Endurocadd updates

01/10/2024 by enduroframe

ENDUROCADD NX Software version 2.0

ENDUROCADD® NX software version 2.0

Enduroframe is proud to unveil ENDUROCADD® NX Version 2.0, the latest and greatest iteration of the ENDUROCADD® software!

This version boasts a sleek, completely revamped design and a user experience that’s faster and more intuitive than ever before. ENDUROCADD® NX empowers users to tackle sophisticated modeling and engineering of complex buildings using light gauge steel with ease.

This version provides comprehensive 3D modelling and views of roof shapes and roof trusses to make it even easier to design complex roofs with complex ceilings.

Fully BIM-compatible, this release introduces a host of new features that seamlessly integrate structural steel with light gauge steel frames. It’s a game-changer for anyone looking to model intricate roof shapes, build roof trusses, and rafters. And the best part? More features from the legacy application will be continuously added to the ENDUROCADD® NX software, making it even more powerful over time.

Screenshot of ENDUROCADD® NX software version 2.0

Find out more

Find out more about the powerful ENDUROCADD® NX software and how it provides cutting edge designs that use up to 40% less steel than alternative software design packages.

About the ENDUROCADD® software

25/09/2024 by enduroframe

Benefits of self-certification

The ENDUROCADD® software complies with the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) Protocol for Structural Software, allowing its outputs to replace signoff by a registered engineer for most one and two-story residential buildings saving time and money.

The ENDUROCADD® software is the first light gauge steel software package to be independently certified to comply with the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) Protocol for Structural Software, and has done so for the last 12 years.

While this has been done for many years by the major timber software packages, the ENDUROCADD® software package remains the only light gauge steel package to comply with this protocol.

Compliance with this protocol means that the software has been independently checked and certified to comply with the National Construction Code (NCC), and its outputs can be used in lieu of signoff by a registered engineer, however there are limitations to this.

To utilize the self-certification function and adhere to the ABCB Protocol for Structural Software, projects must be endorsed by a “Trained Software User” (TSU) who has proven proficiency in operating the software. Additionally, TSUs need to possess a certificate bearing their name and unique number. Our in-house support team for the ENDUROFRAME® building system provides the necessary training and testing to TSUs.

There are limitations on the buildings that can be self-certified by the software: they must be class 1 and 10 buildings as defined by the NCC – basically houses or sheds, and there are limitations on the size of buildings.

The big benefit with this is once your detailer becomes a trained software user they can sign of on the majority of one and two story domestic houses including cyclonic, without the cost or time delays of having a structural engineer sign off the job.

The major advantage of self-certified software used by TSUs is that they can approve the majority of one and two-story residential buildings, including cyclonic structures, without incurring the expenses or time delays associated with obtaining a structural engineer’s approval for the project.

There are 3 certificates that the ENDUROCADD® software prepares:

ENDUROTRUSS® Certification. All of the designs of the structural members and connections within trusses are designed by the software and a list of the trusses that have passed/failed are listed. Rafters need to be selected based on lookup tables in the ENDUROFRAME® building system Design Manuals which are signed off by a registered engineer.
ENDUROWALL® Certification. This certificate provides a statement that the Trained Software User has selected the correct sections from the ENDUROFRAME® design manuals which are signed off by a registered engineer.
ENDUROFLOOR® Certification. All of the designs of the structural members and connections within trusses are designed by the software and a list of the trusses that have passed/failed are listed.

Our ENDUROFRAME® building system Design Manuals include a variety of floor and roof beams that have been approved by a registered engineer and cover the most common scenarios. If you require beams that are not covered in these manuals, you can design them using Spanman – A Timber and Steel Framing Manual On The Internet. We provide a link to the Spanman website from our ENDUROCADD® software, but please note that it requires an additional subscription. ENDUROCADD® software licensees can apply for a Spanman subscription discount.

Structural steel used in combination with the LGS will still require approval from a structural engineer.

Find out more

We are very happy to discuss further the benefits that the ENDUROCADD® software's compliance to the ABCB Protocol for Structural Software can provide to your business

Contact Enduroframe today

11/10/2023 by enduroframe

ENDUROCADD® Software update October 2023

ENDUROCADD® Software Update October 2023

We are excited to release the latest version of the ENDUROCADD® and ENDUROCADD® NX Software! Read on to learn about Hip Type 3, staggered noggings and more new features for detailing ENDUROFRAME® Building System light gauge steel frames.

