• 2 min read
CivilBot cuts structural modeling time by up to 30x
University of Miami researchers built CivilBot, a tool that turns structural design descriptions into analysis-model code in minutes.
Image: TechXplore
A University of Miami team says its CivilBot software can turn structural designs into computer models 20–30 times faster, cutting a process that often takes one to five days down to about an hour in some cases.
The tool generates code for a structural analysis model after an engineer describes a building’s design, including beam lengths, supports, and loads. That code can then be used with existing engineering software such as SAP2000 to build the computer model. According to Minghui Cheng, assistant professor of civil and architectural engineering at the university’s College of Engineering and one of the tool’s lead creators, the goal is to remove repetitive manual work so engineers can spend more time refining designs.
“It used to take a very long time to create a structural model because the engineers had to build it manually, so people get excited about CivilBot because it’s really fast.”
Cheng said he described the structural conditions of the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami, and CivilBot produced the code in five minutes. He developed the tool with graduate student Ziheng Geng, Ran Cao, an associate professor of civil engineering at Hunan University in Changsha, China, and Lu Cheng, an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Illinois Chicago. Former University of Miami graduate student Jiachen Liu helped revise the tool and set up its website.
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CivilBot is now in its third version. It previously handled only 2D models, and the team is now working on 3D models for buildings.
In the spring, Cheng trained University engineering students to use CivilBot for capstone work. In a senior design course, structural engineering students led by assistant professor Matthew Trussoni created two mixed-use shopping center designs for Publix.
“CivilBot can transform a process that takes days and reduce it to an hour or so, depending on the project, of course.”
Student Ryan Wallat said the tool helped his team create models for a mixed-use shopping and residential complex in steel and concrete, making the work about 20–30 times faster than earlier hand calculations. Seniors Ashlyn Winslow and Priscilla Cevallos, who both started jobs this summer at Thornton Tomasetti in Miami, said the experience was useful as firms begin adopting new tools.
Trussoni, who also practices as an architect and architectural engineer, said he is not aware of any commercially available product like CivilBot.
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Marcus follows the money. He covers enterprise software, cloud architecture, and the tectonic shifts in Big Tech strategy. He translates dense earnings calls and complex M&A activity into actionable insights about where the industry is actually heading. If a tech giant makes a silent pivot, Marcus is usually the first to notice.
via TechXplore
