SAFE™ v12 - Features & Enhancements
Welcome to SAFE v12 – this all-new SAFE is the ultimate integrated tool for designing reinforced and post-tensioned concrete floor and foundation systems. This version introduces versatile 3D object based modeling and visualization tools. Charged with the power of SAPFIRE this release redefines standards in practicality and productivity.
From framing layout to detail drawing production, SAFE integrates every aspect of the engineering design process in one easy and intuitive environment. Although its name is unchanged, the all-new SAFE is vastly enhanced and improved in every facet. It provides unmatched benefits with its unprecedented combination of power, functionality and ease-of-use.
SAFE v12 is available as SAFE, which includes comprehensive capabilities for reinforced concrete, or SAFE/PT, which additionally includes all post-tensioning features.
Please contact souren@caepldhaka.com or (+88) 01714-058 437 for more information.
The following is an outline of the capabilities of the new SAFE product:
Modeling
Project Initialization
• Project initialization from company standards, existing projects, design codes, materials,
sections, existing models or program defaults
• Templates for flat slabs, two-way slabs, waffle slabs, ribbed slabs, isolated footings,
combined footings, and mats
• Automated generation of P/T tendon layout for flat slabs
Objects and Tools
• Multiple grid systems including rectangular, cylindrical, and general
• User Coordinate System (UCS) for on-the-fly system definition
• Rectangular, circular, T- and L-shaped columns and braces
• Curved beams and curved slab edges
• Curved walls and sloped ramps
• Drop panels and openings (loaded or unloaded)
• Slab discontinuities due to construction joints or elevation changes
• Arbitrary geometry and loadings, including variations in thickness
• Horizontal and vertical tendon profiles with interactive graphical editing
• Multi-segmented design strips including skews and varying widths
Meshing and Constraints
• Powerful mesh generation options: rectangular, cookie-cutter, and general
• New edge constraint connects mismatched slab meshes
• Meshing allows for moment and shear releases in slab
Model Explorer
• Easy access to all features of program without using menus
• Define, duplicate, and modify properties using the tree structure
• Property- and object-based selection
• Property assignment by drag-and-drop on model view or within tree
· Context-sensitive menus on each item in the explorer
Automation
• Automated design-strip drawing using grids
• Design-strip width automation
• Automated generation of pattern loading based on panels
• Automated generation of tendon-profiles using load balancing
• Strip-based automatic tendon layouts
• Automated finite element meshing
Drafting
• Line, area, tendon, design-strip, support, and text drawing tools
• Quick-draw options for object creation
• Intelligent snaps, with control on snap length and angle increments
• Switching between available snaps using N key
• Graph paper as horizon or background for easy snaps
• AutoCAD architectural plans can be used as geometric reference for snapping and tracing
• Architectural units for drafting (Imperial units)
• Length and angle measurement tools
• Drafting on user-defined 3D working planes and developed elevations
• Curve drawing using arc, spline, and multi-segment tools
• General design-strip drawing as poly-lines with varying width
• Architectural dimension lines with guidelines linked to points, lines, and edges
• Cardinal points for offset insertion of beams, columns, and walls
• On-screen editing of selective data using right-button click
• Editing with move, nudge, mirror, and replicate
• Real-time zoom and rotation while drafting
Display
• New enhanced graphical display in plan and 3D
• Developed elevations for display and drafting
• Display of deformed shapes and loading diagrams
• Animation of deformed shapes
• Slab displacement, moment, shear, stresses, and bearing pressure contours
• User controlled averaging for contour displays
• Beam moment and shear diagrams
• Reaction force diagrams
• Integrated strip moment and shear diagrams
• Design displays for design strips
• Stress-check displays for post tensioning
• Graphical display of required reinforcing for slabs and beams
• Extruded 3D views of columns and walls
• Clear display of wall junctions in 2D and 3D
• Waffle extrusion with openings
• Smooth shading for curved line and area objects
• Continuous rotation with mouse drag
• Built-in image and video capturing
• Multiple lighting options and transparency using Direct-X
Analysis
AnalysisDesign
• Both strip-based design and finite element (FEM) based design results are available
• General 3D analysis model with new fast solvers, including dynamics
• Orthotropic slab properties
• Thick plate behavior with shear deformation included
• Beams with flexural, shear and torsional deformations
• Stiffness effects of columns, walls and ramps are included
• Tendon forces converted to loads
• Nonlinear analysis for long term creep using moment-curvature
• Nonlinear analysis for cracked conditions
• Automatic analysis for secondary post-tensioning stresses for design
• Nonlinear analysis for no-tension soil supports with uplift
• Tension-only spring for modeling tension anchor
• Automated double-valued range combinations for pattern loads
• Multi-processor, multi-threading 64-bit solvers with unmatched solution capacity
Loading
• Area, line and point loading
• Loads can vary linearly in one or two directions
• Automated prestress loss calculations
• Lateral loads (wind and seismic) can be considered in models
• Response-spectrum analysis based on loads and modes imported from ETABS®
• Unlimited load cases and combinations
• Slab and beam design for the latest American, Australian, British, Canadian, Chinese,Detailing
European, Hong Kong , Indian, New Zealand, and Singapore codes
• Design considers post-tensioning and lateral loads
• Design done on new, general strip definitions
• Serviceability and load-transfer design checks for post-tensioning
• Post-tensioning strength checks including secondary locked-in stresses
• New one-way shear design and updated punching-shear design
• Design of punching-shear reinforcement (stud rails)
• Fully automated detailing of slabs, beams, mats, and footingsOutput and Display
• Detailer includes post-tensioning, general design strips, slab, and beam offsets
• Detailer is fully integrated into the main program and accessible from model explorer
• Fully customizable detailing rules to control bar sizes, spacing, dimensioning, scaling, etc.
