A.Engineer, a new agentic AI platform designed to help civil and structural engineers automate calculations and reporting, has launched in Europe.

Developed by Tyréns NEXT, the innovation arm of engineering consultancy Tyréns Group, A.Engineer combines engineering data, calculation tools, and report generation into a single “intelligent workspace”.

The platform is designed to simplify workflows, allowing engineers to spend less time on manual tasks and more time on creative design, instructions, and quality assurance.

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According to the developers, A.Engineer is built the principle that engineering is empowered by AI yet always verified by a professional user.

The platform provides a full audit trail for every step the AI takes. Engineers can see all data inputs, outputs, underlying code, and the reasoning behind each decision. There are no outputs without verification.

A.Engineer includes an Agentic Calculation Tool Builder, where engineers can upload their own data, Excel tools, or connect to legacy systems, and the system then generates the necessary calculation tools — including both the code and the user interface — “in minutes”.

Meanwhile, an Agentic Report Builder connects data and verified calculations to “automatically build” professional reports with tables, graphs, summaries, and visualisations.

The platform can integrate (via MCP connection) with established engineering tools such as Revit, Sparkel, ETABS, SAP2000, and Strusoft.

According to Richard Parker, senior structural engineer at AKT II and product lead for A.Engineer, early users are already seeing major efficiency gains, “Our research shows that 40–80% of engineering work is still manual,” he said. “With A.Engineer, we can automate over half of those manual tasks. A calculation report that might have taken half a day can now be done in under an hour. Engineers working side by side with A.Engineer deliver world‑class results in record time.”

Europe, the home market of the Tyréns Group, will be the first region to gain access to A.Engineer. A global rollout of A.Engineer is scheduled for Q1/2026.

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Scia has released Scia Engineer 2026, a major update to its multi-material structural analysis and design software.

Headline enhancements include better tools for designing structures subject to mobile loads, full compliance with the upcoming 2^nd generation of Eurocodes, and automated wind load generation in compliance with the latest US design code ASCE 7-22.

Other new features include “accurate and economical” design of structures subjected to significant torsion and new tools to help eliminate vibrations due to human activity.

For moving load systems, such as traffic on bridges, cranes in industrial facilities, or crowds walking across slabs, Scia promises significant time savings for simulation by making it “easy and straightforward” to handle the large number of load combinations. The software automatically identifies the worst-case load positions before running calculations, eliminating the need to process negligible or non-critical load cases.

For buildings with large open areas, footbridges or lightweight floors, the new foot-fall (vibration) analysis capability allows engineers to model human-activity induced dynamic responses, helping to eliminate vibration issues and avoid costly modifications after construction.

For elements subjected to high torsion or thin-walled/open-section beams, the “Beam FE accounting for warping (7th degree of freedom)” feature is said to ensure deeper, more accurate analysis, avoiding the limitations of standard beam finite elements.

Additionally, modelling of external (unbonded) tendons for beams, slabs, walls and plates has been enhanced: users can define tendon paths manually or import them and perform staged analysis to simulate installation, tensioning and grouting processes.

Finally, on the interoperability front, SCIA Engineer 2026 integrates with the broader Bimplus model-based data and information management collaboration platform to help support model-based data sharing across disciplines and project phases from design through build and operation.

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Allplan’s new 2026 product lineup — developed for architects, engineers, detailers, fabricators, and construction professionals — puts a strong emphasis on automation, collaboration, and sustainability.

To expand its sustainable design capabilities, the new release features an integration with Preoptima Concept, a third party tool for whole-life carbon assessments (WLCAs)

This workflow enables architects and engineers to export conceptual mass models directly from Allplan for early-stage carbon assessment, well before a detailed BIM model is required. In addition to embodied carbon, users can assess operational and whole-life carbon, compare multiple design variants, and make more informed design decisions

With the introduction of GeoPackage DataExchange, urban planners and designers can now integrate GIS data across all EU countries and beyond. According to Allplan, providing access to accurate site context supports better decisions on zoning, infrastructure, and environmental impact.

A new AI Assistant, available through the Connect platform, aims to improve planning efficiency and decision making by providing guidance on Allplan workflows, AEC standards, and best practices, while offering smart suggestions for tasks ranging from construction standards to coding support.

There is also a new free tool, the Allplan Model Viewer, which makes browser-based IFC visualization available to all project stakeholders.

