At FRAMECAD, we’re focused on transforming the construction industry to enable you to save time and resources; delivering high quality projects faster and within budget. FRAMECAD Structure is a big part of that. So, who’s behind FRAMECAD Structure? And how can you utilise it to streamline your engineering?
Meet the team: Introducing Dr. Darrin Bell
With a background in structural design, and specialist engineering consulting, Research & Development Manager Darrin Bell now works as a sort of in-house engineering consultant, working with both external and internal stakeholders to produce better products.
“I wear two hats – developing products and then supporting our sales team and customers,” shares Darrin. Although spending much of his time on software development, overseeing the software development teams for FRAMECAD’s CAD and engineering software, he also has a large amount of experience working with customers to help them achieve their business objectives and designs.
To drive our customers success, Darrin also spends time involved in the market, training and supporting clients.
Having provided support and advice to customers globally, Darrin has literally written the book, and he’s been responsible for driving the CFS building codes for many countries around the world. His knowledge ensures that FRAMECAD Structure is cutting edge and always serving the needs of our customers. But what makes FRAMECAD Structure so effective?
Speeding up the engineering process
During a traditional build for a 250m2 house, frame detailing can take up to 6 days. Frame and structural engineering adds on up to 5 days, followed by further frame detailing, engineer signoff, and workshop drawings. Overall, the process to take an architect’s design to building authority can take anywhere between 13 and 20 days – and that’s without too many changes.
Based on the powerful IntelliCAD platform, FRAMECAD Structure is an integrated engineering package that saves time and money by automating engineering calculations. It makes these calculations in real-time as the designs are created, analysing loads, deflections and other forces, making it an easy process to optimise building code compliance (no matter where in the world you are) whilst delivering best value engineering practices.
Completing over 25,000 calculations per square metre of roof and walls in seconds, it can improve engineering time by up to 80%.
Utilising FRAMECAD Structure, real-time engineering can be completed alongside detailing in just two days. Getting sign off from an engineer and creating workshop drawings can happen instantly, in just a day. In all, the process from architect’s design to building authority takes just three to five days – a saving of up to 15 days.
By using engineering software like FRAMECAD Structure, the rest of the process is sped up as well, with engineering and BIM information instantly ready for building authority signoff. Using the rest of the FRAMECAD System, construction time sped up considerably too.
Changing how you engineer
CFS construction using the FRAMECAD System is all about speeding up the process – but it’s also about putting experts’ skills to best use.
With traditional construction methods, much of the decision-making happens on site, relying on the skill of the builder on the job. Using a design-led construction process, the skill moves upstream; decision- making responsibilities are transferred to the designers and engineers, and are no longer the domain of on-site labourers.
The future of engineering isn’t reviewing tables and conducting calculations manually. Instead, by removing the manual aspects of a traditional engineering role, you’re freed up to use your knowledge and skills to deliver code compliant designs more efficiently, allowing simple designs to be signed off quickly and easily.
So how does the process work utilising FRAMECAD Structure?
Traditionally, following the final architectural iterations, architectural drawings are transitioned into workshop drawings (‘detailing’) and a bill of materials (‘BOM’). Traditionally, an engineer will need to be deeply involved with this process – checking everything from wind load
to seismic suitability. Because of the frequent feedback loops between authorities, developers and architects, engineers may need to keep reconfiguring their changes on the basis of alterations made in other parts of the design chain. This adds up – in terms of both time and money.
FRAMECAD has revolutionised this process by enabling the different members of the design chain to easily collaborate and make changes through fully integrated software. Changes from authorities, the developer, or architect don’t force engineers to fully reconfigure the engineered designs. Instead, any engineer can step in and integrate changes without having to start from scratch – saving valuable time and resources.
In-house support from in-house engineers
“At FRAMECAD, we know what we’re doing – and there’s always someone there to help. If something goes wrong, the person you’re talking to might not know the answer, but somebody will and the problem can be solved,” describes Darrin when it comes to the ongoing support provided to all FRAMECAD customers.
With the team comprised of experienced engineers, designers, developers, and other specialists, the technical knowledge among the team is second to none, providing expertise and reliability.
“In a month’s time or 10 year’s time, there’ll be someone there to help.”