Streamlining Structural Engineering: VIKTOR for Building and Construction

What is VIKTOR?

VIKTOR is a cloud-based platform that enables users to automate engineering workflows, integrate processes, and optimize design techniques, like parametric and computational design, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. With VIKTOR, engineers and other domain experts can use Python to create their own applications to:

• Automate repetitive engineering tasks to free up time for engineers to focus on more complex problems.
• Integrate processes to improve collaboration between different stakeholders
• Optimize designs to create better solutions and make better and more informed decisions

VIKTOR for Building & Construction

In the buildings and construction industry, VIKTOR is used to streamline and optimize structural engineering processes, particularly in the areas of parametric design, BIM, and optimization algorithms.

Parametric design

With parametric design, engineers can create models that are automatically adjusted based on changes to specific parameters, such as height or width.

Building Information Modeling

BIM allows for the creation of digital models that capture information about a building's construction, operations, and maintenance, enabling teams to collaborate more effectively throughout the project lifecycle.

Optimization algorithms

Algorithms can be used to automate repetitive tasks, such as optimizing building energy use or calculating the optimal placement of building components.

Data interoperability

VIKTOR allows for data interoperability through the integration of multiple external software programs into one accessible and user-friendly interface that can be used by anyone to leverage the powers of parametric design, BIM, or optimization algorithms. This makes it possible for engineers and other domain experts to, amongst others, generate better designs in less time, be more flexible to change without any errors or delays, collaborate with stakeholders, and make better (design) decisions.

Case examples

Real-world applications of VIKTOR in the buildings sector include projects with companies like Arcadis, J.P. van Eesteren, and W/E adviseurs.

Arcadis: Next gen structural design engineering tools

Arcadis uses VIKTOR to automate and optimize structural engineering, particularly in the area of parametric design. With VIKTOR, Arcadis can quickly generate and analyze thousands of design options, allowing them to identify the most efficient and cost-effective solution for their clients. For example, Arcadis used VIKTOR to design a stadium roof that could withstand heavy snow loads while still being lightweight and cost-effective.

Read the full case here.

The Building Structural Design tool by Arcadis

J.P. van Eesteren: Generating the optimal residential tower

J.P. van Eesteren uses VIKTOR for the parametric design of residential towers. With VIKTOR, they can quickly generate and analyze many design options, allowing them to identify the most efficient and cost-effective solution for their clients. For example, they used VIKTOR to design the facade of a residential tower, allowing them to optimize the facade for both aesthetics and energy performance.

Read the full case here.

The High Rise Building Configurator

W/E adviseurs: Selecting optimal energy packages for housing stock

W/E adviseurs use VIKTOR to optimize energy packages for housing stock. With VIKTOR, W/E adviseurs can quickly analyze and optimize the energy performance of existing buildings, allowing them to identify the most effective energy-saving measures for their clients. For example, W/E adviseurs used VIKTOR to analyze and optimize the energy performance of an apartment complex, allowing them to reduce energy consumption by up to 50%.

Read the full case here.

More cases

VIKTOR is also used to support projects in the buildings sector in other ways, such as with VINCI, Voorbij Funderingstechniek, and Arcadis.

VINCI: yearly 300 engineering days saved on crane foundation calculations

VINCI used VIKTOR to create a tool that automates the calculation of crane foundation designs, resulting in substantial time savings. By utilizing VIKTOR, VINCI was able to reduce the time required for these calculations by 300 days annually, improving efficiency in their projects.

Read the full article here.

The Crane Foundation Design Calculation Tool

Voorbij Funderingstechniek: Optimal pile foundation designs save tons of CO2

Voorbij utilized VIKTOR to develop a tool for optimizing foundation designs, aiming to reduce CO2 emissions. This tool enabled Voorbij to automate the process of designing foundations, resulting in more sustainable solutions and significant reductions in CO2 emissions.

Read the full article here.

Infographic results Pile Foundation Application (after one project)

Arcadis: Automating and optimizing construction pit design

Arcadis uses VIKTOR to accelerate its digital transformation in the area of underwater concrete. With their construction pit tool, they can rapidly generate and analyze numerous design options, resulting in more efficient and cost-effective solutions for their clients.

Read the full article here.

Presentation of the optimization results via a parallel coordinates plot

Alternative representation of the optimization results via a contour plot

Software integrations

VIKTOR integrates with specific software used in the buildings sector, such as IDEA StatiCa, D-Foundations, SCIA, Revit, and Dynamo. Integrating these software programs with the VIKTOR interface allows engineers to use all capabilities of a (or multiple) software programs from any location, together with anyone they want, at any time, and in one central place, without needing to open the interface at all.

IDEA StatiCa Concrete

VIKTOR can be used to automatically generate IDEA StatiCa Concrete models with minimal Python code to perform all kinds of analyses, leading to better and cheaper solutions.

Reinforced cross-section from IDEA StatiCa in VIKTOR

D-Foundations (Deltares)

Integrating VIKTOR with D-Foundations enables you to automate the processing of pile foundations and run more analyses in a shorter time.

D-Foundation analayis in a VIKTOR app

SCIA Engineer

Through the SCIA API, engineers can automatically (re)calculate structural models within a VIKTOR app. Additionally, building blocks from the VIKTOR code library can be used to build (parametric) models that can be exported to XML and read in SCIA.

Visualization of SCIA result processing in a VIKTOR app

Revit & Dynamo

VIKTOR can also be used to automate Python scripts in Revit, improve data-driven decision-making with simplified interactive insights, and easily create accessible and sharable Dynamo scripts that can also be used for parametric design.

Dynamo dome in a VIKTOR app

Try it yourself!

VIKTOR also provides several publicly available applications that could be useful for the buildings sector. These include shadow calculator, which calculates the shadow cast by a building on a specific location and time, centrality analysis, which analyzes the importance of nodes in a network, beam analysis, which analyzes the structural integrity of beams, warehouse configurator, which optimizes warehouse layouts, and seismic analysis, which simulates seismic activity on buildings. These applications can be accessed and used through our Apps Gallery.

Some applications from the Apps Gallery

Start for free or book a demo!

Can't find what you're looking for in the Apps Gallery? You can explore all the possibilities of the VIKTOR platform, build, and deploy your own apps using our Free Version. If you prefer talking directly with our experts instead, you can also Book a Demo and we will schedule an introduction meeting with you as soon as possible.