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6 reasons why our customers trust Tekla Structures

Why detailers trust Tekla Structures BIM software

Structural engineers, detailers, contractors, and many others in the construction industry are using Tekla Structures to deliver their projects on time and within budget.

In this article, our customers share why they prefer Tekla Structures over other BIM software and how they have used it in their projects. 

1. Intuitive and easy to use

Whether you are willing to move away from 2D construction documentation or want to change your software to create truly constructible models, Tekla Structures is an easy tool to start your journey. 

Tekla's interface, the flow, and the commands' similarity with other software make you feel comfortable exploring its functionalities and building self-confidence to start your projects on the right foot. 

Based in London, The Midlands and Greece, Design4Structures is a creative and innovative structural engineering and design company, with delivery spanning across a range of sectors. Having been operating within the offsite space for over six years, the company has worked on a range of panelised, SFS and volumetric projects; from student accommodation, hotels and hospitals to high and low-rise residential.

A key part of this innovative service offering is digital technology, in particular Trimble’s range of Tekla constructible modelling software; including Tekla Structures, Tekla Structural Designer and Tekla Tedds.

"With Tekla, thanks to the customisability of the software, we’re also able to mould it to suit our needs as a company and those of our customers too. Through the creation of custom components and macro development, we can automate otherwise repetitive tasks and generally improve our productivity levels across the board."

John Breeze, Offsite Operations Manager at Design4Structures

With both an engineering and construction modelling division, Design4Structures commonly delivers the full RIBA workflow on its offsite and modular projects, taking responsibility from the design and engineering stages right through to fabrication.Minden Court model in Tekla Structures

Read the full story: Bringing coordination and accuracy to offsite, with Design4Structures and Trimble

2. High level of detail and model visibility

Tekla Structures enables you to work smoothly on truly constructible models. You can add the level of detail you need to work efficiently and understand all that involves your construction project, without sacrificing on time or budget. 

Other information - such as values for estimates and quantity take-off, schedules or project management, drawings, and various documentation, are automatically linked to the model. You have full visibility of the model without worrying about reviewing calculations sheets, writing notes to PDF versions or doing manual changes to printed documents. Everything is automatically changed. You can use reference models from other disciplines to get a deeper understanding of all the moving parts of the projects and the implications of your work. All the information you need is readily available for your team to evaluate options and scenarios and make more educated decisions. 

 "Using Tekla Structures, the level of detail and enhanced visibility that the software facilitates was critical in helping us to create this fully assured, coordinated and accurate model. In total, we have so far delivered around 60 million pieces of rebar and over 2 million embeds, all completed to 3mm tolerances. We would never have achieved this level of detail or precision without the use of BIM, with the 3D digital environment providing us with an assured, coordinated and validated design."

Steven Burton, Associate Director – Innovation and Digital Lead at Atkins

Hinkley Point C is a truly momentous civil engineering and construction project, marking the first UK nuclear power station to be constructed in over a generation. Given the huge scale and complexity of the works, it’s no surprise that BIM and cloud-based collaboration technology were intertwined throughout its delivery. Tekla Structures is just a small part of the Trimble portfolio of products that have been used and continue to be used by BYLOR and Atkins on the construction of Hinkley Point C, one of the biggest and most complex projects in Europe.

3D model of Hinkley Point C, completed in Tekla Structures

Read the full story: Delivering error-free cast-in-place concrete structures at Hinkley Point C

3. Super fast modelling with parametric model creation

Parametric modelling speeds up the detailing work, brings extraordinary accuracy, and enables efficient change management. Parametric design lets you define logical rules describing the model, the relationship between its different parts, and a set of parameters to drive the logic. For example, the parametric design enables you to define the dimensions and relationships between specific components, such as beams, so you don't need to model hundreds of those manually. As the project moves forward, it is possible to make changes to the design, and the model will adapt to the changes according to the logic. This means that there is no need to change individual items one by one.  

Despite the assumption that parametric design is only for complex geometrical projects, the truth is that it benefits construction projects of all sizes and shapes. 

The space north of London’s King’s Cross railway station has been undergoing urban transformation for more than 15 years. Global engineering firm Arup has been involved in much of the work, including designing the structural elements for one of the final development projects: King’s Cross R8.

“We had to produce a number of drawings for the network-rail approval process. Although these needed to be done at an earlier stage than we would typically do on projects, they allowed the client to fast-track the approvals process prior to the main contractor starting on site. Using Tekla to automate the BIM model was essential for this work. As the design scheme evolved, we were able to respond very quickly thanks to Tekla’s automation-enabling tools.”

