Autodesk to Acquire Structural Fabrication & Detailing Technology from Graitec

Autodesk, Inc. has signed an agreement with Graitec shareholders in order to acquire certain technologies, including Graitec's Advanced Steel and Advanced Concrete product lines and employees.  This addition to Autodesk will further enhance their product offers for structural engineering along with their portfolio of technology for Building Information Modeling (BIM) for structural fabrication and detailing.

According to Amar Hanspal, Autodesk senior vice president of Information Modeling and Platform Products, Autodesk is committed to offering its users the most comprehensive engineering tools.  The acquisition of Graitec technology "will provide our customers with a more seamless structural engineering workflow from design to fabrication and to construction, with enhanced offerings for structural steel and concrete detailing." 

Graitec, a company based out of France,  provides CAD and engineering software for structural engineering, civil engineering and building construction globally. Its products support BIM-based steel and reinforced concrete workflows.  The company will continue to produce  BIM software and services to complement Autodesk, so that the industry can continue to pursue maximum efficiency and performance. 

The acquisition is likely to occur at the close of the 4th quarter of the fiscal year 2014. 

This article was derived from the press release titled "Autodesk Signs Agreement to Acquire Structural Fabrication and Detailing Technology from Graitec, published on October 2, 2013 in Market Watch. 

Removing the Cloak of Invisibility from the Engineer Profession

The engineering profession is one of anonymity, with most
people being unable to define what exactly an engineer does. 

Engineers are responsible for designing some of the world's most fundamental systems. While they may not have made your clothes, the machine that did was most certainly designed by an engineer. Likewise, your home couldn't have been built without the collaboration of an engineer.

The fact is engineers have their hands in just about everything. Still, if you were to ask someone to define the engineer profession, his or her response would be more than lacking. 

So why is the engineer profession such a mystery? 

Alan Werner, P.E. explains that the nature of the engineer's job is partly to blame for the invisibility of the engineer profession.  Think about it.  The engineer's primary objective is to solve problems before they even exist. For the public, this can be difficult to understand. If the problem isn't visible, then the engineer who solved the problem in the first place is by default invisible. 

This issue is perpetuated by the engineering profession as a whole, which seems to prefer being unknown. They are satisfied with simply accomplishing the goal and moving on without the public recognition of a job well done. This likely contributes to the "invisible engineer."

How do we overcome the invisible engineer phenomenon? 

First and foremost, the engineering community must bring awareness to the process that goes in to creating a useful & successful design.  As a society, we so often emphasis the final product rather than the steps it took to get there. This is reinforced in our education system and often in the professional world.

The engineer and the industry must re-emphasize the effort and innovative problem solving that goes into the design process.  But how?  Here are some ways we can bring awareness to the engineering profession:

1. Community Involvement

One of the easiest ways to bring awareness to the engineering profession is by simply getting involved in the community.  Building relationships with others can help debunk stereotypes, while emphasizing the importance of engineering.

2. Education Programs

Encourage education programs that emphasize the design process. This will help students become active problem solvers, while helping them to appreciate the process instead of simply the final product. 

3. Media Exposure 

One of the most effective methods of gaining exposure for the engineering profession is through the media. Particularly the digital media, as the internet can make an message viral. 

More ideas? Leave a comment to let us know! Remember the engineering community plays an integral role in our developing and growing world, by bringing awareness to the engineer profession we can continue to make gains as a society. 

This article was derived from Alan Werner, P.E. N.S.P.E., "Why are Engineers Invisible" originally published in the Magazine for Professional Engineers in August/September 2013.

Self-Healing Concrete...the Future of Structures?

Bonita Bay Country Club Construction 2013
Bonita Springs, FL 

Self-healing concrete? It's closer to being possible than you think.

Concrete is a remarkable material. It can be molded into a number of forms, it sets like stone and it is extremely strong when combined with a metal such as steel.  It's no wonder it is the basic structural foundation for buildings, roadways and bridges.

Despite all these notable qualities, concrete has a major weakness--water.  Water poses a serious threat to the stability of a concrete structure, as all it takes is one small crack for water to get inside to turn a concrete structure into a pile of rubber.

Corrosion of the rebar in concrete. 

In colder climates, water can freeze and expand, compromising stability.  Water can also bring carbon
dioxides, sulfates and sulfate reducing bacteria that can cause even more damage to a structure. Perhaps the worst consequence of water in concrete is if it reaches the metal rebar. Overtime, the metal will rust, expand and slowly destroy the structure.

The key to preventing water from entering concrete is preventing the cracks from occurring. This is easier said than done. As even the most carefully prepared concrete is susceptible to cracking, especially when in a moisture prone area.

Researchers at the University of Bath in collaboration with Cardiff University and the University of Cambridge may have discovered another way to prevent concrete from cracking--a concrete mix with bacteria within microcapsules. The hope is that when water enters a crack, the bacteria will germinate and produce limestone, which will then plug the crack before water can do damage to the rebar.  The bacteria would actually use the oxygen present to repair the structure.

While this study is still in its early stages, researchers are optimistic that self-healing concrete will be able to increase the life of concrete structures vastly and would remove the need for repairs, reducing the lifetime cost of a structure by up to 50 percent. It would also reduce man-made carbon dioxide revisions.

Currently, researchers are assessing how the varying strand of bacteria survive in concrete over a period of time.