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Automated ICJs Intermediate Ceiling Joists and Binders

Automated ICJs and Binders

A Smarter Way to Design Light Gauge Steel Roof Structures

At Enduroframe, we’re always looking for ways to make roof design more efficient, precise, and user-friendly. That’s why we’re excited to highlight a powerful enhancement in our software: Automated Intermediate Ceiling Joists (ICJs) and Binders. This feature streamlines ICJ insertion, making it easier than ever to reinforce ceilings while reducing manual effort.

What Are ICJs and Binders?

ICJs are structural members that run parallel between trusses, at the same height as truss bottom chords. They provide key support for plasterboard ceilings and eliminate the need for ceiling battens or running trusses at closer spacings. In cases where trusses are spaced at 1200mm, ICJs help can provide a working platform when working at height.

Binders, on the other hand, run perpendicular to trusses and ICJs, sitting above roof truss bottom chords. They support the ICJs, ensuring a stable and well-distributed load. Binders can also be used as lateral restraints for truss bottom chords.

ENDUROCADD® Automation

Previously, adding ICJs and binders was a very manual process, requiring detailers to add members one-by-one as beams. Now our automated ICJ and binder insertion takes the guesswork out of the process. The ENDUROCADD® software follows built-in design rules to automatically place ICJs and binders where needed, ensuring optimal structural integrity. Users can also fine-tune settings for complete customization.

Key Features & Benefits

✅ Automatic ICJ Placement – ICJs are intelligently inserted at the midpoint between roof trusses, ensuring proper support and reducing manual input.

✅ Flexible User Configurations – Choose the section type, truss spacing, maximum ICJ length before splicing, and whether to add ICJs across the entire roof or block by block.

✅ Smart Binder Integration – Binders are placed at user-defined spacing, supporting ICJs seamlessly. Users can define overlap lengths and choose whether binders are boxed.

✅ Precision Manufacturing Data – ICJs and binders are now included in the BOM (Bill of Materials) and NC data for seamless manufacturing and job tracking in ENDUROCADD NX and ENDUROHUB.

Why It Matters

Eliminating repetitive tasks makes life easier for detailers. Automating ICJs and Binder insertion in ENDUROCADD® software is just one example of our ongoing commitment to innovation and continuous improvement of the ENDUROFRAME® building system.

For installers, it can mean less trusses and/or ceiling battens to install while providing a safe work platform, making a cost-effective roof solution!

Find out how to start making frames

With automated ICJs and binders, we’re making Light Gauge Steel roof detailing more efficient, accurate, and customizable than ever.

Contact Enduroframe

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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
Screenshot of ENDUROCADD® NX software version 2.0
Screenshot of ENDUROCADD® NX software version 2.0
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

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Benefits of self-certification

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.

 

Certificate stating that ENDUROCADD® is compliant with the ABCB Protocol for Structural Software Version 2011.1

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 . 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.

Click here to find out more about the benefits of the ENDUROCADD® software

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

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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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Next Generation of ENDUROCADD® Steel Frame Software Released

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/.

Endurocadd screen shot
ENDUROCADD NX Layouts screen

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.

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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.

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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.

Level 2B, 88 Ricketts Rd

Mt Waverley, VIC

Australia, 3149

Ph: 1800 ENDURO

Email: [email protected]

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ENDURO®, ENDUROFRAME®, ENDUROTRUSS®, ENDUROWALL®, ENDUROFLOOR®, ENDUROHUB®, ENDUROCADD®, TRUECORE®, BlueScope and the BlueScope brand mark are registered trademarks of BlueScope Steel Limited.

ABN 16 000 011 058

*Warranty currently offered for residential applications only and is subject to application and eligibility criteria. Commercial warranties may be available on application. For full terms and conditions and to determine the eligibility of your building for a warranty visit warranties.bluescopesteel.com.au or call BlueScope on 1800 800 789. Warranties provided by BlueScope do not affect consumer rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

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