Advanced Software Solutions for Civil Engineering Industry

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Technology and Software Solutions have today revolutionized the world. Name any field and you will find a plethora of software developed to ease out the work and transfer one's vivid imaginations onto paper. The same holds true for the engineering and construction fraternity also where a number of sophisticated computer software have today led to swift solutions, interesting brainstorming sessions and fascinating outputs.

Amongst the many advantages of technology is its saving of time in turn rendering more time for ‘design,' besides making designs possible which one could hardly think of with hand. A Computer software should be rightly treated as a tool to conceive our creative ideas.

India's construction industry is such an important part of the economy which has led to a need of good software to solve construction related issues. India remains as one of the major focuses of the Engineering Software vendors where apart from the need for Indian projects, many Indian design and outsourcing firms work with foreign designs and drawing jobs also where software are essentially required.

Mumbai based MIDAS India (R&D Centre) with headquarters in South Korea, offers engineering software development along with analysis & design support for Civil, Structural, Geotechnical & Mechanical Engineering. Angshuman Pandey, Director Operations of the firm adds, "Construction is rampant if you see the metropolitan cities of India today. The state governments also have taken immense initiatives in infrastructure development in the villages / interiors etc which points to a lot of scope to grow for software companies."

Softwares in the Market

The Sutong Bridge

Today's engineering and construction responsive environment has varied software right from Project management (for the planning and updating on the project development) to design and detailing software programs (for metal trusses, walls and floors), software for civil works (for optimizing quantities and reducing wastage in cement, steel and concrete blocks), and software used in Environmental, Geotechnical, Hydraulic, Structural, Transportation, and Wind engineering. midas Civil, used for the design of bridges, flyovers and viaducts is a user- friendly and versatile software that can perform construction stage analysis, pre-stress & live load analysis for curved in space girders. Launched by MIDAS India, Angshuman admits, "Due to the booming infrastructure development in many parts of the world especially BRIC nations midas Civil has surpassed the revenue of midas Gen by a few folds which is our flagship product and is used for the design of vertical structures."

Complex structures, forms, frames and fabrication details of materials have today been made easier by the array of 3D and 4D models that can be made. Building Information Modelling (BIM) (by Autodesk), is one of the most used software solutions today for engineers, architects, planners etc and as rightly said is ‘not just a model but a process that helps customers use the information inherent in the model to design, visualize, analyze and simulate a project.' Still to penerate fully into the Indian Market, BIM solutions include AutoCAD Civil 3D and AutoCAD Map 3D software for transportation, land development and water projects and Autodesk Revit-based software for the building industry including solutions for architecture, structural and MEP engineering.

Chennai Annadurai International Airport expansion

Tekla, a leading international software company with headquarters in Finland, has been servicing the building and construction industry with a complete structural BIM solution software named ‘Tekla Structure.' Besides steel detailing (as their forte), they have now ventured into concrete detailing too. Their Indian branch office, the seven years old Tekla India Pvt Ltd headquartered in Mumbai commits to their wider user base, which has crossed 200 mark with effective technology and services. Tekla India promotes the full product line ‘Tekla Structure' that provides an accurate, detailed and data-rich 3D environment present in different configurations. The Steel Module works for detailers and construction engineers, the engineering module for structural engineering companies, the construction management module for erection sequences and material planning, project scheduling while the concrete module works towards rebar detailing in precast as well as reinforced concrete. Mr Venkataramanan Kirthivasan, Area Sales Manager of the firm adds, "Though we have developed the software keeping the structural engineering need in any construction in mind but other project players like architects, MEP or any others involved in projects also can make best use of 3D BIM models."

New software for Roofing design like the Applicad Roof Wizard software features automatic roof design in full 3D, calculates all material and labor quantities and automatically inserts all information into pre-defined reports. For quantity estimation work, a number of software like FORMULATOR have ready to use objects like beams, slabs, columns, retaining walls, staircase, and water tanks in which the user has to enter only the dimensions along with sketches. Other software for estimation include BUILD-QUANT, Bar-Be-Que, Rate-Anly, QE-Pro etc.

