Issue No. 1      Autumn 2002

 

 

 

 

Contents

 

Launch of new Oasys web site

No more dongles

Personal support forums

New pricing structure & discounts

Oasys announce availability of “Archetype”

CAD tools and Columbus added to the range of Oasys software

New release of Oasys GEO including SAFE

New release of Oasys GSA

Tips & Tricks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Important: Unsubscribing from this Newsletter

 

If you want to remove yourself from our mailing list, please send an email to listserv@oasys-software.com with unsubscribe oasys-software-news in the email body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the first issue of Oasys News

 

As part of continuing improvement to our customer services, we have introduced a quarterly newsletter, bringing you news of software releases together with tips and tricks and advance information on future developments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Launch of new Oasys web site

 

On the 24 June 2002 our web site was re-launched.   The web site has a new look and an easy to use menu system to allow quick navigation to the section you require.

 

As part of the redesign we have brought our CAD and Columbus products together with our technical software under one roof at http://www.oasys-software.com.

 

New features of the web site include downloadable 30 day demonstration copies of all our software,  an ‘Academic Zone’ for teaching establishments and customer specific personal support forums.   We have also optimised the site to make it faster and easier to navigate.   And lastly we have introduced a powerful search facility

 

 

 

 

 

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Continuing improvements

No More Dongles

 

We are now phasing out our hardware lock devices (dongles) in favour of a software copy protection system.   This not only makes it easier for you to manage, it can also be a far more cost effective solution if you take our new network licensing option.

Personal Support Forums

 

All customers with maintenance and support contracts will soon be receiving notification of their personal login names and passwords to our new support services.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This service operates as a closed forum, only you, your colleagues and Oasys support staff can see your postings.    You can include attachments, and you are automatically emailed responses direct to your office email address.

 

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New Pricing Structure & Discount Policy

 

Our price list has now been revised and includes some major reductions e.g. Basic GSA was £1250, now £500.

 

Prices for a single standalone, network, rental and maintenance options are now provided in Pounds sterling, Euros and US dollars.

 

Our discount policy has also been reviewed and we are delighted to offer multiple licences at attractive rates.   You can now purchase three licences for the cost of 2, or 5 licences for the cost of 3, providing even greater value for money.

 

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Oasys announce availability of “Archetype”

Archetype is a mid-range document creation and management system based on Microsoft Access.  Although it was written to meet the needs of Architects, it is ideally suited to any construction related organisation.  Its simple interface allows you to create and manage documents, drawings, emails, transmittals, staff, resources etc.

Oasys are a primary reseller of Archetype and will be working with Archsoft to integrate Columbus and Archetype in the future.

Demonstrations

We are happy to demonstrate this software.  Please email oasys@arup.com or phone +44 (0) 191 238 7559 in order to arrange a demonstration.

 

For more details see http://www.oasys-software.com/archetype/

 

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Oasys welcomes the inclusion of CAD tools and Columbus to our range of software

 

Columbus is the world’s most widely used document management tool and is available free from our website at  http://www.oasys-software.com/columbus/

 

 

 

Columbus is used by over 16,000 companies in 164 countries. 

 

If you need to standardise your electronic filing system this may be the solution for you
 

 

 

We are happy to be able to offer a new range of products under the banner of CADtools.
 

 

 

Create plots and PDF’s of AutoCAD drawings reliably from any machine on the network.   No need for AutoCAD on the client machines which have full preview capabilities.   Clients are free.

 

 

 

A batch processing tool, used for automating repetitive tasks on AutoCAD drawings

 

 

 

Simple and fast AutoCAD based concrete detailing and scheduling.   Supports both the BS8666 and BS4466 British Standards

 

See review by AEC Magazine.

 

 

 

Under a new scheme called the ‘CAD Partner Program’ the whole CAD suite is provided on the basis of shared costs.  The more who join, the cheaper the quarterly cost becomes.   Contracts are for 12 months and can be paid annually or quarterly to spread to cost.

 

This scheme aims to promote standards across the industry at a cost that is affordable by large and small companies alike.

http://www.oasys-software.com/cadpp/

 

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New release of Oasys GEO including SAFE

 

Oasys GEO has just been updated to version 17.8.4.  The Oasys GEO suite is a state-of-the-art suite capable of analysing virtually any geotechnical problem.  It includes programs in the Windows environment for the analysis of flexible retaining walls, prediction of soil movement and slope stability, pile design and now, with the first commercial release of SAFE for Windows, finite element analysis of soils and groundwater.

 

SAFE has been used extensively in-house by Arup on high profile projects such as Canary Wharf and the Kings Cross redevelopment in London.

