What is AISC?

AISC stands for the American Institute of Steel Construction, an organization that provides company-level certification for structural steel fabrication and erection. This certification is tailored for firms involved in the creation or erection of steel structures, including buildings, bridges, and bridge and highway components. AISC's certification process is not merely an award; it is a rigorous evaluation that includes the review of quality manuals, procedure documentation, and an on-site audit of the firm's quality management system. It ensures that the quality system adheres to standards covering management responsibility and inspection procedures.

Additionally, AISC is also referenced in the context of design and analysis software, specifically AISC 360 software, which is a tool for steel design and analysis. This software aligns with AISC's design specifications, such as AISC 360-10 and AISC 360-16, and provides engineers with the necessary tools for designing steel members and connections, along with a library of steel sections and load combinations. It is part of the SkyCiv Structural Design and Analysis Software suite, which is cloud-based and supports real-time collaboration. The software facilitates the optimization of steel sections, ensuring they meet AISC design requirements, and assists in detailed design calculation reporting.

AISC Excel Plugin Features

Shapes Database

The AISC Excel plugin includes a Shapes Database, consistent with the AISC Steel Construction Manual, 16th Edition. The database contains v16.0, which offers dimensions and properties for new shapes added to the Manual. Users can access both U.S. customary and metric units, ensuring versatility for different project needs. Along with a comprehensive glossary and a list of new shapes, the plugin follows the EDI Naming Convention, facilitating standardized electronic interchange in the steel industry.

Historic Shapes Database

The Historic Shapes Database v16.0H is a valuable resource within the AISC Excel plugin that provides historical data dating back to 1873. It includes information on shapes published in the AISC Manual since the 5th Edition and earlier, allowing users to reference and analyze historical steel shapes.

Documentation and Usability

With the inclusion of a \"Readme\" file, users can easily understand how to navigate and utilize the Shapes Database effectively. The AISC Excel plugin is designed to operate swiftly, with updates available through the extension manager to address any issues and enhance functionality.

Benefits of AISC Excel Plugins

Design and Analysis Integration

AISC Excel plugins offer comprehensive steel design and analysis capabilities in accordance with AISC 360-10 and AISC 360-16 specifications. These plugins are integrated with SkyCiv Structural Design and Analysis Software, allowing for direct loading of design codes within the program and the ability to handle both library and custom-built steel sections.

Optimization and Efficiency

Users can benefit from features like the optimizer, which filters sections based on specific criteria, and the capacity to calculate the lightest section that meets AISC design requirements. The plugins support designing with various shapes, perform checks for bending, shear, and axial loads, and provide full calculation reports for design transparency.

Collaboration and Accessibility

The AISC Excel plugins enhance modeling workflows, provide easy collaboration and file sharing for teams, and all SkyCiv software is accessible with one account. A 14-day free trial is available for users to experience the plugins' capabilities firsthand.

How to Use AISC Plugins in Excel

Implementation Strategies

While AISC plugins can be directly used in Excel, users have developed workarounds for efficiency, such as utilizing entire rows from the shapes database spreadsheet. Writing a wrapper as a user-defined function using excel_IO is one method to streamline the process. Additionally, creating a simple Index(Array, Match(), Match()) lookup in Excel can be employed to work with excel_IO effectively.

Plugin Management and Customization

Proper implementation of SMath units is necessary when interacting with excel_IO. Users should be aware of potential data sharing issues due to user settings and are advised to define the absolute path to address working directory identification problems. It is also recommended to test for bugs and use the AISC plugin at their own risk.

Enhancements and User-Defined Functions

Updates to enhance the plugin's performance and compatibility may be necessary, with users encouraged to redownload it if issues arise. Furthermore, there is interest in functionalities such as a drop-down selection in SMath for instant access to section properties, and a function to automatically retrieve properties by inputting a shape's name, both bypassing the need for direct interaction with the Excel sheet.

Common Use Cases

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  Use case 1: Designing steel frames utilizing the 2005 AISC Direct Analysis Method in software such as SAP2000, CSiBridge, and ETABS.
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  Use case 2: Applying stiffness reductions according to AISC 360-05 clauses for subsequent analyses after the initial analysis.
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  Use case 3: Creating load combinations that include nonlinear P-Delta gravity load cases with response-spectrum cases for steel structure designs.
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  Use case 4: Performing nonlinear time-history analysis for the amplification of seismic axial forces in complex steel structures.
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  Use case 5: Using an amplified 1st-order analysis option where B1 is calculated and B2 is applied manually as a design overwrite for individual members.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the AISC plugin for Excel used?

The AISC plugin for Excel is a VBA library used for creating steel shape objects within Microsoft Excel, based on the AISC Steel Manual. It allows for the calculation of section properties for built-up cross-sections and the creation of material objects to add to the steel cross-sections.

What tools are recommended for use with the AISC plugin?

The VBA editor add-in Rubberduck is recommended for use with the AISC plugin as it helps in module organization and is necessary for running unit tests.

Can the AISC Excel plugin handle updates to the steel shapes database?

Yes, updates to the AISC shapes database are regularly published to reflect changes in shape properties, and the plugin is designed to use these updates for accuracy and repeatability.

Does the plugin close Excel files after processing?

Yes, the plugin closes Excel files automatically after processing, which is a feature appreciated by some users.

What is the latest version of the AISC Shapes Database included in the plugin?

The latest version of the AISC Shapes Database included in the plugin is version 16.0, which is compatible with Microsoft Excel and includes dimensions and properties consistent with the 16th Edition AISC Steel Construction Manual.