SCIA Engineer 64-bit main approach & overview

SCIA Engineer (from version v17.1) provides the possibility to choose between two versions (32-bit and 64-bit) for displaying results and performing the design.

Main approach for modelling – calculating - checking in 64-bit

The 64-bit version does not yet contain all functionalities which are available in the 32-bit build due to the fact that not all of these functionalities are 64-bit compliant yet. The main approach for 64-bit is to allow the user to input (almost) everything (even if it is unsupported). If an unsupported analysis type is used in the project an error message will appear before the calculation starts. For example, when using "plastic hinges" which is currently unsupported you will get the following error message before the calculation starts:

And if a result or check is unsupported it will be hidden in SCIA Engineer. In those cases the user has the possibility to continue his/her work in the 32-bit version of SCIA Engineer (with the V16 PPE ). If an unsupported check/result item was already present in the Engineering Report, Picture Gallery or Table result the user will see the following message appear: Not supported task. Please switch to PPE v16 (available in 32-bit version).

Remark: PPE is the abbreviation for the term post-processing environment

Overview table of functionalities

Below you can find an overview of the supported or unsupported functionalities per version and per post-processing environment (PPE).

Functionality	Subfunctionality	32-bit version		64-bit version
Functionality	Subfunctionality	"V16 and older" PPE	"default" PPE	"default" PPE
Aluminium	Scaffolding	yes	yes	yes
Aluminium	LTB 2nd Order	yes	yes	no
Concrete	Code dependent deflection	no	yes	yes
	1D physical nonlinearity	yes	no	no
	2D physical nonlinearity	no	yes	yes
Steel	Plastic hinges	yes	yes	yes
	Fire resistance	yes	yes	yes
	Steel connections	yes	yes	yes (*6)
	Scaffolding	yes	yes	yes
	LTB 2nd Order	yes	yes	no
	Girders with sinusoidal webs	yes	yes	no
Dynamics	Modal analysis	yes	yes	yes
	Seismic	yes	yes	yes
	Harmonic load analysis	yes	no	no
	General dynamics	yes	no	no
	Non-proportional damping	yes	no	no
	Karman vibrations	yes	no	no
Initial stress	-	yes	yes	yes
Subsoil	-	yes	yes	yes
	Soil interaction	yes	yes	yes
	Soil loads	yes	yes	yes
	Pad foundation check	yes	yes	yes
Non-linearity	Initial deformations and curvature	yes	yes	yes
	Geometrical non-linearity	yes	yes	yes
	Beam local non-linearity	yes	yes	yes
	Support non-linearity/Soil spring	yes	yes	yes
	Friction support/Soil spring	yes	yes (*1)	yes (*1)
	Membrane elements	yes	yes	yes
	Press only 2D members	yes	yes	yes
	General plasticity	yes	yes	yes
	Sequential analysis	yes	no	no
	Cable	yes	no	no
Stability	linear	yes	yes	yes (*5)
Stability	linear with local nonlinearities	yes	no	no
Climatic loads	-	yes	yes (*4)	yes (*4)
2D data viewer	-	yes	yes	no
Prestressing	Post-tensioned internal tendons	yes	yes	yes
	Post-tensioned external tendons	yes	no	no
	Pre-tensioned tendons	yes	yes	yes
	Checks	yes	yes	yes
Structural model	-	yes	yes	yes
BIM properties	-	yes	yes	yes
Parameters	-	yes	yes	yes
Mobile loads	-	yes	no	no
Automated GA drawings	-	yes	yes	yes
CADS composite checks	Composite column	yes	yes	no
CADS composite checks	Fire resistance	yes	yes	no
External application checks	-	yes	yes	no
Property modifiers	-	yes	yes (*3)	yes (*3)
Bridge design	Load combinations	yes	yes	yes
Bridge design	Concrete checks extensions	yes	no	no
Document	-	yes	no (*2)	no (*2)
Advanced concrete checks	-	yes	no	no
	Fire resistance	yes	no	no
	Hollow core slab	yes	no	no

(*1): Only Soil spring is not supported in "default" PPE and 64-bit.

(*2): Hidden in new projects but available when opening old projects that contain the old document.

(*3): Property modifiers are not supported for composite

(*4): 2D generators are not supported in "default" PPE and 64-bit.

(*5): Buckling factors from stability are not supported yet in 64-bit

(*6): Bolted diagonal connections are not supported in 64-bit

Overview table of results service items

Results service items	32-bit version		64-bit version
Results service items	"V16 and older" PPE	"default" PPE	"default" PPE
Deformed structure	yes	yes(*2)	yes(*2)
Foundation table	yes	yes	no
Nodal space support resultant	yes	yes	no
Relative deformations	yes	yes	yes
Member stress	yes	yes(*1)	yes(*1)
Shear stress	yes	yes(*1)	yes(*1)
Connection forces	yes	yes	no
Acceleration of nodes	yes	yes(*3)	no
Seismic detailed	yes	yes	no
Integration strip	yes	yes	yes
2D/1D upgrade	yes	no	no
Bill of material	yes	yes	yes

(*1): User can use 1d member stress and 3d stress

(*2): Deformed structure is drawn in wireframe mode of 3D displacement

(*3): Only for mass combinations (eigenmodes); other types of dynamic analysis are not supported yet and seismic accelerations are provided in Seismic detailed results

Overview table of model types

Below you can find an overview of the supported or unsupported model types per version and per post-processing environment (PPE).

Model type	32-bit version		64-bit version
Model type	"V16 and older" PPE	"default" PPE	"default" PPE
One	yes	yes	yes
Construction stages	yes	no	no

Overview table of import formats

Below you can find an overview of the supported or unsupported import formats per version and per post-processing environment (PPE).

Import	32-bit version		64-bit version
Import	"V16 and older" PPE	"default" PPE	"default" PPE
DSTV	yes	yes	no
Esa	yes	yes	yes
Esa In	yes	yes	no
Etabs	yes	yes	no
Graphic format (dwg,...)	yes	yes	yes
IFC 2x3	yes	yes	yes
SDNF	yes	yes	yes
Stepsteel	yes	yes	no
Tekla Structures	yes	yes	yes
Revit	yes	yes	yes
XML	yes	yes	yes

Overview table of export formats

Below you can find an overview of the supported or unsupported export formats per version and per post-processing environment (PPE).

Export	32-bit version		64-bit version
Export	"V16 and older" PPE	"default" PPE	"default" PPE
Allplan (.ifc)	yes	yes	yes
CEA Plant-4D	yes	yes	yes
DSTV	yes	yes	no
Esa	yes	yes	yes
Esav	yes	yes	yes
Esa In	yes	yes	no
Etabs	yes	yes	no
Graphic format (dwg,...)	yes	yes	yes
IFC 2x3	yes	yes	yes
IFC 2x3 Compressed	yes	yes	yes
SDNF	yes	yes	yes
Stepsteel	yes	yes	no
Tekla Structures	yes	yes	yes
Revit	yes	yes (*1)	yes (*1)
XML	yes	yes (*2)	yes (*2)

(*1): Export of results is not supported in "v17" PPE.

(*2): Export of new results (results v17)) is only partly supported in "v17" PPE