• Separate display of object-level detailing and drawings containing object views
• Detailed object views includes plans, elevations, sections, rebar tables, rebar schedules
and bill of quantities
• Fully customizable drawing sheets with multiple views
• Automatic synchronization of edited drawings with modified models
• Option to detail individual objects or groups of similar objects
• User-defined section cuts on slabs, beams, and mats
• Rebar editing on beams, slabs, and mats with automated updating of related views
• Full editing of text and annotations for clearer detailing
• Complete control on scale, text size, line type, line thickness, color, etc.
• Fully customizable labeling of objects and views
• Export of detailing output to AutoCAD
• Insertion of external images and graphics on drawing sheets
• Import of AutoCAD objects onto drawing sheets
• Direct printing of selected views or drawing sheets
ReportingImport/Export
• Automated generation of standard reports
• Fully customizable report generation
• Tabular and graphical representation of the model and results
• Detailed object views and custom displays can be added to reports
• Reporting in user-defined mixed units
• Report formatting and layout based on user-defined settings
Interfacing
• Import of model from ETABS® Version 9, including response-spectrum
• Geometry, tendons, and reinforcing imported from or exported to AutoCAD
Database
• Interactive database editing
• Database tables for all model, analysis, and design information
• Database tables greatly enhanced with many user controls
• Import and export tables using native Excel, Access, or text files
• Printing of database tables
• Meshing options have been simplified and improved to create more efficient
meshes that use less memory and increase the speed and accuracy of the
analysis and design.
• The Equivalent Frame Method (EFM) has been added as a tool for designing
2-D reinforced concrete and post-tensioned frames. Standalone 2-D models
can be created, analyzed, and designed independently of the current 3-D
slab/mat model. Additionally, the geometry and basic properties for the 2-D
frame can be extracted from a straight design strip of the 3-D model.
• The Architectural Layer tracing for importing DXF/DWG files has been
significantly enhanced for object recognition, speed, and ease of use.
• Dimension lines now automatically adjust with the movement of associated
grid lines and objects.
• Tendon high and low points are shown in plan views as distances from the top
or bottom of the slab.
• T-beams and L-beams can now be explicitly specified as being inverted.
• Wide beams can now be converted to equivalent thicker slabs when desired.
• Temperature loading has been added, including the ability to specify different temperatures above and below the slab (temperature gradient).
• Distributed lateral forces and moments can now be applied to beams, and distributed lateral forces can be applied to slabs. These lateral loads can also be imported from ETABS.
• Analysis of cracking deflection has been enhanced to include the effects of
creep, shrinkage, and axial loads.
• Design combinations can easily be converted to nonlinear load cases for
uplift calculation.
• Integrated wall forces are now reported as reactions.
• Distinct middle and column design strips have been implemented for R/C design, which improves design reporting and detailing. Full-width column strips are
normally used for P/T design.
• User-specified reinforcement may be defined. Design can take this into account
and report the additional rebar needed, if any, to meet code requirements.
• Punching-shear design has been enhanced to account for edges and corners,
with user overwrites provided for additional control.
• One-way shear design has been added to the design strips for all codes.
• For design using FEM results (rather than design strips), the effect of P/T upon strength design has now been implemented. FEM-based design is an effective alternative to strip-based design when strips cannot be easily or
reasonably defined.
• The effect of P/T upon design can now be ignored in local regions for both
strip-based and FEM-based design.
• The automation and user-control of beam sections used for analysis and design
has been enhanced to better consider the interaction with the slab.
• Chinese design code and language translation have been implemented for users
with a Chinese license.
• Usability, control, and reporting have been significantly enhanced for the
Detailer, including single-level Undo/Redo.
• A comprehensive set of keyboard shortcuts has been added for power users.
• Overall enhancements for usability, speed, look and feel have been implemented throughout the program.
• New drafting controls have been added for drawing curved edges of
area objects.
• Graphical display of crack widths has been added for reinforced-concrete slab regions. The calculation is based on Section 7.3.4 of Eurocode 2-2004, regardless of the code chosen for design.
• The punching-shear check is now performed at the edges of drop panels for all
cases where drops are present. Previously it was restricted to locations where
columns were specified.
• The slab punching design check on the maximum shear for which stud rails or
steel reinforcement can be provided has been reinterpreted to be based on the
average shear around the perimeter. Previously this check was using the
maximum shear around the perimeter. This change will now allow for more
designs to pass where reinforcement is provided.
• The Detailer has been enhanced to produce a Footing Bill of Quantities,
providing a table of the total rebar quantities for footing-type area objects.
• User control has been added for the convergence tolerance used for nonlinear analysis. Although this is rarely needed, it allows more flexibility for handling sensitive uplift and cracking cases.
• The National Annex to Eurocode 2 has been implemented for Denmark, Finland,
Norway, Slovenia, and Sweden for reinforced and post-tensioned concrete
design using “Eurocode 2-2004”.
• The Chinese concrete design code has been updated from GB 50010-2002 to GB
50010-2010.
• The Australian code "AS 3600-2009" has been added for the design of reinforced
and prestressed-concrete beams and slabs.
• The automatic load combinations created for design by Eurocode 2-2004 now
include snow loads when these are present in the model.
• The thin-plate formulation has been added as an option for slab sections. The
thick-plate formulation is the default and the recommended option. The
thin-plate option is provided primarily for comparison purposes, especially with
theoretical results. The thick-plate option generally provides better forces
for design.
• The sign of all results for hyperstatic load cases has been reversed to be
consistent with common usage.
• An enhancement was implemented allowing the program level (i.e.,
STANDARD, PT, etc.) to be chosen when starting the program.
