SMARTBuild Engineering
SMARTBuild Engineering uses Calcs.com for rapid beam and column checks across Australian, European, and Canadian standards on sustainable SIPs and CLT projects.
“What I really liked about Calcs.com is its simplicity. It's simple and easy to use, and the output is also very, very clear.”
About SMARTBuild Engineering
SMARTBuild Engineering, founded by Sameer Ramgoolam, is at the forefront of sustainable building and social housing design. The company uses an innovative approach that combines cutting-edge technology with eco-friendly materials like Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) and Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT).
Sameer has three postgraduate qualifications in Civil Engineering and nearly thirty years of experience. He has worked with major firms in South Africa, and upon moving to Australia, completed a Master's degree in Civil Engineering and secured professional registration with the Building Licensing Authority. This registration authorizes him to sign off on designs and certifications, ensuring compliance with the National Construction Code and relevant Australian Standards.
Sameer established SMARTBuild Engineering in 2017.
"We do predominantly building design. Specifically, we do sustainable engineering design - using sustainable and renewable products and looking at the whole life cycle assessment of the project."
The challenge
Serving a clientele base consisting of architects and architectural firms, as well as product suppliers and manufacturers within the construction industry, Sameer handles between 10 to 20 projects annually, each bespoke and tailored to the unique requirements of his clients.
Based on his strong finite element analysis background, Sameer initially used SOFiSTiK, a high-end FEA analysis package well known for bridge engineering design.
As he grew his business in Australia, serving clients on Class 1 and Class 1a buildings, Sameer searched for a more straightforward beam and column design solution that complied with Australian standards.
"What I really liked about Calcs.com is its simplicity. It's simple and easy to use, and the output is also very, very clear. You can see all of the output results for enveloped bending moment, shear, and deflection."
Rapid preliminary design assessments for beams and columns
Sameer currently integrates Calcs.com into his overall toolkit for efficient engineering design.
"So there is a hierarchy of software that I use. I have Calcs.com for very quick and fast design to see whether something works or doesn't work. Then I got Robot Structural Analysis Professional, and Ansys Composite PrepPost for layered composite analysis."
Sameer's engineering design workflow usually begins when he receives a drawing plan. He initially reviews the provided architectural plans or preliminary drawings, focusing on crucial aspects such as spans, load widths, and overall design intent. Using Calcs.com, he inputs critical parameters to instantly calculate the performance of beams and columns under various loads.
"This works fantastic because to do this manually will take too long. And we want to have very, very quick results to see whether it works or doesn't work - especially when we're doing preliminary sizing or costing to give the suppliers to say, can this work or not? We just want a yes or no answer."
Clear calculation output and customizable structural reporting
Once Sameer finalizes his design, he uses Calcs.com's reporting feature to generate the structural computation reports.
"Calcs.com gives a choice of one-page or detailed reports, which I quite like. I can easily merge them into my main report."
This clarity is crucial when he compiles the computation report, a mandatory part of Victoria's Regulation 126 Certification process.
A single tool for multiple building codes and standards
Due to his work with SIPs suppliers and manufacturers worldwide, one key feature that Sameer values is the ability to select different design codes within Calcs.com, which enables him to adapt his work to local regulations seamlessly.
"So if I'm looking for LVL or glulam, it might come from Germany. If I'm looking for spruce-pine-fir (SPF), which comes from North America, I'll have to design according to the CSA 086, which is a Canadian code. I have to use Eurocode 5 if it's coming from Europe, and if I have to use anything local here like VicBeam, I'll use the Australian codes."
"One project will have three different codes depending on what materials are being used."
Conclusion
Sameer's use of Calcs.com has significantly streamlined his workflow. Calcs.com's user-friendly interface and ability to quickly assess designs against various international standards have made it an indispensable tool in his engineering toolkit.
For Sameer, a good day as an engineer means achieving specific milestones and successfully solving complex problems within his projects - and Calcs.com gives him the speed to do that without slowing down for manual calculations.
Make decisions you can defend at review time
Join thousands of engineers who produce calculations that reviewers can trace, trust, and sign off faster.