Tekla Structures for Construction Management is soon here
Tekla provides a solution for managing the preconstruction, construction planning and site management phases of a construction project by utilizing the valuable building information included in the structural model. The new Tekla Structures, Construction Management software configuration will soon be available with the Tekla Structures 14.1 release in the beginning of November.
Tekla’s solution for construction management supports contractors, sub-contractors, and project management professionals by helping them to centralize and visualize project data in the 3D structural model. Scheduling and cost estimation and control can be carried out by an effective communication and decision-making process that results from managing the fragmented nature of both project planning and performance.
Tekla Structures, Construction Management configuration will include a tool called Task Manager that allows incorporating time-sensitive data into the Tekla model to control the schedule at various stages and levels of detail throughout the construction project. It can be used to create, store and manage scheduled tasks, and to link the tasks to their corresponding model objects. The tasks help in creating customizable model views and comprehensive 4D simulations of how the project is proceeding. What’s particularly great about the tasks is that they can be imported from external project management tools, such as Microsoft Office Project, Primavera P6 or Vicosoft Control. This import functionality allows preserving any schedules that have been created outside the model environment, thereby maintaining schedule intelligence and organization.
More information on the solution at Tekla website
Did you miss our interactive web presentation last year? See it here
What’s new in Tekla Structures 14.1
In addition to the new construction management configuration available, the upcoming software release Tekla Structures 14.1 will include many improvements for steel and precast concrete detailing and fabrication as well as for structural engineering.
Affecting all Tekla Structures users, the ‘country independent’ folder has changed to ‘common’ in version 14.1. This new common environment collects the files found in system folders of all environments. Another improvement that can be shared by all users is a new macro called Quick Inquiry tool that displays information of a selected model object in a separate window that you can drag and drop to any position on the screen. You can define what information is displayed in the Quick Inquiry Tool dialog box. By default, the tool shows the total area and weight of the selected model object.
The Show only selected tool provides a new representation option in the rendered view. You can now quickly hide unselected parts from a view. This is a useful tool when viewing for instance clash check results in a large model. Just select the parts that you want to keep visible, right-click and select Show only selected. The unselected parts become transparent. You can also completely hide the selected parts.
What’s more, presentation speed in the project status visualization tool is now considerably better compared to previous version.
What’s new for steel detailing and fabrication
The new functions in Tekla Structures 14.1 for steel structure modeling include several welding improvements, such as Weld Prefix, Numbering and a Weld Inquire dialog box. Improvements in drawings include faster drawing creation and update as well as faster opening and updating of single-part and assembly drawings. For creating drawings there is a new unit: foot – inch. By setting the unit and format for dimension and level marks as desired, it is easy to get any value format that combines feet, inches, fractions or decimals. For example, you can now use measurements such as 26 7/8, or 26.75, or 2'-2 7/8“.
Tekla Structures 14.1 includes several steel component fixes as well as DSTV improvements.
What’s new for precast concrete
The new functions in Tekla Structures 14.1 especially for precast concrete modeling include a chamfering improvement; now the user can create partial chamfer for the part edge. Chamfers are also associative, so when you modify a part, chamfers react to the changes. The new improved functionality in profile editor allows the user to sketch variable cross sections more easily.
Creating, opening and updating drawings in Tekla Structures 14.1 is again faster than before. Cloning has improved: now the user can clone dimensions separately for the selected view only. For the users of imperial dimensioning system, mark unit formats can be displayed also in fractional inches.
Manual reinforcing bar dimensions are now associative to the changes made in the model. In addition, the user can now hide reinforcement bar lines behind other reinforcing bars. In the Drawing Editor the user can now hide or show chamfers created in the Modeling Editor. There is a solid background color in hatching. Hatching can be used on part faces or additional drawing objects, such as circles and polygons. The new drawing color mode means that the user can now show colors in grey scale mode in drawings. Moreover, there are a total of 19 improvements within the systems components: for example, improved functions for corbel connection, beam and column reinforcement.
