AISC Steel Design Automation

Automated steel design takes AI verification a step further — from checking a proposed design to generating the design itself. Given a structural framing layout and loading, AI selects optimal member sizes, designs connections, and produces the documentation needed for fabrication and erection.

The member sizing optimization balances structural adequacy (meeting all code requirements with adequate reserve) against economy (minimizing steel tonnage and connection complexity). AI evaluates hundreds of member size combinations to find the optimal set — considering not just individual member efficiency but the system-level implications of member choices on connection design, fabrication complexity, and erection sequence.

Connection automation generates complete connection designs — bolt layouts, plate sizes, weld specifications, and detail drawings — for every connection in the structure. This is where time savings are most significant because connection design is both time-consuming and highly repetitive. A structural engineer designing connections manually might spend a week on a building's connections. AI generates the complete connection package in hours, with the engineer reviewing and approving the designs rather than developing them from scratch.