Dear reader,
In the current economic situation, a company’s technological competence is a significant competitive factor to ensure a future in the AEC business. Those who are capable of using the most advanced tools efficiently will have the best chances to stay in business when costs are cut to a minimum and competition for projects is tough. At Tekla we’ll do our best to help you carry through the recession by introducing wider and more streamlined uses for the Tekla Structures software.


All Tekla Structures 15 configurations introduce noteworthy improvements, such as context-sensitive Mini Toolbar, better snapping, and more organised management of drawings.
 
The Tekla Structures Full configuration now includes Construction Management functionality, such as creating erection sequences, viewing model information and simulating schedules in 4D, as well as mapping scheduled tasks to objects in the model.
 
Learn more about your reasons to update

Click through to the UK Model Competition website The Tekla UK Model Competition is now open; please get your entries in as soon as possible. Thanks to those who have already sent in their models, these will be going on the website shortly.

The model competition is a great way to advertise your company. Win free advertisements, website publicity and a case study to be used throughout the UK. This contest is one way to celebrate the versatility of Tekla Structures and also demonstrates how the software solution affects the work landscape around the world.

All UK Model Competition winners will be automatically entered into the Tekla Global BIM Awards!

The Competition Sections:

  • Builds at 150 tonnes and over
  • Builds under 150 tonnes
  • Multi-Material (precast, timber, etc.)
  • Student models 
     

All Tekla's customers in the UK, Ireland and Israel are entitled to participate in the Tekla UK model competition. Please note: Students have more time to enter the competition due to holidays; the winner will be announced separately.

Competition Deadline: 31st July 2009
Student Deadline: 1st November 2009

For more information visit the model competition website

Tekla Structures Model ReviewerTekla has created a tool that allows members of the design and construction teams on a project to take more advantage of the BIM-centric Tekla Structures 3D model.

Tekla Structures Model Reviewer is a FREE Web Viewer-based tool for architects, engineers, contractors, fabricators, erectors, and owners. Tekla models can now be downloaded by all project participants, redlined, commented, and easily e-mailed back and forth for more efficient project collaboration.

The simple interface is designed so that even team members who have never used a CAD software can easily navigate and markup comments into the 3D model.
     
With the Tekla Structures Model Reviewer you can:

• Pan, rotate, zoom, and fly through the model
• See important part information
• Fly through a set of saved locations in the model to present it to the project team
• Use clip planes to slice through walls and crowded areas of the model
• E-mail models to other parties
• Create and manage markups (redlines) of specific areas in the model
• Visually track project statuses with different colors in the model

Download a FREE version of the Tekla Structures Model Reviewer
Tekla are pleased to announce that we have contracted the consultancy services of Wayne Rawson through his company - Wayne Rawson Consulting Ltd to assist with sales. Wayne has been in the structural steelwork business for over 30 years and was Director and General Manager for a well known competitor software provider.

I have reviewed numerous software packages, particularly detailing and design software, and have had several offers to represent a variety of companies. Having reviewed the capability of these software packages, there is absolutely no doubt in my opinion that Tekla offer the very best software solutions for our industry. Tekla’s acquisition of the 3-design business further endorses my view and is a testament of their commitment to continue to provide the best software solutions to their clients and to the industry.  Wayne Rawson Director - Wayne Rawson Consulting Ltd.

Read more about Tekla contracting Wayne Rawson as a consultant


Tekla Structures Help Learning Center   
    
The Help menu within Tekla Structures has been developed to better answer your questions about the software.
 
In each version of Tekla Structures you will find updated online help and release notes at the top of the Help menu.

   
    
Tekla Structures Help menuPlease note that under the Learning Center you can find Top New Features, First Steps and Custom Component tutorials, and Keyboard Shortcuts, for example.
 
If you can’t find an answer to your question in the Help menu, you can use it to contact Tekla technical support by e-mail. 




  
Click to read whole article This year we held our annual user workshops at the most popular venues voted for by our users. An official Tekla email went out to all users asking whether a workshop would be of interest. A simple yes/no poll was taken and using the postcodes, we found the most popular centralised areas to be; Huddersfield, Motherwell and Swindon.

Please remember that in order to receive emails from Tekla, you must add info.uk@tekla.com to your email providers safe senders list or address book.

The main purpose of the user workshops was to show the new features of our latest version, Tekla Structures 15. However it was also apparent that not everyone was aware of some of the existing important features of earlier versions. We have looked at the best way in which we could address this issue and consequently plan to start releasing a range of short tutorial videos covering some of the new and older features. We will inform you when these start to become available.

Read more about the user workshops

During the first half of the year Tekla has published a set of Tekla Structures product bulletins on the Tekla Extranet (go to Product >Product Bulletins). The product bulletins contain important technical information that can affect a large number of users.

In addition, below you can find Tekla expert’s answers to three topical questions about Tekla Structures 15. There are more answers available on the Extranet (go to Self Learning > Questions and answers).

Q1: I like the idea of having different roles in Tekla Structures 15. However, in my company many users almost always use the same role, configuration and environment. Is there a way to skip the login dialog and have Tekla Structures start directly with the right role, environment and configuration setup?

A1: You can create a separate initialisation file called, for example, bypass.ini. In that file you can define which role, environment and configuration you want to use when starting Tekla Structures. Add the path of your file to the Tekla Structures 15 shortcut and it will automatically start with the selected parameters. For more information, see Tekla Structures 15 Release Notes > Administrator’s Guide (available on the Extranet).

Q2: How can I minimise the downtime in the use of Tekla Structures in case my licence server crashes and all my licences are gone with the server? Is there a way to prepare or back up the licences?

