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44 SEPTEMBER 2007 / Concrete international
BY GOCE STOJANOSKI AND EMIL JANKULOVSKI

T
o streamline lifting and bracing design, INDUCTA
Engineering has created PanelsPlus, a software
program that also automates the production of shop
drawings for precast and tilt-up concrete panels. It was
developed to totally eliminate the process of manually
entering the data that defines the geometry of each panel.
All data entry is automated by importing information
from an AutoCAD
DWG or DXF file.

The software can be used by structural engineers who
undertake projects incorporating precast or tilt-up panels
and also by drafters who produce detailed shop drawings.
A PanelsPlus data file consists of a project containing all
the elevations that make up the structure (Fig. 1). The
individual panels are contained within each elevation.
Each project can contain hundreds of panels that are
systematically managed by the software.
Automating
Lifting and Bracing
Analysis
Software for precast and tilt-up wall panels also speeds shop drawing production
The algorithm for performing lifting and bracing
analysis is based on finite element linear-elastic plate
theory and automatically performs a two-way analysis.
The finite element mesh is automatically generated by
the software for any panel shape.
To speed the production of shop drawings, the
program also includes several time-saving drafting
tools. These include automatic dimensioning of the
panel and associated components, custom user-defined
symbols, and user-defined shop drawing templates.
FEATURES
Generating a project starts by importing information
from computer-aided design (CAD) files that are
produced as either DWG or DXF files. PanelsPlus is a
stand-alone program that does not require a CAD
program to operate. It only uses the DWG or DXF files
that are produced by a CAD program. There are no
strict requirements for preparing the CAD drawing
prior to import. The only limitation is that the lines
defining the perimeter of a panel must be created
as a continuous line or a series of line segments that
form a closed shape. Cutouts or voids within a
panel follow the same requirements as for the panel
perimeter. Recessed areas within a panel can be made
of many lines forming any shape, provided the lines
Fig. 1: All of the
CAD elevations for
a structure are
brought directly
into a single
PanelsPlus data
file, eliminating
the need to
duplicate input of
dimensions for
individual panels
Concrete international / SEPTEMBER 2007 45
form a closed outline. Other elements that can be
directly imported include ferrules, feature lines,
grooves, grout tubes, and cast-in plates. These elements
can be positioned on both the near and far face of
any panel.
A default panel thickness is specified for all panels
contained in each elevation during the importing process.
Based on this data and the panel geometry that was read
from the CAD file, the software automatically calculates
the area, volume, and weight of the panel, along with the
coordinates for the center of mass.
From this point, users can perform specific design
tasks for each individual panel such as defining lifting
points on the face or edge and bracing points, followed
by an analysis of the stresses and bending moments in
both principal directions. Special loading, such as
the weight of the facing layer in a noncomposite
sandwich panel, can be included by prorating the unit
weight of the concrete. During the analysis of tilt-up
panels, the stresses developed during lifting and
rotation are calculated, combined, and presented to
the user as an envelope (Fig. 2). Reactions at each of
the lifting points are calculated for the worst case
between the load at lift off (that includes suction) and
the load during rotation.
Once results are available, the engineer can choose
to refine the position of lifting or bracing points,
material properties, or panel thickness to optimize
the efficiency of the design. Bending moment diagrams
about either of the principal axes can be easily
extracted at any section of a panel.
OUPUT
A one-step DXF export feature has replaced the
tedious exercise of extracting basic quantities and output
for each panel. Users can take full advantage of the DXF
export efficiency by merging an existing, blank shop-
drawing template with a range of available results from
within PanelsPlus.
The major concept of the drafting features was not to
try to replicate a CAD drawing program, but rather to
export information from PanelsPlus that can be easily
formatted once the DXF file is opened in a CAD program.
For example, instead of providing complex options to
format the dimension lines and styles shown in Fig. 3,
the dimensions that are produced by PanelsPlus are
true dimensions when formatted in AutoCAD. This
allows a drafter to simply apply a dimension style to
the DXF output, reducing the time needed to finalize
the shop drawing.
USER REPORT
Forest Construction Pty, Ltd., a company based in
Queensland, Australia, that designs, manufactures, and
installs precast concrete products, recently started using
PanelsPlus to design precast wall panels and slabs for
buildings like the one shown in Fig. 4. After using the
software for 6 months, they felt that it improved the
technical quality of their designs in addition to their
design production efficiency. Additionally, they could
rely on technical support help that answered queries
typically within 48 hours.
Three key features of the program particularly impressed
the principals of Forest Construction:
Fig. 2: Stress envelopes for the lifting and rotating analyses are
automatically generated from the finite element analysis results.
Cracking potential is highlighted using color-coded circles
Fig. 3: Dimension lines created in PanelsPlus can be easily
formatted to match a company standard in the CAD program
46 SEPTEMBER 2007 / Concrete international
Goce Stojanoski is a Structural Engineer at
INDUCTA Engineering, based in Sydney,
Australia. He received a bachelors degree in
civil engineering from the University of New
South Wales, Sydney, Australia, with majors
in structural analysis and management.
Emil Jankulovski is the Director of INDUCTA
Engineering. He has played a major role in
the development of a number of software
packages for structural analysis and design
of concrete buildings, including INDUCTA
Engineerings SLABS and R/C BUILDING. He
received a BE and an ME in earthquake
engineering from the University of Skopje,
Macedonia, and he is a chartered Profes-
sional Structural Engineer.
First, the finite element analysis takes the guesswork out
of lifting design. This analysis used to involve the
selection of bands to carry the lifting forces. Through the
use of finite element analysis, the design becomes safer
and more accurate. They have already noted a reduction
in the amount of cracking that occurs due to lifting;
A second ease-of-use benefit of the software is its visual
interface. It facilitates the work of the design engineer,
who is now able to see the position and the stress
envelope within the elements. Improving the efficiency
of the design by moving the lifting points and changing
the lifting configuration to reduce the stress in the
precast element and the amount of lifting steel required
becomes much easier; and
The third feature is the input and output format that
uses standard DWG and DXF files. The input is very
easy and less time consuming for the design engineer,
and the output is easier for the drafters to use.
Selected for reader interest by the editors.
INDUCTA Engineering
CIRCLE 51
Fig. 4: Companies can use the software to improve the quality
and efficiency of precast or tilt-up structures like the building
shown here (Photo courtesy of Forest Construction Pty, Ltd.)

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