computer science

Tekla Structures

Tekla Structures is a computer science 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 Tekla Structures rather than just read about it. In short: Tekla Structures is a 3D building information modeling software able to model structures that incorporate different kinds of building materials, including steel, concrete, timber and glass. Tekla allows structural drafters and engineers to design a building structure and its components using 3D modeling, generate 2D drawings and access building information.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Tekla Structures is a 3D building information modeling software able to model structures that incorporate different kinds of building materials, including steel, concrete, timber and glass. Tekla allows structural drafters and engineers to design a building structure and its components using 3D modeling, generate 2D drawings and access building information. Tekla Structures was formerly known as Xsteel (X as in X Window System, the foundation of the Unix GUI).

Features Tekla Structures is used in the construction industry for steel and concrete detailing, precast and cast in-situ. The software enables users to create and manage 3D structural models in concrete or steel, and guides them through the process from concept to fabrication. The process of shop drawing creation is automated. It is available in different configurations and localized environments. Tekla Structures is known to support large models with multiple simultaneous users, but is regarded as relatively expensive, complex to learn and fully utilize. It competes in the BIM market with AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, DProfiler and Digital Project, Lucas Bridge, PERICad and others. Tekla Structures is Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) compliant. Modeling scopes within Tekla Structures includes Structural Steel, Cast-in-Place (CIP), Concrete, Reinforcing Bar, Miscellaneous Steel and Light Gauge Drywall Framing. The transition of Xsteel to Tekla Structures in 2004 added significant more functionality and interoperability. It is often used in conjunction with Autodesk Revit, where structural framing is designed in Tekla and exported to Revit using the IFC or DWG/DXF formats.

Applications Engineers have used Tekla Structures to model stadiums, offshore structures, pipe rack structures, plants, factories, residential buildings, bridges and skyscrapers. Tekla Structures was used in the construction design for various projects around the world, including:

Grandstand Replacement, Daytona International Speedway (USA) Frontstretch Grandstands, Daytona International Speedway (USA) Denver International Airport Expansion (USA) San Jose Earthquakes Stadium (USA) BB&T Ballpark (Charlotte, USA) Spillway Replacement, Manitoba Hydro (USA) National Stadium Roof, Singapore Sports Hub (Singapore) Red Bear Student Center, University of Saskatchewan (Canada) Troja Bridge (Prague) Tesco Supermarket (Sheringham, UK) Baylor University Stadium (Australia) Canopée des Halles, Forum des Halles (Paris, France) Sutter Medical Center (California, USA) Expansion, Chennai International Airport (India) Dongdaemun Design Plaza (Seoul) Capital Gate (Abu Dhabi) Midfield Terminal Complex, Abu Dhabi Airport (Abu Dhabi) King Abdullah Financial District (Saudi Arabia) King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Saudi Arabia) National Museum of Qatar (Qatar) Hilton Garden Inn (UAE) Puuvilla Shopping Centre (Finland) College Football Hall of Fame (Atlanta, GA) Optus Stadium (Perth, Australia) Tekla Structures was used extensively for the steel design of Capital Gate at Abu Dhabi, UAE. Files exported from Tekla facilitated faster steel fabrication. One of the architects, Jeff Schofield, stated that "it was the right time in history and we had the right technology to make this happen". The Manitoba Hydro Spillway Replacement was designed using Tekla Structures to "successfully model and co-ordinate its design", a project that won the TEKLA 2012 North American BIM Award for "Best Concrete Project". It was the "first hydroelectric project that has seen steel, concrete, and rebar fully detailed using Tekla Structures".

Stable version release - history dates Tekla Structures 16.0 - March 2010 Tekla Structures 17.0 - February 2011 Tekla Structures 18.0 - March 2012 Tekla Structures 19.0 - March 2013 Tekla Structures 20.0 - February 2014 Tekla Structures 21.0 - March 2015 Tekla Structures 2016 - March 2016 Tekla Structures 2017 - March 2017 Tekla Structures 2018 - March 2018 Tekla Structures 2019 - March 2019 Tekla Structures 2020 - March 2020 Tekla Structures 2021 - March 2021 Tekla Structures 2022 - March 2022 Tekla Structures 2023 - March 2023 Tekla Structures 2024 - March 2024 Tekla Structures 2025 - March 2025 Tekla Structures 2026 - March 2026

See also Comparison of CAD editors for CAE

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Tekla Structures

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Tekla Structures claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, 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 Tekla Structures 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 Tekla Structures 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 Tekla Structures

In research: Tekla Structures appears in computer science 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 Tekla Structures 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: Tekla Structures is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Building information modeling, Computer-aided design software, Construction software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Tekla Structures 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 Tekla Structures in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Tekla Structures 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 Tekla Structures out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tekla Structures in simple terms?

Why does Tekla Structures matter?

Because it connects several computer science 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 Tekla Structures?

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 Tekla Structures.