How to Select the Right ADAPT Software Solution

For more than 20 years, ADAPT software solutions have enabled our customers to design building and bridge structures with greater efficiency, fewer errors, and better overall quality. Discover which of our reliable and easy-to-use structural analysis software solutions is right for your practice by first selecting one of the criteria below.
Elevated building structures, e.g., concrete beam frames and floor systems

What structural concrete system do you use?
  • Conventionally reinforced
    • You need ADAPT-RC for beam frame and one-way slab (Parking Structure) designs
    • Column supported floor system
      • Is the structure very complex?
        • No: you need ADAPT-RC
        • Yes: you need ADAPT-Floor Pro
        • Hint: you can save time by importing existing CAD files of your project into ADAPT-Modeler and quickly generating your input data for ADAPT-RC
  • Post-tensioned
    • You need ADAPT-PT for beam frame and one-way slab (Parking Structure) designs
    • Column supported floor system
      • Is the structure very complex?
        • No: you need ADAPT-PT
        • Yes: Are you an experienced designer and can estimate the optimum tendon layout and post-tensioning values?
          • No: you need ADAPT-PT
          • Yes: you need ADAPT-Floor Pro
          • Hint: you can save time by importing existing CAD files of your project into ADAPT-Modeler and quickly generating your input data for ADAPT-PT.
          • Hint: if you are unsure of the amount of post-tensioning needed and are using ADAPT-Floor Pro, you can export your design strip data into ADAPT-PT and have the program give you recommended values.
          • Hint: many leading engineering firms rely on ADAPT-PT as their primary production tool for their day-to-day post-tensioned designs and use ADAPT-Floor Pro to fine-tune their complex projects.
Ground supported structures, e.g., mat and slab-on-ground foundations

What type of structure does the foundation support?
  • Structure with three or more stories
    • You need ADAPT-MAT whether it is designed with or without post-tensioning
  • Low-height building including residential and light industrial
    • Is the ground supported structure post-tensioned?
      • Yes: you need ADAPT-SOG
      • No: you need ADAPT-MAT
Evaluation and retrofit of existing elevated concrete structures

What is the predominant structural concrete system of the existing structure?
  • Conventionally reinforced column supported floor system
    • You need ADAPT-RC to evaluate the capacity
  • Post-tensioned column supported floor system
    • Are the critical support locations of the floor system somewhat regular?
      • No: you need ADAPT-PT
      • Yes: you need ADAPT-Floor Pro
Bridges

If your project meets the following requirements, you need ADAPT-ABI.
  • Segmentally constructed
  • Time-dependent factors such as construction sequence, creep, shrinkage and relaxation are critical
  • You need to model and design temporary supporting structures
Recommendations for engineers new to post-tensioning.

How do you acquire best practice details for post-tensioning?
    If you are new to the design of post-tensioned structures and want to acquire best practice details for the application of post-tensioning, you need ADAPT-Details. Hundreds of engineering firms have already relied on this set of approximately 100 commonly used details for column supported floor systems, beams, parking structures, and ground supported slabs, together with the associated notes to be placed on your structural drawings. ADAPT-Details include a hard copy and AutoCAD version of each typical detail.
Where can you find design guides?
    If you need to familiarize yourself with the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications of post-tensioning, you will benefit from our ADAPT-Book on "Design Fundamentals of Post- Tensioned Concrete Floors" and the rich library of ADAPT Design Literature posted on our website.
How can you receive expert guidance on your first post-tensioned project?
    In addition to providing our customers with the best concrete and post-tensioning design software solutions, ADAPT has a long-standing reputation of providing our customers with design guidance and expertise on their projects. You can take advantage of our step-by-step guidance and extensive design experience by either engaging us on a project-by-project basis or by subscribing to ADAPT-Extended Support.
You need to quickly calculate tendon elongations for stressing.

If you need to quickly calculate tendon elongations for stressing, you need ADAPT-FELT. ADAPT-FELT can also give you stress losses in prestressing tendons due to long-term effects of creep, shrinkage and relaxation of prestressing steel.

