TOP SOFTWARES USEFUL FOR ENGINEERS & PROFESSIONALS: MUST FOR EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND THE USE OF EACH

NEW DELHI (TECHNO NEWS): In today’s world, it’s not that we only use software for our day-to-day life, it’s that we live in Software, then why not use the excellent software available to us. There are many software available that is used in Civil Engineering.

Due to the Technological Revolution, the number of software serving Civil Engineering needs is increasing manifold. So, to list out all this software will be an obtuse thing to do. Here is a list of SOFTWARE that is exorbitantly used by many Civil Engineers all around the world.

Irrespective of the ranking, these softwares are very much useful in Construction projects. Although, there are various sub-disciplines like Transportation Engineering, Structural Design, Surveying, Geo-tech Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Construction planning, we have provided a list of comprehensive list software which are used in general.

For easing the difficulties faced by professionals here are some of the commonly used Softwares that might be helpful for all of us in our work as a Professional.

1.  MS- Office

Be it a professional or an intern, everyone in their lifetime must have used MS-office ones.  It has made many computer-based tasks easier for all of us. Some of the most popular office contents are:

a) MS -Excel

Microsoft Excel is perhaps the most important business software available today. That is why so many self-employed and potential employees are expected to learn Excel in order to begin or continue working. Its analysis is found everywhere and is widely used by businesses irrespective of their sizes. Its spreadsheets are used to organize numbers and data with formulas and functions, it used to make reports and to perform various analyses via different tools.

b) MS –Word

Microsoft Word is the most common and widely used application all throughout the world. You can easily open the application on both Windows and Mac Operating Systems.  From publishing docs as web pages, or collaborating with teammates on the one file made, to making audit reports and CVs to be made for the future or for writing an article the first which strikes the head is none other than MS- Word.

c) PowerPoint

Presentations have been much easier since Microsoft Office PowerPoint was introduced. As a result, it’s referred to as a Microsoft Office software show. You can create innovative and engaging slides using the Microsoft Office application by using graphics and other files such as photographs and videos in addition to text. You can colorize and decorate the slides, then give a nice presentation in front of a client to show off your portfolio or sample.

d) MS- Outlook

Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager software system from Microsoft, available as a part of the Microsoft Office suite. Though primarily an email client, Outlook also includes such functions as calendaring, task managing, contact managing, note-taking, journal logging, and web browsing.

2. Tally Prime

With its newly launched software by Tally Solutions, we can also do invoicing here. It takes quite less time for setting up the applications as the process is quite simple.

We can develop customized reports; keep the track of inventory and cash more efficiently. This version of tally comes with multiple users and features are based on security levels, an additional layer of security called TallyVault, is also there that ensures encryption which now can’t be broken by Tally themselves.

3. Saral Tax Office

Saral is a Hindi term that means Simple, basically, Saral Tax Office software aims at simplifying the process of tax filing.

This software will ensure complete automation of the return filing process. Here we can prepare the computation of tax by filling up the correct details of the assessee. The ITR filing option also provides us with the forms like Form 3CD and other forms as well.

This software is available for Income Tax and GST. If one wants to reduce the use of hands and make an AI work, then they should use Saral.

4. SAP

SAP stands for Systems, Applications, Products in Data Processing. The main motive of SAP is to integrate all the business divisions and provide a single solution to the organizations. Although, it’s one of the most expensive service providers till now the quality of the product by them indeed is good. They have introduced ‘GST in a box, which surprisingly is a solution for small and medium enterprises, unlike earlier (There was a perspective that SAP can be used by large enterprises only). Those who are using SAP can switch to the updated versions of like SAP ERP 6.0 (600) SP26 or higher version as per their preference.

Those who are using the existing TAXIJN procedure for tax calculation will be required to switch to TAXINN procedure, which is actually based on the concept.  The earlier were based on formulae.

5. Quickbooks

In this software, we can feed the bank invoices and other accounting works can be done here. It’s an inexpensive one which gives the benefit that it can be used by all. We can upgrade to better versions anytime we want.

6. Team viewer

Especially at the time of COVID-19, most people will be working from home. People be it our teammate or partners or even someone working under us, need to access the files of ours or of the clients in a computer. This remote sharing device is the most common where a user sitting at the comfort of his office can directly access another computer and carry out nearly anything possible.

7. DropBox 

Dropbox lets anyone upload and transfer files to the cloud, and share them with anyone. Back up and sync docs, photos, videos, and other files to cloud storage. In the case of multiple offices or branches. This is your best option.  As they’re providing backup options and all are the contents are synchronized at a central place.

8. emSigner

 Use emSigner ‘s document signing app to sign your documents..This Electronic signature App helps you to sign documents online. emSigner is a tool GST portal uses to digitally sign for all GST registration and filing purposes. 

