New Release - STAAD.Pro CONNECT Edition V22 Update 12

I am pleased to announce a new incremental release of STAAD.Pro CONNECT Edition V22.

As part of our commitment to you to deliver new builds more frequently, we are making available this version which adds great new functionality to improve efficiency for engineers around the world and has resolved numerous issues that have been reported and thus highly recommend that you look to adopt this version and improve your working experience.

This release has focused principally on addressing a significant number of defects that have been identified in order to deliver a more robust solution. However, we have additionally made a number of minor modifications which should also help to provide a more productive working experience.

 

IS 801 Deflection Checks

Design of cold formed steel to the IS801, cold formed steel code following the logic of providing deflection checks to the strength checks as provided by similar stress-based codes.

 

Improved GB50017

The design solution provided with the Chinese steel design workflow includes an option to classify and design a set of members as truss objects. However, the design has been updated to catch and warn engineers who might inadvertently attempt to design members that have significant end moments and thus this classic=faction and design method is not appropriate.

 

Enhancement of OpenSTAAD for Foundation

OpenSTAAD continues to grow in popularity and being included into engineering team processes to better optimise designs and automate repetitive processes. To assist engineers who define models using the various foundation support types, additional OpenSTAAD functions have been provided to create and edit these items.

 

 

Minor Enhancements

iTwin Services component

Using STAAD.Pro as a key component of an integrated design is becoming a more common workflow so continuing to build on this is an important part of each STAAD.Pro release. In this release, the key module that underlies the digital twin creation offered by Bentley, iTwin Services has been updated to v2.2. This includes a more consistent settings layout. Suggestions in the iModel field as a name is entered. An improved testing of data to provide feedback on the validity of the data before attempting to create an invalid model. The most significant update though is that if story data is defined in a physical model, that is passed to the ISM repository which means that the model can be used with RAM Concept for the design of floors.

 

 

Beam/Plate Connectivity Check Performance Improvement

When large models are created through various interop services, it may make sense to validate that the analytical objects have suitable connectivity to the rest of the model. This led to the provision of a number of small tools in the Utilities>Geometry Tools> Model Tools. However, for large models of tens of thousands of plates and beams, the time taken to test each plate and beam could take a significant amount of time. By refactoring the underlying functions, a significant performance boost has been achieved which can dramatically reduce the time taken to perform these tests.

 

Update Steel Connection Design

Models designed with steel members, their profiles checked in STAAD.Pro, the validation of providing a suitable connection to the rest of the model also needs to be performed. RAM Connection does an excellent job of providing this as a standalone solution. However, this capability can be utilised STAAD.Pro by using the Steel Connection Design Workflow. In this release, the RAM Connection module that is contained in STAAD.Pro has been upgraded to version v13.8 which adds additional capabilities including:-

  • Support for all brace/branch shapes for EN1993 connections for bracing and truss connections.
  • A new directly bolted coped web brace to gusset plate.
  • New directly welded gusset connections
  • Extended range of conditions for vertical brace connections.

For more details on the provisions added in RAM Connection v13.8 see RAM Connection CONNECT Edition V13 Update 8 (v13.8.0) Release Notes - RAM | STAAD | ADINA Wiki - RAM | STAAD | ADINA - Bentley Communities

 

 

Refactored Cloud analysis (Technical Preview)

There is a growing movement to make better use of web-based servers that offer options to offload analysis tasks and allow the desktop to be used for other work. This service has been provided by Bentley using a Scenario Services facility. Engineers who chose to make use of the CONNECT Project association, could use this service with a web interface to upload models, initiate analyses and then compare results. With STAAD.Pro, , engineers were offered an opportunity to associate models directly in the interface with the tools to upload their model and run the analysis directly.

This service however is being deprecated, but the ability to perform the cloud analysis has not. In fact it has been simplified. Models no longer have to be associated with CONNECT Projects.

Any model can be used to perform an analysis and using any one of a range of previously released analysis engines. That means it is possible to use this to take any current model and confirm the behaviour that would have been reported in an earlier release.

At this time however the service is being offered as Technical Preview only and Bentley does reserve the right to terminate the offering at any time.      

 

 

Additional Modules

RCDC (**)

The Advanced Concrete Design application, RCDC, has been updated to v11 Update 5 which includes: -

  • New ‘Update Pile-cap Design’ functionality in the Pile-cap module.
  • Improved footing design logic with tensile axial force with stability checks.
  • General improvements in ACI 318-2011 design.
  • 13mm rebar diameter added for Eurocode designs.
  • Ignoring cantilever beams in the joint check of ductile columns. 
  • Logic improvement in the shear design of tank slabs.

 

For more details on these and other issues that have been addressed in this build Refer to the RCDC Release Notes.

 

STAAD Foundation Advanced (***)

The concrete foundation application included in the STAAD.Pro installation, STAAD Foundation Advanced (SFA) has been updated to v9.7.1 which includes: -

  • 2019 edition of the Canadian Concrete code A23.3 for combined footings.

 

For more details on these and other issues that have been addressed in this build Refer to the SFA Release Notes. CONNECT Edition v9.7.1 Release Notes - RAM | STAAD | ADINA Wiki - RAM | STAAD | ADINA - Bentley Communities

 

 

(* Included with Structural Entitlements)

(** Additional license required, included with STAAD.Pro Advanced and Structural Worksuite)

(*** Additional license required, included with Structural Worksuite)

(**** Additional license for RAM S-Beam required)

 

Note that if you are already using STAAD.Pro CONNECT Edition, you should be notified of the new build with the Bentley CONNECTION Client.

 

Revision History

The Revision History document details the issues that have been addressed and as with all builds is included in the ReadMe file which can be accessed from the Help section of the application and can also be found here.