Structural analysis software, especially when integrated with AISC 360 standards, can dramatically speed up design checks and reduce the potential for costly errors.
Automating AISC 360 Compliance: How Structural Analysis Software Speeds Up Design Checks
According to a study published in the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, design errors can account for up to 6.85% of total project costs, highlighting the need for improved accuracy and AISC 360 Compliance during the design phase.
Structural analysis software, especially when integrated with AISC 360 standards, can dramatically speed up design checks and reduce the potential for costly errors. This article shows how software that checks AISC 360 rules on its own, like SDC Verifier, can simplify things. It can cut down on work done by hand and make your structural designs more correct.
What Is AISC 360 and Why It Matters?
The AISC 360 specification, provided by the American Institute of Steel Construction, is a set of standards designed to ensure the safety and integrity of structural steel buildings. It outlines design requirements for steel structures, offering guidelines on materials, member sizing, load resistance, and much more. The AISC 360 standard has two ways to design: Allowable Stress Design (ASD) and Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD). This makes it useful for structural engineers on many different projects.
The specification also includes detailed provisions for different types of steel components, such as beams, columns, and bolts. It covers various versions, including the AISC 360-10 (2010) and AISC 360-22 (2022), and has been integral to building safer, more efficient steel structures for decades.
However, compliance with AISC 360 involves many detailed checks and calculations, which, when done manually, can be time-consuming and prone to error. Structural analysis software like SDC Verifier has revolutionized how engineers approach this challenge.
The Role of Structural Analysis Software in AISC 360 Compliance
Automating AISC 360 compliance through structural analysis software simplifies ensuring design validity. Let’s explore how this works:
1. Automated AISC 360 Compliance Checks
Structural analysis software integrates the AISC 360 standards directly into its calculation engine. This allows engineers to automate compliance checks without manually referencing the numerous rules, tables, and equations in the AISC specification.
Compliance with AISC codes is embedded into the verification engine, allowing engineers to run automatic checks after applying relevant loads, boundary conditions, and structural properties.
SDC Verifier has incorporated several versions of the AISC 360 specification, including:
- AISC ASD 1989 (for Allowable Stress Design and Plastic Design)
- AISC 360-10 (Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, 2010 edition)
- AISC 360-22 (Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, 2022 edition)
Using these built-in standards, the software can automatically check various design elements, including structural members, bolts, and connections, for compliance with AISC 360. This significantly reduces the time engineers spend performing manual calculations and ensures no missed steps.
2. Integration with FEA Software
Another key advantage of software like SDC Verifier is its ability to integrate seamlessly with leading Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software. Currently, SDC Verifier supports FEA platforms such as ANSYS, Femap, and Simcenter 3D, enabling engineers to perform AISC 360 compliance checks directly on their FEA models.
This integration streamlines the workflow, allowing engineers to use one unified platform for both design and analysis. SDC Verifier extracts stress results directly from the mesh and element data in ANSYS, Femap, or Simcenter 3D, then applies design checks according to AISC provisions — minimizing the need for manual data conversion. This reduces the manual effort needed to interpret complex analysis results and ensures that designs are ready for approval.
3. Support for T-Shaped Members
T-shaped members present design complexity due to unsymmetrical stress distributions and variable slenderness. SDC Verifier’s support ensures compliance checks align with AISC provisions on lateral-torsional buckling and local flange behavior.
This addition further expands the SDC Verifier capabilities, making it an indispensable tool for engineers working with complex steel structures.
How Automation Saves Time and Reduces Errors
Automation can cut design validation time by up from 40% to 80%, allowing engineers to test more design iterations within the same timeline. Here are a few ways automation helps:
1. Faster Design Iterations
Instead of manually calculating and checking the compliance of each design iteration, structural engineers can rely on automated tools to handle the validation in real-time. When the design changes, the software immediately checks if it follows the rules. This lets engineers know fast if their changes fit the standards.
2. Minimizing Human Error
Manual compliance checks are prone to human error, especially when working with complex calculations. A mistake in one of these calculations can have significant repercussions on the overall safety of the structure. By automating this process, engineers can ensure that every check is performed accurately, significantly reducing the risk of errors.
3. Comprehensive Code Checking
The AISC 360 specification includes many different checks for various components, and keeping track of all these rules manually is a daunting task. Structural analysis software like SDC Verifier can automatically check all relevant rules for each component in the design, including:
- Structural Members: Beams, columns, and braces.
- Bolts: Including bolt strength and connection checks.
- Stability Checks: These include buckling and lateral-torsional stability.
- Fatigue Checks: While AISC 360 includes limited fatigue provisions, SDC Verifier allows custom fatigue verification based on supplementary standards or project-specific conditions.
While AISC 360 includes limited fatigue provisions, SDC Verifier allows custom fatigue verification based on supplementary standards or project-specific conditions.
Conclusion
Automating AISC 360 compliance with tools like SDC Verifier not only improves accuracy and documentation but also helps teams adapt quickly to changing requirements. As the industry leans into smart verification tools, structural engineers gain more control over compliance without sacrificing design speed or creativity.
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Dinesh Joshi is a leading consultant in the field of product design and development, production engineering, industrial engineering, and program management. He has worked with esteemed domestic as well as European and US organizations.