XRef Manager delivers a unified overview and simplifies data management. Cloud Reference, a new IFC XRef type, allows direct insertion of IFC files into Allplan via BIMPLUS, enhancing information sharing within a common data environment.

Allplan 2026 also offers support for IDS-based attribute import, helping ensure BIM models include all the necessary data for compliance, together with enhanced IFC4 import capabilities for smoother data exchange. New interfaces in BIMPLUS for collaboration include IFC 4.3 import and extended export capabilities for GLB format for better visualisation.
Elsewhere, an extension to the Allplan Bluebeam connection enables users to more easily bring documents from the Bluebeam Studio Project environment into their Allplan workflows.

For architects, new tools make it easier to design freeform staircases, while new multilayer support for slabs simplifies the modelling of complex assemblies such as foundations and terrain layers.

BIM-compliant room and finish detailing have been improved with multilayered finishes, rule-based distribution, advanced filtering, and flexible layer management. With custom component priority-based connections, designers can now model complex shapes more accurately while automated interactions reduce manual effort and minimise errors. According to Allplan, these features simplify the creation of precise 2D and 3D representations, reduce errors, and accelerate updates — delivering consistent, detailed results from early design through to sustainable, ready-to-build execution

For infrastructure design, Allplan 2026 introduces a new parametric tunnel modelling approach which integrates alignment, cross-section definitions, and construction methodology, to provide engineers and detailers with ‘precise and efficient’ modelling capabilities, while ‘significantly improving performance’.

There’s also advanced 3D layer management for complex civil projects, and a newly unified Digital Terrain Modeler that is said to enable accurate and detailed terrain workflows. Elsewhere, parametric road intersection modelling has been expanded to enable more realistic intersection models, with reduced manual rework.

For structural analysis and design, it’s now easier to import Structural Analysis Format (SAF) files thanks to a direct import into BIMPLUS, which ‘instantly generate’ a 3D analytical model for visualisation and interrogation. Users can also now ‘seamlessly transfer’ their 3D models to the BIM-Connector making it easier to work across Allplan solutions.

A new mobile loads functionality enables engineers to ‘quickly and automatically’ identify and analyse scenarios, whilst new footfall analysis supports evaluation of how structures respond to human-induced vibrations. Finally, newly amalgamated modules for component-based analysis and design include an expanded unified foundations module.

Structural reinforcement detailing has also be improved with enhanced automation of column reinforcement design. According to the developers, this makes it easier, faster, and more reliable to transfer reinforcement layouts from analysis and design.
Automated wall reinforcement workflows are also enhanced through single-click horizontal or vertical reinforcement priorities and toggling reinforcement types on or off.

Precision for complex circular and spiral structures has been enhanced through updated circular reinforcement capabilities and a new reinforcement to field workflow. Detailers and rebar fabricators can now place reinforcement directly in isometric views, benefit from improved attribute management, and effectively handle reinforcement collisions in a fully digital drawing-less process.

For prefabrication and construction, by uniting design and fabrication in a common workflow, Allplan 2026 enables precast fabricators to benefit from what is describes as consistent outputs with reduced manual work and errors. Rule-based dimensioning automates the generation of production-ready drawings, ensuring every precast element receives the exact dimensions required according to customizable rules and standards. New automated dimensioning for local views enables accurate representation, precision, and consistency despite modifications, whilst customizable quantity takeoff enables users to export Bills of Materials with the data needed for ERP systems or clients.

For steel detailers and fabricators, Allplan’s dedicated structural steel solution for 2026 includes new functionality for creating custom profiles, enabling users to handle specialty detailing and added intelligence for custom connections through constructability checks. Design and detailing possibilities are expanded with support for new material types.

Finally, some significant groundworks improvements in Allplan 2026 are designed to simplify complex construction model management, reduce errors, speed up project delivery, and ensure reliable data handover to construction teams.

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Graitec has released PowerPack for Advance Steel – Release 2026, the latest version of the plug-in designed to enhance and extend the capabilities of Autodesk Advance Steel, the 3D software for steel model design and fabrication.

The 2026 release of the plug-in features a host of new capabilities, including enhancements for railings, cage ladders, balanced stairs, and the new Turnbuckle macro, all of which are designed to simplify intricate designs and align more closely with the needs of real-world construction.

