Advance Concrete

Advance Concrete is a computer-aided design (CAD) software application developed by GRAITEC and used for modeling and detailing reinforced concrete structures in AutoCAD. Advance Concrete is used in the structural / civil engineering and drafting fields.

Features

Advance Concrete is a software application integrated into AutoCAD, running as an AutoCAD plug-in. Advance Concrete functionalities are grouped under a specific menu and toolbars in the AutoCAD interface.

The application can be used for modeling and detailing different types of concrete structures, such as buildings, precast concrete elements, and also for civil engineering designs.

Advance Concrete uses AutoCAD technology: ObjectARX. This technology provides users with professional objects (beams, columns, slabs, bars, frames, stirrup bars) integrated into AutoCAD and on which most basic AutoCAD functions can be applied (stretch, shorten, copy, move, etc.).

The Advance Concrete native file is the DWG file.

The application is compatible with the following operating systems and Autodesk platforms:

• Microsoft Windows 2000 Pro – SP4,
• Windows XP Pro and Windows Vista Pro,
• AutoCAD 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008,
• ADT 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007,
• AutoCAD Architecture 2008.

The main functions of Advance Concrete concern:

• 2D / 3D modeling of concrete structures;
• Advanced reinforcement, with automatic creation and update functionalities and also with manual input tools;
• Automated drawings, with tools for automatic creation of sections, elevations, foundations, isometric views, etc.;
• Generation of paper drawings;
• Automatic bill of materials.
• Multi-user modeling. Users can securely and simultaneously work on the same project through a shared database that stores the model data.

The program provides a working environment for creating 3D structural models from which drawings are created. The 3D model is created using Advance Concrete specific objects (structural elements, openings, rebars, etc.) and stored in a drawing (in DWG format). Once a model is complete, Advance Concrete creates all structural and reinforcement drawings using a large selection of tools for view creation, dimensions, interactive annotations, symbols, markings and automatic layout functions. Advance Concrete provides functionalities for automatic drawing updates based on model modifications.

Specific functionalities

One of the features of Advance Concrete is the “dynamic reinforcement” technology for the rapid reinforcement of concrete elements taking into account their context (type, parameters, connection with other elements). A dynamic reinforcement is based on predefined reinforcement rules, called dynamic reinforcement solutions. Users can define a customized reinforcement solution and save it in an external file, which can later be reused, exchanged, downloaded, etc. Advance Concrete provides possible reinforcement solutions for the selected elements, according to their context.

Software interoperability

Advance Concrete integrates GRAITEC’s “GTC” (GRAITEC Transfer Center) technology, a data synchronization technology that allows:

• Importing / exporting data to other GRAITEC software and standard formats (IFC 2.×3)
• Several Advance Concrete users working simultaneously on the same project and synchronizing their models
• Synchronizing in Advance Concrete the modifications made by engineers in other GRAITEC software applications (e.g., section changes, addition of structural elements, etc.).

GTC is the GRAITEC solution for CAD/Design software interoperability and integration specialized in creating and handling a BIM (Building Information Model).

Release history

External links

• Advance Concrete web page
• Projects created with Advance Concrete
• Advance Concrete demos
• Compatibility of Advance Concrete and Autodesk Revit Structure

Sources

• About Advance Concrete
• Advance Concrete brochure
• Advance Concrete, a software solution for the construction engineering field
• About Advance Concrete on Autodesk web page
• Interoperability for Advance Concrete, Advance Steel and Advance Design, language: Ro