Whats New in

Orion 16

October 2010

CSC (UK)Ltd

Whats New in Orion 16

Contents
WHATS NEW IN ORION 16 .................................................................................................................................... 3
HIGHLIGHTS............................................................................................................................................................ 3
ENHANCED 3D WINDOW .......................................................................................................................................... 4
NEW EUROCODE 2 DESIGN ...................................................................................................................................... 8
NEW SETTINGS /TEMPLATES MANAGER...................................................................................................................... 9
FOUNDATIONS ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
ENHANCED FE FLOOR MODULE................................................................................................................................ 14
ENHANCED BEAM DESIGN AND DETAILING ................................................................................................................. 18
ENHANCED COLUMN/WALL DESIGN ......................................................................................................................... 26
ENHANCED USER INTERFACE .................................................................................................................................... 29
NEW PROJECT PROPERTIES ..................................................................................................................................... 30
NEW STAGED CONSTRUCTION................................................................................................................................. 32
NEW ARCHIVE AND BACKUP SYSTEM ........................................................................................................................ 32
NEW LOAD COMBINATION GENERATOR .................................................................................................................... 33
ENHANCED BUILDING ANALYSIS POST PROCESSING ...................................................................................................... 35
NEW MODELLING FEATURES .................................................................................................................................. 35
OTHER ENHANCEMENTS ......................................................................................................................................... 38

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Whats New in Orion 16

Highlights
CSC and the Orion team are committed to continually provide our users with high quality, market leading
solutions for building structures. Orion 16 is a significant upgrade with many completely new features,
including:

Updated interface
o Enhanced modelling in 3D
o
Significantly enhanced and faster 3D viewing

Detailed Eurocode Design including automatic sway sensitivity assessment.

New templates option to create standard companywide project settings
New Piled Raft and Eccentric Piles Modelling Feature

Finite Element Analysis enhancements:

o New mesh generator for floors and foundations.
o Support for rigid zones.
o New creep/cracking/shrinkage stiffness adjustment feature.
o FE analysis of Piled Rafts (with optional inclusion of ground bearing stiffness)
o
FE analysis of Pile caps with offset piles

Numerous beam detailing enhancements

New column confinement (links and ties) control system
New Visual Interrogation Manager
Project Notes / Reminders System
New Staged Construction Analysis (Optional)
AND LOTS MORE

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Enhanced 3D Window
New features plus enhanced speed mean that this is a major update. New default settings are also introduced
giving the software a new look and feel.

Models can now be created in the 3D view

You can now create and edit your models in both the plan and the 3D views.
Beam placed in the 3D view

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Improved Speed
3D views can be closed / re-opened much faster than in R15 and are more responsive during editing.
Note: To gain speed increase after the 3D window is opened for the first time Orion is constantly
trying to update the view data in the background even when the view is not open. For really large
models you may prefer to totally disable background updating by closing the 3D window using the red
cross in the toolbar.
Swapping to and from the design status view is a lot faster, making the design status view more usable on
larger models.

Other Items:

Option to automatically open models showing plan and 3D views in split screen.
New Slab Display Option that removes gaps

In previous versions the slab edge display always got cut back when walls existed over a part length
this resulted in gaps as shown above which some users find disconcerting. Now there is a new option
to shade the slabs to their exterior vertices when checked the display generally looks much better as
shown below.

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Visual confirmation of beams with wall loading.

Animated Transitions, provide smoother transitions between Zoom Limits and Zoom Extents
Some extra view effects have been added:
o Member labelling
o Textures
o Background gradient shading (as shown below)

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o

Enhanced shading with edges

When selected from the View/Display tab as shown below, you can adjust the line thickness
of member edges to your preference.

You can further enhance the result and smooth the appearance of edges by selecting the
Line Anti-Aliasing option on the General tab.

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NEW Eurocode 2 Design
This is the first version to support Eurocode design.
If you intend to carry out Eurocode designs with Orion 16 we consider it essential that you attend one of our
Orion Eurocode training courses to familiarise yourself with the wide range of changes that the Eurocode
design entails. Contact your local CSC Office for further details and availability.
The available codes now include Eurocode 2, together with the associated Eurocode 1 loading code. In addition
four national annex options are included.
Design codes available in Orion 16

Eurocode psi factors are dealt with in the NEW load combination generator.
For Eurocode 2 design braced/bracing status is applied at a structure level with options to adjust this at a
member by member level.
Application of braced/bracing status for EC2 design

The new Eurocode 2 design also includes:

Automatic Sway sensitivity assessment checks/report.
Automatic application of sway amplification factors when required.
Column Design including design of non symmetrical sections.
Beam Design including completely new checks: shear affects main reinforcement, a completely new
flange shear check.
Punching Checks.

