RESOURCES
Some Helpful Tools
Energy modelling
Building Energy Modelling - a simple tool for architects to calculate the building thermal energy.
Online Calculator - a brief description and calculator focused on the impact of structural thermal breaks on energy savings, considering the primary relevant parameters.
For a simpler ("cleaner") version go here.
optEnv
optEnv - a simple program for determining the impact of Structural Thermal Breaks at balcony penetrations in concrete structures. It considers four parameters - opaque wall R-Value, window-wall ratio, window U-Value and balcony ratio - to determine the necessary upgrade of each of these components to achieve the desired R-Value.
PSI
PSI - a simple program for the thermal bridging calculations of concrete balconies (conventional vs. thermally broken ones). Through a Finite Element Heat Transfer Model, based on the wall R-value and inside and outside temperatures, the program will calculate the heat flux, the linear thermal transmittance (psi-value) and the average R-value of the envelope (considering now the balcony penetrations). And compare both cases.
SAP2000toOS
Take advantage of SAP2000 User-Friendliness and OpenSees Power with SAP2000toOS - Create the 2D/3D frame model in SAP2000 and transfer it to OpenSees. To achieve this: - SAP2000 should be open while running SAP2000toOS.exe. - The file SAP2000v1.dll, which you can get from your SAP2000 folder, should be in the same folder as SAP2000toOS.exe The OpenSees input file, OSModel.tcl, will be created in the Documents folder. It will include the nodes, restraints (assuming any restraint is 'fixed'), elemements connectivity and their section properties. Any rotations of the local axes will be considered. Two geometric tansformations have been considered - one for the beams and one for the columns. The rest will be Default settings, which may then be edited, as necessary. Last update: May 2020 - Check back for upgrades.
DELTA - GFRP v1.0
DELTA-GFRP is an aplication developed by Delta Innoveering for the design of GFRP reinforced concrete beams, according to ACI 440.1R-15. Please clik here to download a free version. Use at your own risk. Please contact us for added functionality and/or other customised engineering software.