CYPECAD

CYPECAD carries out the design, analysis, and sizing of structures for building and civil works, which are subject to vertical and horizontal forces, as well as fire exposure.

It analyses and designs:

• Supports
  Columns (concrete, steel, composite, and timber), shear walls (concrete) and walls (concrete, masonry, and block walls).
• Beams
  Concrete, steel, and composite.
• Slabs
  One-way slabs, hollow-core slabs, composite slabs, waffle slabs, flat slabs, post-tensioned slabs (one-way, waffle, and flat).
• Node and bar structures
  Concrete, steel, aluminium, timber, and generic material (only forces are analysed in this last case)
• Foundations
  Slabs, foundation beams, footings, and pile caps
• Steel connections
  Welded and bolted (including the baseplates).
• Flat shells
  Force analysis of concrete, rolled steel, cold-formed steel, aluminium, or generic-material shells.

General data and options

With CYPECAD, users have complete control over the general data that will determine the analysis and modelling of the structure they wish to enter:

• Selection of standards to apply
• Material selection
• Design options and reinforcement tables
• Load definition
  Dead loads, live loads, wind, seismic loading, fire resistance checks, additional loadcases.
• Column buckling coefficients
• Conditions for beams and pile caps
  

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Job templates

CYPECAD allows users to save templates with the configuration and general data of a job so that they can be used later when creating new jobs.

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• Manual insertion using global or relative coordinates
  This can be combined with all other introduction methods at any time.
• Manual insertion assisted by DXF and DWG files used as templates
  This can be combined with all other introduction methods at any time.
• Automatic insertion by importing a CYPE 3D structure
   This can be combined with all other introduction methods at any time.
• Automatic insertion by interpreting DXF or DWG file information
  This is an initiating procedure. It can be combined with all other procedures except for importing files in IFC format and connecting to the BIM model.
• Automatic insertion by importing files in IFC format, generated with CAD/BIM programs
  This is a launching procedure. It can be combined with all other procedures except for DXF or DWG file interpretation and connection to the BIM model.
• Importing data using by linking to an Open BIM model
  This is a launching procedure. It can be combined with all other procedures except for DXF or DWG file interpretation and connection to the BIM model.

This versatility adds speed, reliability, and efficiency to the process of introducing a structure.

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Supports

The structural supports that CYPECAD analyses and designs are:

• Columns
  • Reinforced concrete columns
    Rectangular, circular, and polygonal section.
    More information
    
    
  • Steel columns
    Rolled, reinforced and cold-formed steel columns.
    More information
    
    
  • Composite steel and concrete columns
    Embedded concrete-cased sections or closed concrete-filled sections
    More information
    
    
  • Timber columns
    Rectangular or circular-section timber columns
    More information
    
    
• Shear walls
  More information
  
  • Rectangular
    
  • Any geometric shape composed of rectangles
    
    
• Walls
  • Reinforced concrete walls
    
    
  • Plane stress walls
    More information
    
    
  • Generic masonry walls
    
    
  • Concrete block walls
    These walls can be designed with or without reinforcement. Users can indicate the dimensions of the blocks or use blocks designed by manufacturers such as the Spanish company NORMABLOC which designs concrete blocks and masonry.
    Some walls may contain openings. The program analyses the necessary reinforcement for the openings in the reinforced concrete walls (lintel, sills, lateral and diagonal walls) and the lintel reinforcement if there are openings in concrete block walls. Additionally, users can obtain reports of the checks that have been carried out during the reinforcement design process, which can be viewed on-screen and printed out.
    
    The crown beam is also designed for all types of walls as is the intermediate beam at floor level in the case of generic masonry walls and concrete block walls.

Beams

Floor slabs may be composed of reinforced concrete, steel (normal or castellated), composite and timber. Corbels can also be introduced.

• Concrete beams
  More information
  
  
• Steel and composite beams
  More information
  
  
• Timber beams
  More information

Slabs

The following types of slabs can be designed in CYPECAD:

• One-way
  • Concrete joists
    • Reinforced precast
    • Precast prestressed
    • Reinforced in-situ
    • Post-tensioned in-situ
  • Steel joists
  • Timber joists
    More information
    
  • Steel lattice
    
    
•  Flat slabs
  • Reinforced
    More information
    
  • Post-tensioned
    More information
    
    
• Waffle slabs
  • Reinforced
  • Post-tensioned
    More information
    
    
• Hollow-core slab
  More information
  
  
• Composite slabs (steel deck)
  More information
  

CYPECAD allows users to check the ultimate limit state for punching shear of waffle and flat slabs, and mat foundations using two methods: point tangential stress tests and in accordance with design code criteria.
More information on Punching shear verification.

