MasterSeries: Building Design Suite

The ultimate 3D building design solution for all multi-material building projects.

3d model manager, 3DMM
Overview

The MasterSeries Building Design Suite is made up of individual MasterSeries modules, intelligently bundled together to give you everything you need to design buildings. Start with the core modules, and then, only choose the design bundles you require. Add additional bundles at any stage, via a simple activation code.

The MasterSeries Building Design Suite gives you the versatility you need to analyse and design almost any type of structure in one 3D multi-material modelling environment. Creating the perfect balance between automation and engineering control, the Building Design Suite has become the software of choice for thousands of Structural Engineering professionals.

MasterSeries Building Design Suite - 3D multi-material building model

The MasterSeries Building Design Suite can be customised to suit the range of analysis and design options that are relevant to your business. You can include the design of steel elements, steel connections, composite beams, concrete or timber to Eurocode, British Standard and other international standards; all integrated into one information-rich, central structural model.

  • Office Blocks
  • Shopping Centres
  • Grandstands & Stadia
  • Hospitals
  • Apartment's
  • Warehouses
  • Industrial Buildings
  • Industrial platforms
  • Schools & Libraries
  • Temporary Works
  • Trusses
  • Extensions
  • Bespoke Houses
  • Bespoke Stairs
  • Ground Beams
  • Rafts
  • Transfer Slabs
  • Bridges
  • Shear Walls
Licencing

MasterSeries PowerPad is available to purchase as a traditional Perpetual Licence or rent as a low-cost Subscription Licence.

All licences are networked single concurrent user licences with multiple registered users allowing maximum use of each licence.

BIM

At MasterSeries we're dedicated to BIM compliance. Your models will integrate with other popular software, including Revit, Tekla, and any other package that adheres to the IFC standard.

MasterSeries BIM capabilities; IFC, Revit, Tekla, DXF

No more of what you don’t need, everything that you do. Book your demo today, and see how the MasterSeries Building Design Suite can transform your business.

Core - Modelling

At the core of the MasterSeries Building Design Suite is a state of the art modelling environment comprised of MasterFrame Pro, MasterKey: Wind Analysis and MasterCAD: BIM. Here you have the flexibility to model anything from multi-storey frames, portal frames; to the most complex sports stadia.

Intuitive user interface

MasterSeries Building Design Suite provides a CAD style, graphical user interface to create your multi-material model. Just with a simple click even complex geometry objects can be created as easily as in the leading 3D modelling solutions. The wide range of powerful filtering and visualisation options will improve the way you work with your 3D multi-material models.

  • Intelligent entity based modelling approach, meaning you let the software take care of the analytical nodes and member, leaving you to focus on the physical modelling of the structure
  • To aid the modelling of buildings, MasterSeries Building Design Suite provides a wide range of a Grid line and Level options.
    In the case of multi-story buildings, the Levels not just a viewing tool, but the default construction type and the level loading can be set with ease
  • The powerful filtering and viewing options enable you to navigate through your 3D model and to clearly visualize the results
    • Automatic Frame Views based on the grid lines and levels
    • Viewing filters by orientations, material, sections etc.
  • Structure generation tool provides a great opportunity to generate a great variate of structures (such as simple and continuous beam, sub-frame, multi-storey frame, portal frame, tower, roof truss etc.) only specifying the main parameters. In addition, many generators allow to create not only the structural model, but the loading cases as well


Multi-material Modelling Environment

Using the provided 1D or 2D structural elements, such as columns, beams, shear walls, bracing system, slabs, shells etc., engineers are able to create any kind building. MasterSeries Building Design Suite provides a great range of material and section libraries to facilitate modelling of steel, concrete, composite, timber or multi-material structures.

Straightforward Load Application

MasterSeries Building Design Suite provides various type of member and surface loads to be able to create a highly sophisticated engineering model. Thanks to the floor and roof panel functions, area loading can be easily assigned and distributing with one-way or two-way option to structural elements. MasterSeries Building Design Suite automatically apply the horizontal notional load and generate the necessary load cases for Eurocode or British Standard.


