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How do you document your calcs?
3

How do you document your calcs?

How do you document your calcs?

(OP)
Pretty much everyone on this forum has to do this day in and day out. What do you use to document your calculations? MathCAD, spreadsheets, LaTeX...? Are you satisfied with the tools you use? Can you copy & paste your calcs in the report, or do they require additional editing?

Thanks!

RE: How do you document your calcs?

they normally require editing if i'm submitting computer input/output/design.  when it's mathCAD or excel, it's already done....same with hand calcs.

RE: How do you document your calcs?

The design office that I am working for does not have MathCAD. I do pretty much all calcs by hand. It can be repetitive, but I keep everything on file even the ones that have changed (I just write void across the page.) If the calcs are to be submitted electronically, I scan my hand calcs and include them on the Word file.

Clansman

If a builder has built a house for a man and has not made his work sound, and the house which he has built has fallen down and so caused the death of the householder, that builder shall be put to death." Code of Hammurabi, c.2040 B.C.

RE: How do you document your calcs?

How much time? For staff engineers, it's about 85% or more of your time. Joked one time from my professor. But it's not far off.

Documentation can be any forms, depending on natural of work you are performing. Hand writing, word, spreadsheet... Usually engineering calculations and the accompanied sketches are attached to the main report as appendix. But each page shall be properly signed, dated with revison indicated, and each sub-section shall be clearily identifiable with its own title/subject line. Each company does it on little different way, but pretty much the same.

RE: How do you document your calcs?

Document carefully.  Use lots of diagrams.  Make sure the design philosophy is clear to the reader.

BA

RE: How do you document your calcs?

I generally do these on quadrule paper (not office standard) along with sketches and punch them and put them in a binder.  At the end of the project/work, I make a *.pdf of the notes and stash them on my laptop and on the server at the office.

Dik

RE: How do you document your calcs?

Of course, I used to do the majority of my calcs by hand.  Then I realized I could type faster and now everything is in Microsoft Word.  I would love to try Tedds to do this but I can buy Risa 3d for the current price of Tedds.

RE: How do you document your calcs?

I prefer Mathcad with hand sketches. I have found that the ability to create templates and copy from previous calculations is a big time saver. Also the ability to see the equations is very nice (vs hidden in a spreadsheet).

Does anyone have an efficient method to add electronic sketches in Mathcad?  Working with images from scans is a pain in Mathcad.  

RE: How do you document your calcs?

blackmaddog,

Aside from inserting scans and electronic drawings, there is a way to create dynamic drawings on the fly in mathcad.  It's not practical for routine hectic design office usage, but if you want drawings badly enough, it can be done.  

Go over to collab.mathsoft.com and get on the mathcad forum.  Do a search for "turtle" as in "turtle graphics."  I don't know of a suite of functions for this, so you'll have to write your own.  I actually did this last year for a software development project, but the info is proprietary, so I can't upload it.  I'd say it took me 3 days to write the functions to draw lines, arrows, text, etc.

RE: How do you document your calcs?

On the very first day on pushing for all "MathCad", I quit my job for the simple reason - too old and to painful to learn a program that wouldn't line up right following typing, and do simple sketch intuitively.

Don't get me wrong, I can use and do not against it. Just feel it needs improvement. Also, I was merely a small fish in an office which has more than thousands of younger, smater engineers, who are proficient on it.

RE: How do you document your calcs?

(OP)
Thanks everyone for your replies.

blackmaddog:
did you consider sketching in CAD and then importing into MathCAD or whatever you use for reports? I know that MathCAD interfaces with AutoCAD.

RE: How do you document your calcs?

blackmaddog,
Although it's easier with Autocad, it is also possible to insert drawings from microstation to Mathcad.

RE: How do you document your calcs?

Ok - I can hear the laughing now but, I still use Lotus 123 with imported stardard sketches (usually *.PIC or *.CGM files, *.BMP files work but inflate the file size too much). I've been doing this for 20 years now and the best kind of "one use sketch" I've found is a small yellow post-it note. It can be moved from print to print and the yellow color doesn't get picked up by most copy machines.

The plan checkers seem to like the obvious human intervertion into the spreadsheet environment with pencil arrows drawn from the sketch to calculated items. They tend to like knowing a human brain is guiding the calculations instead of simply punching in numbers and blindly accepting the results.

OLD Ca SE

RE: How do you document your calcs?

mudflaps, I wouldn't laugh at all.  I remember in 1993 when I first went from bluescreen wordperfect and quattro pro to word and excel in windows.  My thought was that my productivity went way down and I couldn't believe how slow it was moving about with a mouse as compared to a prompt and read setup.  16 years later, I'm still pretty well convinced that a fast keyboard user will always be better off with some sort of a prompt and read system.  Unfortunately, not a single program I use is offered on anything but Windows, so it's moot.

As for the original question, I no longer do calcs on a day-to-day basis.  The last time I did (4.5 years ago), the notebooks were filled with a combination of key plans and diagrams and computer printouts--nothing fancy.  There'd be a few pages of manual calcs for this or that weird problem that we had no program for.

RE: How do you document your calcs?

Hand calcs as they are usually quicker.

RE: How do you document your calcs?

I review a lot of calculations for things like cofferdams, unusual brackets, jacking points, etc.  I look especially close at things where people could be hurt or expensive equipment could be damaged.  Just saying it's PE sealed so it's ok doesn't fly because my agency has liability if something goes wrong.