What’s new for engineering
The new functions in Tekla Structures 14.1 for structural engineering include improvements in chamfering. In addition, there is an improved link between Tekla Structures and SAP2000, an analysis and design program provided by CSi. Tekla Structures 14.1 introduces an improved workflow: now you can start your design process in SAP2000 and import it to Tekla Structures. As before, you can also move from Tekla Structures to SAP2000.
There will be more information on Tekla Structures 14.1 functionality in the Release Notes available soon on the Tekla extranet.
Tekla Structures for offshore structures: case Saipem
In 2002, Saipem and Tekla joined on a technical project to get Saipem’s Offshore division started in using Tekla Structures. The technical team at Harpaceas (Tekla’s reseller in Italy) first worked with Saipem’s design teams in San Donato Milanese to determine the relevant technical issues in this critical design sector.
Harpaceas and Saipem cooperated directly with Tekla’s development teams to develop a customized application and also used their own development resources based in Italy. This process achieved defined results in a relatively short time, and today, the configuration of Tekla Structures used by Saipem includes a series of additional features created specifically to allow management of offshore design projects. With Tekla’s open solution, Saipem was able to generate added value by exploiting its own design organization.
Read the whole story
Precasters succeed with Tekla Structures
Tekla and Elematic’s cooperation continues by introducing elite software solutions for successful precasters; Tekla Structures includes a functional interface to Elematic’s ELiPLAn ERP system. In Canada, Beton Prefabrique du Lac rapidly succeeded in implementing Tekla Structures to their operations.
Build your dream concrete with the elite solution
With their respective software, Elematic and Tekla offer a unique two-directional integration of 3D modeling and precast production planning systems to manage all operations from structural modeling, piece detailing and tendering to the shipping of all kind of precast elements. This integrated solution automatically transfers all structural data from 3D models to ERP. After processing, the data is returned back to Tekla Structures for easy viewing in the 3D model context.
Looking at projects as a whole, using compatible software streamlines the workflow from sales, bidding, cost estimation and conceptual design to detailing, manufacture and erection. Costly errors are minimized through superior change management and all related components react to a change. Design and detailing integrated with other operations improve the overall efficiency of the workflow and secure the production and delivery of the right elements at the right time.
Providing a total view of the factory, ELiPLAN and Tekla Structures used together enable seeing the current production capacity at a glance. Delivery times can be determined more accurately and manufacturing planned well in advance. Project costs and profits can be thoroughly evaluated, leading to a better estimation of future projects. The collaboration of Tekla Structures and ELiPLAN proves that 1+1=3.
Tekla and Elematic will promote the elite solution together at the BIG 5 in Dubai International Exhibition Center on 23 to 27 November, and at the ICCX conference in St. Petersburg Russia on 9 to 11 December 2008.
BPDL implements Tekla Structures with great success
Applying new technology to an established way of working can be a cumbersome process; yet, Canadian Beton Prefabrique du Lac (BPDL) succeeded with the implementation of Tekla Structures into their operations. Only a little over a year has passed since BPDL’s initial purchase of Tekla Structures Precast Concrete Detailing licenses and already their investment is paying off. Read the whole story
New A&D links to Midas and CYPE software
There are now two new links available between Tekla Structures and other software. MidasGEN, software created by
MIDAS IT, is a Windows-based, general-purpose structural analysis and optimal design system. MIDAS IT created the import link to their software using the Tekla Open API™ technology.
In addition, Tekla and
CYPE Ingenieros have launched an enhanced software interface for the Spanish-speaking market. CYPE Ingenieros, S.A, a leading Spanish engineering software developer and creator of the Nuevo Metal 3D and Estructuras 3D modeling system integrated in CYPECAD, have developed a link using the
Tekla Open API. This link will be used to transform the steel sections and project geometry from CYPECAD analysis and design results directly into Tekla Structures. This allows the structural schemes to be refined in the 3D physical model, which reduces the time spent on developing a construction project.
