Trimble recently announced the latest release of its structural building information modeling (BIM) software solutions for the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Included in the lineup are Tekla Structures 2019, Tekla Structural Designer 2019, Tekla Tedds 2019, and Tekla EPM 2019.
Tekla’s BIM software solutions help architects, engineers, contractors, building managers and property owners with engineering and fabrication management for structural steel, precast and cast-in-place concrete. From design to detailing and construction to lifecycle management, Tekla’s BIM solutions provide the platforms to assist with project workflows and collaboration, helping to ensure successful projects. So, let’s take a look at what the latest release of Tekla’s BIM software solutions has to offer.
Tekla Structures 2019
Tekla Structures 2019 includes new and improved features that bring increased control and productivity to project workflows. Everything from design, estimating, detailing and collaboration have been addressed with this latest release.
- Geometry improvements: Curved structures have always been more difficult to detail and fabricate, making them costlier. The new release includes improvements in describing curved structures, such as bent plates and staircases, helping to increase productivity and eliminate the need for costly workarounds.
- New automated features: Automated production of detailed drawings from the model along with upgraded precast production data exports streamline the workflow from detailing to production.
- CIP workflow enhancements: Detailing and documenting reinforced concrete has also been improved with rebar rounding at the model, set and modifier levels, resulting in more intuitive control and efficiency. Structured pour takeoffs, reports and drawings have been addressed with improved Pour Unit and formwork tools. They have been upgraded and simplified to boost efficiencies in the formwork workflow.
- Revit Export: Collaboration has been improved thanks to new tools such as Revit Export, which provides greater flexibility when working with Revit .rvt files, and the Design-to-Cost tool, which supports faster value engineering and more economical precast solutions.
- Bridge Creator extension: Bridge design phase workflows have been improved with the new customized bridge designer role and ribbon menu that’s chock-full of bridge design tools meant to boost productivity.
- Drawings: The best designs still require fabrication drawings to manufacture and erect a structure. The latest software includes drawing improvements such as annotation cloning for faster and easier creation of general arrangement drawings, more intelligent handling of drawing views, improved dimensioning productivity, and increased support for a variety of BIM objects. Adherence to CAD standards are easier thanks to enhanced Drawing Content Management and aligned marks.
Tekla Structural Designer 2019
Structural fabrication and subsequent erection can’t happen until the design phase is complete and vetted. This upgrade provides streamlined flexibility and interoperability that increase the efficiency of the design phase workflow. There is a new Core Walls feature that helps enhance real-world simulation and constructible core wall modeling. There are also new and improved export features that focus on data interoperability with Tekla Structures and Autodesk Revit. The user interface of Tekla Structural Designer and Tekla Structures has also been fine-tuned for an improved overall user experience.
Tekla Tedds 2019
Calculations such as connections, beam loads, seismic and wind are all part of the structural workflow. Tedds helps automate these tedious and repetitive structural calculations with customizable tools and libraries. It brings even better integration with Tekla Structures, resulting in improved design management for users of both Tekla products. After the calculations are complete, Tedds also provides professional PDF BIM design documentation.
Tekla EPM 2019
Tekla’s Estimating and Production Management (EPM) tool helps standardize the estimating process and gives project managers real-time visibility to the progress of a project and brings increased efficiencies and automation to purchasing and production control. It adds improvements to EPM—earlier versions of Tekla EPM are known as FabSuite—by introducing an advanced model-based viewer that increases productivity by providing enhanced collaboration and real-time visualization for steel fabrication management.
Tekla has been providing structural engineering software since the late 1960s. Trimble has been adding value to that since 2011. The 2019 Tekla Structural BIM software solutions continue to provide architects, engineers, contractors, building managers and property owners the tools to design, detail, fabricate and erect construction projects of all sizes from bridges to skyscrapers.
To learn more and download Tekla 2019 versions, visit www.tekla.com/2019.