Bentley Systems has announced that it has formatted the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) data on rolled steel shapes in XML. Providing data on wide flanges, angles, channels, tees, etc in the Internet-friendly XML format, rather than in books and spreadsheets, will add valuable structural design data to engineering models and provide a standard, extensible method of sharing data throughout the project lifecycle.

Besides better interoperability between desktop applications, the XML data format will allow the rolled steel shapes to be displayed in customised views over the web or downloaded to a PDA or cell phone at a job site. For example, steel mills, which fabricate these sections, could link to the model XML data via the Internet and provide updated quantities or schedule details in realtime. Designers can use this collaborative input when making design decisions.

Tex van Deventer, Managing Director of Bentley Systems Africa says, "XML is all about collaborating with higher-level data, which serves the project team's needs to compress project schedules." As AISC extends the information about the rolled steel shapes in future versions, it will not require modification of applications that use this new format, such as Bentley's MicroStation TriForma, Architecture for MicroStation TriForma and Structural for MicroStation TriForma.

Bentley Systems South Africa

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