 

SAFE is a two-dimensional finite element program which uses 8-noded quadrilateral elements.  Its main features are summarised below: 

 

·          Analysis of plane stress, plane strain or axially symmetric problems. General loading of linear elastic axisymmetric structures can be carried out using a Fourier series technique.

·          Linear or non-linear behaviour, using a wide range of material models: Linear Elastic, Elastic Mohr-Coulomb, an incremental elastic model as proposed by Duncan and Chang, an elastic/plastic/brittle model with stress magnitude restriction, Modified Cam-clay, Soil reinforcement, and a strain history model.

·          Pore pressures and effective stresses are identified separately, allowing computation for drained or undrained conditions, and time dependent consolidation.

·          Incremental loading and changes of material properties, permit the formation of excavations, embankments etc.

·          Extensive graphical input options and in-built mesh generation facility.

·          Wide range of graphical output and printing facilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other additions for GEO 17.8.4 include some new features in SLOPE, the well-established slope stability program.  These include:

·          Non-linear strength envelopes for drained materials - power law and hyperbolic relationships

·          "Exploded" slice diagrams and force polygons

·          Ability to add text, soil or slip circle labels to graphical output

 

As SAFE in particular is a relatively complex program with many features, we also propose to offer training seminars and on-line demonstration of typical geotechnical problem set-up in the program.

 

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COMING SOON - New release of Oasys GSA

 

GSA is the Oasys structural analysis program, incorporating integrated steel design and concrete design modules.  GSA has been continually developed since 1984 to meet the needs of a demanding user base around the world.  An overview of the capability of GSA is given on our web site at http://www.oasys-software.com/gsa/

 
 

 

 

Included on this web site are several online demonstrations.  While these are created principally as a means of remote training they also serve as a useful introduction to the program.

 

 

 

 

New Features in GSA 8.0

The latest release of GSA, version 8.0, introduces many new features to complement the existing capability.  Here are some of the highlights.

Integrated Steel Design

A steel member code checker has been built into GSA.  The design model is built in the same data set as the analysis model, allowing automatic association of analysis results with the design model.  The code checking can then be carried out on the results of any load case or combinations of these.  Envelopes of design results can also be produced.  Steel design is currently implemented to BS5950-1:2000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Integrated RC Slab Design

Like the steel member code checker, the reinforced concrete slab design module is built into GSA to give immediate display of reinforcement areas for any analysis results or combinations of these.  In-plane and out-of-plane action is considered and non-orthogonal reinforcement can be defined.  The module is written to be code independent and the program allows the RC slab properties to be assigned as appropriate for any code of practice.

 

Bridge Loading

The bridge loading facility now offers full carriageway optimisation for UK/HK loading on constant width carriageways, coping with HB vehicles straddling lanes, lane reduction factors, different combinations etc.  Additional path loading types have been introduced to simplify lane-by-lane optimisation to UIC, Eurocode, AASHTO and AusRoads standards.

 

Grid Loading

Grid loading is applied to a virtual surface or ‘grid plane’ in the model.  Internally, grid loading is expanded into equivalent beam loads on the surrounding elements.

·          Grid point loads, grid line loads and grid area loads can be defined.

·          Grid loading can be expanded assuming one-way spanning or two-way spanning load distribution.

·          Grid loading can be applied to any plane or curved surface of beam elements.

·          Elements can be excluded from attracting grid loading.

·          The loading can be specified as acting in any direction, including normal to the surface.

Grid loading can be specified in tables, wizards or graphically using the sculpt tools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Driving GSA from Spreadsheets

GSA can now be driven from external programs such as Microsoft Excel via the published COM interface.  A typical use of this facility is where GSA is used as the analysis engine in a bespoke spreadsheet based structural optimiser.

 

Akin to this is the ability to issue commands to GSA via a command file, to allow batch operation of GSA.

Seismic Analysis

The seismic capabilities in GSA have been enhanced to include IBC 2000, FEMA 356 and Eurocode 8 response spectra and to generate equivalent static load and accidental torsion loading to satisfy UBC 1997, IBC 2000 and FEMA 356.

GSA Viewer

GSA Viewer is a new application for the viewing of input data and results produced by GSA.  Intended for use by architects and other design team members, checking authorities, independent checkers, contractors and clients.  The GSA Viewer is available as a free download from the Oasys web site.  The functionality of the GSA Viewer is the same as GSA except that both analysis and design capability are disabled.

 

Both the GSA Viewer and a 30 day demonstration copy of GSA are available for download from http://www.oasys-software.com/product/downloads/struct/gsa/

 

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Tips & Tricks
 

 

 

CADplot Tip No. 1

Increasing throughput.

AutoCAD can take a while simply opening drawings, so one simple way to speed up

your CADplot Server is to run two or more sessions on the same machine.  The licensing system permits you to do this without increasing your costs. 

 

CADtools Tip No. 1