SCIA Engineer 64-bit main approach & overview
SCIA Engineer (since 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 commercial modules
Below you can find an overview of the supported or unsupported commercial modules per version and per post-processing environment (PPE).
| Product category | Module description | SEN module code | 32-bit version | 64-bit version | |
| "V16 and older" PPE | "Default" PPE | "Default" PPE | |||
| General | Frame modelling and linear analysis | SEN.00 | yes | yes (*2) | yes (*2) |
| Modelling of surfaces | SEN.01 | yes | yes | yes | |
| General cross-section editor | SEN.05 | yes | yes | yes | |
| Parametric modelling | SEN.06 | yes | yes | yes | |
| Open Design | SEN.07 | yes | yes | yes | |
| 3D freeform modeller | SEN.30 |
yes |
yes | yes | |
| 2D data viewer | yes | yes | yes (*13) | ||
| Interoperability | BIM Toolbox | SEN.10 | yes | yes | yes |
| Revit link | SEN.11 | yes | yes | yes | |
| Tekla link | SEN.12 | yes | yes | yes | |
| Etabs link | SEN.13 | yes | yes | no | |
| Loads | Wind & snow generator EN 1991 | SENS.15.EN | yes | yes (*3) | yes (*3) |
| Wind & snow generator ASCE 7 | SENS.15.IBC | yes | yes (*3) | yes (*3) | |
| Wind & snow generators FNS | SENS.15.FNS | yes | no | no | |
| Moving loads | SENS.16 | yes | yes (*7) | yes (*7) | |
| Water Accumulation | SENS.17 | yes | yes | no | |
| Analysis | Basic non-linear analysis | SENS.00 | yes | yes | yes |
| Linear stability analysis | SENS.01 | yes | yes | yes | |
| Nonlinear stability analysis | SENS.01 | yes | yes | yes | |
| Advanced material non-linear analysis | SENS.02 | yes | yes (*1) | yes (*1) | |
| Advanced geometric non-linear analysis | SENS.03 | yes | yes | yes | |
| Soil interaction | SENS.04 | yes | yes | yes | |
| Nonlinear soil supports on frames | SENS.05 | yes (*12) | no | no | |
| Material non-linear analysis for concrete | SENS.06 | yes (*6) | yes (*6) | yes (*6) | |
| Dynamic eigenmodes analysis | SENS.10 | yes | yes | yes | |
| Advanced dynamic analysis: seismic, harmonic load, time-history analysis | SENS.11 | yes | yes (*8) | yes (*8) | |
| Construction Stages | SENS.20 | yes | no | no | |
| Prestressing modelling and analysis | SENS.21 | yes | yes (*9) | yes (*9) | |
| Sequential analysis | SENS.22 | yes | no | no | |
| Concrete design | RC design of frames & surfaces EN 1992 | SENCD.01.EN | yes | yes | yes |
| RC design of frames & surfaces ACI-318 | SENCD.01.IBC | yes | yes (*15) | yes (*15) | |
| RC design of frames & surfaces SIA 262 | SENCD.01.SIA | yes | yes | yes | |
| RC design of frames & surfaces NBR 6118 | SENCD.01.NBR | yes | yes | yes | |
| RC design of frames & surfaces FNS | SENCD.01.FNS | yes | no | no | |
| Punching check EN 1992 | SENCD.02.EN | yes | yes | yes | |
| Punching check SIA 262 | SENCD.02.SIA | yes | no | no | |
| Punching check FNS | SENCD.02.FNS | yes | no | no | |
| Practical reinforcement | SENCD.03 | yes | yes | yes | |
| Long-term deflection analysis | SENCD.04 | yes (*10) | yes | yes | |
| Concrete fire resistance design | SENCD.05.EN | yes | no | no | |
| Prestressed concrete design EN 1992 | SENCD.06.EN | yes | yes | yes | |
| Prestressed concrete design FNS | SENCD.06.FNS | yes | no | no | |
| Hollow core slabs checks | SENCD.07.EN | yes | no | no | |
| Voided slabs | SENCD.08.EN | yes (*11) | no | no | |
| Steel fibre reinforced concrete | yes | yes | yes | ||
| Steel design | Steel code check EN 1993-1-1 | SENSD.01.EN | yes | yes | yes |
| Steel code check ANSI/AISC | SENSD.01.IBC | yes | yes (*14) | yes (*14) | |
| Steel code check SIA 263 | SENSD.01.SIA | yes | yes | yes | |
| Steel code check NBR 8800 | SENSD.01.NBR | yes | yes | yes | |
| Steel code check FNS | SENSD.01.FNS | yes | no | no | |
| Cold-Formed Steel design EN 1993-1-3 | SENSD.02.EN | yes | yes | yes | |
| Cold-Formed Steel design AISI | SENSD.02.IBC | yes | no | no | |
| Composite beam design EN 1994 | SENSD.03.EN | yes | yes | yes | |
| Composite beam design AISC | SENSD.03.IBC | yes | yes | yes | |
