The app Rough Calcs in your mobile phone.
The book of "Números gordos en el proyecto de estructuras” (Rough calculations in the structural design) has been a success without any doubt. Since its launch in 2001 has become a reference and more than 40,000 copies have been sold, a real record in its field. By the warmth of the book and the concept of “rough calc”, CINTER now launches an application for mobile phones. But, what is a rough calc? A “rough calc” is a simple calculation that provides an order of magnitude of a problem.
To have an order of magnitude means to know if the result is eight or eighty. Therefore, the ROUGH CALC ensures an approximation of the phenomenon, not an exact result; ensures an approximation in which the time wasted on it is fifty times less than the time spent in a more precise calculation. In the other side, the user must admit a small deviation of the result, always on the safe side.
The secret of a big number, according to Juan Carlos Arroyo, is to know how to distinguish that is fundamental and that is secondary. a physical phenomenon depends on many variables, some more important than others. If you can distinguish the main ones and not pay any attention to the secondary, that impede understanding and clutter your resolution, there is the rough calculation. The simplifications are explained in detail in an information text (top right button) in each rough calc.
One more question, very common, is what Standars are implemented in the app. Do not apply any rule other than the physics, static and common sense. From this point of view, the application is valid for all regulations, EHE, Eurocode or ACI. The app (only available in Spanish until now) has 23 rough calcs in 4 main topics: Cross Sections, concrete, steel and execution, within which they develop calculations of typical structural elements like foundations, beams, walls, deformations, punching…
"NG Structures" is a very complete and necessary app, without competitor in the market and we wish a similar success to his brother on paper.
CREDITS.-
Name of the app.- NG Strucutres.
Available in Iphone, Ipad. Requires IOS version 4.3 or later.
Available in Andoid in a few days.
Contact.- ValentÍn Alejandrez, cinter@cinter.es
