GT STRUDL - Strudl Europe

GT STRUDL® is one of the most widely used Structural Design & Analysis software programs for Architectural – Engineering – Construction (AEC), CAE/CAD, utilities, offshore, industrial, nuclear and civil works. GT STRUDL® is a fully integrated general-purpose structural information processing system capable of supplying an engineer with accurate and complete technical data for design decision making.

GT STRUDL® completely integrates graphical modeling and result display, frame and finite static, dynamic, and nonlinear analysis, finite element analysis, structural frame design, graphical result display, and structural database management into a powerful menu driven information processing system. In over 35 years of use, GT STRUDL® is one of the most widely accepted computer-aided engineering and design tools for the structural analyst and structural design engineer. GT STRUDL® support and quality assurance standards offered by the INTERGRAPH are among the most rigorous in the industry. GT STRUDL® software certification procedures are in full conformance with the applicable provisions of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy Quality Assurance and Quality Control regulations.

Finally, CAD Modeler, an add-on to AutoCAD®, provides a powerful graphical user interface to GT STRUDL® and which creates a highly user-friendly and productive modelling environment.

Multiple Analysis Modalities

GT STRUDL offers comprehensive frame and finite element analysis tools for the linear and nonlinear static and dynamic analysis of general 3D structural problems. You can take advantage of five member types and an extensive library of finite elements based on a broad range of:

Plane strain
Plane stress
Pure plate bending
Shell
Solid element formulations

Integration of Various Members and Analysis Modalities

Engineers can create structure models consisting of appropriate combinations of the various member and finite element types that best meet the analysis requirements of the engineer-analyst.

The breadth and depth of functionality enables engineers to analyze the broadest range of projects, from the simplest to the most complex structural models. Regardless of the project size, GT STRUDL produces accurate and reliable results, often in a fraction of the time of other programs.

Modeling and Analysis

Users benefit from a variety of modeling and analysis capabilities, including:

Linear and nonlinear static and dynamic analysis
High performance static and dynamic analysis equation solvers
Lanczos Eigen value solver, including the ability to specify computation convergence tolerances
Sturm sequence, error estimate, and two orthogonal checks
User-defined translation and rotation mass
Active/Inactive Mode Selection
Response Spectrum Analysis
RMS, PRMS, CQC, Absolute, Algebraic, Ten-Percent, Double Sum, and Grouping mode combination methods
Gupta and Lindley-Yow mode combination methodologies
Missing mass load generation
Broad range of user-specified damping properties, including Modal Damping, Composite Modal Damping, Rayleigh Damping, Damping Matrix, and Viscous Damper Elements
Composite modal damping ratio calculations
Time history dynamic analysis
Maximum response harmonic analysis for individual frequencies or for a range of frequencies (i.e. frequency sweep analysis)
Steady state dynamic analysis
User-controlled and variable integration time steps
Nonlinear Pushover Analysis
Nonlinear spring elements, support and member end springs, tension, and compression-only members, large sag catenary and parabolic cables
Nonlinear fiber element plastic hinge and plastic zone member models
Base Isolation friction-bearing damper element
Structural analysis database management
Automatic mesh generation in cartesian, cylindrical, and spherical reference frames
Scalable problem size modeling
Broad range of static and dynamic loading types
Integer and alphanumeric naming
Model error detection

Comprehensive Steel Design

Structural engineers can perform steel member design and code-checking to meet a large variety of global steel design codes dating back to the 1960s. These details are extensively documented, enabling the engineer to review the details of the code-checking procedures.

With GT STRUDL, engineers can manage the steel member design and code-checking process through a large number of control options, including:

Control parameters
Specification of absolute and relative geometric constraints
Member size smoothing options
Automatic analysis and design iterations

International Members Design Codes

In addition to approximately 80 pre-defined tables of steel shapes, engineers may also define and store custom shapes in user-defined tables.

GT STRUDL steel design offers a variety of international steel design codes, including American, European, Canadian, British, and Indian codes for onshore steel frame structures, and American, ISO, and Norwegian codes for offshore jacket design.