For railing design, to help ensure precise alignment, faster installation, and reduced manual effort, new features include baseplates for concrete stairs, vertical offset options for welded connections, and post-side web connections.

For construction-ready balanced stair designs that ‘improve modelling precision and efficiency’ engineers can now split stair stringers with weld definitions and utilize rectangular and square hollow sections.

For ‘safer and regulation-compliant’ cage ladder design a new macro supports flared entry hoops, adaptive straps, and flexible left- or right-side exits.

Meanwhile, for Turnbuckle Bracing, a new macro allows connections with or without tensioners and supports gusset or direct bolt methods. According to Graitec, with integration for custom or supplier-specific parts via the enhanced Special Part Manager, users can save time and improve design accuracy.

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Foundamental, a Berlin-based VC firm with a focus on AEC technology investments, has led a €2.3 million pre-seed round in engineering calculation platform CalcTree.

CalcTree helps engineers turn complex calculations into trusted, reusable templates and workflows — reducing the risk of costly errors on large-scale engineering projects, where manual, time-consuming methods often lead to mistakes and expensive rework.

The software helps teams consolidate tooling and data, which is traditionally scattered across niche software packages, Excel, code, PDFs and handwritten documents.

“Investing in CalcTree is part of our strategy to nurture the development of a modern tech stack for the industry,” said Shubhankar Bhattacharya, General Partner at Foundamental. “We’re excited about the strategic overlap amongst our portfolio and the compounding benefits for end users through integrations amongst them.

“Online collaboration tools are now a necessity, yet engineering workflows are being held back by antiquated systems that create inefficiencies and rework. CalcTree’s platform revolutionizes the workflows of engineering calculations, enabling collaboration between cross-functional teams and democratizing access to knowledge for AEC professionals across the globe.”

CalcTree is described as “Github meets Notion” for the engineering sector and is the brainchild of co-founders Onur Ekinci, Tim Rawling and Mahan Lamei, ex-Archistar, Arup and Plaxis (pictured above). The company has signups from 35 European countries and engineers from top-tier firms like Arup, Jacobs, Aurecon, and WSP.

CalcTree will join Foundamental’s broad portfolio of investments, which includes Speckle, Snaptrude and Rayon.

Other investors in CalcTree include Australia’s peak non-government, not-for-profit standards organisation Kungari, a subsidiary of Standards Australia, Boston-based fund Suffolk Technologies, Antler VC, Autodesk & Bentley employees.

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hsbcad has launched hsbDesign 27 for Revit, the latest release of the Revit-native software for offsite timber construction which can export fabrication data to a range of CNC machines including Hundegger, Weinmann, and Randek.

The new version includes several new features, such as integration with Autodesk Dynamo, reduced file size, multilingual support, enhanced project information output, and the ability to create custom item container labels.

Integration with Autodesk Dynamo, the visual programming add-in for Revit, is designed to help automate repetitive manual tasks and reduce potential errors.

Features include importing framing styles, overriding details, assigning elements to item containers, generation of item containers, and exporting.

hsbDesign 27 for Revit ‘significantly reduces’ the file size of projects without sacrificing detail, with numerous connections and edge detail families. There is now only one connection and one edge detail family, which can be easily customised or overridden.

‍The detail editor in hsbDesign 27 now features multilingual support for English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish, catering to a global user base.

Project information is now automatically incorporated into various exports using the default parameters, to help ensure ‘consistent and detailed’ documentation across outputs.

An enhanced formatting engine makes it possible for users to customise the labels displayed on item containers, to help ensure that essential information is immediately visible. For example, it can be customised to show the framing style alongside the item container number.

Elsewhere, users can now enhance architectural ceiling designs with a new framing style editor, manually recalculate blocking without regenerating the item container, and execute extensions on framed or manually adjusted item containers within the model.

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Renowned for both its distinctive architectural design and the exceptional dedication to supporting individuals with cancer, the newest Maggie’s cancer support centre is situated in the grounds of the Royal Free Hospital in London. Showcasing a custom raking curved facade, inclined walls, distinctive timber cladding, and a secluded rooftop garden and pavilion, this diminutive yet architecturally bold structure designed by New York based Studio Libeskind set the engineers and client team a considerable challenge.

