Tekla Global BIM Awards 2011
The annual Tekla Global BIM Awards competition kicks off at the beginning of November. This year’s participants include some impressive winners from local Tekla model competitions worldwide, such as
the
Sutter Alta Bates Patient Care Pavilion in the USA by DPR Construction and IPD Team,
the
Leadenhall Tower by Arup in the UK,
and the
Skanska HQ building by Skanska Talonrakennus in Finland.
Public voting opens soon on the
Global BIM Awards 2011 website for you to choose your favorite modeling project. Visit and vote; all voters on the website are eligible to win an
Apple iPad.
Together with the public vote, the opinions of the expert jury will decide this year’s winners in the three categories: BIM; Steel; and Concrete and other projects. The winners will be announced at the beginning of December, and they will all receive a fancy crystal trophy made of their 3D model entry. Don’t miss this showing of BIMazing projects by Tekla users, featuring models from ordinary housing to top-of-the-world towers that each present the versatility and skill involved in the use of Tekla software.
Partners in OpenBIM™ with Graphisoft
Graphisoft and Tekla have been working together for many years to develop a smooth exchange of building information across the AEC disciplines by enabling open communication between Tekla Structures and ArchiCAD software. The companies continue to collaborate in order to introduce new features and ways of working that allow Tekla and ArchiCAD users to communicate more seamlessly and efficiently between each other.
The latest proof of the cooperation between Tekla and Graphisoft is that Tekla BIMsight is now available to download at www.myarchicad.com
Have you seen the OpenBIM Blues music video by Graphisoft featuring Tekla BIMsight? If not, go see this fabulous video on YouTube!
Tekla Structures Service Release 17.0 highlights
Tekla is committed to delivering value for software maintenance to our licensed customers. This includes the service releases to the latest Tekla Structures versions that we distribute on the Tekla Extranet.
Service releases contain fixes and improvements to existing features and environment settings, and sometimes, completely new minor features. Service releases are available on the Tekla Extranet for all Tekla Structures users who have purchased software maintenance. They are update patches that contain only the program files that have changed. This means that you always need to have a full installation of Tekla Structures as a basis to update your installation with the latest service release.
Service releases are cumulative in content: if you start a new project with Tekla Structures 17.0 just now, you don’t need to install all the service releases – it’s enough to just upgrade to the latest one. Technology-wise, the service releases are always compatible with the related main version. Therefore, it is safe to install the service release even in the middle of your project, and you do not need to worry about model database compatibility.
On average, the service releases of Tekla Structures 17.0 are richer in content compared to those of previous versions. Here are some highlights:
- The numbering of polybeams now works reliably despite rotations or mirroring
- The cover thicknesses of the reinforcing bars in slightly curved beams are now handled correctly
- The angle sign is now displayed in all angle dimensions
- Hatches on the back of the parts are now presented as hidden representation
- There are nice new concrete tools for creating and detailing walls
- There are many good fixes, for example for the following steel connections:
- JP Floor beam gusset (11)
- Round tube (23)
- Shear Plate Column with Special Stiffener (42)
- Wraparound gusset (58)
- Windbrace connection (110)
- Clip angle (141)
Two-sided clip angle (143) - Shear plate simple (146)
- Welded to top flange (147)
- Full depth (184)
- Full depth S (185)
Download the latest SR on the Tekla Extranet
Read more about the fixes in the Release Notes
P.S. Tekla Structures manuals have a new look!
Tekla Structures manuals will be freshened up in the upcoming versions. You can get a sneak preview of the new appearance in Tekla Structures 17.1 Release Notes, including a new layout, fonts and colors. Your feedback on the changes is welcome; please send it to the Tekla Learning Materials team at BetC_Documentation@tekla.com
Tekla BIMsight 1.2 reviewed by AECbytes
“Tekla BIMsight is an impressive tool, particularly when you consider that it’s free,” writes Stuart Wilkes for AECbytes. “It’s easy to use, even for non-technical users, and while it lacks some of the powerful 4D project scheduling features found in Autodesk Navisworks and Bentley Navigator, what it does in terms of model co-coordination, collaboration and clash detection, it does very well. That’s not to say 4D project scheduling won’t appear in the product in future releases. Tekla has the technology - it is already a key part of Tekla Structures software for construction management.”