Design Capabilities:

Structural steel
Transmission towers
Offshore jackets
I, T, channel, single/double angles, pipes, tubes, bars, and others

Special Features

Users benefit from a variety of steel design capabilities, including:

Steel Design Wizard
Automatic analysis, design, and member smoothing
Absolute and relational geometric constraints
Automatic member self-weight calculations
Effective length factor calculations
Member deflection check and design
Material quantities report
Fillet weld design
Default and user-defined tables of steel shapes

International Design Codes

American Steel Design Codes

AISC 14th, 13th, and 9th Editions
AISC ASD and LRFD
AISI Cold-formed Steel for UNISTRUT shapes
ANSI/AISC N690 2012, 2006, and 1994 Editions
ASME BPVC Subsection NF 2007 and 2004 Editions
ASME BPVC NF 2007, 2004, 1983/1985, and 1977/1979 Editions
ASCE Manual No. 52 for Steel Transmission Towers, 1st & 2nd Editions
ASCE/SEI 48-05 for Steel Pole Structures
API (LRFD & WSD-20)
API RP 2A-WSD 21st Edition

Other Steel Design Codes

Eurocode 3 (EC3) 2005 Edition
ISO 19902:2007(E)
NPD (Norwegian OPD)
British BS5950 2001 Edition
BS5950 (British LSD)
BS449 (British ASD)
CAN97 (Canadian)
Indian Standard IS800 1984 Edition

Base Plate Wizard (BPW)

The Base Plate Wizard (BPW) is a graphics-based tool that helps you create models of base plates anchored to bearing surfaces with one or more attachments.

Base plate analysis models consist of:

Plate
Holes
Notches
Tabs
Attachments
Anchors
Stiffeners
Bearing surface data
Boundary conditions representing shear lugs
Edge welds
Other relevant data

Engineers may specify:

Plate Dimensions, notches, holes, and skewed edges
Finite element mesh size
Attachment location and rotation (up to 25 attachments per plate), including:
- AISC wide flanges, tubes, pipes, channels, tees, and angles
- User-defined shapes
- Attachments may be rotated in-plane
- Attachments may be modeled as an in-plane rigid solid or as a FE mesh extension
Anchor location and properties
Anchors (up to 1,000) may be modeled as linear or nonlinear springs, or as frame members, including tension-only members
Bearing surface properties
Bearing surface stiffness may be specified as Fc’, E, or F/L**3
Gaps between the plate and bearing surface
Stiffeners may be rectangular, trapezoidal, or triangular
Modeling constraints not set by the bearing surface or anchors and loadings
Constraints allow extra boundary conditions at specified node locations
Cutouts enable modeling of tabs, holes, notches, and skewed plates
Base plate models made be saved and recovered using .gtbp format
Results (anchor forces, bearing surface pressure, plate stresses, and displacements) may be reviewed in the BPW

Import and Export of CIS/2 Files

GT STRUDL includes a bi-directional CIS/2 analysis model data interface to Intergraph SmartTM 3D. Engineers can take advantage of the extensive modeling features of Smart 3D and the powerful structural analysis and design capabilities of GT STRUDL. Other programs that use the CIS/2 model data format can also be interfaced to GT STRUDL.

Import of CIS/2 Files

GT STRUDL can read the following information from a CIS/2 analysis model data file:

Joint/node location
Joint/node support condition and release status
Member (beam element) incidences
Member profile and cardinal point
Member beta angle
Member end releases (pinned connections)
Member eccentricities
Load cases
Applied joint loads
Applied member loads (concentrated/distributed, local/global)
Load combinations
“Assembly maps” – Which analytical members compose a single physical member

Export CIS/2 Files

GT STRUDL can create a CIS/2 analysis model data file containing all the data listed for import, plus analysis results:

Support reactions
Joint/node displacements
Member end forces

When exporting a CIS/2 analysis model, the user can select:

Units (length and force)
Whether to include applied loads or results
Default steel grade
Assumed member type (beam, column, or brace)
Convert from a global Y-vertical axis to a Z-vertical axis
Write analysis elements as physical elements

Reinforced Concrete Capabilities

With GT STRUDL, engineers can design concrete beams, columns, one-way slabs, shear walls, and two-way flat plate and flat slab structures per ACI 318. GT STRUDL also provides detailed quantity take-offs based on design results. A great deal of engineering time can be saved with this capability.

GT STRUDL also provides details of reinforcing bar lengths and arrangement details per user-controlled specifications, as well as beam-to-column joint details.

Concrete Component Design

Beams
Columns
One-way slabs
Shear walls
Two-way flat slabs

Automatic Generation

Building geometry
Special members
Floor slabs
Wall panels
Uniform floor loads
Wind loads

Design Output

Cross section dimensions
Required area of steel
Number and sizes of bars
Placement of bars
Spacing and cut-off points
Stirrup/link sizes and spacing
Critical design moments and shear for verification
Number, size, and spacing of ties/spirals (for columns)

Special Features

Detailed material take-off
Beam-to-column joint details
Seismic design and detailing
User-specified design values
Concrete girder definition
P-Delta analysis

Offshore Capabilities

GTSTRUDL offers powerful capabilities for offshore analysis and design. A set of integrated features enable the engineer to perform the complex functions of sea environmental load computation, fatigue life analysis, jacket pile foundation analysis, and code checking of offshore structural strength and performance behavior.