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NEW Settings /Templates Manager
This new feature provides a significant enhancement to the way in which project settings can be controlled.
The New Settings/Template Manager

Settings/Template Manager benefits:

Swap settings between projects.

Save preferred settings as templates.
Better beam detailing because preferences for different drawing scales can be saved/retrieved from
templates etc.
Code dependant templates. Swapping between design codes is not necessarily as simple as just
choosing the different code. It is better to do this by choosing a complete template so that all the
settings/preferences associated with the code choice are re-set (e.g. load combinations and factors).

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Foundations
Piled Rafts
FE analysis of piled rafts is now included a major new feature with lots of capabilities.
Piled Raft Foundation

Piles are inserted by selecting a foundation slab and picking Insert Pile from the right click menu.

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After identifying a setting out point, the Pile Properties dialog is used to position the piles. A preview
of the layout is displayed to assist in this process.
Preview of Pile Layout

Optional inclusion of ground bearing pressure between the pile locations.

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New Display Pile Forces button on the Nodes pull down menu of the post-processor.

When clicked, the pile forces are displayed and compared against the pile safe working loads. The
results are displayed visually by colour coding the piles as shown below. Where load exceeds capacity
the pile node is shown red, where it is greater than 90% the pile node is orange, for < 90 % the pile
node is green.
Pass/Fail Colour Coding of Piles

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Offset Piles
New feature allowing piles to be re-located in pile caps.
Pile Properties

Opening the pile cap properties then initiates a Check Design for the revised pile layout.

FE analysis of Pile caps with offset piles

Pile Cap foundations and pad footings are now also transferred to and meshed in the FE module where Asrequired contours can be examined.
Pad foundations meshed in the FE module

For Pile Caps in particular the above means that bending design is possible by using the As required contours in
the FE foundation module.
This design capability also extends to pile caps with irregular/adjusted pile arrangements.
Strip Footings are also transferred so that the FE model of defined foundations is complete.

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Enhanced FE Floor Module
There have been a number of improvements made to the FE Floor module.

NEW mesh generator

The new mesh generator is not only better able to handle complex geometries, but also produces more
refined meshing for standard situations.

Meshing is now controlled by specifying the maximum plate size along with the mesh uniformity
factor.

Modelling is simplified because it is no longer essential to split slabs at column locations

Columns placed inside slab boundary

Inclined columns can now be included in the FE model.

Inclined columns in the FE model (inclined beams and slabs are still modelled horizontally)

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You now see meshing progress information that gives you some idea of how long meshing will take
and there is a new option to escape from the process.

Escape feature

Rigid Zones in FE models

When rigid zones are used in the building analysis the FE mesh generator now also creates rigid zones. This
means that a previous limitation that beam forces could not be merged when rigid zones were used is
removed.
Rigid zones included in the FE model

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Enhancements to Stiffness Multipliers
The FE Module now holds separate stiffness adjustment settings to those used in Building Analysis.
Stiffness Adjustment Factors and the Creep & Cracking button

The new Creep and Cracking allowance button shown above can be used to help establish appropriate
stiffness multipliers. This topic is discussed extensively in the new Help system.
Specifying the Creep & Cracking allowance

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Display Enhancements

New feature contours can be displayed on the deformed geometry.

Point / Line / Patch loads now automatically create seed nodes at the load boundary, making the
loads easier to visualize.

Other items:

Column heads included even when not inserted at slab edge.

Column drops are treated as a single slab area (not broken up as before)
For column drops the meshing extends through the column head area.
New display option to show shell thickness.

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Enhanced Beam Design and Detailing
Significant enhancements are listed below. In addition to these, numerous other minor detailing
enhancements and adjustments have been made.

NEW Design Option : Ignorable Torsional Moment

A new setting for user defined ignorable torsion is introduced.
Ignorable Beam Torsional Moment

Note that a calculated value is still determined and then the max of the user defined and the calculated value
is used. Therefore, setting this value to zero will result in the same design and hence warnings as in R15.

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NEW Layers for Beam Detail Drawing
The Layers settings used to produce drawings has been enhanced to allow for greater flexibility and
customization. This will allow users to readily produce drawings that comply with their specific company or
local standards. The new Layer Settings are shown below.

