ABAQUS then

SAP then

ETABS

Abaqus is more used in academics whereas STAAD and ETABS are mostly used in industries.

ABAQUS as an academic solution but STAAD is better than Etabs as an industrial solution but the more better than these all SAP2000

I will also give the same ranking as Cherif Belebchouche and Jahangir Alam

1. Abaqus

2. STAAD

3. ETABS

However, the nature of your loading conditions is vital for selecting one over the other

This link might help you

https://www.researchgate.net/post/How_can_I_differentiate_between_Staad_pro_STRAP_ETABS_and_SAP_2000

It depends on the scope and objective of Your work. If it is an academic work, ABAQUS might be the best. In the case of professional, Staad/ Etabs or Sap2000 is a convenient option.

This is an important and subjective question, dear Navin Ramroop. It depends on the problem to be solved and the applied loads. I think Abaqus shows great interest in the last years due to its flexibility and accuracy of many problems. It is still most popular for academic and complex nature of problems. Other Softwares such as STAAD, SAP, ETABs, and others may be more useful for practical problems.

For frame, all softwares are preferable but steel related design you can use SAP 2000. Both ETABS and STAADPRO are widely used according to user and their personal and professional practices.

It depends on your purpose of use, as commercial usage STAAD and Etabs come to first, and for academic usage, Abaqus is recommended.

Dear Navin,

If you want to do analysis under load combination, one of the powerful software to do this analysis is Sap2000.

STAAD and E-tabs are more userfriendly and suitable if you are in the industry, ABAQUS is suitable if you are in academia and need detail and critical analysis.

I think that depends on what type of finite element you will use, if you consider line element SAP2000 and ETABS may be easier for operation than ABAQUS. However, if you want to see the detailing response of structure by using solid element, ABAQUS would be my first recommendation

We should also take into account which standard (e.g., Eurocode) you would like to follow when calculating the 3d frame. Not all standards are available in every software.

ETABS and SAP for professcinal work and

ABAQUS for resreach

ETABS

If you will be designing 3D frames in the process plant industries which are mostly steel structures, STAAD is usually the go-to software. If you will be dealing with buildings structures, that will be ETABS specialty. ETABS (or SAP) is also better when you are designing structures in seismic prone regions. I have not yet used ABAQUS but I regard it in same level with ANSYS which is for more detailed/advanced analysis typical for academic/research works.

Etabs is better.

ETABS is good over STAAD PRO if you are designing a reinforced concrete structure.The user interface is easy and the analysis values of RC structures are better and we get economical steel data from etabs compared to that of staad pro.

STAAD PRO is good over ETABS for the analysis of steel structures frames as the codes and user interface is better integrated in staad pro.

I use ETABS and I feel it's reliable for reinforced concrete design as it provides inbuilt options for optimisation,seismic analysis parameter calculations like p∆ analysis,non linear direct integration analysis,time histories, push over analysis.. It Even has options for wind analysis with loaded codes and can consider gust loads.Few of the above options are not available with staad .

ABAQUS is better for academic use. Most precisely for research purpose and critical analysis needed for specific Research. Navin Ramroop

What we should use for analysis of 3D frames: (a) STAAD; (b) ETABS; (c) ABAQUS?

It depends what you like to do or what is our project?

General FEM-Code such as ABAQUS, ANSYS, NASTRAN etc. are powerful programs for academic research, especially for 3D analysis without any Code-design!

However, for practical structural engineering we have to use programs like SAP2000, ETABS STAAD etc.

If it will be used in commercial issue use SAP ETABS STADD , but in case of research issue use ABAQUS , because it is very sophisticated

All these programs are very good, I use Nastran and Simulation multiphysics.

I like Nastran because it is very advanced.

LS - Dyna is a very good program.

ETABS or SAP200 without a doubt

abaqus is complete program for analysis

I think ETABS is better

A large number of engineering offices prefer Rstab and Sofistik

In my opinion the best program is one that you know and understand.

Abaqus really has more tools and consideration than the others and is more used for research, but for a common structural analysis any of them will give you good results if they are assembled correctly

Analysis of mechanical strength of frames in SolidWorks, Inventor, Nastran, a module for calculations using the finite element method.

I also recommend Abaqus for calculating structures using non-mesh methods.

You can also use the LS - Dyna program to calculate mechanical strength. Very good and advanced program.

For sure CSI ETABS

I was worked on ETABS From 2010 till now

its very good programs for analysis and design steel and concrete

the Etabs for me no.1 with EQ+Wind because it work usefully with high-raise building

Each program had it own advantage and disadvantage. You have to know how to input the right data and know the output come out right or wrong. Software just the tool help you to calculate faster. Basic, advance and how to integrate the theory and design is you if you don't understand all of it from the bottom and up to the sky. That the way how to make the best design with the software.

