Thanks

Have you selected a package yet? What is your criteria?

We are also concerned about the accuracy of using 3D FEM for general design. We have only used 3D FEM in the past for special cases and verified our results using more simple tools along with engineering judgement. What is your past experience with 3D FEM? Please contact me directly: dserink@umagroup.com

I have and because of company policy, using SAP2000 on a steel girder bridge. I don't like the input output or anything about it for use in bridges. It would and has been good for building type structures epecially in high seismic zones. Use on bridges, especially girder bridges, is very bad.

General 3d finite element, use STAAD or Georgia Tech STRUDL. LARSA has a good bridge program that will do everything, but it is expensive.Both STAAD & STRUDL can do bridges easier that SAP.

As a general purpose FE software, it doesn't get any better than ANSYS (www.ansys.com). And if you want to use this general tool for bridge engineering there is ANSYS/CivilFEM (www.civilfem.com).

ANSYS/CivilFEM is a major customization of ANSYS for a wide range of civil engineering projects (such as bridges, tunnels, singular buildings, offshore structures, etc). The two programs are completely integrated and ANSYS/CivilFEM supports all the analysis types supported by ANSYS (dynamic, static, linear and non-linear) running as a single unified software.

ANSYS/CivilFEM has a modular design composed of a general product called ANSYS/CivilFEM INTRO (which contains the general capabilities) and of Specialized Modules for more advanced and specific civil engineering needs. The Bridges and Civil Nonlinearities module, the Advanced Prestressed Concrete module and the Geotechnical module can be optionally added to ANSYS/CivilFEM INTRO.

If you need more information just send me an email.

Janos