ES10844

Integration of Robot Structural Analysis Professional

with Advance Steel
Artur Kosakowski
Autodesk
Learning Objectives

Learn how to exchange and update an analytical and fabrication model 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

Description
In this class we will cover the workflow for the design of steel and structures, starting with a focus on
the interoperability between structural design and steel fabrication programs from Autodesk, Inc.

Your AU Experts
Artur Kosakowski is the Senior Support Specialist for Autodesk, and a structural engineer. He has a
master degree in structural engineering from Cracow's University of Technology. He has been working as
a Support Specialist since 1996 for Robobat and since 2008 for Autodesk supporting Robots users
worldwide.

Integration Robot Structural Analysis Professional with Advance Steel

Introduction

No, this is not going to be the Navisworks class but in fact this is what may happen when the analytical
and fabrication models are created with limited knowledge of the surroundings. How many times you as
a structural engineers learnt that your supporting column turns out to be in the middle of a
transportation road or over an underground tunnel? Or your bracing is just where a main air ducts is
located or where empty space for machinery assembly is required? The link allowing you to start your
analytical model in AutoCAD based application may where you can see all the obstacles may be just an
aspirin you need for your headache.
The Advance Steel - Robot Integration allows 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 steel connections

Integration Robot Structural Analysis Professional with Advance Steel

Assumptions and scope of data transfer

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 another 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. What it means is:

Change of analytical model of imported AS model in RSA cannot influence a fabrication model in AS
after update

Change of sections in AS for a structure updated from RSA cannot destroy already corrected
calculation model in RSA during subsequent synchronization

All attributes such as releases, supports, member types, loads, load combinations have to be
preserved

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

o

Link developed in RSA

o

All necessary features already available in Advance 2016

After installation new option available in RSA Add-in menu

Advance -> RSA transfer direction:

o

Linear (bar) elements only

Gratings transferred as claddings

RSA -> Advance transfer direction:

o

Linear (bar) elements only

Elements position changes not transferred

Internal forces

Supports, Releases

Integration Robot Structural Analysis Professional with Advance Steel

Solution Architecture

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

Development assumptions

Advance - .smlx file and associated component (import/export/synchronize/mapping)

RSA - .smx and associated components (import/export/synchronize/mapping)

REX technology

Transfer based on AS smlx file already being used for the link between AS and Revit as well as Plant3D
and AS which allowed for the link between Plant3D and RSA. Smlx file is then converted to smx file used
for the link between RSA and Revit to store RSA analytical model information.

How to start the link

The link can be started from either AS or RSA.

From AS by switching to Export & Import part of the Ribbon and selection of Advance export /
import / synchronization buttons

Integration Robot Structural Analysis Professional with Advance Steel

or the ones from the Revit group

Both sets of buttons execute the same AS commands so there is no difference which group you want to
use.

From RSA by selecting Add-Ins > Integration > Autodesk Advance Steel commands followed by
Export / Import / Synchronize from Advance options

Integration Robot Structural Analysis Professional with Advance Steel

For transfer of models from Plant 3D to RSA or AS use Advance Steel XML Export button

What is transferred and how (mapping)

The conversions of materials and profiles from RSA to AS are based on the internal AS mechanism
developed for its synchronization with Revit. For import from AS to RSA, Robot REX mapping tool
developed for RSA link with Revit is used.
Advance Steel features

Export
Exports an Advance Steel model to a .smlx file.

Import
Imports the whole model from a .smlx file.
Note: Use it when transferring your model for the first time as you cannot track modifications to the
model done in Robot

Synchronization
Allows you to track and update model modifications made in Robot using a .smlx file.
Note: 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.

Note: If you exported selected objects to a .smlx file and modified them in Robot, select these objects in
the Advance Steel model before you load the modified .smlx file. Otherwise, objects not included in the
exported selection display as deleted in the Synchronization dialog.

Integration Robot Structural Analysis Professional with Advance Steel

List of changes to be made can be saved before executing synchronization as doc file

Integration Robot Structural Analysis Professional with Advance Steel

Advance Steel Mapping

Converts Materials and Sections

o

Automatic matching materials and sections from RSA to materials and sections existing in
Advance

Manual matching for these not possible to match automatically

Robot Structural Analysis features

Integration Robot Structural Analysis Professional with Advance Steel

Export
Exports a Robot model to a .smlx file.

Import
Imports the whole model from a .smlx file.
Note: Use it for the first transfer of the model. Using Import, you cannot track modifications to the
model done in Advance Steel.

Synchronization
Use it to track and update model modifications made in Advance Steel using .smlx file.
Note: After you select this option, the Synchronize dialog opens. It displays a list of all
modifications to your model made during the recent transfer in Advance Steel. You can select
modifications to synchronize. It updates your model with only these modifications.

Integration Robot Structural Analysis Professional with Advance Steel

Robot Structural Analysis Mapping

Converts Materials and Sections

o Automatic matching materials and sections from Advance to materials and sections existing
in RSA
o Manual matching for these not possible to match automatically using Content Generator.
o RSA sections labels available for manual mapping

List of transferred object types and sections:

An object or section is present in the source application and is imported to the target application
An object or section is present in the source application, but is not imported to the target application
N/A An object or section is not available in the source application

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Transferred Objects

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Transferred Sections

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Integration Robot Structural Analysis Professional with Advance Steel

Note: Mapping of user defined I sections in Robot to welded I sections in AS with search of component
plates is done only when both programs are installed on the same computer

Robot Structural Analysis Additional options

Export with calculation results

Available when you selected Export for transfer action. Exports analysis results with a model from
Robot to a .smlx file. In Advance Steel, it creates nodes in the transferred model. These nodes
contain information about supports, releases, and values of internal forces from Robot. You can use
values of internal forces to perform code checking of connections in Advance Steel.