For Survey Engineering Firms, the three years old Bengaluru based E Surveying Solutions has E Sections," E SurveyCAD" and E SurveyLisps. With a small software size and limited features, these software works with different CAD packages. E Sections" help engineers, surveyors and designers to create industry standard drawings and to generate instant calculation reports related to road/railway lines/irrigation/pipeline design/sewer network project. ESurveyCAD" is a software solution for surveyors and engineers for creating contours, calculating earthwork quantities and converting point data into CAD to generate a topographical map. Kotaa Krishna Kamath, CEO of the firm confirms, "I won't say that we give a complete solution to Survey Engineering as people are now expecting the results in 3D which we plan to develop. However, many of our customers feel that our solutions are complete as they don't depend on any other software to generate reports."

For Structural analysis and design, there exists software like STRUDS, ESR-GSR, RISA-3D. Then there are software catering to specific materials like ADAPT-ABI (a collection of fully integrated design and analysis tools for all types of concrete floor systems, foundations, and beam structures), or NISA/CIVIL (for the analysis and design of reinforced concrete and steel structures), SCADDS/Nucleus 3D (for the planning, load estimation, analysis, design, optimization, detailing, estimation and costing, rendering, walkthrough and documentation of RCC Multi-storey Buildings and structures) and StruM.I.S.NET (which brings the steel fabrication industry up-to-date with the very latest processing, tracking, planning and reporting facilities). Software for geotechnical design of shallow and deep foundations and retaining structures are also present. SAFE P/T is used for analysis and design of flat slabs and mat foundations with/without post tensioning.

Contour Surface Drawing

BuildSuperfast, a leading ERP solution for the Construction and Infrastructure industries used in roadways, bridges and airports was launched by Chennai based Micromen Systems & Software Pvt. Ltd in 1986. Micromen has been one of the earliest players in the customized application software service in Chennai. The various modules contain Rate Analysis, Projects, Planning & Scheduling, Vendor, Material and Customer Relationship Management, Work Progress System, Financial Accounts and Client Billing. Its highlights include automated critical alert system, dynamic MIS reports, comprehensive decision support system and real time integration with project sites.

CADS Software India (P) Ltd headquartered in Chennai is the Indian counterpart of the UK Based CADS, a leading international software company specialising in structural engineering design and detailing software. While the firm's original emphasis was on structural analysis and design applications, they extended it to AutoCAD add-ons in the late 1980s. RebarCAD- their flagship software for rebar detailing, BBS (Bar Bending Schedules) preparation and fabrication runs on AutoCAD with minimal additional training required. Its salient features include automatic and error free BBS, optimisation tool to reduce rebar waste, links to rebar fabrication software and machines, powerful editing and revision to automatically update BBS and rapid and accurate drawing creation. Adds Managing Director K. K. Jagadish, "At CADS Software India (P) Ltd, we have solutions that are capable of inter-operating with one another to meet the challenges faced by a civil engineer or a construction professional from modelling, to design, analysis and detailing. By increasing the quality, we have led to a decrease in material waste and in time consumed and costs."

Lamar Towers	Abu Dhabi Investment Council Hq

Features & Advantages

Software solutions work towards more innovative solutions, provide cost effective and environment- friendly solutions while checking the potentiality of new materials. RebarCAD has helped Engineers, Consultants, Engineering Services, Outsourcing companies and others by saving more than 30% of their reinforcement detailing and BBS preparation time.

