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<p>if you can, please explain for what you use the software exactly ex: (ETABS for columns ... )</p>
I use Technosoft Concrete, I does the mechanic calcultions and afterwards the excentricity calculations, complete with the stiffness of the concrete /rebar matrix.
For heigher buildings I used Robobat, a calculations program, bought by Autodesk. You can do your layout based on CAD principles, and do the calculations of strength and rebar with the program.
As a structural engineer I like to cut up the building in small parts and make the calculations of the total weight and wall and column loads in excel. The stability is perfect to do with a program, but always has to be checked by hand, if the result is what you should expect
You can use any software package it totaly depends on your purpose/ type of structure/ your approach for type of analysis or design.
you can use
1. SAP for complex structures like water tanks, shells etc. for advance seismic analysis and design.
2. ETABS / STAAD Pro for mainly High Rise Buildings.
3. STAAD Pro for industrial low rise buildings like STEEL Structures / PEB.
4. SAFE for Foundation analysis & design.
STAAD Pro & ETABS are used for structural designing of Reinforced Concrete Buildings.
I usually use Robot structural analysis or SAP2000 but you can also use STAAD or Etabs you just chose the appropriate software for you and your project.
STAAD Pro V8i Select5, SAP2000 V17.0, ETABS2013 and for foundation design SAFE V12.0, and STAAD Foundation can be used.
But, for buildings ETABS gives more realistic results anyhow STAAD can also be relied upon.
i use STAAD for skid foundations and columns , Prokon for footings
