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From CAD User AEC Magazine  Vol 22 No 11 - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

Tekla has, in the company’s own words, “been BIM even before the name was created." That expertise is now being used to create an integrated BIM solution in partnership with Nemetschek

Before people started getting excited about Building Information Modelling the concept had already been developed - out of sheer necessity by companies working within the structural steel industry. They didn't, of course, call it that. They just knew that the only way they could keep tabs on the many elements within a building and the relationships between them, the components that were involved in their construction, and the subsequent manufacture and erection, was to create a 3D model of the structure and attach as much information as they

Hence the recent announcement from Tekla Corporation and Nemetschek AG, who have optimized the exchange of construction project data between their software programs to coordinate their product offerings for their customers - and more specifically on dedicated joint projects.

Tekla and Munich-based Nemetschek have signed a mutual agreement, setting a framework for cooperation on future projects. Nemetschek, as you are must be aware, is a leading European vendor of software for architects, engineers and the

to do this is to take on board solutions that have all disciplines already integrated.

The same principles can also be applied to other markets, such as civil engineering, infrastructure and HVAC, as Ernst Homolka, CEO of Nemetschek, pointed out. "Together and with the help of additional partners we want to offer worldwide 'best-in-class' solutions for the AEC market."

His views were echoed by Ari Kohonen, CEO of Tekla Corporation. "At Tekla we want to do our share in helping the building and construction industry move on to BIM as a way of working. This requires information systems of different disciplines to be able to communicate with each other. The data must not only be transferable but exchangeable. This way

possibly could to each component. Doing so enabled them to detail the structures accurately, pass the information through some structural analysis, and produce complete BIMs and production documentation that they could then pass to the fabricators for manufacture. Finnish company Tekla Corporation was in right at the start. So much so, that it is used by many of the leading construction companies for all of their major projects - where their expertise wields much influence. According to Ray Young of Arup UK, "At the end of the day, your 3D model will most probably end up in Tekla Structures, so why not start with it!" But it is not just about the steel industry any more. BIM has become the de facto technology - or philosophy, even - for all of those involved in the construction industry. The benefits are being spread far and wide. What tends to get overlooked, though, is the opportunity it provides for different disciplines to work together. We assume that when a project is put together, there is an automatic and natural exchange of data between architects, structural engineers, civil engineers and so on - but the reality often falls short of the aspiration. Some effort is required from each side to optimise the way in which they can work together.

building industry, with a focus on the whole process from design to facility management. Tekla's focus is to provide a software tool for the building information modelling (BIM) of steel and concrete structures from design to construction. It's a natural synergy, and working together, the companies will improve the interoperability and workflow communication between their specialised software applications, focusing on actual user demands and enhancing the digital workflow between virtual modelling software programs. The partners plan to use vendor-independent open standards for data exchange, such as the IFC standard, and will share their experience with these formats to further develop them to strengthen the BIM community and the development of BIM into an industry standard process.

Furthermore, the two partners intend to cooperate in marketing to align their product offering for multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firms. Construction projects are becoming more and more complex, stretching the capabilities of single technology companies. To plan for the future, they need to meld multiple construction technologies - and, as Tekla and Nemetschek have foreseen, the best way our customers can choose the best product for each task." The Nemetschek subsidiary Graphisoft and Tekla signed a cooperation agreement last September that covered data exchange and close connection of ArchiCAD and Tekla Structures software at the process level. Now, Tekla and Nemetschek subsidiary Scia are planning to complete model transfer between Scia Engineer and Tekla Structures software.

TEKLA

Tekla's model-based software solutions make customers' core processes more effective in building and construction, energy distribution, infrastructure management and water supply. Tekla has customers in more than 90 countries. Tekla Structures, the most advanced BIM (Building Information Modelling) software on the market, provides an accurate, dynamic, and data-rich 3D environment that can be shared by contractors, structural engineers, steel detailers and fabricators, as well as concrete detailers and manufacturers. The highly detailed as-built structural models created in Tekla Structures enable the highest level of constructability and production control.

www.tekla.com

www.nemetschek.com

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