Software Platform for the Integration of Design Code Checks into Building Information Modelling

Due to the great freedom in contemporary structural design, conventional design techniques cannot be applied to all spatial compositions and new materials. Widely available CAE software often tries to automate more common check methods found in (inter)national norms, but does not provide universal solutions. The complexity of modern structures, while economical and aesthetically appealing, requires that the engineer often write his/her own checks or perform manual calculations.

Design Forms (SDF) is a new software technology that enables the easy, on-the-fly writing of customised engineering algorithms and design checks by means of simplified programming. The application uses a C#-based, object-oriented scripting language, and is furnished with an intuitive UI, a full set of mathematical and logical operators, possibilities to include text and graphical descriptions, tables, charts and extensive reports. Built-in toolboxes with engineering formulae and libraries help the user-developer create standalone solutions that can be reused, shared, sold commercially, and linked to CAE software where advanced GUI and 3D visualisation possibilities may be used while pre- and post-processing. This paper presents the SDF tool and illustrates its use by means of practical examples of structural design and detailing.