QuickQnect® Release Notes: July 2021

This month has been spent mostly on finalizing CISC and delivering customer requests.  The full list is below of what we did but this is a good customer facing summary.

 

• Duplicates: Review and fix issues.  
• When running Qnect, we first check to see if the joint was already designed in the same model with the same preferences to ensure we keep the number of unique connections to a minimum.  We enhanced the system to capture a bunch of corner cases that were.missed previously.
• Update weld clearance from thin doublers and angles. - 
• When we have fillet welds around thin beam web doublers and angles, we should not subtract 1/16 (2 mm) from edge of doubler/angle to weld.
• Imperial: angles/plates < 0.25", clear = 0, else clear = 1/16
• Metric: angles/plates = 5mm or 6 mm, clear = 0, else clear = 2mm
• web-preferences: difficult to change bolt standard for bolt diameter due to different prefs on different pages
• Connection Cost Calculations - Throughout the system, we have now enhanced our optimization techniques to include all costs associated with a connection when deciding which connection is most efficient.  We take into account copes, cuts, holes, welds (including num of passes), clips, HSS slot (for VB), ...
• Desktop: add new Qnect UDA preference  - We added a new UDA field to the Qnect tab.  At beam to column web single plate connections, where stabilizer plates (stiffeners) are not used, if the beam does not have concrete topping, an extended shear plate will require a torsional check that could increase the plate thickness.  To ensure this doesn't happen when not required, please go into the UDA, into the Qnect tab, and activate as "Yes" the note that says "Does beam have a concrete topping".