S-FRAME Analysis Feature List

Compare all S-FRAME Analysis Editions  – Standard, Professional, and Enterprise

Model, analyze and design structures to multiple international design codes within an easy-to-use, customizable model-management interface. Ideal for both buildings and industrial applications, S-FRAME’s flexibility lends itself to working with any type of structure.

S-FRAME Modeling CapabilitiesStandard ProfessionalEnterprise
Model Size: Virtually unlimited-sized models✔ ✔ ✔
Coordinate Systems: User defined for building complex geometry and loading✔ ✔ ✔
Cartesian✔ ✔ ✔
Cylindrical✔ ✔ ✔
Spherical✔ ✔ ✔
Member Patterns: To easily generate elements of regular and complex structures✔ ✔ ✔
Continuous Member tools for the assembly or disassembly of Physical Members from Analytical Members✔ ✔ ✔
Partial Releases for modeling semi rigid connections✔ ✔ ✔
Rigid Offsets✔ ✔ ✔
Panels✔ ✔ ✔
Model panels with our without holes✔ ✔ ✔
Panel FEA meshes automatically created✔ ✔ ✔
Automatic panel FEs' coordinate system alignment✔ ✔ ✔
Panel area load distribution options✔ ✔ ✔
Rigid and flexible diaphragm modeling✔ ✔ ✔
Advanced 3D meshing✔ ✔ ✔
Triangular elements, quadrilateral elements, or meshes with both quad and triangular elements✔ ✔ ✔
Meshing tools automatically detects non-coplanar panel intersections and ensures compatible connections along the line of intersections✔ ✔ ✔
Meshing tools convert members to meshed panels✔ ✔ ✔
Easily extract forces for structural objects from finite elements✔ ✔ ✔
Wall Integration Lines✔ ✔ ✔
Piers✔ ✔ ✔
Strip Integration Lines✔ ✔ ✔
Views in S-FRAME and S-VIEW (built-in)✔ ✔ ✔
Object Model View - realistic model rendering✔ ✔ ✔
Element Model View✔ ✔ ✔
Plans and Elevations✔ ✔ ✔
Interactive Database Editing✔ ✔ ✔
Constraints✔ ✔ ✔
Point Constraints (leader – follower)
✔ ✔ ✔
Rigid Body Constraints
✔ ✔ ✔
Rigid Constraint Line
✔ ✔ ✔
Pinned Constraint Line✔ ✔ ✔

S-FRAME Structural ComponentsStandardProfessionalEnterprise
Joints✔ ✔ ✔
Frames✔ ✔ ✔
Uniform and Tapered Section Properties✔ ✔ ✔
Inactive✔ ✔ ✔
Truss✔ ✔ ✔
Shells, Plates, Membranes, Solids✔ ✔ ✔
Triangular✔ ✔ ✔
Quadrilateral✔ ✔ ✔
Pentahedron solid element✔ ✔ ✔
Hexahedron solid element✔ ✔ ✔
Springs✔ ✔ ✔
Linear Axial and Torsional✔ ✔ ✔
Nonlinear Axial and Torsional✔
Cables✔
Tension Only Members✔
Compression Only Members✔
Nonlinear Link Elements: Gaps and Hooks✔
Nonlinear Link Elements: Plasticity, Dampers, Isolators✔
Nonlinear Springs, Isolators✔

S-FRAME LoadingStandardProfessionalEnterprise
User Loads✔ ✔ ✔
Force/Moment✔ ✔ ✔
Displacement✔ ✔ ✔
Temperature✔ ✔ ✔
Point, Uniform, Trapezoidal, and Area Loads✔ ✔ ✔
Automatic one-way (short, long, or in any direction) or two-way area load distribution✔ ✔ ✔
Pressure Loads - Uniform or Varying✔ ✔ ✔
Open Structure Wind Loading✔ ✔ ✔
Powerful load-combination methods with notional loads and active/non-active status✔ ✔ ✔
Automatic load cases and combination generation for Canadian and American building codes✔ ✔ ✔
Prestressed Tendon Load✔ ✔ ✔
Response Spectrum Load: Automatic Code based generation options✔ ✔
Moving Load✔ ✔
Time History Load✔ ✔
Nonlinear Quasi Static✔

