Presenting a parametric workflow developed for a complex architectural project.
Built in #Grasshopper and integrated with #RhinoInsideRevit, this script generates the Building Envelope Mesh and automates the creation of underlying structure, and GFRC facade elements directly within Revit.
Key highlights:
- Automated #BIM element generation with complete data and parameters.
- Seamless integration between computational design and BIM environments.
- Flexible, rapid iteration for precise control over structural and facade systems.
Beyond the facade, the workflow also:
- Designs the structural framework for an organic dome.
- Positions windows to maximize natural lighting conditions.
- Optimizes site components, including paths, roads, and communication areas.
This script consolidates multiple complex systems into a unified parametric process, enabling efficient coordination and accurate BIM documentation.
Developed by Eltun A.
VAMI
P.S. Probably one of the biggest Grasshopper scripts in the world.
#ParametricDesign#Grasshopper3D#RhinoInsideRevit#BIM#GFRC#FacadeDesign#ArchitecturalEngineering#ComputationalDesign
🔍 Automating Section Definition in ETABS with Python & API Tool
Defining reinforced concrete sections in ETABS can be a tedious and error-prone process, especially when dealing with complex reinforcement configurations. To streamline this workflow, I developed a Python-based ETABS API tool that automates section creation, reinforcement placement, and material assignment—saving time while improving accuracy.
In my latest Medium blog, I cover:
✅ Section Designer in ETABS – Understanding its role in interaction surfaces, moment-curvature analysis, and structural optimization.
✅ Automating Section Creation – Seamlessly defining section geometry, materials, and reinforcement details using Python.
✅ Material & Reinforcement Assignment – Fetching concrete and rebar materials directly from ETABS to ensure consistency.
✅ Handling ETABS Database Tables – Efficiently updating section properties, rebar placement, and tie configurations through scripting.
✅ Time-Saving & Accuracy Benefits – Eliminating manual input errors while optimizing structural workflows.
🔗 Read the full blog here: https://lnkd.in/dmTM-Exb
🔹 Key Insights & Next Steps:
📌 Automating section creation in ETABS significantly reduces design time and ensures precision in reinforcement detailing.
📌 Next step: Extending ETABS API automation for nonlinear analysis, parametric section properties, and large-scale model integration.
📌 Python scripting enables engineers to integrate material, reinforcement, and load data, ensuring compliance with design codes while improving efficiency.
#StructuralEngineering#Python#ETABS#Automation#ReinforcedConcrete#Programming#EngineeringInnovation
AI in Structural Engineering (STAAD & ETABS) — what’s actually changing?
Not theory.
Not fundamentals.
But the way we work.
Here’s where AI is already helping:
• Model generation from drawings → less manual modeling
• Auto load cases & combinations → fewer missed cases
• Smart design checks → instant failure detection with reasons
• Analysis optimization → better mesh, settings, faster runs
• Result interpretation → highlights critical zones automatically
• Report generation → BOQs, summaries in minutes
In tools like STAAD & ETABS,
AI is quietly removing 60–70% repetitive work.
What stays human?
→ Engineering judgment
→ Assumptions
→ Final decisions
The real advantage isn’t AI.
It’s engineers who know:
what to trust, what to verify, and what to question.
Strong basics + Smart tools = next-level engineering ⚙️
#StructuralEngineering#ETABS#STAAD#AIinEngineering#CivilEngineering#SmartDesign
Weekend Insights | #72
A typical screenshot from a Computational Designer's screen !
One of many advantages of a CD approach
At Ramboll, we are committed to delivering the best outcomes for our clients and projects. To achieve this, we embed computational design into our workflows, ensuring efficiency, precision, and innovation. Below is an example I took from my screen, of a live workflow in action, showcasing how we integrate multiple tools seamlessly.
What You See:
- Grasshopper (GH): The main driver for inputs and parametric modeling.
- Rhino: Complements GH by allowing manual adjustments and real-time visualization of results.
- Revit + Rhino.Inside.Revit: Eliminates the need for remodeling by pushing geometry directly into Revit, complete with families.
- One Click LCA: Connected to GH (gh plugin) to perform carbon assessments and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA).
- [Missed Screenshot]: Grasshopper links to ETABS for structural analysis, ensuring geometry is analyzed effectively.
Results of This Workflow:
- Parametric Modeling: Facilitates flexible and efficient design iterations.
- Reduced Redundancy: Eliminates the need to remodel geometry across multiple platforms.
- Rapid Iterations: Enables quick optioneering to optimize designs structurally and sustainably.
- Streamlined Visualization: Produces clear results in a short time.
