UK.www.strusoft.com

CASEstudy

July/August 201512

VWUXVRIWB�UG�5(9,6('�T[G��3DJH��

With the best will in the world,structural analysis and detailingoften seems to come across as

a peripheral activity to architecture - theconstrained bits and bobs that have tobe sorted out to make an architect'sdesigns stand up, resulting in complexcollaboration between structuraldesigners and architects to find anoptimum design solution.

So I was delighted to be able to sitdown with Chris Wilson at Tekla's newoffices in Leeds and learn all about TeklaStructural Designer, a revolutionary pieceof software that gives structuralengineers a freer hand in analysing anddesigning buildings, enabling them tocompare alternative design schemesand cost implications.

It's almost like going from the rigidconstraints of Lego to Meccano. Forthose of a certain age who will rememberit fondly, Meccano contained metalbeams, panels, rods and wheels, all ofwhich could be joined together withminiature nuts and bolts to createcomplex structures. It certainly helpedyou learn about gravity and torsion froman early age, and invariably most setscontained, after a couple of years, a pileof bent and twisted pieces of metal fromdesigns 'that went wrong'. Construction

possibilities were only limited by themost obvious physical boundaries andthere was immense satisfaction in beingable to build.

The same freedom to explore is evidentin Tekla's Structural Designer, and,although the ends must justify the effortsput in, the satisfaction levels will remainequally high. Tekla Structural Designer isa revolutionary concrete and steeldesign application and the first analysisand design software release from Teklasince their acquisition of CSC in 2013.Whilst Tekla's existing portfolio ofsoftware deals with the detailed modelsand drawings, Tekla Structural Designernow covers all structural analysis anddesign requirements, linking through totheir existing software to provide designfrom scheme all the way through todetailed design.

There's an interesting mini-history hereabout the evolution of engineeringdesign solutions. Fastrak BuildingDesigner, another CSC application forthe design of steel frames andconnections for building largewarehouses, was acquired alongsideCSC's concrete solution, Orion, andSolve for FE Analysis. They were on trackto become a single application beforethe Tekla acquisition, and were actually

written specifically with BIM integration inmind, before BIM became a commonterm for the process.

It is now, post-acquisition, the onlyanalysis and design solution availablespecifically written for BIM, the fullintegration being fundamental to theinitial scope, whereas other, olderapplications have had to retro-fit somerudimentary BIM integration links intotheir workflows to handle it.

The process of analysis and design isautomated and straightforward. Afterimporting a Tekla Structure or Revitmodel, or creating your own modeldirectly within the application, you canload the structure and Tekla StructuralDesigner will automatically analyse andrefine the design of each and everymember (traditionally, engineersprobably guessed the beam sizes at firstand then modified them after the firstresults of the analysis come through).

Tekla Structural Designer automaticallycreates the underlying sophisticatedanalytical model, incorporating apowerful Finite Element engine, from thephysical model and automates thedesign saving time and guesswork. Thisallows the user to concentrate on theimportant design decisions rather thanthe intricacies of an analytical problem.

SOFTWARE focus

July/August 201514

Tekla Structural Designer combines analysis with design, enabling engineers to configure optimumdesign solutions for buildings within one package

Like virtual Meccano

7HNOD�ILQDO�T[G��3DJH��

July/August 2015 15

SOFTWARE focus

Alternatively you can use the architect'sdrawings to start a model, turn off thelayers that you don't want, trace over thearchitect's drawing with the structuralelements you need, then test them tomake the building work, addingcolumns, concrete walls, beams, braces,floor slabs and so on. You would thenrepeat the process for floors andbasements, etc., designing the shell andconcrete structure of the building fromthe architect's plans - collaborating, ofcourse, with the architect whilst you aredoing it. Structural components cancome from manufacturers catalogues orbe custom designed on the spot.

APPLYING LOADINGTekla Building Designer has a completerange of loading tools that can beapplied to any structural element, withtransparent analysis results that showdesign forces, helping you to exploredeflections and view all related designcalculations.

The results of a whole structure analysisand code-compliant design arecompleted very rapidly - less than aminute - with the results colour coded toshow passes, fails, errors and warnings.Design tolerances are shown at thisstage, and with a complete analysismodel and design calculations theengineer is able to refine the design tomake weight and cost saving decisionsmore confidently. Colour coordinatedviews show how hard each element isworking and how much stress it is under!

Tekla Structural Designer provides anoptimised design for rebar within beams,columns, slabs, flat plates and walls,producing detailed reinforcement

drawings and accurate materialquantities for the whole building, so thatcostings can be made early on in thedesign process.

Similar automatic optimisation can beused for steel design, based on theengineer's specifications for compositebeams, columns, trusses, braces andplated sections. These are so automaticand easy to create that very little extratime is needed to compare designschemes in order to come up with themost cost-effective for the project.

ANALYSIS AND DESIGN IN ONEPACKAGEOne of the key benefits of TeklaStructural Designer is the availability ofdesign calculations and analysis resultsin one model. This is far more convenientthan having to leave the analysissoftware, modify the design in aseparate piece of software, and thenrevisit the analysis to consider therevised design. Everything in StructuralDesigner is done in real-time - withoutleaving the model - and the graphicalresults are instantly available.

OROGRAPHYI even learned a new word during myStructural Designer tutorial! Orography isthe study of the formation of mountainsand how they affect air flow, but it hasalso come to define the movement of air-wind against manufactured structuressuch as buildings. Wind load is anothervital force affecting structures - probablymore important now as countries vie toproduce the tallest skyscrapers.

In Tekla Structural Designer, Wind datacan be applied as one of a number of

loads on a building showing themagnitude of local loads and pressuresautomatically.

FILTERED INTEGRATION WITHTEKLA STRUCTURETekla Structural Designer models andreports can be exported in a wide rangeof formats, so that all project stakeholders can access the designinformation they require. The QS canhave a material list, the engineer canhave an analytical data report and thearchitect can have a Revit model forintegration, saving hours of work for otherdisciplines not just engineers. The original model can be exported to

relevant BIM tools such as Tekla Structuresor Revit, and the engineer can graphicallyfilter the parts of the model they want toexport. After the relevant changes havebeen made and the model re-imported,the Tekla Structural Designer model willshow a proper BIM status - part of itsautomatic BIM integration - highlightingexactly what has been updated or deletedexternally by the Revit technician, or indeedthe Architect. What, for instance, has thecolumn been changed to, and what hasbeen deleted? This may seem to be aminor point, but changes and updatesneed to be ratified by whoever owns thestructural model, and the design engineerhas to have the final word on what isstructurally important.Tekla Structural Designer seems to be

an ideal solution for maximisingcollaboration with project team members,other architects and fabricators, and forsharing the physical design model withboth Tekla Structures and Autodesk Revit.www.tekla.com/uk

7HNOD�ILQDO�T[G��3DJH��

With traditional linear structures theloads are resisted by the stiffnessin the beams, columns, and

walls; with lightweight tension-only andcompression-only non-linear structuresthe overall form of the structure becomescritical. Get the form right and thestructure can span huge distances withminimal material. Get the form wrong andyou are in trouble.The real truth is that all structures are

nonlinear; it's just that the simpler linearanalysis usually gives answers that areclose enough for the majority ofengineering design challenges. But newlightweight structures call for morethorough analysis.So what makes nonlinear different to linear

analysis? One of the most important thingsto remember is that while with linearanalysis you establish equilibrium of theforces on the original geometry, with anonlinear analysis you get equilibrium ofthe forces on the deformed geometry. Theproblem is, you don't know what thedeformation is until you have resolved theforces and you cannot resolve the forcesuntil you know the deformed shape. Allnonlinear analyses thus requires theiteration which is afforded by the power andspeed of Oasys GSA.

CABLESWhile linear structures resist lateral loadswith bending stiffness, lightweight nonlineartensile structures work by deflecting untilthe forces are in balance.A single loaded cable, describing a

catenary (the curve that an idealisedhanging chain or cable assumes under itsown weight when supported only at itsends, familiar to us from suspensionbridges) is stabilised out-of-plane by gravityand possibly additional factors such as abridge deck. However, such structures arestill vulnerable to sway, whether induced bywind or pedestrians. A solution to thisproblem (though not normally for bridges!)is to have cables going in multipledirections, so sway in one direction isresisted by cables at other angles, givingwhat is called a cable net. These areactually common structures in nature, asspun by spiders.