You require a simple and reliable tool to design and analyze post-tensioned sections.

If you need to calculate the design moment capacity of a post-tensioned section or design a post-tensioned section to resist a given moment, you need ADAPT-PULT.

Recommendations for existing ADAPT-PT and ADAPT-RC users.

If you are an ADAPT-PT or ADAPT-RC user and want to streamline the generation of your design strip input data, you can benefit from ADAPT-Modeler.

ADAPT software descriptions.

ADAPT-PT for post-tensioned beams and slabs of common structures

Select ADAPT-PT if you need to post-tension the beams and slabs of common structures such as office buildings, residential buildings, and parking structures. ADAPT-PT determines the necessary amount and profile of post-tensioning as well as any supplemental non-prestressed reinforcement. Based on the Equivalent Frame Method, ADAPT-PT is the industry standard software for engineers who specialize in post-tensioning design.

ADAPT-RC for designing beams and floors of conventional structures

Choose ADAPT-RC if you are designing the beams and floors of conventional (non-prestressed) building structures. Based on the Equivalent Frame Method, ADAPT-RC provides a complete design of new floor systems, and also determines floor capacity for existing reinforced concrete buildings. When developing a new design, simply input the geometry and loading. To discover the capacity of what you already have, input the geometry and the available reinforcement.

ADAPT-Floor Pro for analyzing post-tensioned buildings and floor systems

ADAPT-Floor Pro is the software you need to investigate an existing post-tensioned building or check the design of a post-tensioned floor system. Based on the Finite Element Method, ADAPT-Floor Pro delivers a comprehensive floor (with or without beams) solution. When using the solution's finite element program, simply input the location, number, and profile of the post-tensioning tendons. The program will then determine if your data meets code requirements. ADAPT-Floor Pro also rapidly verifies the adequacy of assumed values, making it an invaluable tool for experienced engineers who can accurately estimate appropriate tendon layout and force (position and amount of prestressing). ADAPT-Floor Pro is a standalone solution for investigative work and an ideal complement to ADAPT-PT.

ADAPT-Modeler for generating 3D structural models

Enhance the value of the Builder Platform suite (ADAPT-PT, ADAPT-RC, or ADAPT-Floor Pro) with ADAPT-Modeler. This solution, which is included in ADAPT-Floor Pro, ADAPT-SOG, and ADAPT-MAT, generates 3D structural models through its own drafting capabilities or by converting existing floor system drawings. ADAPT-Modeler automatically generates information such as span length, tributaries, design strips, and loading allocation. This solution minimizes errors and significantly improves the productivity of design engineers.

ADAPT-ABI for complex prestressing and post-tensioning design

ADAPT-ABI is essential for any serious prestressing or post-tensioning designer. Select ADAPT-ABI for expedient and rigorous solutions to complex single- or multi-story frames with tendons of varied profiles and stresses or other irregularities. A particularly notable feature of ADAPT-ABI is its ability to accurately account for time-dependent parameters of creep, shrinkage, prestressing relaxation, and concrete aging. ADAPT-ABI also allows you to simulate the step-by-step construction of your building frame.

ADAPT-FELT for preparing installation drawings of post-tensioned structures

Select ADAPT-FELT to prepare or check installation (shop) drawings for post-tensioned structures. This program provides the elongation of tendons at stressing, as well as stresses needed for performing checks against permissible code values. ADAPT-FELT also determines immediate and long-term (after losses) average tendon force, used by many design engineers for structural drawings. A basic version of ADAPT-FELT is included in ADAPT-PT. Upgrading to ADAPT-FELT enables ADAPT-PT users to perform friction and long-term stress loss analyses independent of ADAPT-PT runs.

ADAPT-PULT for determining capacity of pre-stressed sections
ADAPT-PULT quickly provides the capacity of a prestressed section (pre- or post-tensioned). If you wish to design a given demand moment for a section with a known amount of prestressing, ADAPT-PULT also determines any required additional reinforcement. ADAPT-PULT works for a cross-section of the member you design.

Need more assistance in determining which ADAPT solution is right for you? Contact an ADAPT product specialist.



 
  



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