ETABS is better than Staad Pro if you are designing or analysing RC structures. Also it gives economical steel data compared to Staad in commercial field. ABAQUS is used for research based work.

Etabs - is better

With Tedds, you can easily define structural frames such as trusses or continuous beams in 2D, analyze them, link the results to calculations and insert them into a document.

https://www.tekla.com/products/tekla-tedds/frame-analysis

E-tabs would be better for design purposes

etabs the easiest and helpful in commercial purpose but abaqus for researchers

All above are excellent in accordance with need.

1. STAAD : - If you want to analyze the frame structure then it is very useful. You can also use SAP2000 for the same purpose. Basically for Micro Analysis.

2. ETABS : - It is mostly dedicated for Buildings. Specially for High-rise either RC or steel.

3. ABAQUS : It is use for elemental analysis. If you want to analyze some tricky element in your structure then you can use ABAQUS.

According to my experience between Ansys and Abaqus, the Abaqus is easier in modeling and better to show results of solids finite elements analysis. but staad pro is more useful for 3D frames.

The best software to analyse a 3D frame is ABAQUS

If you want to perform nonlinear analysis you can use OpenSees. It has many analysis options and freely available

ABAQUS as it can simulate nonlinear behaviour due to contact, friction, material yield or large deformation.

Both Etabs & Sttadpro are good .

For Steel Structures & Foundations Staadpro is found to be better

For Concrete structures more particularly high rise structures Etabs is found to be better

Abaqus is a very good program for scientists to model materials and physical interactions.

The LS - Dyna program is also a very good program for various strength analyzes of frames. I really like Nastran for analysis in Inventor.

I also recommend Simulation multiphysics.

Its depend on the type of problem that you need to simulate it. Etabs the easiest and helpful in commercial purpose but abaqus is very good for researchers.

Navin Ramroop Ji, I use all the Softwares depending on their credibility and accuracy on practical Ground. StaadPro is a master of Steel Structures where ETABS gives me the best results for my simpler structural Concrete. Other Simulations have their specialties . we just have to select the best as per our requirement.

I think it depends on what you are looking for. Most of these software have been precision to give very highly negligible errors, especially the new versions of ABACUS incorporating optimization techniques. ANSYS and LS-DYNA are very good software. There are other private software that are not in the open market. Talking about the best out of them for a researcher, depends on what you want to showcase visually, but are digitally the same. Thank you.

Thank you all for your answers. This question has been asked as part of a survey to determine preferred software for structural engineers.

for sure ETABS

CSI

ETABS - SAP2000 - SAFE

It depends on the material that you want to analyse.

For professional analysis and design project CSI (ETABS, SAP 200, SAFE) products and STAAD Pro. is mainly used. But for research based analysis ABAQUS is preferable.

STAAD Pro. I think it is easer and better.

Rivet and robot

I really like Nastran, the program has great computing capabilities.

It depends on how much accuracy in the result you want... For building Extended Three Dimension Analysis Building System (ETABS) is the best software for modelling & analysis because it is specially for building. And in case of highly accurate result at each point then Abaqus is the best for it because it is the latest software for FEA.

I hope you you will get my point.

Abaqus is an advance software which is especially used for research purposes.

The updated version of Etabs,Sap,Safe are also best options..

Their isn't any major difference between results

SAP and ETABS are accurate and most suitable. Abaqus is a little complicated for such a simple task, unless you are analyzing this frame for scientific research.

To analyse a 3D frame , ABAQUS is the best software. it may not be as easy as ETABS, but surely you will get validated results through this.

Abaqus is suitable for research analysis

I would recommend SEISMOSTRUCT for seismic analysis. It has a user-friendly modelling interface and can be used to execute different types of seismic analyses such as pushover (static and multi-modal), IDA etc. It can be freely downloaded from the seismosoft website. If you are using it for research purposes, you can request for an academic license free of cost.

The Nastran program is very good.

Etbas & Sap 2000

the Nastran program is reliable and very good

It will be depending on the type of structure.

SAP and ETABS are truly the most suitable. Abaqus is a little complicated. Unless you are analyzing this frame for scientific research.

SAP and ETABS are more easy than Abaqus.

ETABS and SAP are the most suitable and easiest. For scientific research it is important to use the Abaqus.

For me, i worked on all programs to the designs but i prefer for frame 3d use robot Autodesk or sap 2000

Abaqus is the best FE software by far

Beside, Abaqus allows the user to write Python based scripts for model generation and post-processing. The advantage is that Python is a popular open-source platform independent language

It is very good that you found the best one that suit your work.

Abaqus

Abacus is the best.

Abaqus allows the user to write Python based scripts for post-processing as well as model generation.

It depends on what you expect from the modeling process. Etabs is the most convenient one and is suitable for commercial applications.