If such a cable net is horizontal andloaded it will deflect down with anessentially catenary shape, givingresistance to gravity loads, but there is stilla problem: what about uplift forces on sucha cable net when it is clad? Suction wouldbe resisted purely by the self-weight of thestructure, but that is potentially minimal withlightweight structures. The solution is tohave the cables in one direction curveddown to resist gravity loads, and those inthe other direction curved upward to resistsuction loads. This double-curvedhyperbolic surface is characteristic of manycable nets and the shape naturally givesstiffness in all directions. So what does such a double curved

surface look like? An excellent example isExpedition's award winning Velodrome forthe London 2012 Olympics, famous for its"Pringle" shaped roof.

FABRICSThe modern science and engineering offabric structures was pioneered by FreiOtto, with his roof to the Munich OlympicGames. Rejecting the heavy wartimearchitecture of Nazi Germany, Ottoaspired to make modern architecture aslight as possible, in both senses of theword: the Munich roof achieved this byusing both a minimum of material andmaximum glazing.

CASE study

July/August 201516

Modern lightweight structures, whether in fabric, cable, timber, concrete or stone, are nonlinear,long-spanning, flexible, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly. They can be used to createstructures that soar. Oasys GSA structural analysis software brings the ideas they inspire to life,and here Oasys application specialist Peter Debney shares his enthusiasm…

Geometrically Nonlinear Structures: or why it's good to be a lightweight

Oasys GSA Suite is an essential tool for anyone designing tensile or gridshellstructures. By taking care of form-finding and fabric analysis, this ingenious softwareleaves engineers free to focus on their design. Its form-finding and fabric analysisreveals how to make tensile structures the right shape to resist applied loads or copewith highly non-linear fabric materials, and its dynamic relaxation finds the optimalgeometry for a structure, avoiding the mistakes that led to wrinkles, flapping, andponding problems.

While some programs will generate geometry that looks nice, GSA Suite will find thegeometry that is right. It gives engineers the control to offset the effects of fabric tocable pre-stress, radial to circumferential stresses, and more.

WKLV�2DV\V�T[G��3DJH��

July/August 2015 17

CASEstudy

Fabrics are woven, and this gives riseto warp-weft interaction. So fabrics arethus sensitive to the balance of pre-stresses in the two principle directions;and the fabric will wrinkle as a whole ifthe pre-stress is much higher in onedirection than the other. A correctlytensioned fabric will be smooth;unbalanced tensions will wrinkle thesurface as you can see here in Arup'sMarsyas sculpture during and aftererection at the Tate Modern in London.

Fabrics require an edge support,which can either be solid, such as abeam, or flexible, such as a cable. Withflexible edges, the cable's curvature isdependent on the balance in the pre-stress between the cable and fabricand calculating this, as Oasys GSAdoes, has quite an impact on theaesthetics and geometry of the fabricstructure.

A step further on from fabrics are foils,which are isotropic plastic sheets madefrom materials such as ETFE and in useon iconic structures such as The EdenProject in Cornwall and the Beijing2008 Olympics' Water Cube. Foils aregenerally used in inflated pillows, soeach cladding panel is actually two orthree separate layers supported bypressurised air. Wind loads on onesurface are carried through thecontained air to load the opposite face,so the whole remains in tension, and

the air can be heated to prevent snowloads. Unlike fabrics, foils have a goodshear strength so have to yield underload to achieve their final form. GSAform finding and determining thecorrect cutting patterns will go a longway to minimising this.

COMPRESSIONSo far we have looked just at tensionstructures, but now let's start to mix incompression. Compression-onlystructures take the familiar form ofarches, but also shells and grid shells,and walls. Unlike tension-onlystructures that deflect to balance theloads, compression-only structures donot have this luxury as any movementincreases the risk of buckling. This is amajor risk for masonry structures asthey have little or no bending capacityother than that provided by thecompression thrust and cathedrals ofold needed stabilising with flyingbuttresses.

Compare this to Gaudi's SagradaFamilia in Barcelona where thecolumns are angled so as to take theloads in direct compression and thusavoid the horizontal reactionsnecessitating buttressing. The endresult is something much more natural-looking.

TENSEGRITYThe logical progression ofcompression structural design is therather interesting group of structuresbased on tensegrity, a term coined byBuckminster Fuller. Tensegrity isdescribed variously as "an island ofcompression in an ocean of tension"and "God's geometry". Brisbane'sKurilpa, the world's first bridge createdusing tensegrity, was designed by Arupengineers using purpose-writtensoftware that linked into Oasys GSA,which is widely acknowledged as theessential tool for anyone designingtensile structures.

The tensegrity array of flying strutsand cables that hovers above andbeside the Kurilpa deck suspends thecanopy, allowing it to float above thedeck with no apparent means ofsupport.

Alec Milton, managing director ofOasys, based in London said; "The useof tensegrity in a major structure hasbeen something of a holy grail toarchitects and engineers, and thesuccessful completion of the KurilpaBridge represented a genuine worldfirst. We are delighted that the GSASuite provided the tools and flexibleinterfacing that enabled engineers todevelop a brand new solution."

All Oasys software is available free for30 days. To download visit: www.oasys-ssoftware.com

WKLV�2DV\V�T[G��3DJH��

The Hammers X are graduallyappearing on the horizon!Although the tenth Construction

Computing Awards ceremony doesn’ttake place until November it’s now timeto start casting your nominations for thefinalists in each category online. Whichcompanies, solutions and productshave made the biggest impact in theconstruction industry this year - orindeed which ones do you think willprove a force to be reckoned with in thefuture?

The future? It's looking quiteinteresting in the construction industryat the moment, with some majorinfrastructure projects well underway,

and others just about to commence -including London's 'Super Sewer' - andyet more being squabbled over, such asHS2, the Heathrow Expansion, EDF'sHinkley Point nuclear new build in myneck of the woods (which is in astop/start situation) and several tidalbarrages and lagoons.

The downside is not a lack of will toget cracking on such projects, but alack of young people entering intoengineering and construction - asubject discussed in depth at the recentLondon Build exhibition and elsewhere.The corollary of that is balancing theemployment of workers on an ad hocbasis to get projects moving along -

without jeopardising Health and Safetyand efficiency requirements - withproperly trained apprentices, whilstconforming to growing employmentrules and legislation. You may note thattrend in some of the new Awardscategories detailed here.

So don't forget to put your projectforward in one of our 'Project of theYear' judged categories - and perhapsreward the team with a splendid nightout at the Awards ceremony itself!

Please note that nominations close onSeptember 4th 2015, so be sure to visitthe website below and make yourselections before this date.www.constructioncomputingawards.co.uk

AWARDS

July/August 201518

Sponsored by: ChampagneReceptionSponsor

Our ChosenCharity

Xmarks the spot!

WKLV�$ZDUGV�T[G��3DJH��

Construction Computing Awards Categories 2015Construction Computing "One to Watch" Product 2015

Construction Computing "One to Watch" Company 2015

Best Use of IT in a Construction Project 2015

Best Use of IT in an Infrastructure Project 2015

BIM Project of 2015

Collaboration Project of 2015

Team of 2015

Cloud Based Technology of 2015

Health & Safety Software 2015

BIM Product of 2015

Architectural Design Software of 2015

Structural Design Product of 2015

Collaboration Product of 2015

Document and Content Management Product 2015

Project Lifecycle Management Software 2015

Estimating and Valuation Product of 2015

Construction Accounting Product of 2015

Project Management / Planning Product of 2015

Best Mobile Technology of 2015

Hardware Product of 2015

Editors Choice

Channel Partner of 2015

Product of the Year 2015

Company of the Year 2015

July/August 2015 19

AWARDS

WKLV�$ZDUGV�T[G��3DJH��

It hardly needs saying that a country likeours, with quite a bit of history, a highlydeveloped urban landscape and a

wealth of old and interesting buildings, alsohas vast vaults and depositories of plans,blueprints and documents describing thoseproperties. It's not just buildings either, asour transport system has beenaccumulating documents for a couple ofhundred years, and our records ofLondon's Victorian sewers must have beeninvaluable during the early stages ofplanning for the city's 'super sewer'!Such documents come in many different

types of media, from paper to blueprintsand film, and on thick and rigid media thathas been folded or rolled, and which isoften fragile, old, dirty, torn, anddiscoloured. Extracting the information fromthem and recreating it in digital form

requires some highly specialised tools fromthe latest wide format scanners.It's a highly specialised task too - of a

different order to the scanning of moderndrawings and documents in an architect’soffice. Hence the need for the services of aprofessional scanning company, who havethe widest format scanners, capable oftaking a wide range of document sizes andthicknesses, and the expertise to tweak theoutput from the oldest and scrappiest of2D plans.

