New features in GRAITEC New Version 2023 of Advance PowerPack

Automatic rebar splitting on RC Slab module

To increase the usability of rebar drawings and reinforcement schedules generated in RC Slab, the possibility of automatic splitting of rebars exceeding a certain limit has been introduced.  The rebars can be split using several splitting methods:

•  Welding – Bars are lapped on a defined length and connected by welding
• Mechanical couplers – Bars are offset by a defined gap length and are then mechanically connected
• Bars lapping: Bars are connected by lapping.  The lap length value can be defined either automatically, or as a multiple of diameter, or as a constant value for all diameters

Improvements to the combination definition window

The window used to define and manage load combinations has been updated. Among the changes, it is worth mentioning a unification of content for all 4 tabs (Combinations, Concrete, Steel, Timber) as well as adding a new Type column to the table in the Combinations tab. Thanks to this it is much easier and faster to check the type of the generated combination, and also, if necessary, to modify the type in an intuitive and fast way by selecting it from the list directly in the table.

Russian interface language

The Russian language has been added to the list of available languages in the design modules of Advance Design. Changing the interface language will allow working in Russian, which is especially important for Russian-speaking users of the reinforcement detailing and design tools in the Graitec PowerPack for Revit. Changing the report language allows you to create documentation in Russian.

Timber material database according to Canadian standard

The material database in Advance Design has been expanded with various types of wood used in Canada. This will make it easier to model a structure for FEM calculations when it contains wood elements typical for North American countries. The new libraries allow the selection of the wood types compliant with Canadian standard O86, including Glue-laminated timber, Structural composite lumber (SCL), Visually stress-graded sawn lumber (Visual), Machine evaluated sawn lumber (MEL) and Machine stress-graded sawn lumber (MSR).

New display mode for results on surface elements

When displaying results for planar elements, you can now select a new Display mode called Iso map. This is a new type of map that displays areas of uniform color for values within a given scale range. This way of presentation makes it easier to check the results and works not only with FEM results but also for RC results.

New calculation method of the anchorage length for Base plate connections

For the Base Plate and Tubular Base Plate joints, to determine the bond resistance of anchors subjected to tension, an anchorage length needs to be computed. Starting with version 2022.1, the anchorage length calculation has changed:

•  For the French design annex, the anchorage length is computed according to both CNC2M and Eurocode 2 recommendations, and the smallest length is used to compute the bond resistance.
•  For the other localizations, Eurocode 2 recommendations are used to determine the anchorage length.
  Along with new verifications, new messages and warnings have been added, making it much easier to control calculations.

Online help improvements

In parallel with the program enhancements, the online help of Advance Design is also being improved. By separating the Help from the program version, the online Help is improved independently and continuously. Recent improvements include adding new pages, updating graphics, expanding multiple descriptions, and reorganizing the Help structure to make it easier to find information.

Improvements to paper sizes of drawings

A set of improvements to drawings generated by design modules of Advance Design have been introduced in the 2022.1 version. The most important improvements are related to drawing paper sizes. Now, dwg template files with title block have been modified and contain not only the title block contour but also the paper size contour.  And the margin widths can now be changed directly in the Sheet drawing area, separately for each edge.  When changing the margins, the drawing table is scaled, but not the layout and scale of the views themselves.  In addition to the existing default templates for A3 and A4 paper sizes, additional templates for A1 and A2 paper sizes have been added to the Title block template list.

Improvements to Info Panels on design modules

To make it easier to view the contents of tables in the Info Panel, a vertical slider has been added for the entire contents of the Info Panel as well as separate horizontal sliders for each table. This will speed up checking the contents of the table without having to increase the size of the view window. In addition, in the RC column module, an additional column with information about the combination that was decisive for given reinforcement has been added. A new column is available in the group with results of reinforcement verification (longitudinal top / bottom, shear in X / Y).

New rules for torsion analysis of steel profiles (according to EC3 and NTC)

Until now, torsion analysis for steel profiles in Advance Design was performed for closed profiles. Starting with version 2022.1, torsion analysis according to Eurocode 3 and the Italian NTC standard has been extended to include open profiles (such as I-sections).

Eurocode 3 and NTC 2018 specify that steel sections should be verified for torsion using total torsional moment as the sum of two internal effects: St. Venant torsion and warping torsion. Now, in Advance Design, the verification for torsion is done using both torsion components, if available. Note that for the standard static analysis (using a finite element with 6 degrees of freedom) we only have the St. Venant component available. To obtain the warping component as well, it is required to use the Advanced Stability analysis (which uses a finite element with 7 degrees of freedom).

Along with the above changes in the calculation, the verification descriptions for torsion have also been updated, and there can be two types of description, according to the scope of the calculation:

•  ‘Torsion St. Venant’ – if Advance Stability analysis is not enabled and torsion is analyzed for the St. Venant component.
• ‘Total torsion’ – if Advance Stability analysis has been enabled and torsion is analyzed for both components: St. Venant and warping.