The key enhancements are:

Layers, or more accurately Drawing Objects has been increased. Drawing objects are rationalized and
placed in more logical layers.
Layer Name, Color, LineType, Font and Text height are customizable
Different Drawing Objects can be combined into the same Layer by giving them the same Layer Name.
o Users who desire fewer layers in the final drawing can utilize this function.
o If duplicate layers are found, the properties (Color, Linetype, Font) of the last duplicate layer
in the list (bottom most) will be used.
The new Settings/Templates Manager system makes it easier for you to transfer company settings
between projects and also save company settings as a template.

General Enhancements to the Beam Detail Drawings

General enhancements to the beam detail drawings are listed but not limited to the following:

Rebar label and dimension logic has been enhanced to give clearer and better quality drawings. (For
example, the extension bar dimension position has been rationalized to avoid overlapping with other
elements and only required dimensions are shown.)
Link Zone dimensions have been improved to appear just below the link labels.

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Link zone dimensions below labels

To provide more flexibility and quality to beam detailing drawings, additional Beam Design Settings for have
been introduced.

NEW sub-option for Extend Support Bars Symmetrically

This option has been enhanced by adding the ability to extend support bars symmetrically only where lengths
vary by less than a certain percentage (which can be defined by the user). If variation is more than the given
percentage no symmetry operation is performed. The minimum and maximum permitted percentages are 10
and 50 respectively.

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NEW Dimension Option : Dimension 2nd Span Bars
This option dimensions the second bottom span bars, whether in the first or second layer.
nd

Dimension 2 Span Bars Option

The beam detail drawing with this option checked is shown below:

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NEW Links Option : Display Additional Link Lines
This option allows the spacing of the links to be expressed graphically.
Please note that this option works best if the option Print Link Labels Inside the Beam is unchecked i.e. if link
labels are drawn outside the beam.
Additional Link Lines Option

The beam detail drawing with this option checked is shown below:

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NEW Beam Level Option : Display Beam Reference Levels in Details
This option allows the reference level of the beams to be displayed in the details. The reference level can be
adjusted in Building > Edit Storey menu. This option is not valid for inclined beams.
Display Beam Reference Levels Option

The beam detail drawing with this option checked is shown below

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NEW Side Bar Option : Display Only a Single Side Bar in Detail
This option allows only a single indicative side bar to be shown, regardless of the total no. of side bars
required. The purpose is to avoid too many elements in the final drawings, resulting in more legible output. In
addition, the spacing of the side bars is now shown.
Display Only a Single Side Bar Option

The beam detail drawing with this option checked is shown below

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NEW Beam Section Detailing : Use IStructE Style Annotation
A new option is introduced to annotate section bars according to IStructE Style. Generally, this style may be
preferable if there are too many elements to annotate in the sections.
Use IStructE Style Annotation Option

The beam detail drawing with this option checked is shown below

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Enhanced Column/Wall Design
Column Confinement

You are now able to indicate your preference for the link pattern(s) you want to be considered in order to
automatically meet column confinement requirements when in design mode. Note that you are no longer
selecting one pattern or another, you can select all patterns and the pattern used is selected according to
need. The single link option cannot be unselected it is a min requirement.
Different preferences can be applied to square and rectangular columns or reasonably equal side (b/h < 1.8) to
those for rectangular columns of un-equal side (b/h > 1.8).
In all cases tie bars are introduced so that every bar or alternate bar is restrained as required by the design
codes.

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Wall Confinement

In design mode the program will attempt to automatically meet wall confinement requirements for any short
walls in the model by adopting the pattern of your choice. A different pattern can be chosen for long walls.
Where the Single Layer Wall pattern has been chosen, the program will automatically switch to the Wall
pattern when max. width for single walls is exceeded. (Similarly the Single Layer Wall w/EndZones pattern
will switch to the Wall w/EndZones pattern.)

Other Items:
A number of new features and enhancements apply:
The column design summary dialog now contains link reinforcement details as shown below.
Note H8-225-125 indicates that links are provided generally at 225 but closed up to 125 in the zones
above and below each floor.

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A new Edited check box on the Slenderness tab allows user defined bracing and user defined beta
values to be independently controlled.

Enhanced approach to shear design the previous user option to ignore shear design and hence apply
containment steel only has been removed. Shear design is always done, but if v<vc then the min
containment rules are applied, if v>vc min link rules apply.
Horizontal bars in walls a new setting is introduced to control max spacing. Note however that
BS8110 min steel requirements (to control cracking) will often mean that small diameter bars will be
provided at much closer spacing than the defined upper limit.

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Enhanced User Interface
NEW Visual Interrogation Manager
Accessible from a new button on the view toolbar. the Visual Interrogation Manager shows a colour coded
display in both plan and 3D views.