Fully Automatic 3D Wind Load Generation

Creating one-way or two-way spanning wind loading surfaces, MasterSeries Building Design Suite, using the parameters provided by MasterKey: Wind Analysis module, automatically calculate and apply the wind loading for the most complex 3D building as well. Furthermore, MasterSeries Building Design Suite graphically shows all of the calculated wind parameters to allow you to easily review and verify the wind zones, pressure coefficients etc.


High-performance Solver

MasterSeries Building Design Suite automatically generates the analysis model based on the completely separated engineering model, allowing you to concentrate on the real engineering design.

The exceptionally fast and robust solver provides a great variety of calculation possibilities

  • Accurate first and second-order (non-linear P-Delta) analysis
  • Automatic Horizontal Notional Loads and Live Load Reduction
  • Second order tension/compression only member analysis
  • Incremental plastic analysis with the option to find plastic collapse load factor
  • Buckling analysis for elastic critical load factor
Add-Ons - Analysis

As well as the core modelling features, further advanced analysis options can be added with the following MasterKey Add-ons to widen the modelling and analysis possibilities.

Finite Element Analysis

MasterFrame: Finite Element Analysis allows you to model surface structural elements such as walls, slabs and transfer slabs using finite elements.

  • The use of 8-noded quadrilateral elements ensures a high level of numerical accuracy in the analysis
  • Beams and/or columns can be set up as attached members allowing for the inclusion of the stiffness of these elements in the analysis results
  • Automatic mesh generation allows the software to quickly generate the FE mesh, but the ability to vary the mesh intensity in local areas allows the user to retain control of the mesh in areas of interest to ensure the accuracy of results

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MasterSeries Building Design Suite - 3D multi-material building finite element analysis
Dynamic Analysis

MasterFrame: Dynamic Analysis helps to understand the dynamic behaviour of floors, bridges, high rise buildings, sensitive laboratories and staircases. Includes full analytical response factor evaluation.

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MasterSeries Building Design Suite - Dynamic analysis
Seismic Analysis

MasterFrame: Seismic Analysis is an add-on for the MasterFrame: Dynamic Analysis module for the analysis and design of structures exposed to seismic loads.

  • Analyse and design to Eurocode 8, IBC 2012/ASCE 7, or UBC 1997
  • Response spectra design, or the lateral force method
  • Time-history analysis

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MasterSeries Building Design Suite - Time-history analysis Kobe, Japan
Time-history analysis Kobe, Japan

Add-Ons - Design

In the MasterSeries Building Design Suite, producing a code compliant design is a central feature of its workflow. In all modules in the MasterSeries design range, you'll find superb levels of analysis design integration. The perfect balance between automation and engineering control. Complete yet concise on screen design output. Feature rich design options giving total flexibility. Technically advanced design, giving you complete confidence and ultimate efficiency.

Steel Design
  • Design to Eurocode 3, British Standard and South African codes
  • Automatic section size design rapidly optimises you design by selecting the suitable steel section for all your design loading cases
  • Automatic section classification and design of class 4
  • Design concrete encased I sections as beams and columns
  • Design tapered and haunched steel members
  • Design cellular beam with openings to SCI P355. Cellular beam deflection calculated analytically in the model
  • Stable length design to Appendix-BB/Annex-G stability checks
  • Cantilever LTB design in accordance with NCCI SN006a

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Composite Design
  • Design to Eurocode 4 and British Standard
  • Design and optimization of steel profiles, studs and transverse reinforcement
  • Cellular beams, web openings with or without stiffeners
  • Serviceability checks for both construction and composite stages
  • Floor vibration analysis
  • In-built manufacturer libraries for steel studs and decking

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Concrete Design of Members
  • Design to Eurocode 2, British Standard and South African codes
  • Automatic design rectangular, square and T & L-shaped beams with proposed reinforcement
  • Multiple bar layers and curtailment zones, dimensional Checks for code compliance
  • Automatic design rectangular, square and circular column with proposed reinforcement
  • Full rectangular and square pad foundation design with detailed punching shear checks

