Effective Automation for Structural Design

Abstract

Guidelines are offered for the development of software to effectively automate the structural design of common structures. A discussion is presented of how currently available software fails to meet the needs of structural engineers. This is followed by a sample program specification to show how a system could be arranged to effectively integrate analysis, design, and drawing development processes. Because engineering judgment is an essential element of the structural design process, the keys to an effective system are: a high level of interactivity for the user to control analysis and design processes; a central data base that permits the user to extract segments for processing; and special purpose routines for the analysis and design of simple elements. These combine to give engineers the ability to develop judgment for the structure and implement their own decisions within the system. In addition, making a program available on a microcomputer puts costs in an acceptable range for small design firms.