Gordon Clannachan, Senior Structural Engineer and project lead, Arup 

London’s King’s Cross R8 - Image and BIM model

Read more: Tekla’s parametric design and coordination keeps London King’s Cross project moving

4. Create, store, change, and share Intelligent Structural components

Creating intelligent, parametric components that adjust to change can be helpful if your work requires creating many complex model objects that must be copied across several projects. Tekla Structures enables you to create these components, store and easily access, as well as use them in other locations in the same model. If you make changes to the components and save those, the changes will be automatically applied to all copies of those components, saving you a lot of time.

Custom components can be imported and exported as .uel files between models, shared with your colleagues, and stored in a model template that is available with each new model based on the used template.

A great example of this innovation in action is with PUNCH Consulting Engineers, who was appointed by Kilsaran – Ireland’s leading supplier of innovative concrete products - to help develop its new precast factory and carousel plant. As part of this partnership, PUNCH was tasked with researching the market and finding the best software solution for getting the design and product information from the 3D model into the factory, for the robotic machinery.

“It has a great automation system, enabling you to automate the modelling process through the use of custom components that either come from the Tekla Warehouse library or through your own APIs. The drawing system is fantastic, with automatic cloning, automatic view creation and dimensions – you couldn’t ask for better. ”

Colin Mackenzie, Digital Precast Manager at PUNCH

Photograph of the construction of PUNCH's latest project, a precast factory and carousel plant

Read the full story: Automated and connected construction, a great partnership

5. Easy drawing creation, change, and management

Using Tekla constructible model as a source of truth enhances accuracy and streamlines the construction work. The model serves as a source for drawings and other construction deliverables. When the model is updated, drawings are automatically updated, ensuring the team has the latest information and requirements. Tekla Structures drawings contain many features and tools that help you create and manage your drawings efficiently.

Located directly above London’s Moorgate Station, the new 21 Moorfields is an exciting 17-storey commercial development, offering 560,000 sq ft of office space. Reflecting the common themes of existing railway architecture, exposed steelwork was a key component of the architectural brief, featuring major trusses and structural arches.

“21 Moorfields had some incredibly complex geometry and steel connections. Without Tekla Structures and its constructible modelling capabilities, it really would have been difficult to visualise and get your head around it."

Daniel Fenn, Engineering Manager at William Hare

Screenshot of 21 Moorfields, created in Tekla Structures

Read the full story: Cloud-based connectivity and real-time collaboration deliver complex steelwork at 21 Moorfields

6. Interoperability with other software and tools

Construction is not a one-person show. To successfully execute any construction project, you, as a designer, detailer, contractor, or subcontractor, play a vital role in making the projects successful but need the help of each other to execute the whole project. As a team member, you must be well-informed and updated to truly understand the project and its moving parts and make more educated decisions when required. 

Tekla Structures interoperability enables you to work smoothly with various construction project parties, regardless of their tools. From design intentions to detailed models to fabrication order or onsite execution, connected workflows and the Tekla Open BIM approach let you easily integrate your work with the most accurate information. Data can be easily extracted for various purposes, such as quantity take-offs and estimates, project management, logistics management, and more.

Once completed, the new National Children’s Hospital (NCH) in Dublin will offer a world-class paediatric medical facility, combining the services currently provided at three hospitals into the one, modern and custom-designed hospital.  Due to open in the second half of 2024, the hospital’s construction represents the largest and most significant capital investment healthcare project undertaken in the country. Appointed by lead steel fabricator KH Engineering, Struccie Design Associates, based in Blackpool, Cork was responsible for delivering the steel detailing for the NCH roof package.

Coordination was critical when it came to considering and detailing the NCH roof package, particularly when it came to the steel-to-concrete connections. With four sloping concrete cores on the project and a large number of steel connections to consider, accuracy was essential.

“Working in partnership with our client KH Engineering, they carried out a survey of the concrete cores whilst the build was going on, on site. We were then able to import the survey data directly into the 3D modelling environment within Tekla Structures and use this to accurately detail and set out our steel connections. Without this survey data and the ability to import it directly into our model, there would have definitely been issues on site further down the line.”

Lee Chitty, Director at Struccie Design Associates

Model of National Children's Hospital in Tekla Structures

Read more: Automation and collaboration saving costs on National Children’s Hospital

Tekla Structures is famous for its accurate modelling capabilities, which empower our customers worldwide to create precise and detailed models of diverse structures. Tekla Structures facilitates collaboration between different stakeholders involved in a project. Detailers can easily share models with engineers, architects, and contractors, improving communication and coordination. Finally, Tekla Structures is a powerful tool that enables various stakeholders to plan, visualise, align, and build more efficiently.

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