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Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional
BIM link for steel member design (EN)
STEEL
Member
EN (Eurocode)
BIM link
Robot Structural Analysis
 CREATE PDF
By following this step-by-step tutorial, you will learn how to design and code-check a structural steel
member using the BIM link between Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional and IDEA
StaECa Member using Checkbot.
How to activate the link
Download and install the latest version of IDEA StaECa
Make sure that you are using a supported version of your FEA/BIM soluEon
IDEA StaECa integrates BIM links into your FEA/BIM soluEons during its installaEon. You can check the status and
acEvate more BIM links for soVware installed aVer in the BIM link installer.
Please note that some FEA soluEons require addiEonal steps to fully acEvate their BIM link to IDEA StaECa.
Open IDEA StaECa and navigate to the BIM tab and open the BIM link installer (AcEvate your BIM link...).
A noEficaEon "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?" may appear, if so, please confirm with
the Yes buZon.
The BIM link for the selected soVware (if found) is installed. The screen also tells you the status of other BIM links
that may have already been installed.
How to use the link
First, open the source file ARSAP-Member-Tutorial.rtd from the provided files for download (at the boZom of this
tutorial). There navigate to menu Add-ins then IDEA Sta5Ca and run IDEA Sta5Ca. This will start Checkbot.
You will be prompted to create a new project.
Checkbot opens and you can start the import process. Select the indicated beam in the Robot model and click
Member to import it for the analysis in IDEA StaECa Member under the EN code.
The member is added to the list together with corresponding joints, related members and load combinaEons
without having to manually enter these. Leave the default se]ngs and start configuring the connecEons first.
Using the BIM Link in this way allows you to not only only you to design the members but also the connecEons. If
you remember, within the Member applicaEon connecEons cannot be designed only modeled. Within Checkbot
connecEons can be modeled and designed using the load combinaEons from the FEA applicaEon. These resultant
connecEons can then be re-used when designing the member. As a result connecEons are designed more
efficiently.
Open Simple member_4 to see the full list of members, connecEons and load combinaEons.
Design
There are two ways we can design the member and its connecEons:
Online - live within Checkbot maintaining a link to the FEA applicaEon
Offline - again within Checkbot but using the data from the FEA applicaEon
For ease (and to help those without Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional) we will now revert to an
offline approach. The project folder can also be downloaded and extracted using the link at the boZom of this
tutorial.
You can exit Checkbot and Robot then open the project in Member by browsing for it.
This will open the Member applicaEon in so-called offline mode - you can verify this as there will be no applicaEon
shown in the informaEon bar at the boZom of the screen.
We can now proceed by selecEng CON-2 and press Edit ConnecEon.
This will open the familiar IDEA StaECa ConnecEon applicaEon. Apply a Cut member operaEon to the column to
increase it's height to 20mm past the top flange of the beam.
Next apply a simple End plate to both of the beams - remembering that you can copy operaEons.
Save this connecEon and exit to the Member applicaEon.
In this example all of the members are the same size so you can very quickly apply the same operaEons to Con-4.
This is the final appearance of Con-4.
Again Save this connecEon model and revert back to the Member applicaEon. The connecEons as modeled will
be visible.
All the data such as geometry and loads have been imported, and all connecEons have been designed. The model
is ready to be analyzed, but first, let's add some openings to the web of the member. Select the member then on
Opera5ons in the tree menu and pick the operaEon Opening.
Edit the parameters of the operaEon, change the size and shape to N-gon (polygon with n sides) and mulEply the
openings number.
Check
Move to the Check tab, select the MNA (Materially Nonlinear Analysis) and start the analysis by clicking Calculate
in the ribbon. The analysis model is automaEcally generated, the calculaEon is performed and you can see the
overall check displayed together with basic values of check results.
In the next step, switch the analysis type to LBA (Linear buckling analysis) and run the analysis again by clicking
Calculate.
When the analysis is finished, you can browse the buckling shape factors in the tab, and by selecEng one, e.g.
buckling shape 1, you can see it visualized in the 3D window. SelecEng the Uy results display highlights the
deformaEon trend.
Now you can calculate the GMNIA (geometrically and materially non-linear analysis with imperfecEons). According
to EN 1993-1-1, choose the most criEcal buckling shape or a combinaEon of buckling shapes and input the iniEal
imperfecEon of the criEcal beam. In this case, buckling shape 1 is the most criEcal one. Switch to the GMNIA tab
in the right panel and determine the imperfecEon of 10 mm (0,5xL/300 = 0,5*6000/300 = 10 mm) to type in as
the Amplitude in column 1. Click the Calculate buZon, for this analysis, the calculaEon may take several minutes.
The member passed the code-checks with applied iniEal imperfecEons and we can browse the results such as
stress distribuEon and internal forces diagram.
Report
At last, go to the tab Report. IDEA StaECa offers a fully customizable report to be printed out or saved to .pdf or
.doc for an editable format.
You have imported a member from Autodesk Structural Analysis Professional, designed and code-checked it
according to Eurocode (EN).
Save the project in IDEA StaECa Member and close it. The next process is only available when working online, live
with the FEA model and Checkbot and offers considerable Eme savings when things change.
Synchronize models
Rather than re-create models every Eme the FEA changes Checkbot can Synchronize it's informaEon with that of
the FEA applicaEon.
To demonstrate the synchronize funcEon, change the cross-secEon of the analyzed member.
Then, recalculate the project in Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional and open Checkbot again.
Select the member from the list and click Sync from the Current item panel or Sync from the Structural model
panel to update the whole model.
The geometry and load effects were updated and you can click Open to check the project item.
IDEA StaECa opens and you can see the updated geometry while the design operaEons keep their se]ngs.
However, be mindful that some changes might result in an invalid design and as such these changes should
undergo a thorough design review process.
You can check and adjust the design, recalculate and code-check the member, save and close it. Then you can
conEnue imporEng and code-checking more joints or members.
Want to improve your skills? Visit our Campus
Learn how to use IDEA StaECa effecEvely with our self-paced e-learning courses
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Attached Downloads
Start - IdeaStaECa-MemberTutorialExample.zip (ZIP, 306 kB)
ARSAP-Member-Tutorial.rtd (RTD, 920 kB)
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