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CASE STUDIES

Structural Design

Structural Design Automation for large Chimney support structures proved a Game Changer for the client with respect to Time, cost and Error reductions.

Client Background

The Client has been in the business of building steam engineering and control instrumentation solutions that work for process industry. Started with steam generation solutions 50 years ago, today it has partnered with the world technology leaders in respective fields, manufacturing products that cover the entire spectrum of energy generation, energy efficiency, control and instrumentation for the process and power industry.

Pre-implementation Status

  • The client operates a boiler manufacturing facility where boilers are subjected to extremely high temperatures.

  • These operations require large chimneys to safely release fumes and gases generated during heat treatment.

  • Chimneys are supported by massive triangular support structures to ensure durability and resistance to internal and external stresses.

  • Stress analysis of these support structures is a standard practice before commissioning.

  • Previously, the client relied on external Structural Consultants to perform this analysis.

  • Consultants provided STAAD.Pro output files, which the client’s Design Team manually interpreted.

  • The manual process involved creating fabrication drawings and generating the Bill of Materials (BOM) from the analysis data.

Need Analysis

  • The practice of preparing Structural Design and preparing reports manually was time-consuming and susceptible to human errors.

  • There was a lack of integration between structural analysis and design documentation.

  • Project timelines were often delayed due to dependency on external consultants and manual interpretation.

  • The Chimney Structural Design Automation Software aimed to automate the interpretation of STAAD.Pro outputs.

  • The software would generate fabrication drawings and BOM directly from the analysis data.

  • The software would feature a user-friendly interface for design engineers to review and validate structural designs.

  • The automation was aimed at ensuring standardization, accuracy, and consistency in documentation.

PARAM Team analyzed the design process at the Client’s plant, and with its proven ability, proposed a Software Solution for Structural Design Automation for huge Chimney structures.

Our Solution: GA Layout & Base Frame Drawing Automation

PARAM developed a customized Structural Design Automation Solution for large Chimney Structures of the client which does all the complex calculations based on the Design logic, optimizes the Boiler Shell Layout Diameter, and even produces variety of critical Design Outputs such as Excel BOM, SAP Ready BOM, Tube Placement, Boiler Shell Elevation showing all accessories connected on it, Weldment Drawings, etc

Process Flow:

PARAM Team with its core expertise in the field of Software Automation and Process Management Solutions, successfully developed and implemented a Structural Design Automation solution for the Support Structure Design Process for Chimneys.

The features of the software are is as follows:

  • A user-friendly interface, where user can input Chimney details (Diameter, thickness, Corrosion Allowance, Height & location of Installation) to begin with.

  • Facility to input project details and other information which is required for generating drawings.

  • Based on this, PARAM software creates a model of the support structure in STAAD Pro and apply the load conditions for the given location. (The wind load and Seismic zone details are picked from the STAAD Pro database depending upon location user has selected). If a local location is not present in the database, user can enter the wind load and seismic zone manually.

  • An optimize button is provided in PARAM s/w, by clicking on which; it passess a command to STAAD Pro for optimization of sections of the support structure.

  • Once the proper optimization is done, the user will save the results, and on this event, PARAM software will proceed for connection design and detailed Drawing with proper BOM as per the client Standards will be generated by the software.

  • A Separate BOM file is also created through PARAM s/w, in the required format as specified by the client, which is be ready to be uploaded to ORACLE system of the client.

The software generates the following outputs:

  • GA Drawing of Chimney Structure

  • Details of Support Structure

  • Elevation of support Structure

  • Elevation of support Structure

  • STAAD Pro File which will be generated for the current project, will also be made available for future reference

  • The drawings are generated along with the BOM. BOM files are also generated in FV format for uploading to Oracle system.

OUR SUCCESS STORY

  • Faster Design and Production of Working Prototypes
    Enables rapid development cycles by automating structural analysis interpretation and drawing generation, accelerating the move from concept to prototype.

  • Quick Generation of Bill of Materials (BOM)
    Automatically extracts and compiles BOM data from structural analysis outputs, reducing manual effort and ensuring accuracy.

  • Reduced Engineering Order Cycle Time
    Streamlines the design-to-documentation workflow, minimizing delays and improving responsiveness to engineering change orders.

  • Improved Data Quality and Consistency
    Ensures standardized outputs and reduces human errors, leading to more reliable and consistent design documentation.

Automated Design Rules and Drawing Production Processes
Embeds design logic and rules into the software, allowing for automated generation of fabrication drawings aligned with engineering standards.

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