DGVAULTDGVault is such a company, as its namesuggests - a busy professional scanningcompany that provides services to otherbusinesses that need to digitise theirphysical records. They can do this at theirown location, where they have access to

the latest wide format scanners in situ, orthey can pop out with one of their scannersto the customer's premises to provideonsite advice and support. It is, after all, fareasier to pick up an easily transportablescanner than to transport a vault load ofdrawings to DGVault's premises - a clearcase of Mohammed coming to themountain, rather than the other way about.To provide a full service, though, DGVault

needed a device that scan wide formatmedia of all sizes up to E, and to be able tosatisfy a diverse customer base withscanning requirements and issues thatcovered all of the above.

THE SOLUTIONDGVault purchased their first Colortracscanner many years ago. As their businesshas grown they have added more and now

CASEstudy

July/August 201520

DGVault faces up to the challenge of digitising and archiving ancient and varied architecturaldocuments on a multitude of media with Colortrac scanners

Reviving faded glories

FRORXUWUDF�T[G��3DJH��

July/August 2015 21

CASEstudy

own eight Colortrac scanners of varyingtypes. These include the very large Gx+ 56scanners, which enable them to scan thickmedia up to 56 inches wide, plus anumber of Colortrac's fast SC Xpressrange. The latter enables superfastthroughput using the integral USB3interface. The varied line-up of Colortracscanners now allows DGVault to provideaccurate and fast results from all and anytypes and sizes of media.

THE BENEFITWith many clients and a hectic business,time is money. DGVault required anaffordable solution which meets their needsand which provides accurate scans quickly.The Colortrac 'Scan Once' technology isparticularly useful, meaning that documentscan be adjusted after the scan, without theneed or delay of rescanning - enhancingthe throughput of sheaves of documentsculled from a vault’s dusty shelves.On-site projects can even be carried out

at customer sites where they have nointernet access or IT support. One of thebenefits of the autonomous Colortracscanners is the ability to move them fromone location to another and know they willwork, and retain their accuracy, as soon asthey are turned on. The star of the range is the 'super-size'

SmartLF Gx+ T56, billed as an extra-wideformat and thick media scanner. It has thewidest imaging width of any sheet-fed wideformat scanner on the market, andprovides the ultimate format flexibility forservice providers or users who need tocope with very large, over-size documents

or want to capture landscape A0 / E-sizedrawings and plans right-reading from theoutset.The SmartLF Gx+ T56 also offers high

600 dpi optical resolution, superior colourCCD technology and the benefits ofinstant-on bi-directional LED illumination.The scanner can be used in all relatedareas - AEC, CAD and GIS - producinghighly accurate colour reproductions andcopying, and has the wide colour gamutrequired for demanding graphicsapplications.The SmartLF Gx+ T56 scanner actually

comes in three separate models withperformance levels and features optimisedfor different applications - monochrome/greyscale, colour and enhanced for highestspeed colour scanning. If a user'srequirements change then they can quickly,and remotely, upgrade their scanner fromthe m and c versions using a simpleemailed scanner upgrade tool.One of the key features of Colortrac

scanners is SingleSensor technology. It's asimilar basic technology to contact imagesensor (CIS) scanners but instead ofhaving separate rows of self-contained A4sensors, Colortrac has completelyreinvented the concept and produced aone-piece, rigid, single sensor strip with itsown enhanced LED lighting system behinda single replaceable glass. This unique development has improved

the quality obtainable from large formatscanners to levels never seen previously.The innovative technology provides perfectcolour consistency - separate CIS modulescan produce unwanted colour bands - and

perfect step-free images where separateCIS modules can produce stepped scans.Calibration is also enhanced, or 'perfected',as SingleSensor optics are 'aligned-for-life'at the factory, providing more accurateimaging. At a purely physical, or mediafeed level, paper bulges can form inbetween separated sensors, distorting amulti-sourced image.

SMARTWORKS TOUCHBesides knowing you can rely on thequality of your scanners, they also have tobe easy to use for those long, demanding,archiving sessions. Colortrac providesgreat user interaction with SmartWorksTOUCH, which provides the functionalitythat users need through an easy to usesingle touchscreen interface - the easiestway to manage large format scanning,copying and printing.SmartWorks TOUCH operation is based

around the document type. With thissoftware you can scan, copy, print or emailwith full image preview and edit control. Anefficient, single screen interface groups allcontrols and scanner information in oneplace. Users can utilise advanced two-finger pinch and flick gestures for zoom,image pan and parameter select onsupported touch compatible monitors -hardly advanced to most users, nowadays,though, as the techniques has nowbecome an everyday capability on mostsmart phones.SmartWorks TOUCH is a Colortrac

technology used throughout its range ofdevices. It is available in two edition - onefree with SC Xpress and Gx+ scanners andone designed for professional MFP use.Bill Dunne, Owner of DGVault, stated that:

"It is vital for our business that all equipmentspeed matches up to the promisedspecifications, as that is how we price ourwork. We have many Colortrac scanners -the SmartLF Gx just being the top of ourrange - and know we can rely on them."Siobhan Scott, Marketing Manager at

Colortrac, pointed out the benefitsColortrac scanners provided for DGVault."We are delighted to see DGVault utilisingour patented SingleSensor technology,providing consistent, accurate and highquality wide format scans every time."www.artsystems.co.uk

FRORXUWUDF�T[G��3DJH��

July/August 201522

CASEstudy

Designing football stadiums is aunique art, demandingsophisticated software to create

iconic structures that will last forgenerations and serve as local beacons forsporting excellence - and nowhere will youfind a greater passion for the game than inBrazil. It must have been a brave move forone of the major architectural companiesinvolved in their design to think aboutchanging their core design applicationimmediately prior to the 2014 World Cup -but that is what FAA did, with remarkableand gratifying results.The switch to ArchiCAD, Graphisoft’s

Building Information Modeling (BIM)architectural software, was confirmed byGraphisoft Brazil in a deal with FernandesArquitetos Associados (FAA), one of Brazil'smajor architecture firms and the onlyBrazilian firm responsible for designing two2014 World Cup arenas.In 2007, FAA decided to invest in BIM and

researched their options. At the time, theydecided to move forward with Revit. Lastyear, however, FAA started to think aboutnew alternatives and what else wasavailable on the market. According toDaniel Hopf Fernandes, Founder,Fernandes Arquitetos, "We were not

dissatisfied with Revit, but it is impossiblenot to think there might be something evenbetter. This is the foundation of ourcorporate mindset, and we are alwayslooking for ways to add value andstreamline the design process."For FAA, costs weigh heavily in the

company's strategic decision making. Theytherefore decided to look at alternatives onthe market, initiating a process ofevaluating several other tools. Using theexperience the firm accumulated over theyears, they managed to create anevaluation structure and comparison of allcritical production processes of a project,from the concept phase to the finaldetailing."Following one month of work by our BIM

Manager, and a discussion of the resultswith the team, we concluded thatArchiCAD, in addition to having a pricecloser to our reality, was also much closerto everything we had always looked for in aBIM tool. With a very positive technicalevaluation and competitive cost, it wasrelatively easy to make the decision tomigrate to ArchiCAD," Fernandes said.Once the decision was made, FAA began

the implementation phase. "After onemonth of evaluation, we immediately

started using ArchiCAD. Following 3 daysof basic training and 4 days of work, wemanaged to build a complex project withonly 2 architects, even with the normalchallenges of having to get acquainted withnew software," Fernandes said."Our main motivation for changing

software was Autodesk's new commercialpolicy, which is counterproductive to theBrazilian economy," Fernandes said. Aftertesting and using ArchiCAD, the firm hasconcluded that it is a superior softwarepackage. "ArchiCAD integrates with Rhino -and it is more user-friendly and intuitive.ArchiCAD also offers us greater modelingfreedom and allows us to model anddocument in one single platform," headded. Miguel Krippahl, Country Managerof Graphisoft Brazil, said "Early BIMadopters dissatisfied with the company andthe product they chose early on need toknow that ArchiCAD is the most viable BIMsoftware on the market today - and we aretaking that message to the Brazilianmarket."Founded in Sao Paulo in 1998 by Daniel