9. WinRAR

WinRAR is actually free software. It archives single or multiple files into two popular formats i.e. rar and zip. You can organize, compress and protect your large email attachments with this application.

10. Adobe Acrobat

This software is free and can be downloaded from the Adobe website. You can do a lot more with Adobe Acrobat. Basically, it is a PDF Editor. You can edit, modify, add, delete pdf pages or pdf files. You can also combine and compress pdf files very easily. This software can compress and shorten the file size very efficiently. Fillable Forms can also be generated by this application.

11. AutoCAD Civil 3D

Easily the most used program in the industry, Civil 3D is a civil engineering drafting software with a multitude of design, analysis, and simulation tools for civil engineering design. If we’re talking high level, we use CAD to create sets of plans known as construction documentation. From polylines to feature lines, pipe networks to profiles, Civil 3D’s range of tools will allow you to create innovative and detailed designs. 

12. HEC-HMS

Considered a standard for hydrologic simulation, The Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) is designed to simulate the hydrologic process of watershed systems and provides you with nearly all the drainage values you could need. In the program, you describe the physical properties of a watershed and the meteorology that act on the watershed during a defined time span of simulation. The simulation results are easy to understand. Summary tables for each element are provided including peak flow, total volume, depth and storage values in reservoirs and ponds, and more.

Developed at the Hydrologic Engineering Center of the US Army Corps of Engineers.

13. HEC-RAS

In addition to HEC-HMS, the Hydrologic Engineering Center of the US Army Corps of Engineers has also created the River Analysis System (HEC-RAS). This program models the hydraulics of water flow through rivers and channels of many cross-sections. This program will help you determine if water can travel through specific structures (channel, stream, bridge, culvert, etc…) safely without causing adverse flooding in the area. The system is able to analyze both steady and unsteady flow, sediment transport computations, and water quality components and is often used for floodplain management with the help of its mapping tools.

14. Microsoft Project

Project is Microsoft’s project management tool. It is similar to Microsoft Office, specifically Excel, with its user interface, making navigating the program easy. Scheduling is very important when it comes to managing engineering projects. With the knowledge of basic scheduling concepts such as activity relationships, critical paths, Gantt Charts, and more, Microsoft Project will enable you to create detailed schedules to manage your different projects. 

15. StormCAD

StormCAD is a modeling and analysis program for drainage systems, stormwater, and sanitary sewer design. Civil engineers use it daily to size pipes and structures for a variety of development projects. StormCAD can provide calculations for drainage area runoff, inlet capacity, gutters, and pipe network flow, and more. The outputs and custom report generator are helpful in providing necessary information to ensure your system is engineered correctly. With GIS and AutoCAD support, importing and exporting between programs makes doing the job that much easier!

16. SSA

Comparable to StormCAD is Autodesk’s Storm and Sanitary Analysis (SSA) application. SSA can also be used to analyze and design drainage systems, stormwater, and sanitary sewers. As the maker of AutoCAD, Autodesk created SSA as an extension within CAD so that users could utilize both software with the ability to import and export back and forth as you update your design. Whether you need to design/size pipes, detention facilities, or drainage channels, SSA is a user-friendly program that can do it all.

17. WaterCAD

WaterCAD is another Bentley program used for utility design – specifically water distribution networks. It is a hydraulic model that helps you design improvements such as the sizing and location of pipes, pumps, and more, using details of the network such as appurtenances and fire flow data.

18. EPANET

A free alternative to WaterCAD is EPANET. Released by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, EPANET models water distribution systems and will output the flow of water in each pipe, the pressure at each node, and more. EPANET is free and available to the public. 

19. ArcGIS

Esri, the Environmental Systems Research Institute, is a supplier of geographic information system (GIS) software that released ArcGIS – a mapping platform that civil engineers can use to create a multitude of exhibits. With data resources such as images, shp files, and more, ArcGIS allows you to layer information on top of each other. You are able to take utility, property, and other information, and layer it on top of imagery, street, or topographic maps to portray exactly what you need in a neat and orderly exhibit.

Depending on the information files you are using, ArcGIS has the ability to pull data from them such as elevations, street names, materials, and more and display it in many useful ways. The capabilities explained above are only a few of the many this program has! 

20. Bluebeam

Bluebeam’s Revu, or what we just refer to as Bluebeam, is a multi-tool PDF editor that allows us to create, edit, and markup PDFs effortlessly. It may sound simple, but being able to easily combine documents, quickly redline plans or documents, and accurately measure and markup plans no matter the scale is immensely helpful in this industry. 

Software for Structural Analysis and Design

1. STAAD Pro

STAAD or (STAAD.Pro) is a structural analysis and design software application originally developed by Research Engineers International in 1997. In late 2005, Research Engineers International was bought by Bentley Systems.

