ADAPT-Builder Platform
ADAPT-Floor Pro
ADAPT-Floor Pro, is a special purpose modeling, analysis and design program based on "Component Technology". It performs its analysis and design using the Finite Element Method (FEM). In modeling the entire floor system, ADAPT-Floor Pro faithfully accounts for all openings, cutouts, beams, walls, columns, drop caps and drop panels. Profiled tendons in a slab or beam can be specified with any shape, in any arbitrary location, as either bundled or distributed tendons. The program can automatically detect and report should there be interference between tendons crossing different directions.
Based on "Component Technology," the user generates the structural model, using structural components such as beams, slabs, columns, and drop caps. Neither nodes, nor elements are used to generate and verify the structural model. Loads can be applied at any location and in any configuration with a click of the mouse. The comprehensive results include deflection of the slab, moments and shears, prestressing and hyperstatic moments due to prestressing. Moments and shears can be summed up over the tributaries, or at user-defined sections for design purposes.
Once the model is generated and viewed in a three dimensional solid for verification, using an adaptive automatic meshing technique, the program discretizes the structure into an appropriate number of finite elements. The program then analyses the structure. No manual meshing is needed. However, if so desired, the user can view and edit the automatically generated mesh.
ADAPT-Floor Pro is upgradeable to the integrated ADAPT-Builder suite of programs.
ADAPT-Builder/Floor has all the capabilities of ADAPT-Modeler. Like ADAPT-Modeler, the data can be imported from a dwg or dxf file, or drafted using the drawing capabilities of the program. The software is particularly suited for irregular floor systems, where a closer approximation to the distribution of deflection, moments and shears are sought.
Mounted on ADAPT-Builder, the new ADAPT-Floor Pro is now featuring capabilities far beyond its predecessors. The following is a sample of some of its new features.
Modeling
- Uses DWG or DXF of an existing architectural drawing and ADAPT's smart tools to automatically convert the drawing entities into structural components, such as columns, beams and slab. Tracing is minimised.
- If there is no DWG or DXF, you can use the extensive drafting capabilities of ADAPT to draw the structure with speed and ease. Special snapping tools and model generation features provided with the program were developed with building structures in mind.
- Re-written in a true 3D environment; it can now model elements which are not necessarily cylindrical or prismatic in the vertical direction. This opens the way to model ramps in parking structures.
- Using expert systems, the software has moved beyond the traditional finite element technology. It is now based on Component Technology, where a structure is defined in terms of columns, beams, slabs, drop caps, tendons, as opposed to finite elements, mesh nodes. It is no longer necessary for the user to mesh a drop cap, or a beam, or a slab region into finite elements.
- Addition of beams and girders along with other structural components, not formerly available in earlier versions of Floor, makes new release ideal for one-way slab and beam construction of parking structures.
- A smart data validation routine checks the designer's input data and the structural model generated for possible errors, and suggests corrections where necessary.
- Meshing for the analysis, where needed, is generated automatically in the background. This is a dramatic departure for the former versions, where as an example finite elements were used to define a slab region.
- Artificial intelligence built into the program automatically
determines where reinforcement is needed, and reports the reinforcement
in number of bars, length and location. This eliminates the likelihood
of error in a designer's work in missing a critical area or necessity
of reinforcement in a floor system.
- Support lines can be generated automatically using the support line wizard.
- Design sections are created automatically for the entire structure.
- Design checks are performed automatically for the entire floor system.
- Reinforcement is shown in elevation at the location it occurs.
- The new smart viewer displays actions, such as distribution of moments, shears and axial loading along a member, such as a beam as well as across it. This brings the display within the realm of what most concrete designers wanted to see, but was not available before in slab/beam software.
Pre-Stressing
- Uses integrated tendon modeling as opposed to "balanced loading". This overcomes many of the approximations and shortcomings inherent in the conventional modeling of post-tensioning, " Ask ADAPT to fax you the background to the integrated technology [Aalami, Bijan, O Structural Modeling of Post-Tensioned Members." American Society of Civil Engineers, Structural Journal, February 2000, pp. 157-162].
- An expert system implemented generates the tendon layout for the entire floor system based on ADAPT's pre-defined, but user modifiable, layout criteria.
- Using tendon diameter and the layout, the software checks for possible interference of tendons where they may intersect in the three dimensional space. This is of particular importance for grouted tendons, where the tendon diameter is large relative to member dimensions.
- It allows for gradual changes in prestressing force along each tendon due to friction and seating loss, while retaining the option of "effective force" design.
- You can select each tendon and view it in elevation within the concrete outline. On the same outline, you can see the tendons crossing in the opposite direction. This is a leap forward toward generation of shop drawings as well as elimination of errors in tendon layout.
Mat Foundation
- Fully or partially soil supported foundation mats can be modeled and fully designed as either a RC or PT mat. All the modeling and intelligence features built in for the elevated structure are available for the design of the mat.
Ground Supported Slab (SOG) On Expansive Soil
- ADAPT-Builder offers for the first time the design capability of a three-dimensional foundation slab based on PTI's principles for the design of ground supported slabs on expansive soils. In this case, the structural model of the full foundation slab is subjected to the applied ym displacements.
Link with ADAPT-PT and ADAPT-RC
- The structural model generated can be used with no modification to run either on ADAPT-PT, or ADAPT-RC, both of which are based on Equivalent Frame Method. Conversely, the User can first design the floor system using ADAPT-PT, determine the optimum force, profile and location of the post-tensioning. and then within the same model run the ADAPT-Builder-Floor Finite Element Analysis. The procedure is detailed in a PTI publication [Aalami, Kelly, "Design of Concrete Floors with Particular Reference to Post-Tensioning, PTI, Technical Note 11, issue 2001, pp.16].
Features Scheduled for near future release
- ADAPT-Builder is the corner stone of a suite of programs for modeling, analysis and design of concrete structures. The development is well ahead in the integration of the suite to multi-level modeling and design. The multi-level modeling and design includes wind and earthquake forces, as well as shear wall, column and foundation design.
Upgrades
- Since the new ADAPT-Builder-Floor integrates all the modules of
ADAPT software system, the current users of the following programs can
each upgrade to the new system, knowing that that model and data
generated for one program can be used in the other. Users can each
expand their software system to the extent they need. The members of
the initial group of software with data exchange and upgrade capability
are:
- ADAPT-Floor
- ADAPT-PT
- ADAPT-RC
- ADAPT-Modeler
- ADAPT Builder Plus with multi-level capability, wind and seismic