Tekla Structures
The structural BIM platform used to create the fabrication-ready 3D models, connection details, and shop drawings that steel fabricators and contractors build from.
What it is
About Tekla Structures
Tekla Structures (by Trimble) is the dominant structural BIM platform for steel and concrete detailing — the stage in the structural engineering workflow that sits between structural design (ETABS, Robot, STAAD.Pro) and physical fabrication. A structural design defines what forces a beam must carry and what section size it requires; Tekla Structures defines precisely how that beam is fabricated, delivered, and connected — the exact weld profile, bolt pattern, end plate dimensions, and hole tolerances that a fabricator's CNC machine will execute. Tekla's model is built at fabrication level of detail: every bolt, every weld, every embedded plate is modelled as an object with manufacturing attributes. The model drives the entire downstream workflow — general arrangement drawings, connection detail drawings, NC files for workshop CNC cutting machines, bolt lists, material take-offs, and bar bending schedules for rebar — all generated directly from the same model, eliminating the manual transcription errors that plagued earlier paper-based detailing processes. The Tekla model is also the central coordination model for the steelwork contractor on site. Clash detection between steel and concrete structures, between structural steelwork and MEP services, and between primary and secondary steel is resolved in Tekla before fabrication begins — catching conflicts that would be discovered expensively on site. Tekla Open API allows practices to automate repetitive detailing tasks (generating standard connections across dozens of similar members, populating drawing title blocks) using Python or C# scripts. Tekla Structures is used by structural engineers producing detailed design models, steel fabricators producing shop drawings, and precast concrete manufacturers producing their own detailed panel and element models. The three Trimble subscription tiers (Diamond, Graphite, Carbon) roughly correspond to full detailing, modelling without full fabrication output, and viewing/collaboration respectively.
What you can do with it
Capabilities
Build a steel frame model in Tekla Structures from the structural engineer's ETABS analysis output — place columns and primary beams with the correct section sizes, assign material grades, and set up the grid and level system so the model matches the architectural coordination model
Model a typical bolted end-plate beam-to-column connection using the Tekla connection catalogue, set the bolt grade and diameter, specify the weld throat size, run the connection clash check, and confirm the connection geometry matches the structural engineer's connection design certificate
Generate a complete shop drawing package for a steel column — general arrangement view, connection detail views, and a material mark-up table — with all dimensions and annotations automatically populated from the 3D model, and export as a PDF for the fabrication shop review
Export NC (DXF/DSTV) cutting files from a Tekla model of a roof truss, confirm the hole positions and cut profiles in the NC viewer against the connection design, and transmit to the fabrication shop's CNC machine operator for production
Run a Tekla clash check between the primary steel frame model and an imported IFC file of the MEP services, identify three beam-to-duct conflicts, model the required notches and copes in the beams, and issue an RFI to the MEP engineer with the clash report attached
How to learn it
Learning Resources
Tekla Campus (campus.tekla.com) — free learning platform for students with access to Tekla Structures software, structured courses, and a community of learners; the best starting point and avoids the licence cost entirely
Tekla User Assistance (support.tekla.com) — official documentation and video tutorials covering every workflow; the "Getting Started" series walks through a complete steel frame from first beam to final drawing set
Trimble MEP and Tekla YouTube channels — practical workflow videos covering connection modelling, drawing generation, and clash detection in Tekla Structures
IStructE and BCSA (British Constructional Steelwork Association) CPD events — Tekla-specific workshops where detailers and engineers share advanced techniques for UK steelwork connections and drawing standards
Pro Tip
Use the Tekla Clone function for repetitive structural elements before you start modelling individual members. On a multi-storey building, if the floor plate repeats across multiple levels, modelling one floor completely (including connections) and cloning it to the other levels takes 5 minutes rather than 5 hours. Discovering Clone after building 8 floors manually is one of the most common and frustrating experiences for new Tekla users — learn it first.
Skills that use this tool
Roles that use this tool
Alternatives