William Hare, the structural steel engineering group, was appointed by construction manager and principal contractor Sir Robert McAlpine Special Projects on behalf of Maggie’s to deliver the project’s structural steelwork

Speaking about the project, Ivo Garcia, Innovation & BIM Manager at William Hare said: “This project was different right from the outset, not just in terms of its charitable nature but also the structure’s volume, its striking shape and the incredibly collaborative environment curated amongst stakeholders.

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“The interesting geometry and shape of the structure, featuring a series of curved conical volumes, was a direct result of the site’s small footprint and challenging constraints, which included neighbouring retaining walls. In order to deliver the desired square footage, the decision was made to design a sloped façade, enabling the building to expand as it rises.

“These same site constraints also posed a challenge to us in terms of site delivery and installation. With some of the structural columns leaning up to 45 degrees, the standard approach would have involved the use of temporary steelwork to support the columns. However, external propping wasn’t possible due to the aforementioned site boundaries, while propping internally wouldn’t have allowed enough space for machinery and access. Despite only being a two-storey structure, the temporary forces would have been akin to an eight-storey building as a result of the geometry, requiring a considerable amount of temporary steelwork.”

From design to installation

In order to work around this, William Hare had to plan and detail an incredibly prescriptive method of install, which drove the project from start to finish.

The structural model was initially created in SAP2000 alongside Tekla Structures, before being pushed into cloud-based collaboration platform Trimble Connect, where the 40-step install sequence was animated to show how it would be fitted, piece by piece.

“This was hugely valuable,” says Garcia. “Effectively, anyone can use Trimble Connect, whether to consult a model or add data to objects in Tekla Structures. You don’t have to be a Tekla user to benefit from it, which made the most difference – it truly helps to break down barriers between departments.

“The cloud-based platform enabled us to overcome the logistical challenges and clearly demonstrate and communicate our proposed strategy, all of which contributed to a smooth construction sequence, loading strategy and on-site erection. For example, we could easily break down the lorry load numbers and detail the individual component install sequence within each load, all colour-coded and clearly visible. Using Trimble Connect, we were able to make this same information readily available to engineers, detailers and the onsite team. It provided a great means of successfully managing the project, adding intelligence to the model and offering an enhanced method of communication.”

From BIM model to field

Pushing the capabilities of Trimble Connect further, William Hare also made use of Trimble Connect AR and Trimble Field Link to drive data from the model out into the field.

“The challenging structural geometry and complex installation sequence really demanded this digital workflow,” explains Garcia. “Adopting the streamlined approach offered by Trimble Field Link just makes sense, especially if you are already using other Tekla software solutions – it’s the same ecosystem, with the same data flowing seamlessly from office to field. Having the model data readily available, whether you’re in the office or out on site was invaluable.

“Ordinarily, there is the potential for time to be wasted when problems are found or doubts arise, with people having to travel from site to office or spend time on the phone with a member of the detailing or engineering team. When all the information is locked within a system and a skillset that not everyone has access to, it can bring inefficiencies. If we can make curated data readily available to the site team this can all be avoided, providing teams with the context, the data and the means to action it.

“We had around 25 Trimble Connect users on the project. Outside of William Hare’s project and engineering teams, client representatives and their designers and architects, erection subcontractors and our production planning team all had access to the project in Trimble Connect. It really was at the centre of it all.

“While communication with other stakeholders on this project was primarily in 3D, with the preferred file format being IFC, this is sadly still not the norm. Here, the complex geometry made it essential and was possible due to the enhanced collaboration fostered within the delivery team.

“Using 3D continues to have its complications and barriers – while it can be used extensively for engineering, it is still often followed by drawings, with these drawings being what ‘rule’. Confidence is needed on an industry-level that 3D is the best tool for communicating information on every level, from contractors to clients to developers. We need to embrace it and find the necessary framework to deliver it.”

Maggie’s at the Royal Free Hospital was officially opened in January 2024, with William Hare’s work on the project recognised in the 2024 UK Tekla Awards, winning the ‘Public Project’ category.

Garcia concluded: “The Maggie’s cancer support centre project was a special one for William Hare as it was charitable in nature; having the opportunity to contribute so strongly to the support of anyone with cancer or their families has been described as ‘an invaluable opportunity’ for the team involved.”

Main image: Studio Libeskind rendering

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Scia Engineer 24, the latest release of the structural analysis software from Scia, part of the Nemetschek Group, has launched with a brand-new multi-core solver.

The software is also now available as one complete version, eliminating the need for users to navigate between different configurations.