Read the whole review of Tekla BIMsight at AECbytes
Update your Tekla BIMsight to a fuller yet free version 1.2 here
Construction Management for sale
Are you a steel, precast concrete or rebar fabricator, structural engineer or detailer using Tekla Structures 17?
You now have a chance to add the new Tekla Structures Construction Management module to your software configuration for a special discount price - but only until the end of 2011!
So be quick. This affordable module’s functionality allows you to model AND manage in the same package. With the new Construction Management module you can take Model Organizer, Task Manager and Clash Check Manager into use in the normal detailing configurations.
Click for more information and how-to videos on the Construction Management module campaign site
New User Feedback Program
Along with Tekla becoming part of Trimble, beta testing is becoming history. We still think that only people outside the company can validate all aspects of the software from the user perspective. That is why we are starting a whole new User Feedback Program for the development of Tekla software.
The goals of the User Feedback Program are wide-ranging: testing the features, polishing the software’s design, finding bugs, checking compatibility with a variety of applications, getting feedback from real user experience… This year there will be surveys on the current use and implementation of Tekla Structures to collect some baseline information for upcoming development.
Product development at Tekla is continuous, so the User Feedback Program will continue in the future. This year’s program is scheduled to start the last week of October, and it will continue until the end of December 2011. You can find more information on the User Feedback Program on the Tekla Extranet. Remember that you can subscribe to get an alert whenever a page you are interested in on the Tekla Extranet is being updated.
Log in to Tekla Extranet to know more and participate
New page for all Tekla web tutorials
Learn to use Tekla with our free web tutorials. We’ve created
a new page to offer you both interactive tutorials as well as demo videos in one place for quick learning of Tekla software.
- First steps - An interactive video tutorial with three lessons, about 10 minutes each. You will learn the very basics of Tekla Structures.
- BIM lessons - An interactive video tutorial with nine lessons, about 5 minutes each. You will learn how to use Tekla Structures for BIM, including Model Organizer, Task Manager and Clash Check Manager. BTW, this is an updated version!
- Precast lessons - A video set consisting of 16 short demo videos with voice-over, altogether 40 minutes. You will learn the basics of using Tekla Structures for precast concrete.
- Feature videos - A set of 17 interactive video tutorials, about five minutes each. When you have learned the first steps of Tekla Structures, deepen your knowledge by going through this set of videos.
- Task videos - A set of very short demo videos, less than a minute each, that quickly show you how to perform certain tasks with Tekla Structures.
- Top new features - A set of 1-2 minute demo videos showing the most important new features of every new Tekla Structures version.
Fighting against software piracy
Tekla’s anti-piracy-team analyzed illegal copies of Tekla Structures spread over the Internet and found out that they can contain spyware and viruses that can seriously harm the user’s computer or work in process. Tekla monitors illegal copies and catch pirate users for the safety of our license-compliant customers, their hardware, and their ability to compete for the best, responsibly-managed projects.
License compliance means that the use of the Tekla software product must be aligned and systematically maintained to align with its installations as specified in the Terms and Conditions of the Software License Agreement.
As we all know, anyone rarely reads the Terms and Conditions in license agreements. When it comes to Tekla software, users are always welcome to turn to our sales and support people available around the world to clarify the matter. Tekla users can always contact their local Tekla representative if there is any doubt or questions about the correct use of Tekla licenses.
For example, with one license it is ok to install the software on several computers, but it is only legal to use one of those installations at a time. To use many installations at the same time additional licensing is needed. It might be a good idea for companies to do a yearly software audit to make sure their personnel understand how to use licenses.
There have been some occasional misunderstandings that companies would literally own the software they have paid for. Actually, companies rather lease the rights to use software. Overuse is the illegal use of more instances of the software than has been licensed to be used at once. It is the most common way of misuse for software like Tekla’s, which requires training, maintenance and support.
Another common type of misuse is using domestic licenses outside of the region they have been purchased to use in. Enterprise licenses can be used internationally and are priced accordingly because of this flexibility. Yearly maintenance is required in order to upgrade to newer versions that contain the most up-to-date functionality. Large reputable companies subcontracting work to the lowest bidder without checking if they use valid licenses in competing for contract bids is an increasing concern for Tekla. In additions, using subcontractors who use illegal licenses is a legal offense in most countries.
