Structural Engineering is an industry that, relative to other industries, hasn’t really innovated much. Well, that’s about to change when two young engineers from Sydney, Australia, decided to challenge the status quo.
Unofficially born in July 2013, SkyCiv was founded when co-founders Paul Comino and Sam Carigliano saw a need for powerful yet accessible online structural analysis software that could be used by students and professional engineers alike. Since the launch of SkyCiv, we are proud to have solved over 4 million projects around the world.
SourceForge recently caught up with Sam Carigliano, CEO and co-founder of SkyCiv Engineering, to discuss what are the new changes SkyCiv has brought to the industry, and his views on how engineering companies can get ahead by utilising new technologies such as API and design automation.
CEO & Co-Founder of SkyCiv
What is SkyCiv and what makes it different?
SkyCiv is a cloud-based structural analysis and design software, which offers a range of different structural engineering programs. Our most popular analysis programs include SkyCiv Beam, Structural 3D and our Section Builder. We also have design software for Foundations, Wind/Snow loading as well as a mobile app and API integrations.
We were really unhappy with the difficulty, clunkiness and desktop based nature of existing software on the market. So we focused on making the software really clean and easy to use. Couple this with flexible pricing and exceptional customer support via live chat – we’re building structural engineering software for the future.
Finally SkyCiv is focussed on helping engineers with design automation via our API. This allows engineers to build automated solutions so they can work faster and smarter.
How the shift from desktop to cloud-based is going to affect the way that structural engineers design?
Definitely. Firstly, all your software and projects are accessible from anywhere. This has never been more important, with cloud software supporting the trend of more people working from home and having flexible working conditions. Not only this, but you can now access the tools and models you need at any time from your mobile device.
Our cloud based API is also extremely powerful, because you no longer have the licensing limitations you once had with traditional on-premise licenses. Engineers can now build automated design software that can be accessed from anywhere, that don’t require individual licenses. This is a huge breakthrough as it means one online tool can be used by hundreds or even thousands of people.
Have you encountered any resistance from potential users because the software is fully cloud?
We used to receive a lot more, but this has become almost nonexistent. Most people are comfortable and actually prefer working from the cloud, since it’s easier, more convenient and even safer against things like losing your work.
Of course, there are situations where the cloud isn’t a good fit. For instance, if you’re working from a remote location with no internet connectivity. But with internet connectivity becoming better and more widespread, this is increasingly becoming a non-issue.
What are the new trends in structural engineering that you think companies should consider?
I think Design Automation is a really big one. I think there are a lot of projects which are quite repetitive and similar, for instance warehouses and solar frames. I think these will be the first areas affected, then it will move into larger scale projects. It’s not to say the entire workflow, and engineer’s job, will be automated, but a lot of the repetitive and mundane tasks such as modeling and result interpretation.
This will tie into API technology where you have different programs and platforms speaking directly to each other, for seamless data transfer. It’s a really exciting time, because by taking away the mundane tasks we give the engineer more time to develop smarter designs. It lets the engineer focus back on what they are best at – actual engineering.
What is API technology and how companies can utilise it to their advantage/what are the benefits of it?
API is simply accessing the software directly, without having to go through a user interface. This can be used for a wide range of purposes, including transferring data between programs, optimization, faster modelling and even automated design.
If you think about an engineer using the software, they need to manually model a structure, apply loads, analyse it, interpret the results and then finally make some sort of judgment. By building smart code around APIs, this process can become instant, automatic and reliable.
Can you give us some examples of how design automation can help companies?
Sure. We’ve helped a lot of engineers and companies improve their work flows. One example is with a prominent engineering consultant who had to design 120 overhead cable structures. Rather than manually model each structure, analyse it, interpret the results and generate reports, they were able to use the SkyCiv API to automate this entire process.
They could then just pass in the different variables (height, load requirements etc..) and the frame would be automatically modelled and tested. This saved their team hundreds, if not thousands, of hours. Particularly where the client wanted changes made to the designs.
What are the main challenges companies face when they want to adopt these technologies?
I think there is a reluctance or resistance to change when it comes to our industry. So there is a bit of a cultural shift needed to try new things and welcome change. There are also the project deadlines and client requirements that often take precedence over looking at new technology.
However, we are already seeing this transition happen, with more engineers with programming skills coming into the industry and helping us implement technology to make work easier. We hope this helps reduce the burden and time pressure that comes with being a structural engineer.
What do you think are the keys to overcome these challenges?
I think being open to change and more importantly making time to actively devote time to looking at new ways of designing. Separating these roles from client work is also an important step, as there is always a tendency of these engineers to get bogged down in project work.
We speak to a lot of companies, and have found the sweet spot is having 2% of your workforce devoted to R&D and focused on building smarter solutions. The optimal is actually a lot higher at 6%, and although some structural engineering firms are operating at this level, we feel 2% is something most firms can achieve.
About SkyCiv
SkyCiv Structural 3D is a cloud-based Structural Analysis software that allows users to model, analyze and design complex 3D structures. It is completely online; requiring no installation to use. SkyCiv Structural 3D offers the very best in online structural analysis. It includes the following: Powerful Analysis: Linear, P-Delta, Cables, Buckling, Plates, Frequency, RS – Integrated Design checks for steel, wood, connections, foundations, wind (AISC, NSD, AISI, EN, AS, CSA, BS plus more).
We offer a 14-day free trial so that you can fully assess its capabilities before making a purchasing decision.
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