Stairs

CYPECAD analyses and designs straight and curved stair slab reinforcement as isolated elements of the structures. The program establishes the reactions on the main structure based on geometry, type, and arrangement of the supports, and applied gravitational loads, which are then applied as line and surface loads (for the steps built on the floor) in the dead and live load loadcases.

The program designs stairs using the finite element method, using the two usual loadcases when designing stairs: permanent loading and live loading.

CYPECAD displays the reinforcement of each span of the stairwell on screen. It is also possible to view the displacements, forces, and deformed shape of each span in 3D.

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Foundation

The foundations designed by CYPECAD can be: fixed (with footings or pile caps) or floating (with mat foundations and foundation beams, where users have to define the subgrade modulus when applying the Winkler theory).

Additionally, the program allows users to analyse the foundations alone (without inserting a superstructure) by defining column starts.

• Pad footings
  These can consist of reinforced concrete or mass concrete, be for a single or combined for multiple supports (columns, shear walls and walls), which can be placed freely on the foundation element.
  
  
  
• Pile caps
  They can hold a number of supports (columns, shear walls and walls), and can be placed freely on the foundation element.
  A wide range of types are available:
  
  
  • Rectangular pile caps for one, two, four and five piles
  • Triangular pile caps for three piles
  • Strip pile caps for three to thirty piles
  • Rectangular pile caps for multiple piles (grid distribution from three to thirty piles per side)
  • Pentagonal pile caps for five or six piles
  • Hexagonal pile caps for six or seven piles
    
    
•  Strap beams and tie beams
  Act on footings and pile caps.
  
  
  
• Mat foundations and foundation beams
  The mat foundations and foundation beams are considered to be supported on an elastic foundation (ballast coefficient method), according to the Winkler model, based on a constant of proportions between forces and displacements, the value of which is the ballast coefficient.
  
  
  Foundation beams and mat foundations are part of the overall structure and therefore interact with the rest of the structure (they are part of the overall stiffness matrix of the structure). Therefore, loads can be applied to these elements, as well as to any beam or slab of the structure they are part of.
  
  
  The limit states to be checked are those applicable to the design of reinforced concrete elements (ultimate limit states), and force, equilibrium, and uplift checks (serviceability limit states).
  
  
  CYPECAD carries out checks for shear and punching shear in mat foundations and foundation beams.
  
  
  
• Base plate
  For any steel column arrangement (simple and composite sections).

 More information at:

• Foundation analysis and design
  General description.
• Footing analysis and design
  Includes references to strap and tie beams.
• Pile cap analysis and design
  Includes references to strap and tie beams.
• Advanced design of surface foundations
  This module complements the analysis and design of footings and pile caps.
• Punching shear verification in CYPECAD
  In waffle slabs, flat slabs, and mat foundations.
• Baseplates

The seismic analysis is carried out by means of a complete modal spectral analysis which resolves each mode as a loadcase and carries out the modal expansion and the modal combination to obtain the forces.

More information at CYPECAD. Seismic analysis:

• Effect of non-structural construction elements on buildings’ seismic behaviour
• Seismic design criteria by capacity for supports and concrete beams
• Base shear correction
• Fundamental period of the structure with user value
• User-specified seismic spectrum

Detailed information on the seismic analyses is also available in the "CYPECAD – Calculation report" manual, which can be accessed from the main CYPE program menu or from the CYPECAD "Help" drop-down menu.

With the “Fire resistance check module”, CYPECAD and CYPE 3D carry out the following:

• For steel and concrete structural elements
  Fire resistance checks and the design of protective coatings in accordance with the selected code.
  
• For timber sections
  Fire resistance checks and the design of timber sections against fire action, so they comply with the selected code.
  

More information on Fire resistance checks.

Beam editor

The beam editor displays the information of a frame and automatically updates it with the changes made. It provides quick and easy graphical editing (reinforcement, steel sections, solid sections, trusses, connectors, etc.). Users can obtain:

• Detailed U.L.S (Ultimate Limit State) and S.L.S (Serviceability Limit State) check reports for concrete beams (with checks for failure due to torsional stress and design criteria for seismic loads)
• U.L.S and S.L.S. reports for steel beams
• Required and effective reinforcement area graphs
• Bar bending diagrams and reinforcement configuration options on the frame drawings
• Horizontal and vertical openings in concrete beams
• Rectangular variable-section dropped beams

More information on Beam editors in CYPECAD.

