How Tekla Structures Is Easy to Use for Concrete Pour Planning and Execution

Tekla Structures is a convenient and intuitive 3D tool for planning and executing concrete pours. This article explains just how easy it is for concrete contractors to take the software into use.

Good software takes advantage of existing user behavior and knowledge. Features, workflows, and terminology must be familiar for quickly getting up to speed and realizing the full benefit of the software investment.

This is the design principle behind Tekla Structures. And it’s what makes the software so appealing to concrete contractors who currently use traditional tools for pour planning and execution but want to raise their game by making the shift to 3D.

1. The best-dedicated software on the market

Tekla Structures is a 3D modeling tool that perfectly matches the concrete contractors' needs who plan and pour concrete. Tekla Structures is software made from the ground up for concrete contractors with content, setting, and templates in various languages. Whether it is for modeling concrete with ease, producing quantity takeoff reports, creating construction drawings, or managing layout data from and to the field, Tekla Structures is the most powerful tool for concrete contractors looking for an edge.

2. Reuse existing models and drawings

Nobody likes to do double work. So if you are lucky enough to receive a 3D model from the design team (as an IFC file, for example), you can import it into Tekla Structures and begin using it right away. You can immediately perform quantity takeoffs for bidding or convert the model and make it constructible in Tekla Structures.

Most often, you will also have at your disposal a set of electronic drawings (delivered in .pdf or .dwg formats, for example). These plans can be imported into Tekla Structures to serve as a reference for you to start modeling upon. Using the linework as snapping reference points for creating concrete elements such as slabs, for example, will feel intuitive to contractors familiar with doing takeoffs through on-screen or blueprint digitizer pen methods. Tekla makes the transition from these 2D workflows easy and intuitive.

3. Tekla Structures intelligently creates pour objects

One of the patented technologies in Tekla Structures we’re most proud of is our pour management capability, whereby concrete is logically and automatically combined. The user can place pour breaks wherever they are needed. This technology is unique to Tekla Structures and is purpose-built for concrete contractors.

When concrete elements such as beams and slabs are touching and share the same material, then Tekla Structures simply combines them into a single pour. Users can then split the pour as desired using the software’s unique pour break tool. This unique feature also eliminates overlapping concrete, automatically ensuring there is no double-counting of concrete quantities. Without this technology, contractors often need to re-model elements and/or create complex reports to account for double-counted volumes and quantities.

4. Work collaboratively on the same model from anywhere in the world

Tekla Structures is cloud-connected, too, so different parties can work on the same model simultaneously using Tekla Model Sharing. This is useful for modeling teams in different locations, as it allows for smooth handovers and simultaneous work. It’s also a handy feature when sharing a pour model with any third parties, allowing changes to be made in real-time. You can even get a Tekla support technician to jump into your model to help you troubleshoot an issue!

5. Share and collaborate with ease using Trimble Connect – anytime, anywhere

Our cloud-connected Trimble Connect platform helps collaborate, too, allowing documents, drawings, and models to be shared with all project stakeholders. Anybody invited to a Trimble Connect project can visualize a model, annotate it, create RFIs and download any of the project’s content. All you need to access a Trimble Connect project is an internet-connected computer, tablet, or smartphone.

6. Tekla supports you every step of the way

We have also invested a lot in the training infrastructure around Tekla Structures, including an extensive e-learning course free for anyone. See Tekla User Assistance to get started.

We’re big on serving our customers in their local language. Tekla Structures has already been translated into upwards of 25 languages, with more added according to demand. Catalogs, units of measurement, and any relevant building codes are also localized. You will never be far from help, as our customer support teams work across time zones from many different parts of the world.

As a Tekla customer, you also have access to Tekla Warehouse – an online library containing hundreds of apps, Tekla Structures drawings, and report templates. There is also third party content made by formwork providers, embed manufacturers, and others.