2. SAP2000

SAP2000 is a general-purpose civil-engineering software ideal for the analysis and design of any type of structural system. Created by engineers for effective engineering, SAP2000 is the ideal software tool for users of any experience level, designing any structural system.

3. ETABS

ETABS is an engineering software product that caters to multi-story building analysis and design. Modeling tools and templates, code-based load prescriptions, analysis methods, and solution techniques, all coordinate with the grid-like geometry unique to this class of structure.

4. Revit Structure

Revit Structure is Autodesk’s BIM software solution for structural engineering companies and structural engineers, that provides a feature-rich toolset helping to drive efficient design processes in a BIM (Building Information Modelling) environment, or when working with other construction disciplines using Autodesk CAD software such as Autodesk® Revit® Architecture and Autodesk® Revit® MEP.

Midas Gen: Midas Gen is an intuitive and powerful building design and analysis solution that provides practicing engineers with the capability to conveniently and efficiently perform structural design and analysis of buildings and general structures.

SAFE: SAFE is the ultimate tool for designing concrete floor and foundation systems. From framing layout all the way through to detail drawing production, SAFE integrates every aspect of the engineering design process in one easy and intuitive environment.

Abaqus:  Abaqus FEA is a software suite for finite element analysis and computer-aided engineering, originally released in 1978. The name and logo of this software are based on the abacus calculation tool. The Abaqus product suite consists of five core software products: Abaqus/CAE, or “Complete Abaqus Environment”.

Civil Engineering Software for Cost Estimation and Quantity Estimation

Estimator™ 2.0: is Estimation and Project Management Software for Architects, Builders, Contractors, and Engineers. With Estimator™ 2.0 you can prepare various Estimates and Rate analyses of residential and commercial buildings. You can also prepare Detailed Estimate, Abstract Estimate, Tenders, Measurement Book, Cost Abstract, Labour and Contractor’s Bill, Purchase Order, and other Project Management documents.

Software for Project Control

Candy Software: Project Control. The ultimate Construction Project Management Software, Candy is unique, powerful, and dynamically focused on project control in the construction & engineering industry,

Software for Project Accounting

Tally: Tally Solutions Pvt. Ltd., is an Indian multinational company that provides enterprise resource planning software. It is headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka India. The company reports that its software is used by more than 1 million customers.

NetSuite: NetSuite Inc. is an American cloud computing company founded in 1998 with headquarters in San Mateo, California, that provides software services to help manage business finances, operations, and customer relations.

SAP ERP Core Finance: SAP ERP Core Finance Software. SAP S/4HANA is an integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) software suite designed to serve businesses of size and kinds. SAP ERP is used to address the needs of many industry verticals including manufacturing, retail, service, and distribution industries.

Software for Risk Analysis 

@RISK : (pronounced “at-risk”) is a software developed by Palisade. It performs risk analysis using Monte Carlo simulation to show you many possible outcomes in your spreadsheet model—and tells you how likely they are to occur. Learn About Managing Project Risks and Changes

Software for Fluid Mechanics

• GAMBIT: GAMBIT is geometry and mesh generation software for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. GAMBIT can import geometry from virtually any CAD/CAE software in Parasolid, ACIS, STEP, IGES, or native CATIA V4/V5 formats.

• Ansys FLUENT:

• Ansys CFX

• Flowmaster

• HEC-RAS

• EPANET: This not very common software to start with but if you are more into water and effluent transport, this is a boon. A water pipe distribution network can be done using the same.

Software for Building Information Modeling (BIM)

Find below the best BIM software, and also learn about the uses and benefits of BIM in construction projects.

1. Autodesk Revit

Autodesk Revit is building information modeling software for architects, landscape architects, structural engineers, MEP engineers, designers, and contractors developed by Autodesk.

2. Navisworks

Navisworks (known for a while as JetStream) is a 3D design review package for Microsoft Windows. Used primarily in construction industries to complement 3D design packages (such as Autodesk Revit, AutoCAD, and MicroStation).

Navisworks allows users to open and combine 3D models, navigate around them in real-time, and review the model using a set of tools including comments, redlining, viewpoint, and measurements.

3. Autodesk BIM 360

Autodesk® BIM 360™ Build is a cloud-based field management service for construction professionals combining a mobile application at the point of construction with collaboration and reporting. BIM 360 Design connects distributed project teams, allowing them to collaborate on shared Revit models.

4. Tekla BIMsight

Tekla BIMsight. Tekla BIMsight is a professional tool for construction project collaboration. The entire construction workflow can combine their models, check for conflicts, and share information using the same easy-to-use BIM environment.