About projects of ET-Global
Operating exclusively within the mining sector, this company provides structural engineering design services for mining houses and engineering contractors responsible for delivering infrastructure and expansion projects. Their work spans the complete structural system, from reinforced concrete foundations through to steel superstructures, including the design and verification of structural connections.
Engineering Challenges
As projects became increasingly complex, the company found that traditional hand calculations were becoming impractical for verifying these connections. Manual calculations were not only time-consuming but also difficult to review consistently, as different engineers might apply different assumptions during the checking process. This made design verification less efficient and increased the effort required to demonstrate engineering due diligence.
The biggest challenge wasn't simply the calculations – it was ensuring everyone reviewing the design reached the same level of confidence.
Justin Williams
Operation Manager – ET-Global
South Africa
The team also wanted to avoid replacing its existing structural analysis workflow. Having already standardized on Strand7 for global analysis, the objective was to find a specialist connection design solution that could accurately validate complex behavior while integrating with established engineering processes.
Most importantly, they needed greater confidence that heavily loaded connections would perform as intended, particularly on high-risk mining infrastructure where safety and reliability always take precedence.
We wanted to get software that could back up our hand calculations and that we could have 100% faith in.
Justin Williams
Operation Manager – ET-Global
South Africa
Solution
ET-Global chose IDEA StatiCa for its flexibility and cost-effectiveness, as all the other solutions required adopting a full FEA and design suite, which would have meant overhauling their existing workflow. Rather than replacing already used software, IDEA StatiCa Connection complements it.
Micrographics, the local reseller of IDEA StatiCa in South Africa, has provided Essential training to start using the software, followed by Advanced training to maximize the value during the connection design. On top of that, the support engineers at Micrographics consulted on the design of tough details and, overall, provided top-notch support.
Thanks to this outstanding support, IDEA StatiCa Connection quickly became the cornerstone of the workflow. ET-Global engineers typically begin with standard connection templates before adapting them to suit project-specific loading conditions. By applying calculated reactions directly to connection models, the team can efficiently analyze demanding structural details using advanced stress-strain analysis together with local buckling assessment, two capabilities that are particularly valuable during the design process.
Being able to see how the connection actually behaves gives us far greater confidence than relying solely on manual code checks.
Justin Williams
Operation Manager – ET-Global
South Africa
Instead of relying solely on manual code calculations, engineers can visualize how individual connection components behave under load, providing a far greater understanding of structural performance and improving confidence in final design decisions.
An example of the workflow of the mentioned project can be seen in the following webinar:
Conclusions
IDEA StatiCa Connection has become an important part of ET-Global's engineering workflow.
The company estimates that complex connection designs are now completed in around half the time previously required using manual methods, allowing engineers to spend more time on additional project work while maintaining rigorous design verification.
For heavily loaded structures, the real value isn't just saving time – it's knowing the design has been thoroughly validated.
Justin Williams
Operation Manager – ET-Global
South Africa
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