- Centralized Control: Inputs and changes are managed in one place (Grasshopper), ensuring interoperability between tools for seamless updates.
- Consistent Quality: Maintains high-quality outcomes throughout project phases, enabling efficient updates ahead of deadlines.
- Scalability: This workflow can integrate automated tools for reports, detailed drawings, optimization algorithms, and more.
Why It Matters:
If you’re not working at this level, you’re missing out on valuable time savings with higher quality. By automating repetitive tasks, engineers can shift their focus to crafting the best designs, leaving the tedious work to the machines !
🚀 Kickstarting Your STAAD Pro Journey! 🏗️
I've designed a comprehensive step-by-step guide to help beginners master the art of modelling and designing RCC buildings in STAAD Pro, following Indian Standards (IS Codes) 📜. This guide aims to simplify complex processes and provide a strong foundation for structural design.
💡 What’s Covered?
✅ Geometry Creation for Unsymmetric Floors
Learn how to model complex floor layouts with irregular geometry and ensure proper alignment of nodes, beams, and supports.
✅ Assigning Properties and Supports
Define material properties for RCC structures and assign supports (fixed, pinned, or roller) to replicate real-world conditions accurately.
✅ Creating Groups for Beams
Understand how to create separate groups for one-way and two-way slabs, making it easier to apply loads and perform design checks.
✅ Load Patterns and Combinations
Define load cases and combinations as per IS 875 (Part 1, 2, and 3) for dead, live, and wind loads, and as per IS 1893:2016 for seismic analysis.
✅ Floor Loads Without Modeling Slabs
Discover how to apply floor loads directly to beams when slabs are not modeled, with options for one-way and two-way load distribution.
✅ Design Checks as per IS 456:2000
Learn how to run design checks for concrete members (beams, columns, slabs) to ensure compliance with IS 456:2000 provisions.
✅ Automation Tips for Repetitive Tasks
Explore tools like grouping and macros to automate repetitive modelling, loading, and analysis tasks, saving significant time and effort.
💡 Why IS Codes?
Indian Standards (IS Codes) are the backbone of structural safety and reliability. This guide incorporates key provisions to ensure your designs are compliant with:
IS 456:2000 for RCC design.
IS 875 for dead, live, and wind loads.
IS 1893:2016 for seismic weight and earthquake resistance.
These codes ensure your designs are robust, practical, and ready for real-world implementation.
💭 Your Feedback Matters!
This guide is meant to be a living resource. If you feel something is missing or needs refinement, let me know! Together, we can make this an essential tool for all budding structural engineers. 🙌
✨ Let’s inspire the next generation of engineers to build smarter, safer, and more efficient structures using STAAD Pro!
#StructuralEngineering#STAADPro#RCCStructures#IS456#IS875#IS1893#ISCODES#STAADforBeginners#ModelingSteps#SkillBuilding#EngineeringTools#CivilEngineering#BuildingDesign#SeismicDesign#StructuralAnalysis#LearnWithMe#DesignEngineering#ConcreteStructures#StructuralSafety#ConstructionTechnology#FutureEngineers#Etabs
Why Tekla Structures Outperforms Revit for Structural Engineering
Both Tekla Structures and Revit are powerful tools, but when it comes to detailed structural modeling, Tekla often takes the lead. Here are three reasons why:
1. True Constructibility
Tekla Structures is designed with construction in mind. It offers highly detailed, fabrication-level models that go far beyond LOD 400—critical for steel and concrete structures.
2. Superior Reinforcement Detailing
Rebar modeling in Tekla is not just accurate—it’s practical. With precise bend shapes, clash detection, and real-world fabrication integration, Tekla is a clear choice for reinforced concrete.
3. Seamless Steel Fabrication Workflow
Tekla’s direct link to CNC machinery and automatic drawing generation gives it a huge advantage in steel detailing. From model to workshop, the process is streamlined and reliable.
While Revit is a great all-around BIM tool, for structural engineers who care about buildability and production-ready detail, Tekla is hard to beat.
What’s your experience with either platform?
#TeklaStructures#Revit#BIM#StructuralEngineering#ConstructionTech
Revit or Tekla?
We use both. Here’s the difference.
Most teams debate Autodesk Revit and Tekla Structures on features. The truth appears in dense joints.
Let me explain.
In early design bars align, clashes are resolved, schedules generate fast.
Inside Revit, rebar lives in a shared model.
You coordinate with MEP and architects.
Cloud workflows run smoothly.
During design, this works well.
But then comes the real test.
The packed core wall. The slab opening full of bars. The joint no one wants to detail.
On screen, it still looks fine.
On site, it may not.
Revit often needs manual fixes in tight zones. Scripts help with repetition. Yet the model shows design intent.