Ishwarya Prem Shankarr, Coordinator-Business Development of Micromen Systems & Software Pvt. Ltd says, "In BuildSuperfast, the checks and controls present in the project execution modules contribute towards streamlining the initial job-cost takeoffs and help the users to maintain strict audit control by ensuring that they adhere to the budget at all times. The system automatically alerts users of various levels even before the execution closes in on the estimate figures, viz., cost, resource or time. At any point, it also generates several critical deviation reports which enable the users to track and identify areas of excess and take the appropriate measures to curb them. The Work Flow module acts as the nerve centre of the software, facilitating an environment of collaborative and centralized project management, thereby increasing transparency and on-the-move decision making."

Most of these softwares are available in different versions so as to be able to meet the requirements of different fields. Micromen is ready with the release of the next 'generation' and '.net version' of BuildSuperfast which will have a dedicated Workflow System enabling instant alerts and the seamless flow of information between and within departments among other advanced features. It will also feature portals through which third parties (customers, clients, vendors) will be able to view salient information related to them.

Angshuman feels that in reality, there is no such way to provide comprehensive solutions for the entire process of projects. Referring to midas Civil he adds, "It is used for schematic & final design. From this, we check the safety at various conditions; once the analysis & design is over, & the structure is said safe, the execution starts. During execution, in case there is any change/ delay in the schedule that can also be taken care of with ease. However, there should not be any major change once the design is made freeze because this may affect the detailing which is crucial. The software can simulate the real time models; it also shows stagewise deflected shape, diagrams like BMD, SFD, AFD and anything that we require in designing the structure. One can virtually walk through & feel the details prior to the construction. The material cost can be optimized."

Products at E surveying solution are economical; the investment is less, time taken to generate the drawing is saved, learning the software is simple and can be operated by a less skilled person.

Wankhede Stadium renovation, Mumbai

With Tekla positioning themselves as a BIM software company, the benefits include cost reduction, saving material wastage as is important in any projects, where tonnes of steel & concrete are used and a small error in estimation can lead to big loss for project owners. By offering effective data transfer in between different engineering departments and need at site, their tools minimise the errors and maximise the productivity. Mr Kirthivasan admits, "The 3D Models approach is changing the whole way the construction industry is working. Tekla prides to be pioneer of open BIM concept (IFS format) through which it can offer smooth interface to other industrial software involved in same project."

Training and After Sales Support

With the availability of varied software in the market, professionals and firms do have a tough time zeroing on which to use. The user friendliness, the versatility and the accuracy of the programs are considered important factors. Though there are many softwares for which no training is required but tutorials and online demos can help, it is important to remember that the output of a software can be maximised depending upon the efficiency of the user too.

In case of E Surveying Solutions, training of all the three small sized software modules, takes less than three hours other than which there are complete video tutorial and online support for all product features for the customers.

At CADS Software India, what everyone calls ‘training' is ‘hand-holding.' Adds Jagadish, "In an industry that is facing newer challenges everyday if not every hour, the requirements of knowledge in a software keeps on changing very quickly. That is why there is no more a standard de-facto training agenda in CADS Software India. Our customers will need project specific guidance when they start using our software and that is what we impart them during the initial days with the software." This duration of training can vary from customer to customer anywhere between half a day crash course to a four month long guiding.

At MIDAS India, online media (email/video conference / telephone) is used for support and 24 hours is maintained as turnaround time reply, provided the problem is not very complicated in nature.

Micromen pride themselves to be management consultants more than software vendors. The implementation process is driven by the "BuildSuperfast Implem- entation Framework" which includes detailed Gap Analysis and User Profiling exercises to intimately understand the atomic business process of every personnel. Specialized training is then provided to all users followed by live data entry under the guidance of the implementation professionals. "The Online Ticketing System introduced last year has been a huge success with our clients, and has resulted in a dramatic decrease in our turn-around time with regards to troubleshooting," adds Ishwarya.

"There is a huge demand for BIM Technology which is hampered by lack of skilled resources available in the market, so we need to stop the gap between supply and demand," maintains Kirthivasan. For the same, Tekla introduces a certificate academy - the ‘Tekla Centre of Excellence' with hubs in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Pune to start with, where world class certification is provided for engineers. Due to a user-friendly software, one can go through the basic course of five days and an advanced course of only three days to understand the functionality of the technology. Apart from which, on buying our software a customer gets the AMC with which he gets free Tekla service and access to technical hints & tips, troubleshooting queries, back up of live project execution on 24X7 basis.