Hand calcs are the best because you know the person actually put thought into the specific task at hand.  Recently I had to review calcs for a heavily loaded bracket.  All the consultant provided was about 15 pages of RISA output that really only checked a cantilever for a point load at the end.  For something like this I want to see that the entire load path has been checked.  Mathcad and excel can be ok too - I just need enough information so I can follow what was done.  If the calc involves structural analysis I want to see the entire input file and the all the calcs behind the input.

I look at it this way - I want to have enough information on hand to allow me to recreate the calcs if I needed to.   

RE: How do you document your calcs?

I use and have had great success with MathCad. I don't like it's interface with AutoCAD and other programs. So, I use Adobe to take a snapshot pdf of whatever I need and paste it in MathCAD. RISA interfaces well with MathCAD. I also will leave blank space for hand sketches after printing. I do not like that I can't left or right justify. It would be so easy to program this into the software. I can't understand why it hasn't happened. All they would need is snaps. I also don't like that they use squiggly underlines under variables that they have as defaults (e.g. g or the e). However, these are minor discomforts compared to the benefits.

I had to laugh at the bluescreen Wordperfect reference. That brought back memories. A friend of mine changed his Word background to have a blue screen. Awesome.

RE: How do you document your calcs?

peinapod,

To getrid of the squiggly lines go to Tools, Preferences, Warnings Tab, and uncheck the "Show Warnings ..." box. This drove me nuts too when we upgraded versions.

Do you insert graphics from RISA into MathCAD or ...?

RE: How do you document your calcs?

blackmaddog

To answer your original question, I do nearly all my work in MathCAD.  Most sketches are autocad files, where everything is drawn white on black.  Some of these, with minor modifications, become contract details.  My only problem is that sometimes, when I open an old MathCAD template, the autocad sketch won't open.  I guess it's looking for the Autocad executable for when it was saved.

RE: How do you document your calcs?

Blackmaddog:
Yes, I insert from Risa into MathCad. Just copy and paste from menu bar. Works brilliantly.

PEinApod

RE: How do you document your calcs?

I'm wondering if anyone has looked at using Microsoft Onenote?  You can paste in all kinds of stuff and it works just like a notebook.  I haven't used it yet but this post made me think about it for designs.

RE: How do you document your calcs?

For everyone of my projects I prepare a three ring binder (I may have multi volumes depending on the project size). Here is how I divide up my calculations:

1. Code search and brief narrative as to the codes used, assumptions, and construction material types to be used.

2. Loads (dead, live, wind, snow, seismic, etc). I usually make copies of relevant code tables and material data that will be used for the project. I also compute wind pressures for MWFRS and C&C. FBC requires C&C pressures, amongst other data, be placed on the drawings.

3. roof framing members to include deck, joist, beams and girders. This will include FBED, computer input and output regardless of which software I use. I learned that hard drives will crash and without hard copies you will be SOL. I always list name of software used.

4. Floor framing members to include deck, joist, beams and girders. This will include FBED, computer input and output regardless of which software I use. I learned that hard drives will crash and without hard copies you will be SOL. I always list name of software used.

5. Column section to include load tabulation and sizing. Hand calculations and computer output is included.

6. Foundation section that will include:
       a. Geotechnical report
       b. Summary of foundation loads
       c. Any relevant sketches
       d. Foundation design to include hand and computer  output of calculations.
       e. Footing schedule
       f. Relevant sections and details.

7. Wall Section to include:
       a. Wall loads
               i. Vertical dead and live loads.
              ii. in plane lateral loads
             iii. Out of plane lateral loads
       b. Wall design calculations.
       c. relevant sections, details and connections.

8. Drawings.  I usually place a permit set (11X17) with the calculations.

9. Correspondence section. This section usually has the following:
       a. Statement of work from client
       b. meeting minutes
       c. e-mails from clients including architects, owners, vendors and fellow engineers (MEP)
       d. written phone messages
       e. Pictures of field conditions
       f. any relevant misc. item that I deem important.

I may be missing few items since I am writing from memory at home.
    

 

 

Regards,
Lutfi
 

RE: How do you document your calcs?

I have made calculation in different software.

For normal calculation that do not involved FEM (bar, framed structures are particularities) i used to work with microsoft excell but now i do it with mathcad.

I usually insert diagrams made in microsoft word  when there is no electronic drawing availlable (it is easy but not to scale).

When there is a electronic media i use print screen, paste it on word cut and then to mathcad.

Mathcad has advantages like it is said before, you can read the equations, you can place personnal commetaries and hide them later on. If you need work and optimize once the first made it is easy to solve parameters.

Mathcad 2001 come with tools to draft, but i have no found time to learn, every project is in a hurry.
 

RE: How do you document your calcs?

Back to the DOS era, I believe one company had developed electronic based sketch pad that translates hand sketch draw on the pad to a graph file. I don't think it exists now. It would be nice one day we can prepare electronic sketch by hand and to scale intuitively.  

RE: How do you document your calcs?

There were and still are various capture utilities that snapshot hand drawings into graphics files.  SmartPad was one that existed about 5 yrs ago.

An older version of Mathcad interfaced with SmartSketch, and you could even parameterize drawings in Smartsketch that would respond to values generated from Mathcad.  A more recent version did something similar in Visio.   

TTFN

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