Hip Type 3

The Hip Type 3 is the biggest building feature we have added to the ENDUROCADD®️ software in a few years with several benefits over alternative hip end options:

It is suitable for low pitched roofs less than 8 degrees.
It ensures that all the trusses in the hip end are properly designed and verified, and that all the tiedowns connecting them are adequate.
It features bent tab connections, tabs that can be folded to attach trusses to girder trusses, making installation easy and fast. The tabs have been extensively tested at a NATA-accredited laboratory to determine their strength and performance.
The Hip Type 3 can accommodate raised heel heights, which are ideal for situations where extra truss strength is needed.
It is the only hip option which allows box gutters to run around multiple roof faces.
It is the most similar to timber trusses, which makes it easier for installers to adapt to light gauge steel.
The hip girder truss is centred on the hip line which is preferred by many roof installers.

Find out more about Hip Type 3 at the introduction page here
ENDUROFRAME® Help Centre login required

Staggered noggings

Traditionally, studs in ENDUROWALL® panels are threaded through the web notches in continuous noggings. The benefit of continuous noggings is that they are rolled in a single part and require fewer screws to connect to studs.

Fabrication of wall panels may be sped up and automated if studs do not need to be slid through continuous noggings. By breaking noggings down into sections that can fit between studs they can potentially be installed last after the rest of the frame has been assembled (in a vertical axis) which removes a lot of the access issues screwing in the middle of the frame which can be difficult to reach.

Look for the new checkbox for Staggered noggings in Wall Detailing Options in the ENDUROCADD® Software.

Improved NC-Data Errors & Warnings

We’ve revised the way NC-Data Errors and Warnings are communicated after feedback from both ENDUROCADD® Software detailing frames and ENDUROHUB® Portal users who generate cutting lists for ENDURO® Rollformers.

NC-Data Errors must be fixed by detailers before a job is released to manufacture. If Errors are not resolved there may be delays in production because ENDUROHUB® will not allow cutting lists to be generated in order to avoid rollformer damage or jamming of parts in the rollformer.

If the Error is caused by ENDUROCADD® Software rather than a detailing decision, please report the issue. Especially if the error cannot be resolved by editing parts in the wall/panel editor or truss editor.

Jobs with NC-Data Warnings are allowed to be rolled. The intent of Warnings is to flag to detailers that they should probably fix them to avoid minor assembly issues.

A modified message box now appears highlighting any errors to the detailer to show what must be fixed before a job is submitted to manufacture. This message box can also be brought up in the Options menu even after a job has been detailed.

Ancillary list with product codes for ERP systems

An often-overlooked aspect of detailing is creating comprehensive lists of ancillary parts which need to be delivered to site. This is often an additional process to work out what ancillary parts are required, adding them into an ERP system, and generating lists that can be provided to a storeman to pick from. ENDUROCADD®️ makes this process much simpler with much of the process automated.

Using the Order Parts feature, it is possible to use formulas to calculate the quantities of ancillaries. This release of ENDUROCADD®️ has fixed a number of issues so that user-defined part codes that may be used in an ERP system can be selected in the partdatauser.xlsx file and added against all parts in the Materials Usage Markup Report.

We have added standard Ancillary lists into ENDUROHUB®️ so checklists of parts can be generated and printed out to enable parts to be selected for delivery.

Show/hide user loads in Truss Editor

In the Truss Editor, you can now easily check loads that have been applied to the truss by typing Ctrl+L or go through the Show Menu.

User loads are shown in a table with numbers on the truss corresponding to each row.

How to install ENDUROCADD® Software updates

Click through to the ENDUROCADD® Software release notes for further information on new features and instructions on how to install the updates:

ENDUROFRAME® Help Centre login required

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13/10/2022 by enduroframe Leave a Comment

Next Generation of ENDUROCADD® Steel Frame Software Released

Efficient Light Gauge Steel Frame Design Software

A core component of the ENDUROFRAME® Building System is the ENDUROCADD® steel frame software package to design light gauge steel frames. The ENDUROCADD® software package works seamlessly with ENDURO® rollformers to make roof trusses, wall frames, and floor joists. It complies with the applicable Australian standards for the design of light gauge steel frames. Also, it even self-certifies frames in accordance with the ABCB Protocol for Structural Software.

The ENDUROCADD® software designs light gauge steel frames for use in residential, light commercial, modular, and even industrial buildings. It provides structural calculations on roof trusses, floor trusses, connections and wall bracing. The ENDUROCADD® software prepares drawings for the fabrication and installation of frames, and even provides detailed costings.

From November 2021, the ENDUROCADD® software incorporates a powerful CAD engine developed by the Intellicad Technology Consortium. This provides full 3D visualisation of the light gauge steel model, and produces detailed site drawings to show how to install the ENDUROFRAME® system. This new CAD engine will be progressively expanded to provide even more functionality over the next few months.

Find out more about the ENDUROCADD® software package at https://enduroframe.com/endurocadd_software/.

An ENDUROCADD software license provides you with a one year annual subscription which includes access to the software application, extensive online design manuals, a comprehenisve library of construction details, and our online training system, Endurocademy.

Click here to purchase an ENDUROCADD® software license.