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Export current selection

The option becomes available when you selected Export for transfer action and made a selection in
the drawing area. Exports only selected model elements to a .smlx file. If analysis results are
available for the selected elements, they can also be exported.

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Structural elements only

Available when you selected Import or Synchronize from Advance for transfer action. Transfers only
Advance Steel elements for which the Structural members option is selected in Advance Steel, in the
element properties dialog, on the Behavior tab.

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Create Advance model as background

Available when you selected Import or Synchronize from Advance for transfer action. The
background displays geometry of the Advance Steel model from the recent transfer. It allows you to
track differences in the model geometry between Advance Steel and Robot. Its display can be
switched on and off in Robot

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Analytical vs. fabrication model. Solid shape vs. line representation of profiles
In AS important is shape and exact position of a profile with respect to other profiles

In RSA important are section properties and model connectivity

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3D solid profile shape for RSA is informative therefore analytical model may not be exactly the same
as the fabrication one when you switch display of section shapes on in RSA

The analytical line display in AS can be switched on in the following way:

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Integration Robot Structural Analysis Professional with Advance Steel

Note: As you will get incorrect internal forces in elements due to support level, 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.

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Integration Robot Structural Analysis Professional with Advance Steel

Correction of an analytical model imported from AS or Plant 3D in RSA can be done with the following
features of RSA:

Detailed correction

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Moving nodes by translation

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Rigid links definition

Steel Design in RSA: structural model and code parameters

Starting model in AS or Plant3D for design in RSA you should consider modeling it according to RSA steel
design model requirements. This topic has been covered in details in the 3rd RSA webinar on steel design
which recording is available from:
http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/robot-structural-analysis/robot-structural-analysis-webinars/tdp/5523337

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The main principles of creating a correct model are shown on the presented below slides from this
presentation. Regardless of a kind of a structure you design it is extremely important that you create its
model in a manner that allows you to assign correct design parameters to each of its elements. Define
elements of a model in such a way that enables easy definition of SLS limits for each of them.

Beams

In order to be able to assign correct deflection limits to multi-span beams they should be defined with
separate elements for each span. In addition cantilevers should be entered as separate bars too.

Columns

Enter columns as single elements instead of being defined through the entire height of a structure which
allows for defining their horizontal displacements limits. This is also recommended for models with
defined seismic analysis especially when you want to access results for stories.

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Integration Robot Structural Analysis Professional with Advance Steel

Such modeling allows you for correct definition of design parameters too:

For typical beams you may consider using automatic detection of elements which prevent the beam
from buckling in each of its two local planes

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You may also assume that in most of the situations load is applied to the upper flange of a beam and
adjoining elements stand for restrains against lateral buckling for this flange. For the lower flange (as
lateral buckling can happen only when the flange is under compression) you may set the restrains at the
locations where bending moment changes its sign.

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Integration Robot Structural Analysis Professional with Advance Steel

For columns in regular buildings you may use automatic buckling length option which calculates buckling
length coefficient for a column based on the stiffness of elements which are defined in its top and
bottom nodes.

For columns in irregular structures as well as trusses or electricity towers you may refer to values
suggested in the literature and enter the recommended values of buckling length coefficients in the way
shown on the slide below:

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Mind that you may join elements or divide them into fabrication ones after determining their final sizes
in RSA after you exported the final calculation model to AS using the Merge beams command or divide
them using Split beams one to create final site delivery assemblies.

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Integration Robot Structural Analysis Professional with Advance Steel

The detailed coverage of steel design module of RSA has been done during the 3rd RSA webinar which
recording (as well as recordings of other webinars) is available from:
http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/robot-structural-analysis/robot-structural-analysis-webinars/tdp/5523337

Design of connections in RSA

Design of connection in RSA is based on selection of elements of a model and forces in these elements
obtained from static analysis of a structure

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Design of connections in AS
After exporting an RSA model exported with final section sizes and results you can design connections in
AS against forces imported from Robot

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Separate connections vs. groups of connections (Tools palette in AS)

In AS you can design separate connections or group them indicating the master one. The change done
for the master connection will be automatically done for all others in the group and the slave ones are
not editable till the moment you exclude them from the group.

Note: Mind that for the group of connections verification can be run for forces from a master joint only
therefore determine the connection with larges forces in RSA first and then upgrade this connection to
master in AS

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Calculation note is generated as html file in AS

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Such created note can be converted to rtf format (e.g. via Word) and inserted into RSA documentation
template

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Generation of drawings in AS
Note: It is necessary to run numbering first

Mind to run numbering for both single parts (marked by default) and assemblies

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You use Drawing Processes button to decide what kind of drawings you want to generate

and Document Manager to manage already generated drawings

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Use Camera views to generate drawings of connections available from Tools palette

You can use them for generation of anchor plan, column or beam arrangement as well.

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