Time-saving tips and tricks to optimise structural design at ClearCalcs (AU)

ClearCalcs is full of time-saving tips, tricks, and tools that help engineers save precious time in their design projects.

Whether you’re a senior structural lead looking to get your project more organized, your team learning and delivering projects faster, or just learn more about designing with different materials or complying to different building codes, our product experts will show you how you can use ClearCalcs features to fit perfectly into your design workflow.

We'll show you how to link your loads to track your load path dynamically, swap material to offer your client multiple selections without increasing your workload, or create sheet groups to stay organized - in short, ClearCalcs will help you save more and time stay more organized than ever before!

Join us on Wednesday 26th October, 12pm AEDT to get insights into how the most successful ClearCalcs users are using the tool for their design projects.

In this webinar, we will cover:

• Quick touch on load linking
• Duplicate & swap material workflow
• Creating and organizing sheet groups
• Setting up template projects for common designs
• Common formulas to be used in Input Fields

Webinar Summary

The webinar on time-saving tips and tricks in ClearCalcs was presented by Brooks Smith, Head of Engineering R&D. The platform is cloud-based and allows users to design concrete, steel, cold-formed steel, or timber. It provides live solutions and clean, clear printouts with rapid product updates.

During the webinar, Brooks Smith discussed various ways to make the most out of ClearCalcs, including setting project defaults that automatically apply values in relevant presets, using different building standards for performance-based design, and utilizing user formulas in any calculation within a project. He also mentioned that all questions would be answered in the second half of the presentation.

Brooks Smith explains that ClearCalcs allows users to set default loads and preferred sections, which can be used for one-click auto-sizing of members. He also notes that the platform provides options for wind load calculations, including using the AS 4055 class or the AS 1170.2 calculator for more precise results. Additionally, users can copy preferred sections from previous projects and these will be listed at the top of the member selector.

Brooks Smith also explains that ClearCalcs allows users to group calculations into folders for easy organization and quick access. He notes that the member selector is available for making quick changes, such as changing a member selection from a screen. Additionally, he mentions that ClearCalcs provides upgrades for calculators, which can be reverted if unexpected changes occur, and that their customer support team is run by their engineering team.

Brooks Smith continues to explain time-saving tips and tricks in ClearCalcs, including the ability to link loads between calculators and change materials instantly. He also highlights the platform's user formulas feature, which allows users to type formulas into any input box using standard mathematical notation and cross-reference other inputs or computed values within any of the sheets. Finally, he mentions that ClearCalcs provides an Excel export option for transferring tables to AutoCAD drawings or summary documents.

Brooks Smith discusses new features added to ClearCalcs this year, including support for back-to-back and box sections for cold-formed steel calculators, removal of the 1.5 liter limit on sleeper retaining wall calculations, and the addition of various timber sections requested by users. He also encourages users to send requests for new features and announces the upcoming integration of standards documents into the platform.

Brooks Smith also demonstrates how ClearCalcs allows users to change materials for any calculation, instantly switching over everything including supports and loads. He notes that this feature is commonly used to provide clients with multiple options for their project. Additionally, he explains that users can make use of any of the other fields and cross-reference them to create formulas within their calculations.

During the Q&A portion of the webinar, Brooks Smith addressed questions from attendees about potential future features, such as a composite beam calculator and more three-dimensional options. He also encouraged users to send specific requests for tools related to patio design and assured them that ClearCalcs' customer support team is staffed by engineers who are developing the calculations.