We are using the Swedish data set for Structural Building Designer. The data set uses an XML file for Swedish steel profiles (other files exists for some other European countries). At least in our case there is no need to have the steel profiles in the Swedish XML file since we are pretty much only using standard European profiles (EN 19-57, EN 53-62, EN 10210 etc...). Today there is no european XML at all (or is there?). Also, the existing swedish file is legacy from Structural Modeler and would need some changes to better follow the standardised terminology.
To me, the correct way of designing the (European) data sets must be to have an European XML and append any national shapes in a national file.
This is something that’s been bothering me for a long time but became more apparent when is was trying to use ISM to exchange data between Building Designer and ProSteel. I am no expert at ISM but as far as I believe section names have to be mapped to be correct in the ISM translation. As it seems now it’s not possible to use ISM for European steel, correct?
Can any one comment on this?
I'm not familiar with regional codes nor ProSteel, but it may be worthwhile checking the EuropeanSections.mdb instead, by default located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Bentley Shared\IEG\OpenSTAADBentley\Sections.
I'm not talking about the sections in ProSteel, it's Building Designer. The file you are reffering to, when is it used? I guess it's for STAAD. Or is this used for ISM as well?
Steel sections in Building Designer are defined in the data folder in the dataset.
I never did finished it. I just sent you an email with the file as it is, please have a look and comment on it.
One problem is what to call RHS and SHS shapes as the can be either Cold formed or hot rolled. My opinion is this should be possible to see in the name therefore I have used the notation HFRHS, CFRHS, HFSHS and CFSHS but this is not complete in the current file.
If that isn't according to the code, I wouldn't do that.
In general it isn't important if one uses cold formed or hot rolled profiles, and if it is, it should be defined in the steel properties.
These names are nothing I made up myself. Since cold formed RHS has lower load bearing capacity it's to important information to specify in properties.
In that case we would need 3 different names for almost similar profiles. One for the hot rolled, one for the cold formed, and one for a profile where the type doesn't matter.
Things would get very much complicated. It's quite easy to change the type of a bunch of profiles by changing its properties. It's much more difficult to do that with sections.
But they don´t even have the exact same dimensions. Hot rolled have thickness like 6,3 mm and cold formed 6,0 mm. You can´t just say it doesn´t matter, please have a look at steel section tables and you will see they differ.
I am aware of that.
Usually we do our design for a construction company, and we don't know what they will use. As far as I know you can't specify a cold formed steel quality directly, it's just something that isn't hot rolled. So they can use whatever they want, it might be a cold formed or a hot rolled. Of course that necessarly doesn't work the other way round, you can't use a cold formed profile when a hot rolled is specified.