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Integration of Robot Structural Analysis Professional

with Advance Steel

Artur Kosakowski Technical Support Senior Specialist

In this class we will cover the workflow for the design of

steel structures focusing on the interoperability between

structural design and steel fabrication programs from

Autodesk, Inc.

Class summary

At the end of this class, you will:

Learn how to exchange and update analytical and fabrication models of

a steel structure

Learn how to determine required sizes of steel profiles for applied loads

Learn how to create and run verification of steel connections

Learn how to produce fabrication drawings

Key learning objectives

Introduction

The Advance Steel to Robot Integration allows for bidirectional structural data

exchange between Autodesk® Advance Steel® 2016 and Autodesk® Robot™

Structural Analysis Professional 2016

Objectives of the link:

Exchange structural framing elements, material, and geometry

Share internal forces calculated in Robot

In order to:

Import Robot structural models to Advance Steel in order to detail steel

elements, automatically generate fabrication drawings and verify connection

types not available in RSA

Import Advance Steel models (elements, sections, and materials) to Robot in

order to perform structural analysis and code checking for elements of a model

as well as run verification of steel connections

Where to download from?

Conceptual assumptions

Each program is responsible for its own model type to avoid a situation when

modification in either of the program “destroys” a model in the other one

Transfer of analytical lines from AS to Robot with preserved information on

system line position defined in AS

Keeping the attributes and loads defined in RSA during transfer to AS

Functional assumptions

The link supports AS 2016 and RSA 2016. There is no support of older versions of

these programs.

No changes in Advance Steel All necessary features already available in Advance 2016

Link interface added in RSA After installation the link is available from RSA Add-in menu

Advance Steel to RSA transfer direction: Linear (bar) elements only

Gratings transferred as claddings

RSA to Advance Steel transfer direction: Linear (bar) elements only

Elements position changes not transferred

Internal forces

Supports, Releases

Solution Architecture

Advance .smlx format is used as a proxy file for structural data exchange

Development assumptions

AS - .smlx file and

associated component

(import/export/synchronize/

mapping)

RSA - .smx and associated

components

(import/export/synchronize/

mapping)

REX technology

How to start the link

From AS by switching to Export & Import

part of the Ribbon and selection of

Advance export / import /

synchronization buttons or the ones from

the Revit group

From RSA by selecting Add-Ins >

Integration > Autodesk Advance Steel

commands followed by Export / Import /

Synchronize from Advance options

For transfer of models from Plant 3D to

RSA or AS use Advance Steel XML

Export button

What is transferred and how: Advance Steel features

Export

Import

Synchronization

After you select this option the

Synchronisation dialog displays a list

of all modifications made to your model

during the recent transfer from RSA.

You can select modifications to

synchronize. It will update your model

with only these modifications.

List of changes to be made can be

saved before executing

synchronization as a .doc file

What is transferred and how: Advance Steel Mapping

Automatic matching materials and sections from RSA to materials and sections

existing in Advance

Manual matching for these not possible to match automatically

What is transferred and how: RSA features

Export

Import

Synchronization

After you select this option the

Synchronisation dialog displays a list

of all modifications made to your model

during the recent transfer from

Advance Steel. You can select

modifications to synchronize. It will

update your model with only these

modifications.

What is transferred and how: RSA Mapping

Automatic matching materials and

sections from Advance to materials

and sections existing in RSA

Manual matching for these not

possible to match automatically

using REX Content Generator

RSA sections labels available for

manual mapping

List of transferred object types and sections:

List of transferred object types and sections:

Mapping Robot Structural Analysis – additional

options for export

Export with calculation results

Export current selection

Mapping Robot Structural Analysis – additional

options for import

Structural

elements only

Create Advance

Steel model as

backgrounds

Analytical vs. fabrication model. Solid shape vs. line

representation of profiles

Analytical vs. fabrication model. Solid shape vs.

line representation of profiles

Analytical vs. fabrication model. How exact they

should be.

Positions of beams with respect to their

system lines as defined in AS cannot be

simply modeled in RSA as offsets.