GTSELOS

The computation of sea environmental loads is performed by the GTSELOS program. Various specialized analyses include:

Static and dynamic wave and wind load analyses of fixed and floating jacket and semi-submersible structures
Jacket launch analysis including the effects of both barge and jacket motion
Jacket upending analysis
Jacket floating stability analysis

The sea environment loads computed by GTSELOS are then easily imported by GTSTRUDL, where they are used to perform fatigue life analysis, jacket pile foundation analysis, and code-checking procedures.

Fatigue Life Analysis

Fatigue life analysis can be performed by one or more of three methods, including the Discrete Probabilistic Method, the Power Spectral Density Method, and the simple Deterministic Method. The fatigue life analysis includes load-dependent joint classification analysis according to:

API and ISO standards
SCF factor computations based on the Kuang, Smedley, and Efthymiou equations
User-defined S-N fatigue data
Cumulative damage computation based on the appropriate application of the Palmgren-Miner Law

Pile-Structure Interaction Analysis

Pile structure interaction analysis can be used for three-dimensional structures supported by nonlinear foundation pile members that are embedded in a nonlinear soil medium. The superstructure is described by a conventional GT STRUDL small deflection, linear elastic model. The pile-soil foundation can be modeled to include the:

Soil nonlinear bending, axial, and torsional properties
Inelastic load displacement properties of the pile
Beam-column effect of the pile
Ultimate axial capacity of the pile, taking into account skin friction along the pile

Code Checking

Standard tubular members can be checked according to the provisions of the latest API and ISO code provisions for:

Tension
Compression
Bending
Punching shear between brace and chord members
Hydrostatic collapse

We gladly announce that ATLAS has been acquired by INTERGRAPH, and will be available in GTSTRUDL version 34 (2015) as CAD Modeler, under the same license with GTSTRUDL.

Our company, original developer of ATLAS (CAD Modeler), will continue developing it for INTERGRAPH.

CAD Modeler Concept

Combines the ease of use of a well-known CAD system with the powerful and sophisticated Finite Element Analysis program GT.STRUDL so as to create new models faster
This application is bringing the CAD environment closer to the modeling tool and FEA engine, since they all share the same database
GTSTRUDL entities are created as custom objects, with their properties, making easier to overview and modify your existing models

Database Managment

All data (structural data and analysis results) are stored in an SQL database, and can be retrieved by third party software. An API is also available for creating custom sections and retrieving data
Graphic entities/objects interact directly with the SQL database (eg. if a joint is moved or deleted the database is automatically updated), with multilevel UNDO options
All data are stored in only 2 files. The *.DWG file and the SQL *.db file that are linked together
Supports all available Unit Systems in GT.STRUDL

CAD System

Well known commands such as copy, move, mirror, array, stretch, extrude, etc are fully supported for custom structural entities
Graphic entities/objects interact directly with the SQL database (eg. if a joint is moved or deleted the database is automatically updated), with multilevel UNDO options
Standard AutoCAD objects such as Lines, Circles, Arcs, Polylines can be used as “construction” objects
Unstructured and Structed powerfull mesh generator is available, handling arbitrary shapes with internal boundaries, holes and constraints

Mesh Generation

Generating members along curves (arcs, linkes, circles, etc)
Structured Mesh Generation defined by 2 Curves (members or elements) or by 4 Curves (members or elements)
Unstructured Mesh Generation: Triangular meshing inside polylines, with internal holes and/or points. Control over size of elements, quality of elements
Extruded Mesh Generation: Extrude Polyline along 3rd direction to generate quad elements
Control over member, element and joint labeling

Available Objects

Joint: Coordinates, Fixes, Theta angles, Kf spring values, Group
Member: Connectivity, Beta Angle, Section properties, Material properties, Kf spring values, Eccentricities, Group
Element: Connectivity, Type, Thickness, Group
Loads: Joint, Member Load, Temperature Load, Distortions
Load Combinations

GT STRUDL Quality Assurance Program Subscription 42

When GT STRUDL is used in/on projects related to the Nuclear Industry, the GT STRUDL QA and Reporting Annual Service is applicable and recommended.

The GT STRUDL Quality Assurance Program is based on written procedures, ASME NQA-1-2000, NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) 10CFR21, and NRC 10CFR 50 Appendix B. The program includes the Verification Manual, associated test problems and solutions, three (3) day error notification, and customer audits. GT STRUDL Quality Assurance and Reporting Annual Service is an additional yearly service fee, which satisfies the requirements of US 10 CFR Part 50 Appendix B (QA Reporting).

For further information, please contact us.

@strudleurope