Not fabrication logic.
Now look at Tekla.
Bar schedules come from real objects. Drawings link to modeled steel. Quantities reflect what gets ordered.
This shifts the mindset.
The model stops being presentation. It becomes production.
You gain reliable take-offs. You align sequencing with site work. You detect issues before formwork closes.
So the question is simple.
Are you modeling for approval?
Or for pouring concrete?
If this topic matters to you, read our new blog and explore it deeper.
Engineers who understand this build safer, faster structures.
Save this framework.
Then open the blog and rethink your next project.
https://lnkd.in/dHD6TSEB
⚙️Let's talk about steel connection design and how Dlubal Software's #RFEM 6 is changing the process! ⚙️
✅ 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝗘𝗔 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴: Every connection is backed by an automatically generated Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model allowing for even the most complex connections to be designed.
✅ 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: Choose from a library of connection templates or build your own using individual components.
✅𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 #𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗖 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝘀: Get complete design checks for plates, welds, and bolts.
But here's the real game changer...
☑️ 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄: Combine full member design with connection design in one file—no more clunky member end force transfer to 3rd party programs!
☑️ 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Automatically calculate and export connection spring stiffnesses to the global model, ensuring more precise member end conditions over traditional fixed or pinned only.
Curious to see it in action? Check out this quick video for more details! 🎥
#StructuralEngineering#ConnectionDesign#FEA#DesignSoftware#InnovationInEngineering#DlubalSoftware#RFEM6#AISC#AISC360
🏗️ Revolutionizing AEC with AI-Powered IFC Parametric Design
Excited to share our latest development: an intelligent IFC Fragments-based tower generator that's transforming how we approach structural design! What makes this truly groundbreaking is that every BIM element gets a unique GUID automatically generated by AI - ensuring perfect traceability and compliance with industry standards from the moment of creation.
🚀 Key Features That Are Game-Changers:
✅ Parametric IFC Generation: Design towers with 1-20 levels and 3-13 bays in each direction - the AI instantly generates compliant IFC entities (columns, beams, foundations) with proper spatial hierarchy
✅ Real-time BIM Dashboard: Live quantity takeoffs, material summaries, and cost estimation as you modify parameters - no more waiting for manual calculations!
✅ Professional AEC Tools: Measurement mode, clash detection, section planes, and architectural grid visualization - all built for real-world workflows
✅ IFC Fragments Integration: Leveraging the power of That Open Company's IFC Fragments for lightning-fast 3D visualization and progressive loading of complex models
✅ Industry-Standard Export: Direct IFC model export with proper entity relationships, property sets (Pset_BeamCommon, Pset_ColumnCommon), and material specifications
🎯 Why IFC Fragments Matters for AEC:
IFC Fragments is revolutionizing how we handle Building Information Models by breaking down massive IFC files into manageable, streamable chunks. This means architects and engineers can now work with complex models in real-time within web browsers - no more heavy desktop software limitations! The fragment-based approach enables instant loading, smooth navigation, and collaborative workflows that were impossible before.
💡 The Future is Here: Imagine designing a 20-story tower, seeing real-time cost impacts, detecting clashes instantly, and sharing the model as a lightweight web link - all while maintaining full IFC compliance. This is the future of digital construction.
What AEC challenges would you solve with AI-powered parametric IFC tools?
#BIM#IFC#ConstructionTech#AEC#DigitalConstruction#Architecture#StructuralEngineering#PropTech#Innovation
This is the quality of ATENEA.
This is not a general overview.
It’s the detail.
In the final Willis Tower model, every beam you see was:
– Placed using grid and level logic
– Aligned to real structural intersections
– Replicated through rule-based grouping, not manual modeling
There are 23,760 beams in this model.
These are not placeholders.
They are consistent structural elements, with clear direction, modulation, and hierarchy.
What matters here is not the quantity.
It’s the quality of the result.
No drifting elements.
No misaligned connections.
No accumulation of small errors.
Each beam follows the same logic a senior architect with structural criteria would apply.
Defined spans.
Repeatable bays.
Clean continuity.
Maintaining this level of consistency manually is hard.
Not because of lack of skill,
but because fatigue always appears.
ATENEA doesn’t get tired.
It applies the same standard to the first beam
and to beam number twenty-three thousand.
That’s what you’re seeing in the image.
Not faster modeling.
Correct execution at scale.
ateneaio.com#AIinArchitecture#BIM#Revit#StructuralBIM#Automation#DesignAutomation#ParametricDesign#ComputationalDesign#ArchitectureTechnology#DigitalConstruction#ConTech#ArtificialIntelligence#ATENEA#IXAIA