Important New Features & Enhancements of ProtaStructure 2025
At Prota, we've been
shaping the future of structural BIM software for over 40 years. Our commitment
to practical solutions and innovative design tools remains unmatched, and ProtaStructure
2025 is no exception. This latest release pushes the boundaries of
what's possible in building design, offering new modeling approaches, enhanced
stability, and cutting-edge BIM integration.
Including Vertical Modal
Earthquake Analysis, Multi-Mode Pushover Analysis, the expanded code-coverage, improved
load combinations editor and more, all the essential new features of the
ProtaStructure were explained in this special webinar through a live demonstration.
🎙️Mustafa Tümer Tan – Civil Engineer (MSc) | Product Manager at Prota Software
Webinar Recording
Key Topics
Code-Coverage and Project Templates in ProtaStructure 2025
In ProtaStructure
2025, our primary focus has been on extending existing code support while
enhancing stability, performance, and addressing user feedback. The
enhancements applied in the code-coverage includes the introduction of the
following codes:
- ACI318 and similar standards for RC seismic and non-seismic design and detailing processes, and the user-defined strength reduction factors are introduced to cater for versions and variations of ACI318.
- Extended support for AISC341 and TBDY2018 is introduced to check additional seismic provisions.
- Indian Standards are enhanced to Improve the support for RC column and shearwall design and detailing
- Thailand RC Design Standards
Also, you can see how
to manage the design code selections through the Settings Center of
ProtaStructure in this webinar recording.
Mr. Tan also
introduced the new project templates during the live demonstration. The use of
project templates simply enables you to start a new project quickly without
dealing with the certain settings. You can select a project template which
collects all the settings and all the best practices required for your project
area. These templates are customizable, and furthermore, you can save your
frequently used settings as a template as well.
How to Manage Seismic Parameters in ProtaStructure 2025
Seismic Parameters dialogue
of the ProtaStructure is explained in detail. The dialogue simply allows you to
define all the seismic parameters through a simple form and get the elastic and
design spectrums calculated immediately. In addition to the seismic parameters,
you can manage the analysis options in this dialogue. You can choose to apply
accidental eccentricity or you can choose to use user-defined periods in equivalent
static analysis. Options for structural irregularities can be managed in the “Structural
Irregularities” tab of this window.
A Brief Intro to the Load Combination Editor of ProtaStructure 2025
The load combination
system of the ProtaStructure is already a flexible one allowing you to easily
define load cases and load combinations. In the ProtaStructure 2025, on the
other hand, we have focused on load combination system to make the design
process more seamless and practical.
First of all, the
interface has been improved to enhance the user experience. Then, the loading
generator has been improved. In the previous versions of ProtaStructure, the
wizard options you have selected were always reset to factory defaults when you
reopen the loading generator. ProtaStructure 2025 now remembers the loading
generator options you have selected for creating the combinations and
automatically brings the same options when you reopen it. Another major new
feature is that now ProtaStructure 2025 has separate groups for Steel and RC
Ultimate Limit State (ULS) and Serviceability Limit State (SLS) combinations.
New Capabilities Impacting RC Column and Wall Design Process
Strength
Reduction Factors: Each
iteration of the US Codes may require different strength reduction factors. You
can now customize the those and incorporate various factors required by the US
Codes, the ACIs to be more specific.
Detailed
RC Column and Wall Reinforcement Design Reports: You can get the detailed design report
generated automatically for both flexural and shear design. Based on the selected
seismic design code, the step-by-step shear design process is provided in this auto-generated
report.
Significant Design Checks: ProtaStructure
2025 performs column-beam joint shear check and strong column checks
automatically and generates the reports consisting of the results.
Modal Vertical Earthquake Analysis
ProtaStructure can
reflect the effects of vertical earthquake action in the design by providing
two methods: Approximate Static Approach and Modal Spectrum Analysis Method. In
Approximate Static Approach, vertical vibration modes and a dedicated vertical
spectrum are not considered. Instead, the result from gravity load case is
multiplied by a fraction of horizontal spectral acceleration. In Modal Spectrum
Analysis Method, on the other hand, vertical vibration modes of the structure
are considered together with a vertical acceleration spectrum.
You can find all the
details about these methods and how to apply them in ProtaStructure in the Vertical Earthquake Effects design guide.
Seismic Checks for Steel Buildings
The seismic checks of
steel members according to AISC341 and Turkish codes has been implemented with
the ProtaStructure 2025. Seismic provisions limit us in usage of steel profiles.
For Special Moment Frames, compact sections must be used in design. ProtaStructure
now checks this and fail the design if the requirement is not met. In addition to
this, in eccentrically braced frames, seismic link checks must be performed,
and these are also now introduced. Results are reported with their associated
clauses in the detailed report. You will get more detailed info in the corresponding
part of this webinar.
One-Way Slabs with Orthotropic Shell Elements
One-Way Slabs with
Orthotropic Shell Elements
Normally, a regular
isotropic slab exhibits a two-way behavior when it is analyzed with finite
elements. This is usually sufficient for cast-in-place RC slabs. However, when
it comes to one-way prefabricated, pretensioned or hollow core slabs, the
one-way behavior must be accurately reflected to the analytical model.
Hence, in the new
version, the Orthotropic Shell Element has been developed. It has a
significantly lower Modulus of Elasticity, Shear Modulus and Poisson’s Ratio in
the secondary direction.
You can get more
information about this essential new feature in the corresponding part of this
webinar.
In ProtaStructure 2025 New Features document, you can find all the details about the new features introduced with this milestone version.
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