| Composite column design EN 1994 | SENSD.04.EN | yes | yes | yes | |
| Steel fire resistance design EN 1993-1-2 | SENSD.05.EN | yes | yes | yes | |
| Steel fire resistance design SIA 263 | SENSD.05.SIA | yes | no | no | |
| Steel fire resistance design FNS | SENSD.05.FNS | yes | no | no | |
| Scaffolding checks | SENSD.06.EN | yes | yes | yes | |
| LTB (2nd order) | SENSD.07 | yes | yes | no | |
| Steel connection design & drawings | SENSD.10.EN | yes | yes | yes (*4) | |
| Other design | Foundation pad design | SENFD.01.EN | yes | yes | yes |
| Timber design | SENTD.01.EN | yes | yes | yes | |
|
Aluminium design |
SENAD.01.EN | yes | yes | yes (*5) | |
| Drawings | GA drawings | SENDT.01 | yes | yes | yes |
(*1) Advanced material non-linear analysis:
- Only Soil spring is not supported in "default" PPE and 64-bit.
(*2) Frame modelling and linear analysis:
- Old document: Hidden in new projects but available when opening old projects that contain the old document.
- Property modifiers are not supported for composite.
(*3) Wind & snow generator:
- 2D generators are not supported in "default" PPE and 64-bit.
(*4) Steel connection design & drawings:
- Bolted diagonal connections are not supported in 64-bit.
(*5) Aluminium design:
- Aluminium SLS-check is currently not supported in 64-bit.
(*6) Material non-linear analysis for concrete:
- 1D-physical nonlinearity is not supported in the "default" PPE (both 32-bit and 64-bit).
- 2D-physical nonlinearity is not supported in "v16 and older" PPE.
(*7) Moving loads
- Mobile loads is not supported in the "default" PPE (both 32-bit and 64-bit).
- Traffic load is supported in both PPE "v16 and older" and "default".
(*8) Advanced dynamic analysis: seismic, harmonic load, time-history analysis:
- Harmonic load analysis & General dynamics & Non-proportional damping & Karman vibrations is not supported in the "default" PPE (both 32-bit and 64-bit)
(*9) Prestressing modelling and analysis
- Free tendons are not supported in the "default" PPE (both 32-bit and 64-bit)
(*10) Long-term deflection analysis
- The solution as a special type of analysis, calculation for whole model, concrete combinations are needed
(*11) Voided slabs
- Only finite element analysis of voided slabs is supported. The design / check is not supported yet.
(*12) Nonlinear soil supports on frames
- Special output of line support reactions (with separate components per face) is no longer supported.
(*13) 2D data viewer
- In 64-bit version was replaced by services "Thickness of slabs" and "Surface loads"
(*14)Steel code check ANSI/AISC
- Only Steel AISC 2016 is available in 64-bit (and 32-bit default PPE)
(*15)RC design of frames & surfaces ACI-318
- Only RC design of surfaces is available in 64-bit
Overview table of results service items
| Results service items | 32-bit version | 64-bit version | |
| "V16 and older" PPE | "default" PPE | "default" PPE | |
| Deformed structure | yes | yes(*2) | yes(*2) |
| Foundation table | yes | yes | no |
| Subsoil - other data | yes | no | 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 | yes |
| Acceleration of nodes | yes | yes(*3) | no |
| Seismic detailed | yes | yes | no |
| Integration strip | yes | yes | yes |
| Integration member | yes | yes | yes |
| 2D/1D upgrade | yes | no | no |
| Bill of material | yes | yes | yes |
(*1) Member stress:
- User can use 1d member stress and 3d stress
(*2) Deformed structure:
- Deformed structure is drawn in wireframe mode of 3D displacement
(*3) Acceleration of nodes:
- 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 | |
| "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 | ||
| "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 | |
| SAF | yes | yes | yes | |
| SDNF | yes | yes | no | |
| 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).
(*1) Revit:
- Export of results is not supported in "v17" PPE.
(*2) XML:
- Export of new results (results v17)) is only partly supported in "v17" PPE.