Effective communication during the Connection design process

Connection design methods

For connection design, the AISC Code of Standard Practice has three options for the Engineer of record to select:

• Option 1: The complete connection design is shown in the structural design documents, which means the engineer of record does the whole structural design.
• Option 2: The connection design is done by an experienced steel detailer - In this case, the detailer selects connections from the AISC manual tables.
• Option 3: The connection design is done by a licensed engineer working for the fabricator. – The EOR delegates the connection design to a professional engineer representing the fabricator.

The following diagram in this video, explains the communication process between the different parties.

EoR provides design criteria, such as loads and any different connection type constraints, to the connection designer, who prepares connection design calculations.

The detailer incorporates the connection design into the shop drawings. The connection designer must then review the approval documents to ensure the connections are correctly incorporated.

Meanwhile, the engineer of record still reviews and approves the design as they have an overall knowledge of the building or structure.

Challenges of delegated steel connection design

1. The communication of design loads between the EoR and connection designer: This challenge is repeatedly highlighted in those AISC presentations and in the feedback of IDEA StatiCa users. A quick example is when a node has more than two members, and the connection designer only gets the envelope forces. That means the worst-case force for every member is used, and then the connection designer ends up with an overload joint, which is unrealistic. Here is a summary of how the loads are shared. Shear loads: Shear schedule, % of UDL; Moment loads: Full flexural capacity, moment directionality; Brace loads: Minimum loads, axial load T=C; Load paths; Transfer forces; Envelope loads
2. Communicating geometry and eccentricities, architectural constraints using 2D plans
3. If the members are not designed for the connection forces, the connection designer needs to add reinforcement, which we want to avoid in most cases.
4. The Connection designer describes the connection detail to the steel detailer using sketches or 2D drawings. For complex designs, 2D is not enough.
5. Internal communication in the non-delegated design
6. Reports and design clarity for the EoR

Solutions by IDEA StatiCa 

The following is a list of proposed solutions and the tools that can be used to achieve them. 

How IDEA StatiCa can help?

Well, the connection designer is usually the only one with the IDEA Statica license. However, now we have these three open tools for everyone: engineers of record, connection designers, detailers, and fabricators. The solutions I talked about are based on the use of these apps; let's review the different proposed workflows.

EoR shares Analysis Model via Checkbot

1. EoR creates a basic account
2. Install IDEA StatiCa and get Checkbot free
3. Uses Checkbot from the analysis app
4. Creates a Checkbot file with the whole structure
5. Sends the Checkbot file to the connection designer
6. The connection designer uses Checkbot, designs connections in IDEA StatiCa, and gets the geometry and load combinations.

EoR looks up for Design concepts in Connection Library

1. Go to the Connection library
2. Open the connection in the Online viewer
3. Share the link with the Connection designer
4. Connection designer can download the IDEA Connection File. The connection can be modified and loaded using a commercial license of IDEA StatiCa

Connection Designer creates an Online Viewer link

1. Connection designer multi-selects finished connections from Checkbot and select Online viewer
2. Creates a link from an Online viewer with multiple connections
3. Now exports the connections to a single file to create multiple reports at once
4. Add the link to the calculation package

EoR uses Online Viewer to review the Connections dynamically

1. EoR reviews the calculation package together with the online viewer link
2. EoR reviews the model and the forces in the Online viewer

Connection Designer provides 3D Model to Detailer

1. The connection designer can create the IFC model from Checkbot by a) one IFC per connection and b) all the connections in one single IFC file, including the relative position.
2. The connection designer can share the online viewer link, and the detailer can download the IFC file

The Detailer Provides the IDEA StatiCa file to the Connection Designer

1. Detailer creates a basic account
2. Install IDEA StatiCa and get Checkbot Free
3. Uses Checkbot from the Detailing app
4. Creates a connection file from Checkbot
5. Review it in the Online viewer
6. Sends the connection file to the connection designer. The connection designer uses IDEA StatiCa to design the connection.

How to start?

1. Go to https://www.ideastatica.com/create-account 
2. Download and install IDEA StatiCa
3. Install the Checkbot plugins
4. Follow the instructions depending on what software you use https://www.ideastatica.com/bim-integrations

Let us know if these workflows can help during your connection design process.