Hopf Fernandes, the award-winningFernandes Arquitetos Associados,company has won market recognition invarious segments, totalling over 160designs in infrastructure and transportation,health, industrial, residential, commediaand mixed-use buildings, institutional,sports and urban design. Fernandes Arquitetos was the only firm

responsible for two arenas for the FIFAWorld Cup 2014: Itaipava ArenaPernambuco and the Stadium JournalistMario Filho - Maracanã. In addition, theyrecently completed their first internationalproject, the Nacala Airport in Mozambique.www.graphisoft.com

Image credits: Fernandes ArquitetosAssociados

A World Cup winnerA multifunctional arena for 15.000 spectators, developed using

ArchiCAD, after just one month's experience with the software

Graphisoft provided a perfect pitch for stadiumdesign in Brazil with ArchiCAD, one that wasquickly taken up by Brazilian architects FAA -with remarkable results

WKLV�JUDSKLVRIW�T[G��3DJH��

Paper is fast disappearing fromconstruction sites as contractors taketheir laptops and mobiles on site. It is

not just the production side of the industrythat is benefitting from digital technologyeither, as administrative tasks can just aseasily be simplified using the latest devices- in this particular case, smart cards. The old Barclaycard has certainly evolved

since its inception and cards can nowhandle substantially more information thanthey used to, and can be read by anincreasing number of devices - swiped,scanned or simply waved at a reader usingWi-Fi to pick up the signal. That makes it an ideal medium for storing

personal records - just stick it in your walletalongside your debit/credit cards - enablingprogressive companies like McGee to takeadvantage of them as part of its drive toincrease efficiency and improve safety onconstruction sites. Subcontractors and employees have to

provide up to date information about theirqualifications etc., and by developingbespoke mobile applications to replace theold, time consuming paper basedprocesses, McGee is able to use CSCSsmart cards to automate the checking andrecording of workers' identities,qualifications and training.McGee Group, the broad based

construction company and multi-disciplinedspecialist contractor, is using Androidphones and tablets to scan workers CSCSsmart cards both to check that they arevalid and then to extract and store theinformation held on the cards in its cloud-based database. This gives authorised sitemanagers and administrators acrossMcGee's operations the ability to accessthe information held to verify workers'records and confirm that they have thecorrect qualifications to carry out their workon site - without having to wade throughreams of paperwork to do so.

Director John McGee says: "Recordingworkers details in this way means that wecan eradicate a great deal of form fillingand multiple inputs to databases. Justreading a worker's CSCS smart cardmeans that their record is not onlyaccurately captured within seconds but thatit's available wherever and wheneverauthorised users need it."CSCS Smart cards have other benefits as

well. Besides their obvious use for accesscontrol, and time and attendancerecording, their use enables administratorsto eliminate incorrect or fake cards, andcontrol authorised access to the site.Workers can easily and immediately be

checked to see that they hold the correctqualifications for the jobs they have beenasked to do, and as the smart cards canhold a considerable amount of information,one card can be used for additionalfunctions, and additional traininginformation can be added to the cards atany time.

ABOUT CSCSCSCS is familiar to everybody in the

construction industry. It is the leading skillscertification scheme within the UKconstruction industry. Besides the fact thatmost principal contractors and major housebuilders require construction workers ontheir sites to hold a valid CSCS card - withover 1.9 million already issued, theorganisation keeps a database of peopleworking in construction who have achieved,or are committed to achieving a recognisedconstruction related qualification.CSCS is a not-for-profit limited company.

Its directors are from employerorganisations and unions representing thebreadth of the industry, and the Scheme'sapplication processing and contact centreis delivered under contract by CITB.Employee smart cards are just one of a

series of bespoke mobile applicationsdeveloped by CSCS for McGee, inpartnership with Mobilengine, whichspecialises in creating apps that mimiccompany’s business processes.CSCS chief executive Graham Wren said:

"Companies like McGee are adding to thegrowing list of organisations using thetechnology embedded in CSCS smartcards. McGee can now be confident thateveryone on site has the correctqualifications for the job they do. Thetechnology really is simple and costeffective and it's great to see McGeebenefiting from improved productivity andsafety on its construction sites."

THE MCGEE GROUPThe McGee Group has been family ownedand managed for over 50 years anddelivers a wide spectrum ofdecontamination, demolition, constructionand civil engineering services - operatingas a specialist subcontractor or maincontractor. McGee also providestelecommunications, recycling and landengineering services. www.mcgee.co.uk

July/August 2015 23

CSCS smart cards are helping McGee to improve efficiency and safety by revolutionising its systems

A Smart Solution

CASEstudy

WKLV�&6&6�FDVH�VWXG\�T[G��3DJH��

These are exciting times forconstruction as we take our firstfaltering steps to provide non-

proprietary shareable structured digitaldata for our projects. Governmentleaders understand the UKconstruction industry must acquiredata management skills to compete ona global scale. If we fail, it’s inevitablethat competition from other parts of theworld that successfully move to digitalprocess will see our industry shrink.

Our industry’s ‘trainer wheels’ forsharable structured data is COBie,which is a sub-set of ISO 16739, knownto most as IFC. Eighty percent of thecost of a building lies beyondconstruction and COBie seeks tominimise these costs.

There is already a vocal COBiebacklash, but don’t judge COBie justyet. Early adopter projects havestruggled to provide COBie data. Thereis a learning curve for the required skillsets adding to project costs. There aredemands to go straight fromproprietary BIM system to proprietaryCAFM system. Clients are requiringCOBie without defining what theyrequire in an EIR or knowing how theywish to utilise the data. Don’t lose sightof the objective: an industry capable ofutilising sharable structured data.

Viewpoint employs great people fromthe construction industry who

understand the needs and realities ofour customers businesses, so that ourcompany can deliver tools to help. Forthis very reason, we get it … most ofyou don’t love COBie (yet!) - and that’sokay, because we do.

As a software company that developsand supports only software for theconstruction industry, Viewpoint isdelighted to have UK constructionclients turning their focus to data. Themandating of an ‘open standard’ inCOBie has allowed us to focus ourefforts on developing the toolsconstruction businesses need todeliver on this crucial data element,rather than needing to balance the

approach of Contractor A andContractor B, as well as contractorsX,Y, and Z. We provide software tomany of the UK’s biggest and bestcontractors. If there had been noattempt to standardise the Level 2 BIMdeliverable then 2016 would have beena ridiculously unachievable target. Welove COBie as it is a bold step forwardfor the construction industry, but bestof all, it is going to work.

We have invested heavily in our BIMinitiative for over four years, winninggovernment funding to accelerate ourwork, and employing the best people;and the last year has largely beenfocused on making the delivery of

TECHNOLOGY focus

July/August 201524

Ben Wallbank (BIM Strategy Manager) and John Adams (BIM Product Manager) at ViewpointConstruction Software explain the merits of COBie and how BIM solution, 4Projects by Viewpointcan secure your route to Level 2 BIM compliance

Why you’ll learn to love COBie

WKLV��3URMHFWVB5(9,6('�T[G��3DJH��

COBie viable.At the very core of our approach to

COBie are four concepts: Define,Monitor, Validate, and Record. Only ifthese processes are followed will aclient be able to use the COBie dataproduced with confidence. We see ourcommon data environment as a placewhere everybody can see which data isexpected of them and when it is due,how to create and validate the data,and how much is left to do to getthrough the next information exchange.