In addition to delivering faster calculation times, the new solver allows for more control over the calculation process, allowing users to monitor ongoing tasks, review results, and interrupt processes as needed.

Scia Engineer 24 also expands its analysis capabilities, containing a wider range of use cases and ‘eliminating the need’ for time-consuming workarounds. This includes the ability to conduct construction stages analysis with more options available, handle 1D and 2D members in concrete non-linear analysis simultaneously, and the simulation of orthotropic slabs for long-term deflection calculations.

Other features include improved license management, an enhanced user interface, input and modelling, code-design (steel, aluminium, concrete), export, and more.

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Trimble has introduced the 2024 versions of its Tekla software for constructible BIM, structural engineering, and steel fabrication management.

Tekla Structures 2024, Tekla Structural Designer 2024, Tekla Tedds 2024 and Tekla PowerFab 2024 boast an enhanced user experience and better collaboration through connected workflows, among other new features

The 2024 version of Tekla Structures provides an enhanced user experience and ‘more intuitive’ modelling for engineers and detailers. Automated fabrication drawing cloning improvements are said to deliver significant benefits for steel and precast cast unit drawings creation.

The software also offers ‘enhanced interoperability’ between Trimble software, hardware and other third-party solutions. With support for open standards such as BCF (BIM Collaboration Format), users can communicate model-based issues among project collaborators. buildingSMART properties are also supported by improved and extended IFC property sets.

Tekla Structures 2024 also comes with a new Named User License that includes Trimble Connect Business Premium and Tekla Model Sharing. Trimble Connect Business Premium includes improved collaborative workflow capabilities, such as model-based status sharing.

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Structural design and analysis software Tekla Structural Designer 2024 has been enhanced with ‘Staged Construction Analysis’, which takes into account that there is a sequence in construction and loading. This ‘fully automated’ process can be applied to the design of both concrete and steel structures. Structural engineers can now also use reference models from other disciplines such as architecture or MEP to check compatibility with their structural model.

The latest version of Tekla Tedds for structural engineering calculations builds upon the integration of structural design information and documentation with Tekla Structures to improve collaborative design-to-detailing. Tekla Tedds 2024 offers updated libraries of predefined structural calculations and custom calculation capabilities for what is described as ‘faster, more reliable’ structural element design, also in multi-material designs. The software now also offers steel angle design for European and US codes, retaining basement wall analysis and design for European and US codes, and masonry design for US codes.

The 2023i version of the Tekla PowerFab steel fabrication management software introduced visual change management and estimate job costing. Tekla PowerFab 2024 now introduces enhanced project management tools for organising and keeping track of subcontracts, change order breakdown and integration with BCF Topics using Trimble Connect. BCF Topics allows for companies using different software to collaborate, with the ability for project managers to do multi-project follow-up and reporting of Topics. To further improve the office-to-shop communication and transparency, the software introduces a new cut list prioritisation.

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UK structural and civil engineering consultancy Perega has launched a CO2 accounting tool – The Carbon Calculator – to help its clients assess the whole carbon footprint of their projects, from inception to completion, and make greener material choices for a more sustainable built environment.

The Carbon Calculator has been developed by the firm’s dedicated, in-house Net Zero Carbon Group and uses a ‘sophisticated algorithmic framework’, analysing material emissions data to achieve lower-carbon outcomes.

The calculator ‘seamlessly integrates’ with Revit models, offering what Perega describes as a comprehensive carbon impact assessment.

The software offers real-time comparison between different schemes, to identify lower carbon options, identifies high embodied carbon elements, and highlights potential changes for improvement.

Through a ‘user-friendly’ dashboard it presents ‘concise and informative’ carbon impact assessments based on specified material types and volumes.

“With the built environment responsible for 40% of global emissions, the imperative for lower-emission practices has shifted from optional to essential,” says James Washbourne, digital engineering lead, Perega. “Our Carbon Calculator makes another step towards achieving more sustainable projects. Moving away from manually crunching static spreadsheets to a predominantly automated process means better pinpointing of carbon hotspots and empowering our clients to make correct material substitutions during the design phase, without compromising on quality.

“Ensuring user-friendliness was crucial, our clients are incredibly busy and need to be able to read and understand the data quickly to make informed decisions. As such, we developed the calculator to deliver clear and simple comparisons for effective decision-making”.

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