Integration with other software vendors becomes more and more critical for the construction and BIM workflow as the general design process becomes more efficient. The Tekla Structures Engineering Team is continuously striving to improve and develop integration with other vendors through dll links and the Tekla Open API. We have created an integration check list that can be found on the Tekla extranet. With the help of this list, you can easily check current status of interoperability between Tekla Structures versions and different A&D vendor releases, and this list will be updated on a regular basis. Further information on how we communicate with other software solutions, not just A&D, can be found on the
Tekla extranet.
Important notification about Template Editor
Please note that templates and reports created with the old Template Editor 2.20 will not work in Tekla Structures 15.0 or newer versions due to the 64 bit environment that will be introduced in the upcoming version next year. Therefore, the old reports and templates must be converted to new format in Template Editor 3.31.
Converting old templates and reports to new format in Template Editor 3.31
The conversion procedure is the same for text files (reports) and graphic files (templates). There are two ways to convert the reports and templates: one by one or the whole folder at once. In both cases the converted files need some additional editing before they can be used. The amount of editing needed depends upon the structure and complexity of the reports and templates.
Simple templates mostly convert automatically; more complicated templates will take several hours to finalize. It is recommended to get familiar with the new editor before starting the template conversions. Here is a typical workflow for template conversion:
• Convert old templates to new format
• Check output policy of Page header and footer
• Check used content types
• Check used attributes
• Create hierarchy for rows
• Check sorting order
• Check the rules
• Test the results
The simplest cases have only one row and no headers or footers; in this case some of the steps can be ignored. The above workflow presumes that the report or template is created with Template Editor 2.20 or older version. All items such as symbols and fonts used in the templates are found by the search routine in Tekla Structures. The system will use a font conversion file if the font used in the file does not exist. You can find more specified documentation on the Template editor 3.31 conversions soon on the Tekla extranet.
Customer satisfaction survey coming up again
Tekla annual customer satisfaction survey will be sent to you by e-mail before the end of this year. Stay tuned to answer it because we really appreciate your feedback and act according to it! Tekla Structures News will report the results early next year.
Top 3 FAQ about Tekla Structures 14
Are you still in the process of getting familiar with Tekla Structures 14? Check out the answers that Tekla’s technical support specialist has given to the three most frequently asked questions on menu structure renewal, FLEXnet licensing, and exaggerated dimensions!
Question: In Tekla Structures 14 the menu structure and some of the command names have changed. Is there a document that I could use to detect where the old commands have been moved to?
Answer: The idea of the new menu structure is to follow your workflow. For example, you can find detailing commands, such as welds and reinforcements, under the Detailing menu. Numbering is required to create drawings and reports, so you can find it in the Drawings and Reports menu. There is a complete list of menu structure changes in the New Menu Structure Tutorial.
Question: I'm not able to activate my permanent license for FLEXenabled Tekla Structures. I get the message "Unable to activate more licenses than you are entitled to..." Activating temporary licenses worked fine earlier.
Answer: Temporary and permanent licenses are linked to each other: You need to deactivate the temporary license before you can activate the permanent license.
Question: I'd like to start using exaggerated dimensions for narrow dimensioning distances in my drawings. I have specified the exaggeration settings in Dimensioning > Dimension Properties, but it doesn't seem to have an effect. How do I get the exaggerated dimensions into effect?
Answer: You need to set exaggeration on in Tools > Options... > Drawing dimensions. You need to set a value for the exaggeration limit, and define whether the limit is set according to Paper or Model. If you select Paper, the exaggeration limit is multiplied by the view scale. For example, if the scale is 1:10 and the limit is 10 mm, then all the dimensions smaller than 100 mm are exaggerated. If you select Model, and the scale is 1:10, all the dimensions smaller than 10 mm are exaggerated regardless of the drawing scale.
Cad and Bim trade off
Our guys in construction, Cad and Bim, are at it again. This time their example exhibits the benefits of modeling and communicative technology in the early sales phase of a project:
