Do you know that IDEA StatiCa can also be used for design of Temporary Structures?

For experienced engineers, the majority of construction-related structural incidents do not occur in completed structures but during these temporary stages. The root cause is frequently not the main structural member, but the connections that transfer forces between components. When these connections are underestimated or simplified excessively, the safety of the entire system can be compromised.

This is why the design of connections for temporary structures deserves the same engineering rigor as permanent works. This raises an important question whether we are using the right tool to design and verify these temporary connections safely and efficiently.

Temporary Structures Where Connection Design Is Critical

Temporary structures play a crucial role in supporting construction activities until the permanent structure becomes stable. Unlike permanent structures, these systems are exposed to changing loads, shifting boundary conditions, and tight construction schedules.

Many of these systems rely heavily on connection performance to maintain structural integrity.

Why Engineers Sometimes Struggle with Temporary Connection Design

Despite the importance of temporary structures, engineers often face several difficulties when designing their connections.

First, temporary connections are rarely standard. Each project may involve unique geometries, unconventional load paths, and site constraints that could be difficult to address using simplified formulas.

Second, many temporary systems due to its nature and geometry may involve complex loadings that could be difficult to evaluate using spreadsheets or hand calculations.

Third, temporary works are most of the time designed under tight construction schedules, leaving limited time for detailed verification.

As a result, engineers may rely on conservative assumptions or simplified approaches that may not fully capture the real behavior of the system.

How IDEA StatiCa Can Help in Designing Temporary Structure Connections

This is where IDEA StatiCa can provide significant value.

Although widely known for designing connections in permanent steel structures, IDEA StatiCa is equally powerful when applied to temporary structure connections. The software allows engineers to model complex connections and evaluate their behavior using Component Based Finite Element Method (CBFEM).

Using IDEA StatiCa, engineers can:

• Visualize real stress flow within bolts, welds, and plates
• Identify overstressed regions that may not be visible in simplified calculations
• Verify unconventional temporary connections quickly and accurately
• Understand how connection stiffness affects overall structural behavior
• Generate clear calculation reports for project documentation and checking

This capability is particularly useful for temporary works where connection geometry and loading conditions are often non-standard. Instead of spending hours developing conservative spreadsheet calculations, engineers can analyze and optimize connections more efficiently while improving design confidence.

Below are just few examples of the many types of temporary structures that can be designed using IDEA StatiCa

1. Console Bracket Supporting the Framework for the Concreting of Hammer Head Girders

Console brackets used during hammerhead girder construction act as cantilever supports attached to the pier structure. These brackets must carry significant loads from fresh concrete, reinforcement, and formwork equipment while transferring forces back to the pier through a relatively compact connection region. Designing these connections can be challenging because anchor plates, bolts, and welds must resist combined bending, shear, and tension forces, often under eccentric loading conditions and installation tolerances.

2. Lifting Frames and Lifting Lugs

Lifting frames and lifting lugs are essential during installation of heavy structural components. While these elements may appear simple, the forces introduced during lifting operations can be complex and highly localized. Load angles from rigging systems create combinations of tension, shear, and bending stresses at the connection points, while dynamic effects during lifting can amplify these stresses further. Ensuring that these connections are properly designed is critical to maintaining safe lifting operations on site.

3. Tunnel Formwork System

Tunnel formwork systems are widely used in construction for repetitive pouring of concrete. These systems rely on interconnected steel frames and braces to resist fresh concrete pressure and construction loads. The connections between these components experience changing load paths during pouring, stripping, and relocation of the formwork. Most of the time, the connections require the use of adapters to adapt to the shape of the structure as well as the concrete mold. Designing these connections can be time-consuming using conventional methods, particularly when engineers must verify multiple configurations under tight construction schedules. You can design this with ease using the IDEA StatiCa Connection application.

3. Earth Retaining Structures (TERS / ERSS Strutting System)

Strutting systems used in earth retaining structures are among the most critical temporary systems in deep excavation projects. These systems typically consist of large steel struts connected to walers that distribute loads along the retaining wall. The forces involved can be extremely high, and connection regions must safely transfer large compression forces while accommodating installation tolerances and wall movements. Even small connection flexibility can influence the buckling behavior of the strut system and the overall stability of the excavation. Here you can use both the Connection application to design the joint connection and the Member application to verify the stability of strutting system.

4. Thrust Block for Earth Retaining Structures (TERS / ERSS Strutting System)

When the span of strutting systems in earth retaining structures is too wide, it is not efficient and economical to use longer strutting system as it requires a massive steel cross-section in order to get it verified against buckling. Engineers often make use of the thrust block to transfer huge magnitude of force into the base or to the foundation. This is where IDEA StatiCa Detail 3D comes in. You can design the anchoring of the strutting system into the thrust block while taking into account the reinforcement of the concrete for an optimized design.

If you missed the webinar on the design of connections for temporary structures, you could watch the recording below.

Conclusion

Temporary structures may exist for only a short period during construction, but the loads they carry and the risks they present are very real. Their stability often depends on the performance of their connections, which must safely transfer forces under challenging and evolving conditions.

While many engineers associate IDEA StatiCa with permanent structures, it is equally capable of assisting in the design of temporary structures. By leveraging its advanced analysis capabilities, engineers can gain a better understanding of connection behavior, improve safety during construction, and reduce the time required for design verification.

In practice, expanding the use of IDEA StatiCa beyond permanent structures to include temporary works can provide engineers with a powerful tool to address some of the most challenging connection problems encountered during construction.