Column editor

CYPECAD has a column reinforcement editor that:

• Shows all data related to their design and verification and generates detailed reports of the ultimate limit state (U.L.S.) checks that are carried out.
• Allows users to organise column schedule groups.
• Checks any modifications that have been undertaken.
• Redesigns reinforced concrete and steel columns.

More information on Column editors in CYPECAD.

Other results analysis tools

CYPECAD has a number of tools that allow users to check all graphic results on-screen.

After the analysis, users can view the deformed shape of the structure in 3D (with colour scales), produced by simple loadcases or a combination of loadcases. Users can also see an animated view of the deformation process that the selected loadcase combination produces.

Displacements, forces, force combinations and quantities of flat slabs, foundation slabs and waffle slabs can be represented on contour plots (coloured graphs where each colour represents a value) and on contour line diagrams (curves connecting geometric points with the same value).

It also provides graphical consultation of stress envelopes, deflections, etc.

Users can modify the reinforcement of all the elements and then check the modifications for footings, pile caps, beams, columns, and joist slabs.

It can automatically match top reinforcement in joist slabs, taking into account length criteria or steel area and length criteria. This way, more uniform reinforcement layouts are obtained, aiding in the construction process.

It modifies the reinforcement of waffle slabs and slabs by means of visible tables. Users can copy the reinforcement from one floor to another, modify the geometry after the analysis and insert reinforcement without having to re-launch the analysis.

The editor for footings, pile caps, baseplates, and strap and tie beams is an extremely powerful tool that allows users to verify any geometric and reinforcement configurations they have defined. The program provides reports containing all the checks that have been carried out on the foundations and their level of compliance. It is possible to match the geometry, typology and reinforcement of footings, pile caps, strap beams, tie beams and baseplates. More information on foundations.

Drawings

Project plans can be configured in different paper formats and sizes, either standard or user-defined. Furthermore, they can also be drawn by printer, plotter or exported to DXF and DWG format. In the floor drawings, the DXF or DWG files that have been used to define the job can be included. They can be integrated entirely or only the desired layers, such as stairs, for example.

A drawing editor is available on the job's own floors, which provides users with a wide range of resources: adding dimensions, texts, sections of the building, construction details in DXF format, floor slab sections, modifying the location of texts, etc. These modifications are saved with the project.

CYPECAD has an extensive library of steel, concrete, composite and inclined slab construction details available to be incorporated into any of the drawings generated by the program.

You can apply any scale, line thickness, font size, title block, etc. This way, the drawing of the plan can be completely customised.

CYPECAD provides complete and clear drawings. You can obtain drawings of the layout, floor plan, foundations, beams, column schedule, detailing of columns and shear walls, foundation loads, wall elevations, stair detailing, loads, corbels, etc. They optionally include measurement tables and reinforcement details. These can be configured so that each user can obtain the drawings according to their needs. CYPECAD has an editor that allows text to be moved while viewing the drawings on screen.

Reports

Users can easily obtain reports of all the data entered and the results: list of project data, combinations used in the analysis, foundations, corbels, envelopes, reinforcement and quantities of all the elements, job ratios, horizontal wind loads, participation coefficients (seismic loads), second order effects, etc.

All this can be obtained either on screen or by printer, but files can also be created in HTML, DXF, DWG, RTF, PDF formats, etc.

The reports that are generated include the following:

• Detailed ultimate limit state check report
• Wind action justification report

Detailed ultimate limit state check reports

CYPECAD, CYPE 3D and the Portal frame generator generate detailed ultimate limit state (U.L.S.) check reports. The U.L.S. reports contain all the checks these programs carry out to design concrete, steel, aluminium and timber elements. Each check refers to the design code and article requiring the check, or the criteria which have been applied to carry it out. The detailed contents of the U.L.S. reports make these essential documents with which users can verify, justify and optimise the design of the structural elements that have been analysed.

The level of detail of these reports also acts as a guide allowing users to know all the checks to which the structural element is submitted.

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Wind action justification report

CYPECAD also generates wind action justification reports. By selecting the image below, a PDF showing an example of this report can be downloaded.

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CYPECAD and CYPE 3D use the potential offered by multiprocessors in the analysis of their structures.

To access these features, CYPECAD and CYPE 3D have the common module Parallel analysis with up to eight processors, which saves a substantial amount of analysis time.

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