engineering

Prokon

Prokon is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Prokon rather than just read about it. In short: PROKON Structural Analysis and Design is a suite of commercial software for structural analysis and design. PROKON software is produced by Irish company Prokon Software Limited.

Key takeaways

Prokon belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Prokon to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Prokon from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

PROKON Structural Analysis and Design is a suite of commercial software for structural analysis and design. PROKON software is produced by Irish company Prokon Software Limited.

Name The Prokon company and PROKON software name is an acronym for the Afrikaans phrase "PROgrammatuur KONsultante" (programming consultants).

Overview PROKON software comprises over 40 modules in the following categories:

Analysis: Three-dimensional frame and finite element analysis. Steel: Structural steel member and connection design. Concrete: Reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete member design. Composite: Composite steel and concrete member design. Detailing: Rebar detailing and bending schedule generation. Timber: Wood frame and truss design. Masonry: Unreinforced masonry member design. General: Section properties calculation and other building analysis utilities. Geotechnical: Slope stability and bearing capacity analysis. Building Information Modelling (BIM): Prodesk link between Autodesk Revit and PROKON modules. Network analysis: Pronet EPANET engine for AutoCAD Civil 3D. The software includes full support for British, European and South African design codes, with some modules also supporting North American, Australian, New Zealand, Russian and selected Asian design codes. PROKON appears on the Hong Kong Building Department list of pre-accepted computer programs for use in Hong Kong. PROKON software offers multi-lingual design output: all modules are available in English and some offer support for German, Afrikaans and Russian.

Workflow PROKON uses a workflow that output data between analysis, design and detailing modules. It supports data exchange formats with third-party software: DXF and DWG drawings, and CIS/2 CIMsteel three-dimensional structural models. The Prodesk module enables data exchange between Autodesk Revit and PROKON.

Use PROKON is used widely in South Africa and available worldwide through a partner program.

Similar Software Staad.Pro S-FRAME SAP 2000 and ETABS List of structural engineering software

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Prokon

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Prokon claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Prokon before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Prokon ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Prokon

In research: Prokon appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Prokon in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Prokon is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Structural analysis, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Prokon outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Prokon in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Prokon means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Prokon out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Prokon in simple terms?

PROKON Structural Analysis and Design is a suite of commercial software for structural analysis and design. PROKON software is produced by Irish company Prokon Software Limited.

Why does Prokon matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Prokon?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Prokon.