Shanghai Cruise Terminal

I was a junior engineer at RFR. The Shanghai Cruise Terminal — the most challenging structure I had ever calculated. I’ve rebuilt it with Rhino, GSA, Python and AI, and built tools to accelerate this kind of complex project.

Modeling, Size, Calculate, Resize. Recalculate. Check my old Eurocode 3 Spread Sheet. Again. And again. For days...

The solution at the time was MACROS, that made us save a lot of time, but MACROS still require a lot of hand-work and slow the process down.

I wonder… what about if I used… Python + AI?

Section selection was done based in my nowadays memory after 21 years and taking into account that I did not participate in the Detail Design and Construction Design Phases.

FormFinding tool is not include in the Evaluation Version of Oasys GSA, but I thought with Python is easy.

AI has helped me to find the way, accelerating my GSA skills in combination with Python.

Python + AI is an amazing tandem that assist you in creating the model with the COM-API of GSA.

I have my configuration saved in a Markdown file that is connected with the Python apps that I have created.

With the terminal (CMD) I launch the file modifications and iterations better than the Visual (GUI) that has a lot of risks of crashing when the models become too complex.

So I have used my old Eurocode 3 Spread Sheet to verify every single step in Python.

A fixed 50 % utilisation target converges in only 4 iterations for every section to settle within a ±10 % band.

My EC3 app is integrated with GSA: it runs the check, and if a section fails it sweeps the standard RHS catalogue with a convergence criterion in very few steps.

Convergence is a reality. The real value of this app is cutting the tedious hand-work that slows the process down and introduces errors and frustration for the team.

No more remodeling, resizing, recalculating…

GSA crashes….

Again. And again.

For days.

I only Check my old Eurocode 3 Spread Sheet to verify the optimized solution. We require the Structural Engineer only in the important moment, we are always in the loop, but for the important thing.

Happy ending… for now

Each GSA run takes around 50–60 min, while the automated EC3 check computes every section in 8 seconds — as you can try in the demo on the main page.

These are the default values for the first iteration of the Wave facade — enter the section, forces and buckling length of the project you are studying and check its EN 1993-1-1 clauses against my calculations.

GSA has a tool, but I want to see if I can do it with Python and as this leave the to the GSA tool the important tasks.

Cable check — EN 12385 catalogue

Each family (bow / norm / vertical) sized by its governing axial force from the 100/30/30 envelope → smallest standard cable. → Huge margin: Cables sit far below capacity (max U = 17 %). The one open item is a small transient slack (−4 kN) under the worst 100/30/30 combo — bounded and acceptable. Cross-checked GSA vs Python: 1.000.

Ricardo Merino · structural engineering + automation

Eurocode · GB 50011 · EN 1993-1-11 · Python + GSA