If you have any doubt whether the use of Tekla licenses in your company or in any of your partner companies is legal, please contact your local Tekla office or representative and they will sort out a proper licensing package for you.
And don’t be afraid to report illegal use of Tekla software anonymously and confidentially through our website. You will help us safeguard your own interest and make sure everyone in your market is competing on an equal basis.
Great structures, great stories to share
Danish contractor, E.Pihl & Søn, used Tekla BIM in a Cast-in-Place concrete bridge project in Denmark and Sweden. See how they used the model for construction site management and integrated the accurate model-based data to the Celsa rebar factory production line
Skanska Finland has been working with BIM for several years now. How has it changed the way they work? What does their on-site construction staff think about it and about working for Skanska? Let's hear from Skanska Finland about BIM on YouTube
Openness between design and construction teams helped learn more about BIM and find good practices in the Crusell bridge project in Helsinki, Finland. Many changes were implemented in the structure of the bridge after competitive bidding, as was suggested by the contractor. During the final structural design phase, a shared model was being synchronized on a web server. Read the Crusell Bridge BIM story including every important detail on the Tekla Website
See video by Skanska on how the Crusell bridge was built in Helsinki
Tokyo Sky Tree will be the world’s tallest free-standing tower for digital terrestrial broadcasting. It will be 634 meters high, and its construction is scheduled to be completed in December 2011. Japanese traditional sense of beauty and state-of-
the-art engineering have been integrated into the design. The tower will become a new landmark in Tokyo and create memorable views from the Sumida river and nearby spots. Read the incredible story of 3D modeling Tokyo Sky Tree on the Tekla Website
“See, it’s real!” exclaimed Mick Hodgson of Tekla when recently visiting Had-Fab’s steel project, the “Exposure”, in The Netherlands. “The worrying thing is that people are taking the bolts as souvenirs…”
When world renowned artist Antony Gormley contracted Had-Fab Ltd. to fabricate his newest landmark sculpture, it was immediately obvious that the complexity of Exposure would require the latest in 3D BIM software and steel fabrication technology. Had-Fab decided to invest in Tekla and combined with Steel Projects’ WinSTEEL and Ficep’s automated machinery ensured that Gormley’s artistic vision became a reality
Tekla as a company shares the ambition of our customers. We work in the dream sector. Our surroundings embrace more beauty than we can imagine. Buildings that adapt to the needs of people, not the other way around. Buildings that only exist in someone's mind ─ so far. Our ambition is to offer tools that enable finding new ways to design a future for all of us to live, work and play in. We think that people were sent to this planet for a reason: to achieve things far greater than ourselves. The world is full of potential and so are we. See Tekla for building and construction film on our website
Greetings from Tekla meetings around the world
Tekla users had a blast at the 2011 Tekla North American User Meeting held at the luxurious Cosmopolitan Resort in Las Vegas in August. If they were not spoiled enough by the de luxe accommodations, they certainly enjoyed developing their skills and learning about the trends within the building and construction industry. The event closed with a dinner where the North American 2011 BIM Awards winners were announced. During the dinner,
Elvis himself interrupted a seemingly boring PowerPoint presentation with a surprise live performance.
Read more about the event on the Tekla US website
Tekla Sweden’s User Day on September 27, 2011 was again fully booked. This year more than 140 people registered for the event at Elite Park Avenue Hotel in Gothenburg, Sweden. The event introduced five guest speakers from the building and construction industry. At the end of the day there was a ceremony for the winners of the Swedish model competition whose models will now attend the Tekla Global BIM Awards 2011. More information in Swedish on the Tekla Sweden event site
Tekla recently visited Taiwan, the Philippines, and Indonesia, with local resellers ECS , HSD, Tigenco Graha Persada and Tekno Logika Utama. It was the first time Tekla SEA organised meetings specifically for the senior management of commercial organizations. Seeing as BIM is the new buzzword for the construction industry in the region, the connection between Tekla key management and these companies was absolutely necessary to show industry players the kind of potential they can effectively reach with BIM and Tekla. Read more about the tour on the Tekla SEA website