Viewpoint’s COBie Planner (part of ourInformation Planner tool) lets the userdefine what elements of COBie arerequired, from whom, and when. ThisCOBie plan can be used by theEmployer to populate the Employer’sInformation Requirements (EIR) COBiedeliverables, and by the constructionteam to populate the COBie portion ofthe BIM Execution Plan (BEP) - both keyrequirements for a Level 2 BIM project.

At each work stage, our Red, Amber,Green (RAG) Reporting system keepsthe team abreast of progress using thefamiliar 4Projects by Viewpointnotification tools, as well as ourvalidation tools that ensure data entryis in the format expected. We have alsopartnered with Solibri to provide round-tripping using the BIM Collaboration

Format (BCF). Through this method,each contributor is taken directly to theappropriate place within their model tomake any necessary adjustments.

Supply chain members can enter theirdata into 4Projects via any Internetconnection either directly into theCOBie Database, or by uploading theirportions as an Excel spread sheet. Ourdatabase can federate COBie inputsinto a single COBie output. The COBiedatabase is separate from the Model,ensuring that models keep data leanand usable. Each COBie dataexchange is recorded and data can becarried forward from exchange toexchange.

Nobody sees endless spreadsheetediting as the future of our industry; itcertainly has no place in Viewpoint’sunderstanding of Level 2 BIM. Over thecoming year, we will start to buryCOBie so that data (in particular, thatdata coming from a site using ourmobile platform Viewpoint Field View)can be entered and our systems inputthe data into COBie ‘under the hood.’

By adopting COBie, Government willbe able to compare the data on aproject in John O’Groats and a similarproject in Lands’ End developed bydifferent teams using differentsoftware, for example. This would not

be the case if varying proprietary toolswere used from project to project. Ournew non-sequel database allows suchcomparisons and searches to becarried out. The Ministry of Justice(MOJ) are currently beta testing thisnew tool, which is due for generalrelease in Autumn 2015.

If our industry can master shareablestructured data on an individualproject, then beyond 2016 is when thereally exciting use of data will start. FullIFC will be at the heart of shareablestructured data for the constructionindustry. Cross sector ‘big’ data will beused not just on a single building buton whole neighbourhoods and cities.The potential benefits in the long termare enormous for construction and forsociety as a whole.

We hear from our customers thatCOBie is one of the biggest challengesthey are facing. We won’t rest untilCOBie is simple to deliver andbecomes a valuable comparable dataset for those who produce data, notjust those who buy it.

If you would like to know more abouthow Viewpoint can help you define anddeliver COBie, then please contactViewpoint at: 0845 330 9007 [email protected]

July/August 2015 25

TECHNOLOGY focus

WKLV��3URMHFWVB5(9,6('�T[G��3DJH��

When Octapharma determinedthat centralising its storageand lab processing would save

the company USD 1 million per month,accelerating the construction scheduleof its new North Carolina facility wasparamount. To help them achieve this,their main contractor, FitzpatrickEngineering Group, determined thatthey were able to compress theconstruction schedule by eight weeksby sharing accurate structural modeldata early and often with the detailer inthe design phase.

Using Bentley software, FitzpatrickEngineering implemented a better, moreefficient way to deliver structural steel,reduce RFIs and change orders, andhelp Octapharma save USD 2 million.

SHORTENING THE SCHEDULEWith USD 1 million per month on theline, meeting the tight schedule wascrucial on this project. Technology and

BIM have helped facilitate fasterprojects, but faster doesn't alwaysmean more efficient. Doug Fitzpatrick,president of Fitzpatrick EngineeringGroup explains: "Even though we workin BIM now, in 3D, most of our projectsrequire delivery of 2D constructiondocuments.

The construction team, and ultimatelythe fabricator's detailer, must thenrecreate its own 3D data from our 2Ddocuments and do so in a fraction ofthe time that we had to create the 3Dmodels in the first place. It is anoutdated linear process that is stilloverly reliant on 2D drawings and acostly waste of effort on every project."

New construction delivery processes(such as design-build, integratedproject delivery, and fast tracking) seekto speed the process, but haven'tnecessarily addressed the efficiencyproblem. "The traditional detailingprocess has simply been pushed earlier

into the structural design phase,"explained Fitzpatrick.

"Sometimes there is a one-timeelectronic hand-off of structuralinformation; a noticeable improvement,however, any information after that hasto be recreated manually from 2Ddrawings." This meant that the earlierthe detailing started the less designinformation there was to transferelectronically, and the more data thedetailer had to recreate by hand.

SHARING 3D DATA IS CRUCIALFitzpatrick Engineering Group usedRAM Structural System for structuralanalysis and design, AECOsim BuildingDesigner for modeling, andMicroStation PowerDraft for drafting.

Bentley software's interoperabilitymade it easy for Fitzpatrick EngineeringGroup to collaborate. For this particularproject the architect, mechanical,electrical, and plumbing firms all

July/August 201526

Fitzpatrick Engineering Group uses BIM to shorten construction time for steel buildings by sharingmodel data with the Detailer, thereby helping to deliver steel faster and more efficiently, and savingOctapharma USD 2 Million in the process

Early Detailing

CASEstudy

%HQWOH\��T[G��3DJH��

July/August 2015 27

worked in Revit; the contractor workedin Navisworks; and the freezer specialistworked in AutoCAD.

"We shared our AECOsim model as aRevit model for the design andconstruction teams via the IntegratedStructural Modeler (ISM)," explainedFitzpatrick. "The ISM allowed us toeasily update models for the teammembers on a weekly basis yet stillleverage all the AECOsim features andfunctionalities that make our newprocess more efficient."

Fitzpatrick Engineering Group realisedthat keeping the steel detailer's data in3D as long as possible was essential.With AECOsim Building Designer'senhanced CIS/2 export, FitzpatrickEngineering Group could shareaccurate model data repeatedly with thedetailer during the design phase. Thisensured the detailer had the mostaccurate and up-to-date informationand virtually eliminated the need for thedetailer to recreate data from 2Ddocuments.

Fitzpatrick Engineering Group and thedetailer also worked to ensure the steelfabricator's preferences wereincorporated into the model.

A FASTER, MORE EFFICIENTPROCESS"The ability to share model data multipletimes during the design phases of theproject was the key component tomeeting the demanding schedule,"noted Fitzpatrick. "The process allowedus to reduce the traditional 12- to 14-week delivery time of the fabricationpackage down to just six weeks. Best ofall, this new process enabled byAECOsim is sustainable. It can beapplied to all of our projects goingforward, allowing us to provide realvalue to our clients."

With accurate data in an accessibleformat, the detailer eliminated errorsreentering and recreating data. As aresult, Fitzpatrick Engineering Groupneeded about one-third less time toreview the fabrication package."Because we can now reliably sendaccurate data, the menial task ofchecking lengths, section sizes,cambers, steel grades, and so on hasvirtually been eliminated. We can nowfocus our attention on the more uniqueaspects of our design," explainedFitzpatrick.

"The ISM and IFC export have been

key enablers in sharing our modeldata," noted Fitzpatrick. "They allow usto work in a robust Bentley analysis anddesign environment yet still provideuseful information for other members ofthe design and construction team."

The link between RAM StructuralSystem and AECOsim BuildingDesigner also helped shorten the timeneeded to prepare constructiondocuments. "With AECOsim we are ableto produce accurate drawings quickly atany phase of the project. This speedand accuracy would not have beenpossible without AECOsim," saidFitzpatrick.

CASEstudy

"Working in RAM Structural Systemand AECOsim Building Designerto share our model data hasallowed our small firm to provide aUSD 2 million savings for thisproject by compressing thedelivery time of the structural steelpackage."- Douglas G. Fitzpatrick, P.E., President,

Fitzpatrick Engineering Group

PROJECT SUMMARY

AECOsim Building Designer creates a completedetailer model, ready for delivery of fabrication datato the steel supplier

With interoperability through ISM, complete construction drawings were created using RAM Structural System and AECOsim Building Designer

%HQWOH\��T[G��3DJH��

Whilst we remind ourselves ofthe need to maintain an up-to-date building model for the life

of a project, we must never lose sightof the fact that the subsequenthandover of the building to the client isnever complete until the model isaccompanied by the thousands ofaccumulated documents - whetheronline or in hard copy - that are equallyessential to providing a full picture ofthe status of an asset.

