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We are proposing a new approach towards modeling buildings, especially R/C building for seismic resistance. This approach is based upon script writing that describe the building. The format in which this script is written is as easy as possible to an extent that any structural engineer can describe a building with it in a matter of couple of hours.

The present practice in modeling buildings is based upon GUI (graphical user interface) that accompanies the FEM package through which the analysis will be handled. The Graphical interface enables the engineer/user to model the structure using large amount of buttons (commands) that were developed through the evolution of the software package and several versions to reach an acceptable and cost-effective modeling practice for trained engineers.

Why scripts to model buildings?

In structural analysis there are three distinct phases [1]. “modeling’, “computation’, and “interpretation”. Computation part of the whole process has developed considerable since the 50’s of last century and nearly reached its ultimate theoretically and mathematical efficiency background have grown solid and robust ever since. Nevertheless, the other two phases are still under development, modification so they are getting better and better every year. Yet they still very much software dependent in the meaning of the GUI, and rarely are considered to be automated by means of Artificial Intelligent or design optimizations.

For this purpose we believe that focus must shift towards more attention on developing how we “model” structures, and how should we “interpret’ the results they give after analysis.

In this project, we focused on the “modeling” part and we proposed a method of modeling process that differs from the present practice of modeling.

The present practice in modeling structures (buildings) is based on the usage of graphical user interface (GUI) that is incorporated within the package of structural analysis software. Hence, the three phases of structural analysis comes together with the software. Although this practice has advantages such as, an integrated environment among the three phases and user can shift from modeling to interpretation of results, and making substantial adjustments in the analysis procedures without the need to use a different software. However, it has several drawbacks also. A development in any phase within the software means a new version of the whole software must be released and extra fees are needlessly paid. Using any phase of the software dictates that often the whole software must be installed in the user’s PC, or at least a license of use is reserved for him/her. But in our opinion the main drawback is that in the modeling process the user should spent considerable amount of time learning the GUI tools, the how-to-use commands, and workarounds to eventually master modeling in a certain software then for a reason or another this software might no longer be accessible for him/her.

Another thing is the ability to make comparison between the analysis results of two software to choose or verify results for the same model (structure).

References

[1] Graham H. Powell (2010), ‘Modeling for Structural Analysis’, Computers and Structures.