Direct comparison · Structural engineering software

FrameAI vs Tekla Structural Designer —
Autonomous AI vs Desktop Solver

Tekla Structural Designer is a serious tool. FrameAI automates the work around it.

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£10,000+
Annual savings per engineer
£3,500–4,500
TSD per seat/yr (est.)
$18
FrameAI entry/mo

Code coverage — EN, BS, AISC, IS, AS/NZS, GB, AIJ

Feature FrameAI Tekla Structural Designer
EN 1993-1-1 member buckling Section class, interaction formula, slenderness ✓ Yes — autonomous ✓ Yes — built-in solver
EN 1993-1-8 bolted/welded connections End-plate, base plate, beam splice ✓ Yes — autonomous + DSTV NC1 ✓ Yes — built-in
EN 1992-1-1 RC beam/column Bending, shear, crack width, min reinforcement ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
EN 1997-1 geotechnical Pad/strip/pile bearing capacity, α/β-method ✓ Yes — Calculator #32 ✗ No — requires third-party geotech software
EN 1998-1 seismic q-factors, response spectra, DCM/DCH ✓ Yes ✓ Yes
BS EN 1993 (UK National Annex) Full UK NA coverage ✗ Not yet ✓ Full UK NA suite
NO/FI/SE National Annexes Nordic steel codes ✗ Not yet ✓ Full Nordic coverage
IS 800 (India) Indian steel design standard ✓ Yes ✗ No
IS 2911 pile capacity EN 1997-1 + GB 50007 + IS 2911 §6.5 ✓ Yes — Calculator #32 ✗ No
GB 50017 (China) Chinese steel design standard ✓ Yes ✗ No
AIJ (Japan) Japanese architectural standard ✓ Yes ✗ No
AS/NZS 4600 (Australia/NZ) Cold-formed steel structures ✓ Yes ✗ No
AISC 360-22 (US) LRFD/ASD, W/M/H/HP series ✓ Yes — 32 free calculators ✗ No — EN/British market focus
Cloud-native Browser-native, any OS, any device ✓ Yes — browser-native ✗ Windows desktop only
Autonomous PDF→calculations GPT-4o extracts members from PDF drawings ✓ Yes — GPT-4o vision ✗ Manual model input required
Overnight batch runs Autonomous recalculation while you sleep ✓ Yes — built-in night shift engine ⚠ API scripting required
API / headless REST API for CI/CD and automation pipelines ✓ Yes — Studio API ⚠ Requires VIKTOR + Windows server
DSTV NC1 export (7th edition) Fabrication-ready NC1 per part mark ✓ Yes — hardened exporter, 12 validation checks ✗ No — requires separate post-processor
IFC 4 export Solver-ready IFC 4.0 ✓ Yes — first-class IFC 4.0 export ⚠ IFC reference geometry only (not solver model)
Revit integration Bi-directional BIM link ✗ No ✓ Trimble/Revit live link
32 free public calculators EN 1993/1992/1997/1998/1991/1995 + AISC + IS ✓ Yes — no login required ✗ No — structural analysis is a paid module
Electrical fault-level calculation IEC 60909-0:2016 short-circuit I"k, ip, Ith ✓ Yes — IEC 60909 calculator (free, no login) ✗ No — structural analysis focus; no electrical discipline

Workflow — engineer-driven vs autonomous

Tekla Structural Designer

Engineer-driven workflow. Model creation and calculation by a skilled structural engineer.

1
Create or open structural model
Build the full 3D model — beams, columns, loads, load combinations. 1–5 days for a typical project.
↓
2
Define load combinations
EN 1990 load combinations auto-generated. Engineer reviews and adjusts per project requirements.
↓
3
Run analysis and design
Run the solver. Review utilization ratios. Adjust sections. Iterate. 1–3 days of skilled engineer time.
↓
4
Export outputs
DXF/DSTV export via Tedds or post-processor. Separate documentation step. Additional cost for export licenses.
Total engineer time
3–10 days per project

FrameAI

Autonomous workflow. Drop your drawings, get fabrication files and calculations overnight.

1
Upload PDF or IFC
Drag-and-drop a structural PDF drawing set (or IFC 4 file). GPT-4o extracts members, connections, and loads automatically. 30 seconds.
↓
2
Configure and submit
Select code standard and National Annex. Submit. FrameAI queues the autonomous run. 2 minutes.
↓
3
Overnight autonomous run
FrameAI runs EN 1993/1992/1997/1998 calculations automatically. Ready at 07:00 for your review — no engineer hours consumed.
Total engineer time
30–60 min end-to-end

Honest assessment — where each tool wins

Where FrameAI wins
Automation, multi-code depth, and transparent pricing
  • 32 free public calculators: EN 1993/1992/1997/1998/1991/1995, IS 800, IS 2911, GB 50017, GB 50007, AISC 360-22 — no login required
  • Autonomous PDF→calculations via GPT-4o: drop a structural PDF, get full checks and fabrication files in 30–60 minutes
  • 9 European National Annexes (DE, FR, NL, ES, IT, BE, PT, RO, SI, HR) plus IS 800, IS 2911, GB 50017, AIJ — one platform for multi-code international projects
  • Calculator #32 (Pile Bearing Capacity): EN 1997-1 α/β-method + GB 50007 + IS 2911 — unique in its class; Tekla has no geotech module
  • DSTV NC1 7th edition export: hardened exporter with 12 validation checks, no separate post-processor required
  • Browser-native cloud: works on Windows, macOS, Linux, iPad — no install, no Windows license required
  • Per-Discipline from $164/yr — lower than a single Tekla seat for a full team
Where Tekla Structural Designer wins
UK/Nordic NAs, Revit integration, and deep structural solver capability
  • Full UK National Annex (BS NA) suite — the most comprehensive UK NA coverage available for structural analysis
  • NO/FI/SE National Annexes (Nordic steel codes) — not available in FrameAI
  • Revit bi-directional live link — Trimble ecosystem integration for BIM-centric workflows
  • Deep structural solver: finite element analysis, seismic nonlinear analysis, concrete cracking analysis
  • Industry-standard in UK, Ireland, and Nordic markets: hundreds of trained engineers, established QA workflows
  • Tekla Tedds integration: document production and calculation reports directly from Tekla Structural Designer
  • 20+ year market presence: established office and factory ecosystem, strong in markets where FrameAI is still growing

Annual cost comparison

Traditional desktop
Tekla Structural Designer
~£3,500–4,500
per seat/year
Annual subscription, quote-based.
No public price list.
Request a quote →
Cloud-native AI
FrameAI
$164
Per-Discipline / year
All calculators included.
See all plans →
Start free pilot →

¹ Tekla Structural Designer pricing sourced from UK reseller channel (Excitech UK, Cadventure, Q Eng), retrieved 2024. Trimble does not publish public per-seat pricing; individual quotes may vary.
FrameAI Per-Discipline annual = $164/yr (see all plans).

Start your 14-day free pilot.

1 PDF per discipline, no credit card. Autonomous EN 1993/1992/1997/1998 calculations, DXF/IFC4/DSTV NC1 export. 32 free calculators.

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