Hence the need for an effectivedocument management and controlsolution, like the one supplied byCONJECT, the leading supplier of SaaSsolutions for BIM and the whole of lifemanagement of built assets, to HBReavis to handle document control andmobile inspections on the £68m KingWilliam Street construction project inLondon.

The finished building, situatedbetween the river Thames and theMonument which has been renamed '33Central', will consist of nine stories,containing 21,200 square meters ofleasable office space, crowned with aquarter-acre roof garden. Designed byJohn Robertson Architects, 33 Centralis HB Reavis’ entry into London’s highend commercial property market.

HB Reavis are an internationalcommercial real estate developeroperating in Central and EasternEurope, the UK and Turkey. With assetsof over EUR 1.8 billion HB Reavis areone of the market leaders in European

commercial real estate.Rod Davensac, HB Reavis UK’s

Construction Director, responsible forproject delivery across the UKbusiness, comments: "We choseCONJECT as our preferredcollaborative system provider as it is anindustry recognised, user-friendlyplatform. In my experience, it hasalways performed exceptionally welland proven highly reliable. HB Reavislook forward to using CONJECT as partof our supply chain on all UK projectsmoving forward."

EFFECTIVE INFORMATIONMANAGEMENT DURINGCONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION In the case of the project describedabove, HB Reavis are the owner andoperator. Most large scale buildingprojects comprise multiple companiesas contractors and sub-contractors,varied office locations, differentapplications and technologies, anddispersed team members.

If there is no structured documentsolution during the project and at thepoint of handover, the documentsrelevant to the project will be spreadover different locations and stored ondifferent systems, making effective useof the asset very challenging, andpotentially costly.

Incomplete project documentationbrings the risk of warranty problems, asinvariably the documents you need tosolve a problem that occurs after

handover will be the very ones that aremissing. If the client realises that thereare shortfalls in documentationdelivered, then they will withhold somepayments as mitigation for riskdeductions.

And if the project is a large one thenattempting to set up a documentmanagement system when a project iswell underway - or as backup followingcompletion - can cost hundreds ofthousands of pounds or more.

The conjectPC DocumentManagement system is designed tomeet the challenge of controlling thevast number of documents generatedby a construction project, managingthem in one central and securerepository online.

As these documents will be flyingaround the different departments andteams involved in a project, involving anumber of different collaboration andsharing methods - from ordinary email,to 'snail mail' and even hand delivery,the solution includes an element ofhuman oversight - ensuring that thecycle is unbroken and recorded.

The working methods designed byCONJECT are gleaned fromexperiences gained from many largeand complex projects, notably in the oil,energy and pharmaceutical andindustrial sectors, with large quantitiesof documents, and consequently meetall of the construction marketrequirements.

Based on their experience, CONJECT

CASEstudy

July/August 201528

CONJECT has been selected by HB Reavis for document control and mobile inspectionson the £68m King William Street Project in London

Much more than the project filing cabinet

FRQMHFWB5(9,6('�T[G��3DJH��

is therefore able to optimise documentmanagement according to theindividual needs of each project.

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENTFUNCTIONSCONJECT consultants are allocated toeach project, with the responsibility forassisting the client to carry out varioustasks. These include: setting up thesystem administration for the project;ensuring compliance with documentcodification procedures; setting upproject team members and new usersof the document management system;establishing compliant documentrepositories and setting access rights incompliance with document circulationguidelines.

Having established a process thataccords to company and projectguidelines, CONJECT then providesfirst-level support for users, helpingthem to ensure consistency betweenpaper and electronic formatdocuments, and to set up effectiveprocedures for exchanging documentson all platforms. CONJECT alsoadvises on the generation of reports -through to compilation of the finalproject implementation file.

Having facilitated the setting up of adocument management system,CONJECT provides the delivery tool -the ability to track documents, supportworksite follow-up, ensure that tools are

used to their best potential and that thechosen methods are applied, graduallyputting the DOE together as the projectprogresses, to ensure optimum deliveryand defects management.

OPERATING PRINCIPLESThe conjectPC Document Managementsolution ensures all project data anddocuments are stored centrally withaccess via a web browser.

SHARE, EDIT AND COMMENTProject users will be notified both byemail and their Project Controldashboard when there is a documentrequiring their attention. They can thenview, mark-up and comment on thedocument as required online.Response time can be added todocuments that will lock them forediting after a deadline. This createsmuch faster turnaround times foramendments to documents thantraditional email or offline working, aswell as removing the potential for errorcaused by late edits or multipleversions.

VERSION CONTROLAll documents come with strict versioncontrol, ensuring that the version of thedocument you view online is the latestone. This creates a 'single source oftruth' for each document, removing therisk of error or unauthorised change

from people working off of different oroutdated documents. In addition, alldocuments have a full change historyso users can see what has beenchanged and why - improvingunderstanding between project parties.

COLLABORATIONAll documents have a full audit trailshowing who has viewed or edited thedocument, who it has been sent to andwhen. This provides transparency to allrevisions and requests for information.The combination of transparency andaccountability, alongside the ability toefficiently circulate documents anddrawings to the relevant people,encourages increased collaborationbetween different parties on the project.

EXPERTISE IN CONSTRUCTIONINDUSTRY SOFTWARECONJECT applies its 15-years ofexpertise in providing cloudcollaboration tools to the industry,across all stages of the plan, buildoperate life cycle. Managing Director ofCONJECT LTD, Steve Cooper said; "It isour mission to provide the constructionindustry with smart and easy-to-usesoftware to improve quality, reducecosts and deliver project outcomes. Iam pleased HB Reavis have chosenConject to support collaboration ontheir project."www.conject.com

July/August 2015 29

CASEstudy

FRQMHFWB5(9,6('�T[G��3DJH��

It was a somewhat insensitive questionbut I had to ask it, and the answerbrought home the true worth of Diego

Bermudez' project, which won the RichardDiehl Award as the outright winner of the2014 Vectorworks Design Scholarshipcompetition. I asked about provision for vehicular traffic

in his urban planning scheme for a small,but growing, community in Circasia,Colombia. Diego patiently explained that,despite being predicted to double in sizeover the next twenty years or so, the smalltownship was very poor, had few roadsconnected to the outside world, and thelivelihoods of its citizens was centredaround the surrounding forest. Rather than dragging the town into the

21st Century with modern highways and soon, the urgent task was to accommodatethe needs of a growing population in anarea restricted in size, wealth andopportunity. It was Diego's elegant solutionto the problem that earned him top honours.

RICHARD DIEHL AWARD WINNERTop honours, because, in the words of thejudges, Diego's superb use of digital toolsdemonstrated how reclaiming an areadevastated by poor land management, canbe used to foster human and socialinteraction. His project, "Circasia: Engagingthe Creeks," redefined the relationship

between the villages and creeks in Circasia,a rapidly growing coffee community inColombia, by helping residents reconnectCircasia’s urban core to its agrarianlandscape. His landscape and architecturalinterventions will help to change lives,increase the health of the community,reinforce cultural assets and raise thequality of life for its inhabitants. The overgrown creeks, radiating from the

centre of the township, had become littlemore than rubbish filled sewers, probablyridden with rats and other unsavourycreatures, yet constituted a sizeableproportion of the land available. Diego’svision reclaimed the land, creating ribbonsof dwellings, linked by cleared pathways.The houses were also designed to be

capable of simple modification andexpansion as families grew - reflecting thesocial adhesion of family life in the country. "I have always been interested in providing

new and better opportunities for people,working almost exclusively in socialurbanism," Diego said. "The scale doesn’treally matter; it can be a small vegetablegarden providing food for a family or awhole new regional plan protecting people,water sources, forests, agricultural land andcultural assets.""Diego's design assumes responsibility for

the site and addresses a real-worldproblem that occurs in many areas of the

world where misused land is discarded untilsomeone takes on the challenge of fixing it,"said Richard Diehl, chairman of the boardof directors at Nemetschek Vectorworks."I'm honoured to be part of this program aswe pay tribute to fantastic designs andscholarship winners' potential to propeldesign, solve problems and renew culture.Students represent the next generation ofcreative potential, and NemetschekVectorworks is thrilled to help thesestudents realise their career goals andmake the world a better place."Diego, a University of Pennsylvania

Student took the top honours as theRichard Diehl Award Recipient. He wasaccompanied at the awards ceremony,though, by fifteen other students from eightcountries, who each won a US $3000bursary to support their studies in design atthe accredited college or university of theirchoice, and whose schools will each getVectorworks software licenses and training. In addition to earning a Vectorworks DesignScholarship and the Richard Diehl Award,Diego received an additional USD $7,000bursary for having the top overall entry.