A2: With Tekla Structures 15 we’ve introduced a new version of Tekla Structures Licence Server (v 1.13). The new version enables backing up your licence pool. After activating your permanent licences, you can take a back-up copy of your trusted storage file that contains your licence information. If your licence server crashes, you can restore the licences from the back-up copy. For more information, see Tekla Structures FLEXnet Licensing User Guide v1.13 (available on the Extranet).

Q3: I’m planning on investing in the 64-bit system. Which operating system, 64-bit XP or 64-bit Vista, do you recommend?

A3: Tekla recommends using Windows Vista as the 64-bit operating system. Vista is the mainstream 64-bit operating system, and therefore there’s a much better selection of drivers available. For more information, see Tekla Structures 15.0 Hardware Recommendation (available on the Extranet; go to Product > Hardware info).

Educating BIMThe building and construction industry is rapidly shifting towards the use of 3D building information modelling (BIM) tools. The transition from education to a work environment can be an overwhelming prospect for students, especially during a recession.

Tekla is working with educational institutes worldwide to provide students with a firm foundation in the use of the most advanced software that will help guarantee integrated project delivery as well as their future in the construction industry.
 
Read more about Tekla’s BIM education programs 



Ensure you are getting the most from your software. Put this date in your diary...
15th September 2009!

  • Network with your peers
  • Keynote speakers from the industry
  • Overview of Tekla's current and future direction
  • Examples of innovative Tekla Structures usage

"Unquestionably a day of great value. It is of fundamental importance that Tekla clients are presented with such opportunities to appreciate, communicate and share in the Tekla vision and its future positioning within what is without doubt a morphing industry. I personally found the management day demonstrated that Tekla are refreshingly in touch with the "whole" industry. The information has been reassuring and instructive of the commitment Tekla have as an organisation across this industry its diverse components and market/s."
Adrian Hatton, Robinson Construction


Read the review of last years Management Day


More information to follow soon.

The Panorama Tower construction site was located in the middle of an existing commercial center in Espoo, Finland, and was therefore a challenging project for logistics alone. During the project, a number of new functions were utilized in the BIM environment implemented in the structural design to seek efficiency in both the site functions and building cost factors. Read more about how the use of Tekla Structures helped the Panorama project succeed

Since the middle of 2007, Perth-based Cardno Buckland has used Tekla Structures as their design and concept tool in several engineering projects. Tekla Structures enables them, for example, to clash check designs with equipment and check structure access. The company chose 3D modeling as a way of working to support Australian mining and commercial industries in moving towards BIM and 3D models as final delivery. Read more about how the use of Tekla Structures in conceptual and structural design can help engineering offices succeed

Tekla Corporation has acquired the business of 3-Design LLC, UK-based developers of structural engineering software that has been known as 3D+ TM *. Until now the software has been distributed by a reseller. With this acquisition Tekla has strengthened their premium and leading software solution for structural engineering especially in the UK market. Tekla will provide dedicated support for all software users as well as an opportunity to phase in with a comprehensive solution combining the best of both systems to secure the customers past investments.
 
Along with the acquisition, all current 3-Design's software users will be offered the opportunity to upgrade their software licences to Tekla Structures BIM (Building Information Modelling) software. The business will be passed over with as little disruption as possible to current customers and step by step integrated into the Tekla solution offering.

Read more on Tekla's 3-Design acquisition

FAQs for moving from 3D+™* to Tekla Structures (PDF)


Three day, advanced training course to be held at our Tekla office in Leeds. Places still available, book now to avoid disappointment .

Cost:
Reduced from £750 to £600 (per person per course)

Date:
Tuesday 23rd through to Thursday 25th June
Tuesday 18th through to Thursday 20th August
Tuesday 20th through to Thursday 22nd October
Tuesday 15th through to Thursday 17th December

Course content:
DAY 1 -  Drawings & Templates
DAY 2 -  Customising the system
DAY 3 -  Custom Components

To book, call Julie Maw on:
+44 113 307 1200

Read, full course content

“By linking Tekla Structures via Unitechnik to our automated production machinery, we aim to take a precast unit from final design through to manufacture by SAA control system in just a day,” says Hans Pieters, Operation Manager at Dutch Heembeton.

They have been the number-one precast concrete frame producer in The Netherlands for the last 40 years and hold 60% of the Dutch precast residential market. The company started to use Tekla Structures in 2007, updated to version 15 in the end of April 2009, and are positive about making their design-to-manufacture process faster than before.

“The learning curve with Tekla Structures is much better than with our previous system,” Pieters continues. “Compared to that, we are looking at a promising improvement in efficiency. Change management is now more in control and drawings are needed only for checking. For production purposes there is no hardcopy needed; everything is transferred by means of digital data.”

At Heembeton, the precast concrete data is transferred from the Tekla model via a Unitechnik link to the company’s ERP system and again via Unitechnik to SAA control system (Leit 2000), which controls the shuttering robot (SAA, Hobl & Sommer) and straightening and cutting machines. “The Unitechnik link works fine with Tekla,” confirms Pieters.

“We are strongly investing in this kind of development as there are big Dutch contractors seeking cooperation in BIM environment and we’re trying to get middle-sized contractors interested in 3D benefits too. Web-model functionality is of special interest to us; very soon our erection people will start to use the Tekla Structures web viewer model. We aim to reduce our preparation time from 14 to 10 weeks and increase our production volume from 7 to 10 concrete-frame houses in one week,” he concludes.

Learn more information about SAA control systems
Cad’s weird dream goes on… luckily business has finally slowed down a bit and he can take a relaxing summer vacation!
Building Buddies 2/2009