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Tekla Structures - Structural BIM is here to stay - Tekla Structures leads the field
Structural Building Information Modeling (Structural BIM) is a new, collaborative model-based way of working in structural design, providing smooth workflow and efficient information management. It enables increased productivity, higher quality and lower costs. With the launch of Tekla Structures, structural BIM has become an everyday practice. Building Information Modeling (BIM) refers to an approach where design information covering an entire construction project is produced and managed using a single 3D model. As the model’s intelligence keeps all components reliably up to date, current information is available to all stakeholders at all times. Work duplication is minimized and many lower-level tasks are automated, allowing designers to concentrate on the essential. BIM finally brings to fruition what the building industry expected of CAD in the early 1980s: it helps the entire building process value chain achieve a faster, higher quality and richer design process. Structural BIM is the subset of BIM that covers the structure of the building and the process from conceptual design to detailing, fabrication and erection. As significant part of the building information is produced during these stages, the integration of this part of the process is essential to the development of any comprehensive BIM solution. With Structural BIM, engineering professionals as well as steel and concrete detailers can work simultaneously on the same design to find the best solution in efficient collaboration. Within the last decade, key components of Structural BIM have been implemented in various design segments with very convincing results. In steel design, modeling-based solutions are already an industry standard having reached a 60 per cent share in some market areas. Worldwide, the market is dominated by the 3D steel detailing system Tekla Xsteel, which was launched in the early 1990s by Tekla Corporation, a Finnish software company from Nokia´s home ground in Finland. "Of all the players currently developing BIM systems, Tekla has the longest experience of their implementation in structural design. Where other large players approach Structural BIM more from an architectural perspective, we build our solution on best-of-breed technology in the field itself," verifies Ragnar Wessman, Director of Product Management in Tekla Corporation's Building & Construction business area. Tekla Xsteel´s winning technology was introduced to all types of structures in 2004 with the launch of Tekla Structures, turning Structural BIM in its entirety into real-life practice for the first time. The projected benefits are significant: according to calculations made at Georgia Tech, the precast concrete industry can achieve an 80 per cent saving in design time and costs and total project cost savings of between five and ten percent. Tekla Structures in Brief The exceptionally smooth collaboration and information management applications are based on Tekla´s world leading solution for Structural Building Information Modeling, a subset of the commonly used concept Building Information Modeling (BIM). The same model can be utilized for producing analysis & design results, drawings and reports. Hence steel-, concrete- and structural design professionals can work with the same shared, always up-to-date model throughout every stage of a building project. Tekla Structures minimizes overlapping work phases and errors which translate into shorter project lead times, significant cost savings and better building quality – thus providing even more of a competitive future for the entire structural design industry. Tekla Corporation in Brief For more information, contact Canadian Tekla Reseller (one of the largest Tekla Structures users in the world): Dowco Consultants Ltd …celebrating 35 years of steel detailing excellence
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