VECTORWORKS DESIGNSCHOLARSHIPS 2015There is still a chance to become one of thisyear’s Design Scholars, and compete forthe Richard Diehl Award yourself. The

COMPETITION

July/August 201530

There is still just about time to enter the 2015 Nemetschek Vectorworks Design Scholarshipcompetition - and potentially start your architectural career with a landmark achievement

Designs on the future

"River Thames Tourist Activity" by Daniel Sweeting

ILQDO�9HFWRUZRUNVB�QG�5(9,6('�T[G��3DJH��

current round of the NemetschekVectorworks Design Scholarship has beenunderway for some months and doesn’tclose until the end of August. Prizes will helpto fund studies for each country’s winningentrant, and for the outright winner, whichwill be decided in the US later this year.The program salutes students across

disciplines such as architecture, landscapedesign, lighting design and interior designwho are determined to solve today’s mostchallenging design problems. In its firstyear nearly one thousand students fromfifty six countries submitted entries, whichwere evaluated by a global panel ofarchitects, landscape architects,professors, lighting designers and mediaprofessionals. As one of the judges, I can testify to the

quality and variety of the designssubmitted by UK entrants to thecompetition. The local winner was DanielSweeting, from London MetropolitanUniversity whose design, "River ThamesTourist Activity" critiques the touristexperience in London. Some of his work can be seen above, a

small sample of the wonderful imagesaccompanying his technically brilliant andinnovative - but also humorous - ideaswhich placed an iron foundry on theThames Embankment adjacent to theHouses of Parliament. More details ofDaniels’s project can be found at:www.vectorworks.net/scholarship/en/gallery.Just to give you an idea of the scope of

the competition, I have included the list ofprevious country winners, which illustrate adiverse range of subjects - coveringarchitectural design, landscaping,environmental issues and stage design - allsubmitted with high levels ofprofessionalism. It's a tough industry outthere, and you have to be good tocompete - are you up for the challenge?

2014 INTERNATIONAL WINNERS Markus Bobik, TU München, Germany,

who used the environment to create aprotective shell around the soft core ofan Alpine chalet in "SchutzhütteHochwildehaus"

Enoch (Wes) Calkin, University ofCincinnati, USA, for retellingBroadway’s "Carrie" as a more intimate

and intelligent tragedy Chen Yin Feng, Chongqing University,

China, whose project, "Air Rescue:Converting Pollution into Clean Air,"transformed abandoned industrialinfrastructure into an educational centerand public space

Judyta Cichocka, Wroclaw University ofTechnology, Poland, for coming to gripswith the latest ideology of architecturaliconism in "Human Tower"

Paul Dembeck, Beuth HochschuleBerlin, Germany, for "Tour Setup," astage design that discreetly combineslight and video to maintain focus onthe artist

Marcel Hauert, Berner Fachhochschule,Switzerland, who presented amacrocosmic vision for an urban publicspace in "Reihenhaus in Biel"

Andrea Linney, University of Toronto,Canada, whose expansion of existingpath systems transforms a large, cross-site, open-space in "Dufferin Redux"

Shao Xing Yu, Southeast University,China, who used an open space to finda balance between tourists andresidents in "Chinese Rural Intervillage"

Michael Signorile, Stevens Institute OfTechnology, USA, who used glass inwinter garden hydroponics for hisproject, "Pixelized Atmospheres:Prague Grand Hotel"

Tina Simon, TU Dresden, Germany,whose larger-than-life renderings ofornately designed gardens in an urban,Baroque neighbourhood appear in

"Innere Neustadt Dresden" Alexander Davey Thomson, K.U.

Leuven, Saint-Lucas Campus, Belgium,for his architectural vision of anecology-based urban future in "BuildingAquaponics as an Urban HealthInjection"

Lisa Vromman, KASK School of ArtsGent, Belgium, who explored a façadethat communicates with theenvironment and encourages residentsto comingle in "Co-housing for SingleEarners"

Wu Xin Jing, Shanghai TheatreAcademy, China, who abandonstraditional concert effects for dramaticlighting in "A Memory of Two Mondays"

So, those final presentations that you havelaboured over during the last six monthscan be honed and packaged in a singlePDF and sent to Vectorworks for inclusionin the competition, with one important pointto consider - namely that you don’t have tobe a Vectorworks user to enter thecompetition. Vectorworks is interested in upand coming talent irrespective of thesoftware tools you are currently using.You can see all of the 2014 winning

projects and view the list of judges at thewebsite below. The 2015 VectorworksDesign Scholarship began acceptingentries at the beginning of March.Prospective entrants are also encouragedto follow @Vectorworks and #FundMyVisioon Twitter.www.vectorworks.net/scholarship

July/August 2015 31

COMPETITION

"Circasia: Engaging the Creeks" by Diego Bermudez

ILQDO�9HFWRUZRUNVB�QG�5(9,6('�T[G��3DJH��

YOUR GUIDE TO

212

4

5

GLASGOW 6

CADASSISTContact: Gordon McGlatheryTel: 0141 354 8993Fax: 0141 353 [email protected] C D E G H I J K L M N O P Q T X

FIFE 7

GlenCo Development SolutionsContact: Jack MeldrumTel: 01592 223300Fax: 01592 [email protected] C M K

ABERDEENSHIRE 8

SymetriContact: Craig SnellTel: 01467 [email protected] B D H I J K M N O P S X

ABERDEEN 1

TMS CADcentreContact: Craig HamiltonTel: 01224 [email protected] C E L H O

LARBERT 9

TMS CADcentreContact: Craig HamiltonTel: [email protected] C E L H O

GLASGOW 10

Excitech LtdContact: Alan SkippTel: 0345 370 1500Fax: 0845 370 [email protected]/cutA B C D M N G H I K L Q X

6/107

8

9

18

14

16

15

20

SCO

TLA

ND

23/4221

24/272822

31

333541

*location guide not 100% accurate

1711/13

3240

BRISTOL 2


NEWBURY 3

RWTC LtdContact: Richard WillisTel: 01488 689005Fax: 01635 [email protected] M

Bristol 12

Micro Concepts LtdContact: Peter HurstTel: +44 (0) 8432 [email protected] B D I J K M N O P S T X

DUBLIN 4

Paradigm Technology LtdContact: Des McGraneTel: +353-1-2960155Fax: [email protected] C M G K L

BELFAST 5

Pentagon Solutions LtdContact: Tony Dalton – TrainingServices ManagerTel: +44 (0) 2890 455 355Fax: +44 (0) 2890 456 [email protected] www.pentagonsolutions.com A C D E G K L

IREL

AN

DN

.I

SOU

THW

EST

25

3

1

2619/30

29

TRAINING COURSES OFFERED KEY:

AUTOCAD AND LT : AAUTOCAD P&ID TRAINING: BAEC/BUILDING SOLUTIONS : C3D MODELLING & ANIMATION: DAUTOCAD ARCHITECTURE: EFM DESKTOP: FGIS/MAPPING : GREVIT: HVAULT FUNDAMENTALS IAUTODESK VAULT FOR INVENTOR USERS J

VISUALISATION : KAUTODESK CIVIL : LINVENTOR SERIES/MECHANICAL : MNAVISWORKS TRAINING : NPRODUCT UPDATE COURSES OINVENTOR PUBLISHER : PGOOGLE SKETCHUP QCHARACTER ANIMATION : RAUTODESK SIMULATION : SFACTORY DESIGN SUITE : TAUTOCAD ELECTRICAL : X

For further information about authorised CAD training or to advertise on these pages please contact: Josh Boulton on 01689 616 000 or email: [email protected]

42

WPDS�T[G��3DJH��

MANCHESTER 11

CADASSISTContact: Gordon McGlatheryTel: 0161 440 8122Fax: 0161 439 [email protected] C D E G H I J K L M N O P Q T X

