Steel Connection Design Reinvented for Advance Steel Users

One of the main benefits of using Autodesk Advance Steel for steel detailing is the flexibility when conceptualizing, modelling and detailing your steel connections. With the “connection vault” in Advance Steel encompassing over one-hundred and fifty parametric steel connection templates and the ability to create your own “custom connections”, which can be saved for future projects, the options are truly endless and renders what is normally a cumbersome and time-consuming task simple and easy.

In addition, approximately seventy percent of the steel connections within the Advance Steel “connection vault” encompass the joint design module. This tool allows the user to verify if the steel connection passes or fails based on predefined or manually entered internal forces in the advance joint properties dialog. It performs code checks according to standards such as the AISC and EC3 and does allow for some basic settings to be adjusted. For example, the bolt thread conditions, if the steel connection is exposed or not etc… These settings vary dependent on the design code used.

Nevertheless, Advance Steel is not a design solution, which means that it cannot calculate the internal forces on its own. In order to have predefined internal forces at the joint nodes, the user has two options. The first option is to manually enter these forces in the advance joint properties dialog. The second one is to import them from an FEM solution like Graitec Advance Design. As FEM solutions are able to perform structural analysis considering different load types and code combinations, the second option is by far the most accurate and economic one, as the manual input could lead the user to overdesign the connection.

Also, regardless of having the predefined internal forces at the joint node, the Advance Steel user will be limited to analysing a single steel connection template at a time. For example, if the joint requires a moment fin plate connection, the Advance Steel user will need to apply two separate macros from the connection vault to design the connection: a “Moment Connection” and a “Fin Plate”. However, the joint design module will only consider the geometry, members, bolts and welds of the advance joint properties it resides in. Therefore, rendering the joint calculation module inadequate when needing to analyse complex topology with multiple steel connections framing into a single joint. This then forces the designer or engineer to revert back to hand calculations, which can add days or even weeks to the verification process of a single joint depending on the complexity.

If you’re a structural engineer or a steel detailer using Advance Steel and want to save time, cost and reduce your carbon footprint, Graitec now offers a solution to complement and optimise your current workflow. To facilitate analysing these complex 3D steel connections, Advance Steel joints can now be exported to Graitec Advance Design Connection.

Advance Design Connection is a unique version of IDEA StatiCa Connection, rebranded and tailor-made for GRAITEC users.

Advance Design Connection can design all types of 3D connections which cannot be designed with the connection module integrated in Advance Steel. It provides precise checks, results of strength, stiffness and buckling analysis of a steel joint. Bolts, welds and concrete blocks are checked according to Eurocodes (EN), North American codes (CISC & AISC), Australian codes (AU), etc. Templates for most-used connections are available as well as wide range of predefined hot rolled and sheet welded members.

Watch our Advance Steel to Advance Design Connection workflow video to find out more.

Alternatively, to learn more about the Graitec Simulate portfolio and how Advance Design Connection can help you with complex steel connections of any topology, any loading and in minutes, please head over to our web page or click on the button below to request more information.