A3D Helps Skycoaster Fly High

The generation of structural engineering programs from CADS, designed to fully exploit the capabilities of the Microsoft Windows operating systems has proved its worth in the field on a range of complex analysis and design tasks. The Skycoaster, a ride at the American Adventure World theme park in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, UK, is a 52m high steel lattice arch framed swinging 'white knuckle' ride supported by two 46 metre high latticed steel launch towers. Founded on a total of 48 piles it was a large and unusual structure ideal for CADS Analyse3D which can quickly model any type of 2D and 3D plane / space frame.

A CADS' customer, John Sutcliffe Associates Consulting Engineers of Liverpool, UK found speed and ease-of-use to be among the major benefits of the software when doing a design check on the structure. Director John Spencer said: "The frame was originally designed in the United States and we had to ensure that it was compliant with UK standards. We were particularly impressed by the way our CADS Analyse3D software enabled us to import the frame geometry directly from 3D AutoCAD drawings in using its DXF import feature. This approach saved us a great deal of time and staff resources." Alternatively frame geometry data may be input from a spreadsheet or other source using the programs' comma separated value (CSV) and text file import facilities.  Dynamic drag and drop links to CADS Steelwork and RC design applications provides full integration and maximises the advantages of data-reuse. Results can also be transferred to Microsoft Word for which CADS provide a Macro designed to automatically produce a fully formatted new document in the word processor.