MANCHESTER 13


NORTH EAST 14

SymetriContact: Craig SnellTel: 0191 213 [email protected] B D H I J K M N O P S X

YORKSHIRE 15

MicroCAD - BradfordContact: Darren I’AnsonTel: 01274 [email protected] www.microcad.co.ukA B C D E G H I J K L M N O P Q S T X

NORTH EAST 16

MicroCAD - DurhamContact: Chris SwinhoeTel: 0191 374 [email protected] www.microcad.co.ukA B C D E G H I J K L M N O P Q S T X

LANCASHIRE 17

QUADRA SOLUTIONSContact: Simon DobsonTel: 01254 301 888Fax: 01254 301 [email protected] C M K

YORKSHIRE 18

SymetriContact: Craig SnellTel: 01924 [email protected] B D H I J K M N O P S X

SOUTH YORKSHIRE 20

THE JUICE GROUP LTDContact: Sarah ThorpeTel: 0800 018 1501Fax: 0114 275 [email protected] C D E K R

TRAININGGUILDFORD 22

Blue Graphics LtdContact: Matt AllenTel: 01483 467 200Fax: 01483 467 [email protected] D R K

HERTFORDSHIRE 23

Computer Aided Business Systems LtdContact: Gillian HaynesTel: 01707 258 338Fax: 01707 258 [email protected] C D E K H

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 42

Causeway Technologies LtdContact: Sue FarnfieldTel: +44 (0)1628 [email protected] C D E K

LONDON 24

CADASSISTContact: Gordon McGlatheryTel: +44 (0)208 622 3027 Fax: +44 (0)208 622 [email protected] C D E G H I J K L M N O P Q T X

BERKSHIRE 26

CadpointContact: Clare KestonTel: 01344 751300Fax: 01344 [email protected] C D E K

CENTRAL LONDON 27


SOUTHHAMPTON 42

Head OfficeRiverside HouseBrunel Road Southampton HantsSO40 3WXA B C D E G H I J K L M N O P Q S T X

NORTH LONDON 28


OXFORDSHIRE 25

Man and Machine Contact: Robert Kenny Tel: 01844 263700Fax: 01844 216761 [email protected] www.manandmachine.co.ukA D I J M N O P Q X

BERKSHIRE 30

Mass Systems Ltd Contact: Luke BoltTel: 01344 304 000Fax: 01344 304 [email protected] E F

HAMPSHIRE 31

Universal CAD LtdContact: Nick LambdenTel: [44] 01256 352700Fax: [44] 01256 [email protected] C M E K H

MILTON KEYNES 21

MicroCAD - Milton KeynesContact: David HukeTel: 01908 [email protected] A B C D E G H I J K L M N O P Q S T X

High Wycombe 19

Micro Concepts LtdContact: Kerrie BraybrookTel: +44 (0) 8432 [email protected] B D I J K M N O P S T X

Cambridge 29

Micro Concepts LtdContact: Emily HoweTel: +44 (0) 1223 [email protected] B D I J K M N O P S T X

SOU

TH/E

AST

THE

NO

RTH

NOTTINGHAM 33

MicroCAD - NottinghamContact: George GubasTel: 0115 969 [email protected] www.microcad.co.ukA B C D E G H I J K L M N O P Q S T X

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 32

AIT Spatial LtdContact: Philip MadeleyTel: 01933 303034Fax: 01933 [email protected] www.aitspatial.co.uk A C D E F G K L

BIRMINGHAM 35

Armada Autodesk Training CentreContact: Steven SmithTel: 01527 834783 Fax: 01527 [email protected] www.armadaonline.co.ukA D E M K H

CHESHIRE 41

Excelat CAD LtdContact: Vaughn MarkeyTel: 0161 926 3609Fax: 0870 051 [email protected] N


MID

LAN

DS

WPDS�T[G��3DJH��

July/August 201534

SOFTWAREreview

Elecosoft has just released a newversion of Arcon, a complete CADsolution dedicated for architects,

building professionals and designers.Arcon Evo is a powerful, standalone 2D and3D CAD program for all types of buildingdesign - from residential to large scaledevelopments. It provides a comprehensiveset of tools suitable for all aspects ofbuilding design, enabling the user to drawbuildings to levels suitable for planningsubmissions, add detailing and produceworking drawings for building control. Arcon Evo follows the success of Arcon

Visual Architect, one of the leadingarchitectural 2D and 3D CAD programs inEurope since the 1990's, and whichcontinues to provide a simple, efficientsolution for planning and visualisingbuilding projects."Arcon Evo software offers significant new

updates for designing the exteriors andinteriors of buildings," comments Arconproduct manager for the UK, Tim Bates."With a modern user interface, multi-functional toolset, advanced editingcapabilities and powerful new engine,detailed plans, elevations and section viewscan be rapidly drawn on screen and viewedin a fully interactive 3D environment." Tim adds, "The strength in our new CAD

software is its ability to make it as easy aspossible for architects and designers tocommunicate their design ideas to theclient and anyone else involved in thebuilding project, so that everyone is clearabout what is being proposed thusavoiding costly mistakes along the way."Arcon Evo includes many enhancements

over its older CAD system, the most strikingbeing the changes to the user interface.The graphical icon display now has threevariants to choose from including colour/b/w icon display with/without labels.Whichever variant you decide to work in,

the interface has been specially designedso let you draw in a more flexibleenvironment than ever before. The modular

toolset presents toolsand icons for specificelements of the designin a logical manner.Easily identifiable, eachtool guides the user through a particularpart of the design process and will befamiliar to users of Windows-basedsoftware. Additionally, each tool can be customised

and adapted to your preferred drawing stylewith fully flexible options, easily accessed atany time. And with two distinct workspaces,you can quickly and accurately design floorplans in the 2D construction mode andcheck the results instantly in the 3D modelin design mode.Arcon Evo now includes a built-in plan

mode assistant that functions in similar wayto one of their other 2D drawing products,Creativelines. In this mode, all elevations,section views and floor plans can be laidout together on a single sheet, linked tomain working drawing. Using the PlanAssistant you can save plan layouts astemplates for future projects. All views arelinked to any new drawing, allowing you tocreate plan layouts a lot quicker and easierthan before.The software has a large selection of new

style construction elements includingwindow and door types, and the extensivewindow customisation tools allow forendless variations to be produced. You canselect a window from the existing libraryand change any aspect to ensure it suitsyour design requirements, and then saveselections, preferences and new designs tothe window library for future projects. A lot of thought has been put into the

construction element dialogue boxes,which utilise fully interactive graphics formodifying individual construction elements,making it very easy to modify individualelements and also allowing user to makechanges to individual component parts. Allupdates are applied immediately to thedrawing.

There are also advanced editors for, as anexample, creating complex multi-roofstructures using blending tool and wallconstructions, including a detailed layeringfeature for adding hatching to walls andaround windows/doors etc. Differentdisplay views for timber construction inwalls, floors, roof structure are alsoavailable.The software's new in-line measurement

tool provides a fast, easy and visualmethod to make changes to the elementsof your design. Usable in both 2Dconstruction mode and 3D design mode,in-line measurements can be used tochange the sizes and positions of doors,windows, walls, roofs etc. You can lockparts of the element that you don't want tobe affected or show the effects of drag-and-drop repositioning.The improved real-time rendering

capabilities are another key feature,allowing users to create high-quality 3Dvisuals with advanced shading,bump/reflection mapping, 3D textures andlighting conditions. Projects can be used toquickly create full visualisations which canbe shared with clients via common fileformats or as 3D models using Elecosoft'so2c format.Arcon Evo supports a number of file

formats for importing and exporting projectdata including 3DS, STL (3D printing),Google Earth, COLLADA, and DXF/DWGInterface. It also includes a SketchUp 3DWarehouse interface for adding furnishingand other component items directly to yourdesign. Arcon Evo also supports IFC BIM -however a BIM specific version will bemade available later on in this year withadditional BIM features including access tothe Elecosoft BIMCloud. www.arcon-eevo.co.uk

Arcon Evo Next-gen architectural visualisation softwarefrom Elecosoft

$UFRQ�(YRB5(9,6('�T[G��3DJH��

CAD User July/August 2015

Documents

Transcript of CAD User July/August 2015