10/08/2021 by enduroframe

How sophisticated testing leads to cost-effective steel trusses

How sophisticated testing and engineering leads to cost-effective light gauge steel trusses

A common misconception is that all light gauge steel roof trusses spanning the same distance and with the same loads use the same amount of steel. This is not true. Smart research and development in trusses and sophisticated software can provide reductions in steel usage of up to 50% compared to less efficient light gauge steel trusses.

The ENDUROCADD® design software has been developed over 20 years as a design tool for the ENDUROTRUSS® system, a key component of the ENDUROFRAME® building system. Over this period the system has responded to changes in building construction, design standards and regulatory requirements.

The foundation of this success is a commitment to extensive testing of truss connections and entire roof truss assemblies at our state-of-the-art NATA-accredited laboratory in western Sydney. All truss connections are tested in compliance with AS4600: Cold formed steel structures. Once the results have been verified the data is fed into our ENDUROCADD® software to provide efficient steel truss designs.

Putting our testing to the test

We are so confident in our testing that a decade ago we put forward the ENDUROCADD® software to be used as a test case for the drafting of the ABCB Protocol for Structural Software. This was a huge deal for our customers because under this Protocol, trained software users of compliant software applications are permitted to design and sign-off buildings that fall within the Protocol scope. Compliance with the ABCB Protocol for Structural Software means expensive and time-consuming engineering approvals can be avoided

The ABCB Protocol for Structural Software requires independent verification from a third party to ensure that software calculations comply with the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and Australian design standards. Swinburne University provides independently checks that the ENDUROCADD® software complies with the Protocol.

Working with the benefits of extensive testing

When you use the ENDUROCADD® software, you are presented with intuitive truss design functions that test every load case defined in the loading standards. The ENDUROCADD® software runs design and analysis for all members and connections which, in a typical truss, will be 112 load cases. This ensures that all required load conditions are considered and provides confidence that trusses are structurally sound.

When your job is complete, you can view detailed connection drawings that show required screw types and their installation locations. Even better, when truss components are produced the number of screws required at each chord-to-web and chord-to-chord connection is inkjet marked on the parts. This avoids any confusion during assembly.

There are many connection options which include multiples of screws and different types of gusset plates to vary the connection capacity. As there are about 2000 different connections, a summary sheet of the connections required for a specific job are generated for easy truss assembly.

We believe the number of truss connections is the most of any light gauge steel framing system. This reduces the chance that connections are the determining factor in the truss strength and performance. In turn, this increases the cost effectiveness of the truss system. It is always cheaper to increase the capacity of a connection with a few screws than it is to increase the gauge of steel used in the entire roof truss.

Boxing Saving Costs

Boxing is another way the ENDUROCADD® software helps you reinforce truss chords and webs just where additional strength is required without increasing the overall truss gauge. Boxing is inserted on the reverse side of the truss to the webs and is precisely positioned where required to resist loads. In the diagram above, the darker section demonstrates the sections of truss chords that are boxed. In many cases chord boxing does not need to extend along the entire length of the chord. The boxing part is manufactured together with the truss and, unlike in-plane trusses, the boxing can extend across multiple sections of chords and webs. Pre-punched holes assist with the location of boxing on truss chords.

We’ve created a set of posters showing the assembly details for roof trusses. Sticking these up in your factory is a great way to keep everyone on the same page. See ENDUROTRUSS® fabrication posters.

Find out more about how the ENDUROFRAME® system reduces truss costs here.

For drawings and photographs that clarify truss construction, please read the ENDUROTRUSS® installation manual. See ENDUROTRUSS® Roofing System Installation manual.

10/08/2021 by enduroframe Leave a Comment

Looking To Reduce Your Steel Truss Costs? Here’s How.

Five ways to check whether your steel truss system is costing you too much

Light gauge steel trusses can be created using a wide variety of proprietary systems and a common assumption is that all the trusses created using these systems cost the same. This is rarely the case. In fact, trusses designed with less-efficient systems can cost up to twice the amount of trusses designed with more efficient systems.

The cost of a truss is determined by the following variables:

steel cost (including the amount of steel and the unit cost of the steel)
cost of the connections used in the truss
labour costs to design, manufacture, assemble and install the trusses.

However, since truss systems use different truss profiles and connections (which may be screws, bolts, rivets, or sometimes even proprietary methods), it can be difficult to determine whether the trusses designed using your system are costing too much. Here are five things to check for to see if your truss system is costing you too much.

Number 1: Do the steel trusses have a high web density?

Web density is the number of webs that need to be put into a truss to make it structurally sound. Weaker truss systems require more webs to strengthen the truss, and more webs means more steel, more connections and more labour to assemble the trusses. The web density can be affected by the strength of the sections used in the truss webs and chords, whether the chords are used in their strong or weak axis and the strength of the connections used in the truss. Depending on the truss span, a truss that has twice the web density as another truss in a 22.5 degree roof will require approximately 30% more steel.

