ASDIP is a structural engineering software for design of building members and components. It includes the design of beams, columns, bearing walls, footings, base plates, retaining walls, etc.
With this diversity of design modules in compliance with different design codes, it's important to consider the capability of the software to perform calculations using different systems of units. It's not uncommon nowadays to see a project being developed simultaneously in several countries. This document discusses in greater detail the options available in ASDIP software to work with different unit systems.
What are the systems of units available in ASDIP?
ASDIP software works with any of the following systems of units:
- The US or Imperial System is used in the United States, and it uses Pounds, Kips, Feet, Inches, and Ksi.
- The SI or International System has been adopted practically in the rest of the world, with exception of Latin America, and it uses Newtons, KN, Meters, Centimeters, and MPa.
- The MKS System is mostly used in Latin America and it uses Kilograms, Tons, Meters, Centimeters, and Kg/cm2.
The screen shot below shows the Units dialog box with the different systems of units available in ASDIP software.
The system of units may be specified in the ASDIP Project Manager as a global setting, and it will affect all the calculations created thereafter in the project. This setting can be saved as default, so it will be remembered the next time you open ASDIP. The system of units may also be specified directly in any calculation as a local setting, and it will affect such calculation only. A different system may be selected at any time just with a click of the mouse.
Are the calculations actually in the specified system of units?
Yes, in ASDIP all the calculations are actually produced in the specified system of units from the ground up. This is completely different than generating the calculations in one system, say the US system, and then just apply a conversion factor to the end results. ASDIP reports the step-by-step calculations with exposed formulas, where the user can follow the calculations in a granular way, in the specified units.
It should be noted that some equations may be slightly different in another system of units. For example, the ACI-318M is the metric edition of the concrete code. ASDIP actually includes the corresponding metric equations when performing calculations in metric units. The screen shots below show an example of calculations generated in different systems of units. The left image shows a set of calculations in US units, and the right image shows the same set of calculations in SI units.
Calculations in SI units (Click to enlarge)
Calculations in SI units (Click to enlarge)
Takeaway
ASDIP software is able to generate calculations in three different systems of units: US, SI, and MKS. Switching to another system is as simple as clicking the option with the mouse. The reports in ASDIP show the equations in the specified system of units.
For a detailed information about the ASDIP Project Manager, see the post ASDIP Project Manager - The Core of the Software.
You are invited to download the Free 15-day Software Trial, or go ahead and Place your Order.
Best regards,
Javier Encinas, PE
ASDIP Structural Software
thank you