What is Autodesk Advance Steel and what brings to the table?

We all have heard of Autodesk Revit Structure and its capabilities for the generation not only of analytical models but the actual detail of section, beams, columns and connections of all kind, from those between hot and cold-rolled profiles to the one of anchorages in the foundations of a full building structure.

 

So what is the deal with Advance Steel? And how is it different from Revit Structure?

Well let's begin by saying that for whatever process you can thing of, there's always a more efficient way to do it!
That in essence is Advance Steel...But let get a little more into detail.

Revit Structure for example handles a ample type of structures, bringing all the capabilities of BIM Design. However by not being specific to one or another type of structure, it does require of some manual work. Detailing of connections is not precisely automatic, nor the generation (solving) of the connection itself. Although there's a sort of workaround if we generate the corresponding family objects for future projects.

Advance Steel in the other hand and by focusing on the design of Steel Structures, brings a lot of powerful tools for the seemingly automatic generation and detailing of connections.

Generation of Beams and Columns, through the usage of catalog or customized sections, is quite easy and not different form drawing a couple of lines. But where Advance Steel shines, is in the automatic generation of connections between any given amount of selected profiles and that we can choose from a broad catalog, AKA Advance Steel Connection Vault.

Connections of all type won't just automatically adjust to the selected beams and columns, but will allow for an easy edition, from the different types of reinforcements to be used, such as brackets, to type of bolts or welding and most importantly, the automatic verification of these based upon the given internal forces and stresses; both of which can be easily obtained through Autodesk RSA.

Furthermore, Adavance Steel will automatically generate the detailed drawings for each element of the structure, for sections of beams and columns, to every single component of connections, all through a power full interface called Advance Steel Drawing Manager.

And how about more complex elements such as Steel staircases and ladders? Well good News! Advance Steel has also powerful tools for the automatic generation of these complex objects, all of which can be easily modified through a comprehensive Advance Properties Panel and for which it will also create for you all the detail plans.

Complex and Spatial structures are also not a problem, Advance Steel isn't the "Square" type of software that you could get to think, as it possesses all the flexibility of any CAD software, such as Revit or AutoCAD.

In short Advance Steel is nothing short of a Software Innovation in the realm of Structural Design. And to be precise for the Detailing, Designing and Documentation of Steel Structures.