Number 2: Do the steel trusses use a thick gauge of steel?

Standard gauges of steel used in trusses are 0.55 mm, 0.75 mm, 1.0 mm or even thicker. There are many factors that can drive the gauge of steel used in trusses. A thicker gauge of steel may be required either because a section of the truss or even a single connection fails.

As intermediate gauges of steel are not readily available, an increase from 0.75mm to 1.0mm means 33% more steel is required when keeping the same web patterns.

The factors mentioned above that drive web density can also determine the gauge of steel required. Even using one gauge of steel in the chords and another in the webs can make a large difference.

Number 3: Do the steel trusses support multiple connection options?

Different light gauge steel truss systems use different types of connections. Connections can be screws, bolts or even specialist rivets, and may also include stiffening gusset plates. It is important to easily and cost-effectively scale connections with loads. The truss system should have cheap connection methods for connections with small loads, but also options for much stronger connections where the the load is higher.

You can find out more about how testing reduces truss costs here.

Having only one type of connection (e.g. two screws or a bolt per connection) can be problematic. If the load is very light, an over-designed connection can increase the cost of the truss. Conversely, not having higher capacity connection options can mean trusses fail due to single connections that are just not strong enough. This scenario may mean that thicker gauge chords and/or webs are required to get the truss to pass.

In this example, you can see multiple engineered connections being used on this truss.

Number 4: Can saddle trusses on girders be easily replaced with trusses following the roof shape?

Where roofs are not rectangular and valleys are required, there are two main ways to construct the roof:

a girder truss with a second layer of saddle trusses sitting on top of the girder truss (it may also include a layer or rafters to support the saddle)
roof trusses that follow the shape of the roof.

Using saddle trusses on girder trusses doubles-up the amount of material (in the main trusses and the saddle trusses and any additional rafters). This also increases installation time because installers need to lay out both the main trusses and the saddle trusses.

Trusses that follow the roof shape have a more complex shape, but they use much less material. Additionally, installation time is lower because only the main roof trusses need to be laid out. Unlike timber trusses, which may require extensive jig setups to achieve complex truss shapes, light gauge steel trusses are self-jigging through the alignment of chords and webs with pre-punched locating holes.

Example of roof with saddle trusses

ENDUROCADD Basics – Saddle trusses by enduroframe on Sketchfab

Example of roof with trusses that follow the roof line

Modified peak trusses by enduroframe on Sketchfab

Number 5: Is truss pre-cambering supported?

Roof trusses need to withstand a variety of loads. One of the largest loads that a roof truss needs to withstand are loads from the roofing (in particular, tile roofing) and other equipment that may be incorporated in the roof. These loads do not vary over time and are referred to as ‘dead’ loads. When dead loads are applied to trusses they cause the truss to deflect. This means the truss must be designed to be stiff enough to not only deflect within allowable limits for dead loads, but also other loads as well.

Truss A below shows what a standard A truss looks like deflecting under dead load.

Pre-cambering roof trusses is done by calculating the amount the truss deflects under dead loads and then shortening the truss webs so the bottom chord is cambered upwards – ‘pre-cambered’ – when it is manufactured. Truss B shows what a pre-cambered standard A truss looks like before any loads are applied. Truss C shows what a pre-cambered truss looks like after dead loads have been applied.

While it can be complicated to calculate, pre-cambering trusses is a relatively simple and cost-effective feature to incorporate into light gauge steel trusses which self-jig the truss shape.

Find out more about building the ENDUROTRUSS® system at https://enduroframe.com/building/. You can find out how to minimise the cost of roof trusses at this link.

ENDUROCADD® NX software version 2.0

Find out more

Benefits of self-certification

Find out more

ENDUROCADD® Software Update October 2023

Hip Type 3

Staggered noggings

Improved NC-Data Errors & Warnings

Ancillary list with product codes for ERP systems

Show/hide user loads in Truss Editor

How to install ENDUROCADD® Software updates

Speak with a Framing Expert

Next Generation of ENDUROCADD® Steel Frame Software Released

Efficient Light Gauge Steel Frame Design Software

How sophisticated testing and engineering leads to cost-effective light gauge steel trusses

Putting our testing to the test

Working with the benefits of extensive testing

Boxing Saving Costs

Five ways to check whether your steel truss system is costing you too much

Number 1: Do the steel trusses have a high web density?

Number 2: Do the steel trusses use a thick gauge of steel?

Number 3: Do the steel trusses support multiple connection options?

Number 4: Can saddle trusses on girders be easily replaced with trusses following the roof shape?

Example of roof with saddle trusses

Example of roof with trusses that follow the roof line

Number 5: Is truss pre-cambering supported?

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