Technology and Academics

With the universal spread of technology, it becomes important for the educational institutions to provide knowledge of such technology too. CADS Software India is keen in growing its presence with the academic fraternity outside Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh where they are already contributing towards shaping the careers of budding engineers. Tekla is also keen to explore the connection with academics and has been contributing significantly to make the students aware of their BIM technology by sending experts to various campuses. Soon, they are going to introduce the Indian version of the software.

The Economics

While dwelling on their market share Ishwarya feels, "The southern market has been very kind to us and we can claim to be one of the pioneers in providing domain specific solutions. Our recent foray into the western market, namely Mumbai and Gujarat has been successful." Angshuman commits to an approximate share of 18%–20% in the Indian market combining the firm's products. Spending 30% of their annual revenue on R&D, Tekla is proving its commitment to deliver world class technology as their users demand. Tekla technology is one of the most reputed and recognised brands in the world with over 40 years presence. Mr Kirthivasan admits, "Though we have tough competition with other software developers in the market which helps us to test our technology acceptance by our users, but because of our focus area and expertise in Structural BIM solution, we can proudly say that in terms of usage of 3D based application in construction industry, we are holding the major market share and will continue in our focus streamline business area in coming days."

Kamath adds, "In Bengaluru, 50% of survey projects are done using our products. We are yet to cover a majority of the market across India. Economically, we are not even 1% of the market share in India, as our competitors charge too much. Apart from having an early entry advantage, they sell multiple license to the same customer. Jagadish adds, "We can safely say that atleast one license of our solutions will be in use at any given second of any day."

The Future

The software market in the construction and engineering industry has boomed due to the amelioration in construction activities, which will sustain for the next 2-3 decades. Software solutions need to be periodically updated to be able to meet the challenges faced by the Industry. Work is on for more innovative solutions and possibilities in the field of structural analysis and designing, which not only will improve the quality and life span of the constructs but will also provide protection from man-made and natural calamities.

CADS Software India is working towards localising their latest software - the CADS Smart Scaffolder (the most used scaffolding modelling and estimation software in Europe) to suit the requirements of the Indian market. Apart from this, they would also like to develop a new 3D modelling and Finite Element Analysis software. Adds Jagadish, "We are also innovating on and expanding the scope of our current solutions to meet the requirements of different segments of customers like Engineering Consultants, Contractors, Developers, Fabricators etc. The Indian construction & infrastructure industry has about 42,000 projects in various stages with a total worth of $1.3 trillion (Source: Projects Today). With such a huge potential, we believe that we will grow twice in headcount and revenue in the next three years. Urbanisation of Tier II & III cities has become a priority for all levels of public governance bodies in India today. We at CADS believe that it is important to slowly expand focus from Tier I cities to these new zones of opportunity."

Micromen is looking at establishing its presence in growing infrastructure centres such as Bihar and Orissa by 2013 while strengthening its position in other markets such as Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kerala and Delhi. E Surveying Solutions is coming out with its new Water Module. They also have plans to come out with solutions to generate survey drawings directly using Google earth data. Kamath adds, "We are a new firm and now present in only a limited portion of India in Karnataka, Maharastra and Andhra. In the next two years, we will be major players all over India."

Tekla has recently launched Tekla BIMsight which is free tool for effective communication and collaboration between different project players. The future plans of Tekla India Pvt Ltd include targeting the contractor segment and making them a part of the BIM process and influencing their vendors to use similar process, Kirthivasan chips in, "The actual advantage is realised only when downstream players also start implementing it." Apart from this, they would concentrate on the Tekla Centre of Excellence and look towards more of product localisation by hiring local developers to create application which can be used by the Indian customers.