NEW Window selection - filtering option

Hold down control-shift keys and then window an area of a model. In this case nothing is selected
immediately and a filter option appears as shown below. Check the items you want to select and then only
those items within the area you windowed are selected.

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Other items:

Changes to the way grids are highlighted and slabs are previewed improve the efficiency of member
insertion.
Self weight of slabs - in previous versions the weight of slabs was determined at the point of slab
creation using the current setting for unit weight of concrete. Changing the unit weight had no effect
on slabs already defined. In Orion 16, slab weights are all re-calculated if/when the unit weight of
concrete is changed.

NEW Project Properties

This new feature allows you to attach development notes/comments to the project.
Revision Notes in Project Properties

Project Properties features include:

Text can be added and formatted using normal word processing tools. Notes text can be added to at
any stage.
Can activate the option (see top of dialog) to have this appear whenever a project is closed as a
reminder to make notes.
This can be used to record what work was done when and why.
For example:
You could record that architects layout change on date xxx caused 12 hours of remodelling
and re-design work. It could also be used to record outstanding work - a To do tomorrow
list that can be made as you are closing the model, knowing that there are things that have
not been finished.
Project statistics can be displayed graphically

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Project Statistics

Printed Report of Project Revision Notes

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NEW Staged Construction
Staged construction is now possible in a new Orion Ultimate version released alongside Orion 16.

Carry out staged construction of as many load cases as you want (there is no limitation of a single
case or combination at a time).
The above can even consider staged construction for Orion's automatically generated pattern load
cases.
Combinations can include any permutation of unstaged and staged cases.
You can simultaneously consider as many combinations as you want (i.e. design for an envelope of
staged construction scenarios)
Overall we expect that the above will provide the most comprehensive support of staged construction
analysis available in any dedicated building analysis and design product. It is everything (and more)
than many of our customers have been increasingly asking for.

NEW Archive and Backup System

A number of changes have been introduced to assist in project archiving and retrieval.

Using these features you can:

Set the auto save/backup interval.

Set number of backups to be retained
(e.g. setting to 3 would mean that the latest backup in each of the last 3 working hours is retained.
Within any given hour the backup is repeatedly over-written.)
Change the revision number for the project in project properties. This causes new backups to be
created so backups of older revisions of a project are automatically retained.
Restore archives using a new retrieval option in the file menu.

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NEW Load Combination Generator
Load combination sets can now be generated easily via the Load Combination Generator.
Load Combination Generator

Features of the Load Combination Generator:

.
Imposed load reduction is selectively applied as required for EC2.
Staged construction cases and combinations are introduced
Extended automatic options for pattern load cases.
Extended options for +/- wind load.
Combinations including temperature loading can be generated
Large number of cases and design combinations can be automatically generated if required.

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Generated Combinations

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Enhanced Building Analysis Post Processing
Extra results can be displayed in the Post Processor:
The following can now be displayed:
Results for combinations
Results for staged cases and combinations
Temperature case results

NEW Export to ETABS

The building analysis model can now be exported to the Etabs program.

NEW Modelling Features

NEW Slab Additional Loads Library
You can set up pre-defined loadings and then apply them using drop down selection when creating slabs.

A Set as Default option is included so that you can define the defaults to be applied on future projects also.

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NEW Wall Types Library
You can set up pre-defined wall loads and then apply them using drop down selection when adding the wall
loads.

A Set as Default option is included so that you can define the defaults to be applied on future projects also.

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Intermediate Member Loading to Columns and Walls
Intermediate Loads can now be applied to columns and walls.

Temperature Loading
Temperature Loads can now be applied to all member types.

A temperature load case must be created first using the load combinations generator.
Temperature Loads can then be applied to selected frame members
Axial and gradient temperature differences can be applied.
Temperature loading for shells (in the FE floor module) is not supported.

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Other Enhancements
Context Sensitive Help
Many dialog boxes now have context sensitive help.

CSC Update Service

The CSC Update Service has been introduced into Orion. You can now be automatically notified of available
updates which can then be automatically downloaded and installed. At any time you can check you have the
latest updates installed by selecting Check for Updates from the Help menu.

Links to Revit
A number of fixes have been made to the existing Revit transfer.

Interface Improvements and Streamlining

A constant gradual process of updating the interface to accommodate new technologies and styles continues:

Buttons, textboxes, radio buttons, checkboxes and combo-boxes are being replaced.
Non-standard forms are being standardised.

Note that the UI now follows the style of the operating system and the currently applied Windows theme.

Additional Supported Systems

Windows Vista and Windows 7 are supported.

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