The geometry of a model as defined in

AS may need refinement to avoid very

short calculation elements or lack of

connections among bars of a structure.

The exact geometry defined AS in many

cases should be “simplified” for static

analysis (calculations) of a model to

avoid unwanted secondary effects in

RSA.

How to „correct” fabrication model

Detailed correction

Moving nodes by translation

Rigid links definition

How to use the link

Plant 3D > RSA > AS > Plant 3D (Xref

or Object Enabler)

How to use the link

AS > RSA > AS

How to use the link

RSA > AS

Steel Design in RSA: structural model and code

parameters

Starting model in AS or Plant3D for further design in RSA you should consider

creating it according to RSA steel design model requirements

RSA webinar on steel design:

Steel Design in RSA: beams

Define beam elements in such a way it is easy to assign design parameters.

Consider the positions of their supports (columns)

Create multi span beams as

single elements among

supports (columns) rather

than single elements and

cantilevers as separate bars

so that it is easy to define

SLS (deflection) limits

Steel Design in RSA: columns

Enter columns as single elements between beams instead of being defined

through the entire height of a structure which allows for defining their

displacement limits

Steel Design in RSA: superbars

Use „‟superbars” when there is a need to split columns and beams between

supports e.g. to define a connection or to change its section size on a part of

its length

How to define design parameters

Member type definition for typical beams

How to define design parameters

Member type definition for typical beams – internal bracings

How to define design parameters

Member type definition - columns in regular buildings

How to define design parameters

Member type definition – other columns or bracing

How to define design parameters

Finding best matching section - code group definition

How to define design parameters

Finding best matching section - settings of limits and optimization criteria

How to manage the results Finding which elements failed

Replacing sections with the best ones

Want to learn more?

knowledge.autodesk.com

Articles for covered topics:

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/robot-structural-analysis-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2015/ENU/Robot/files/GUID-

13B611CB-0D28-499B-A331-693BF64C3EF6-htm.html

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/robot-structural-analysis-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2015/ENU/Robot/files/GUID-

0FAD8DB0-AB28-4271-A99F-0842CAE16017-htm.html

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/robot-structural-analysis-products/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/ROBOT-STEEL-

DESIGN-which-is-the-top-flange-for-lateral-buckling-verification.html

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/robot-structural-analysis-products/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/ROBOT-Steel-design-

Fire-verification-design.html

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/robot-structural-analysis-products/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/ROBOT-STEEL-

DESIGN-how-design-user-defined-thin-walled-section.html

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/robot-structural-analysis-products/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/ROBOT-STEEL-

DESIGN-how-design-user-defined-thin-walled-section.html

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/robot-structural-analysis-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2015/ENU/Robot/files/GUID-

7BE43F09-40C5-4D34-AE87-99652EDF227E-htm.html

Troubleshooting Articles – this is a new page focused around your most common troubleshooting problems:

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/robot-structural-analysis-products/troubleshooting#?sort=score

Steel Connection Design in RSA

Design of connection in RSA is based on selection of elements of a model

and forces obtained from static analysis of a structure

Steel Connection Design in AS

After exporting an RSA model with final section sizes and results you can

design connections in AS against forces imported from Robot

Steel Connection Design in AS

Separate connections vs. groups of connections

AS Steel Connection Design in RSA

Calculation note from AS in RSA

Generation of drawings in AS

Run numbering first

Generation of drawings in AS

Use Drawing Processes button to decide

what kind of drawings you want to

generate

Use Document Manager to manage

already generated drawings

Generation of drawings in AS

Use Camera views to generate drawings of connections

Use Camera views for generation of anchor plan, column or beam arrangement

Questions ?

Voice of Customer

Seek answers to all of your technical product

questions by visiting the Answer Bar.

Open daily 8am-10am and Noon-6pm and

located just outside of Hall C on Level 2.

Staffed by Autodesk developers, QA,

& support engineers ready to help

you through your most challenging

technical questions.

More Questions? Visit the AU Answer Bar

Via the Survey Stations, email or mobile device.

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