S-FRAME Analysis CapabilitiesStandardProfessionalEnterprise
Fast 64 bit SPARSE solver✔ ✔ ✔
Linear Static Analysis✔ ✔ ✔
Direct Analysis Method (DM): Rigorous second-order analysis in a single run✔ ✔
P-Δ Effects✔ ✔
P-δ Effects✔ ✔
Notional Loads✔ ✔
τB with amplification factors reported✔ ✔
Eigenvalue Analysis✔ ✔
Unstressed Vibration✔ ✔
P-Delta Stressed Vibration✔ ✔
P-Delta (2-step) Analysis✔ ✔
P-Delta Buckling Analysis✔ ✔
Mode shape/deflection animation✔ ✔
Response Spectrum Analysis✔ ✔
Equivalent Static Force Procedure (ESFP), including P-Delta contributions, for NBCC 2015, 2010 and 2005✔ ✔
Equivalent Lateral Force Procedure (ELFP), including P-Delta contributions,
for ASCE 7-16, 10, and 05		✔ ✔
Options to scale to code base shear (ESFP/ELF) and to convert loads to mass✔ ✔
Five different modal combination methods including CQC and SRSS✔ ✔
Torsional sensitivity evaluation and accidental torsion calculations✔ ✔
Linear Time History Analysis✔ ✔
Constant or variable time step integration with support for initial conditions and options to convert loads to mass✔ ✔
Single or Multi-support Base Motion Time History for seismic analysis✔ ✔
Support for cyclic/harmonic loading force or acceleration & time history functions✔ ✔
Automatic response charts and automatic response spectrum for any point within the structure.✔ ✔
Static load cases combined with dynamic load cases can be treated in one of two ways – solved and combined dynamically (pure dynamic analysis), or solved statically and combined arithmetically✔ ✔
Solve using standard forcing functions: Harmonic, Polynomial and Linear✔ ✔
Combine static and dynamic loads for constant and variable time step integration.✔ ✔
Moving Load Analysis✔ ✔
Linear and Nonlinear Static Moving Loads✔ ✔
Influence line diagrams.✔ ✔
User definable vehicle patterns with up to 1500 axle loads. Multiple loads on multiple lanes following any 3D path✔ ✔
Combine moving loads with static load cases or combinations✔ ✔
One node and two node viscous dampers (dashpots)✔ ✔
Staged Construction analysis and design of steel and concrete structures✔
Nonlinear Analysis:✔
Full Newton-Raphson iterative solver with incremental loading✔
Static✔
Displacement Control Scheme support for nonlinear static analysis - assign a displacement demand to a free degree-of-freedom and S-FRAME will perform a pushover analysis until the control degree-of-freedom reaches the desired demand.✔
Moving Loads✔
Time History: Uses direct integration and allows combination of dynamic and static load cases.✔
Nonlinear General Dynamic Analysis with user defined time dependent loads including impact loading.✔
Nonlinear Seismic Analysis✔
Stressed Vibration✔
Base Motion Time History✔
Multi-support Base Motion Time History✔
Nonlinear Buckling Analysis✔
Nonlinear Quasi-static and Pushover analysis to aid performance based design✔
Nonlinear time history with standard forcing functions: Harmonic, Polynomial and Linear✔
Nonlinear ground springs supporting hook and gap characteristics and multi-linear stiffness✔
True cable, tension or compression only elements and fabric elements✔
Material nonlinearity through hysteretic modeling of link beams and base isolators using Kinematic Bilinear, Isotropic Bilinear, Symmetric Bilinear, Takeda Bilinear and Pivot Hysteresis Models.✔
Convergence criteria based on Energy and out-of-balance force✔
Combine static and dynamic loads for constant and variable time step integration✔
Sophisticated 3 and 4 node elements participate fully in P-Delta and non-linear analysis✔

