Automatic design of steel connections by using CAD platform: software LigFlex

Gabriella Ribeiro Silveira Faial¹; Lucas de Sá Boa Morte¹; Davi Fagundes Leal¹

¹ INSTITUTO FEDERAL FLUMINENSE

doi:10.20906/CPS/CILAMCE2017-0823

Resumo

Considering the large amount of connections in steel structures and the complexity of their design procedures, the use of computational tools become very useful for the productivity increasing and minimization of calculation errors. This work has, as objective, the development of a software named LigFlex, which is able to execute the complete design of simple connections for steel structures, from the calculation steps and connection components verifications to the final detail drawings. The software was implemented based in the AutoLisp and DCL programming languages, and works as an application that is capable of using available resources inside the AutoCAD. The drawings and calculation steps were developed in AutoLisp codes, which is a language of easy understanding and compatible with AutoCAD commands. The DCL (Dialog Control Language) was used in the construction of dialog boxes, where all the information and data entering are carried out in Windows layout, making user interface more friendly. Both AutoLisp and DCL source codes were implemented directly in Visual Lisp, which is an programming environment available in AutoCAD. The software was divided internally into specific routines in order to provide isolated calculation of each component (welds, bolts, plates etc). At the end, according to the kind of connection, these routines are managed by the main code, that performs the necessary checks prescribed in NBR 8800/2008. In its most recent version, the LigFlex software is ready for the design of pinned connections of the types Single Plate, End Plate and Double Angle, generating, as final products, the calculation report in text file and the detail drawings in AutoCAD's graphic area. The usage of AutoCAD as development basis is one of the most relevant advantages of the LigFlex due to the fact that it makes possible to generate all the detail drawings automatically and it does not demand additional costs, since AutoCAD is a commonly-found software in engineering offices. The expectation of this work is the

Palavras-chave: Steel structures; Connections; AutoLisp; DCL