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Concrete Slab and Wall Design

Slab Design

  • Design to Eurocode 2, British Standard and South African codes
  • Application of two basic slab reinforcement layers
  • Additional peak (place over a point such as column head or wall end etc) and strip reinforcement
  • Auto Design function to find the most economical reinforcement solutions (bar sizes and spacing)
  • Automatic punching shear design
  • Long-term deflection calculation and crack control

Wall Design

  • Design to Eurocode 2
  • Wall Pier and Coupling Beam Analysis and Design
  • Auto-Design for all Design Sets
  • Allowance for the Management and Rationalisation of Reinforcement Design Groups
  • Output to DXF & DWG

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Timber Design
  • Design to Eurocode 5 and British Standard
  • Vast selection of timber section sizes
  • Design glued laminated (glulam) beams, flitch beams, rafters, joists, columns and more

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Steel Connection Design
  • Design to Eurocode 3 and British Standard
  • Powerful editing facilities and the optional automatic design
  • Moment, simple and bracing connections
  • Fully integrated mode to seamlessly transfer the connection geometry and forces based on the 3D structural model

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Pile Cap Design
  • Advanced analysis, design, detailing and scheduling of pile caps, with up to 9 piles supporting circular or rectangular columns
  • Design to EuroCode 2, BS 8110 & SABS 0100
  • Fully integrated mode to seamlessly transfer the geometry and forces based in the 3D structural model

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BIM

MasterCAD: BIM forms an integral part of the MasterSeries Building Design Suite Core. The system comes BIM enabled, giving you all the tools you need to be fully inter-operable.

Drawing Facilities

  • Quickly and easily generate custom General Arrangement drawings of structural frames, including elevations, sections and plans
  • Create full RC detailed drawings of concrete beams, columns, pads; complete with matching bar schedules.
  • Include structural details such as sections sizes, mesh information, studs, forces and reactions
  • Create drawings with a variety of outlines, profiles, filters, and layers

BIM Links

BIM facilities allow MasterSeries to hook into a variety of other software packages for the creation of intelligent 3D models through bi-directional model exchange.

  • Carry out uni-directional and bi-directional linking with other popular software packages, including Revit Structure, AutoCAD, Tekla Structures, MultiSTEEL and StruCAD
  • Export and import a variety of files types such as IFC, DXF or DWG

MasterSeries BIM capabilities

Output

The MasterSeries Building Design Suite includes a powerful and easy to use Report Generator.

The Report Generator provides you with full control over the layout and content of your design reports, allowing you to quickly and easily customise the output to your specific needs. Reports can be be created in seconds, and if changes are made, the report can be reproduced from a saved template at the click of a button.

Our engineering reports include fine-grained information on your analysis, design and graphical output, all presented in a clean document (printed, or exported to Word or PDF) with the level of detail expected of any professional report.

In addition to the generation of reports, you can also output full General Arrangement and RC Detail Drawings from the MasterSeries Building Design Suite.

Licencing

MasterSeries Building Design Suite is available to purchase as a traditional Perpetual Licence or you can rent as a low-cost Subscription Licence

Subscription licences are from as low as £150 GBP + VAT equivalent per month, when purchased on an annual basis

All licences are networked single concurrent user licences with multiple registered users sharing access, allowing maximum use of each licence.

No locking of licences to a PC, or complex licence transfer processes.

Stand Alone Product

Building Design Suite requires no other software

Part of Building Design Suite

This is the Building Design Suite

Included in PowerPad

Not part of PowerPad

Integrated Product

Fully Integrated Analysis & Design

Related Products
MasterSeries: PowerPad

The essential structural analysis and design suite for small building projects. 

MasterPort: Portal Frames Plus

Advanced analysis and design of elastic-plastic 3D portal frames and ancillary steel work. Design to Eurocode, British Standard, and SABS.

Next Webinar

Steel Connections Optimisation with MasterSeries

Date and Time of Webinar Thu, 8th February 2024, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM GMT

Join us for our next Webinar and find out how to quickly create and automatically optimise your steel connections in seconds.

Read more & register