All S-FRAME Analysis editions have the option to include integrated steel and concrete design capabilities.
S-STEEL and ICD *
S-FRAME Design CapabilitiesStandardProfessionalEnterprise
Integrated design and optimization for strength and serviceability✔ ✔ ✔
Detailed reporting and quantity take-off with full round-tripping between analysis and design✔ ✔ ✔
Integrated steel member code checking and optimization (S-STEEL)
✔ ✔ ✔
Supports composite beam design and design of tapered sections using AISC Design Guide 25✔ ✔ ✔
Integrated concrete design and detailing (ICD)✔ ✔ ✔
Beams✔ ✔ ✔
Columns (including composite columns)✔ ✔ ✔
Walls✔ ✔ ✔
Slabs✔ ✔ ✔
Foundations✔ ✔ ✔
Seismic concrete design for variable ductility requirements✔ ✔ ✔

S-FRAME Design Tools CompatibilityStandardProfessionalEnterprise
S-STEEL: Steel design and analysis tool, used to optimize steel structural elements according to numerous design codes and user-defined constraints (weight, surface area, architectural, fabrication constraints and more).✔ ✔ ✔
S-CONCRETE: Analysis, design and detailing for reinforced concrete beam, columns and wall sections using ICD✔ ✔ ✔
S-LINE: Continuous reinforced concrete beam design and detailing using ICD✔ ✔ ✔
S-FOUNDATION: A complete analysis, design and detailing tool for simple and complex foundation configurations✔ ✔ ✔
S-TIMBER: Timber design solution for mass timber structures✔ ✔ ✔
S-CALC: An advanced cross section property calculator✔ ✔ ✔

S-FRAME Output and DisplayStandardProfessionalEnterprise
Deformed Geometry✔ ✔ ✔
Force Diagrams✔ ✔ ✔
General Displacement✔ ✔ ✔
Section Cuts✔ ✔ ✔
Influence Lines✔ ✔ ✔
Plot Functions✔ ✔ ✔
Tabular Output✔ ✔ ✔
Video Animations✔ ✔ ✔

S-FRAME ReportingStandardProfessionalEnterprise
Industy's Most Comprehensive Engineering Reports✔ ✔ ✔
Quick Reports to PDF✔ ✔ ✔
Advanced, Customizable reports to Word✔ ✔ ✔

S-FRAME Import and ExportStandardProfessionalEnterprise
Bidirectional BIM links to Autodesk® Revit® and TEKLA® Structures✔ ✔ ✔
Revit® 2020 and earlier support for Beams, Columns, Walls, Floors, Beam System, Truss, Loads and Load Cases/Combinations✔ ✔ ✔
TEKLA® 2021 and earlier versions: support for Beam, Column, Wall and Slab, Loads and Load Cases/Combinations✔ ✔ ✔
Round-Tripping support retains S-FRAME data not recognized by third-party software through multiple design cycles✔ ✔ ✔
STAAD™ to S-FRAME file converter supports conversion of both Geometry and Loads ✔ ✔ ✔
ETABS™ to S-FRAME file converter supports conversion of both Geometry and Loads✔ ✔ ✔
Date integration with MS Excell® and MS Access® file formats.✔ ✔ ✔
Advanced AutoCAD® DXF link✔ ✔ ✔
Import DXF layers as members, shells or panels, pre-assign properties to layers, limit import by layer or individual entity✔ ✔ ✔
Automatic S-FRAME model group folder creation for imported layers, unit conversions and joint tolerance checks✔ ✔ ✔
3D visualization window with fast rendering, toggle on/off layers, used to selectively import subsets of large models✔ ✔ ✔

S-View- Validation and Visualization tool is available in all three S-FRAME EditionsS-VIEW StandardS-VIEW Professional
Powerful visualization tool for S-FRAME model viewing, sharing and validating in a collaborative environment✔ ✔
Export images and videos* to create high quality presentations. Facilitate collaboration with all input and results in one file.✔ ✔
View supports and one- and two-noded springs and viscous dampers✔ ✔
Animate results from dynamic and nonlinear analyses✔ ✔
Export Video Animations of your model to WMV and AVI file formats✔

*S-STEEL, ICD and the video-export option in S-VIEW require additional licensing fees