This document contains details of the significant changes introduced into STAAD.Pro in this release. It is recommended that all users read this and are informed of these significant changes. Note that details of all changes are published in the Revision History document that can be found here,
RAM | STAAD | ADINA - STAAD.Pro 2025 (25.00.01.424) Revision History - Communities
New Canadian Seismic Solutions to NBC 2020
The NBC 2020, Division B Part 4, Structural Design, 4.1.8 Earthquake Load and Effects, requirements for defining both the static seismic and response spectrum loadings are now available for both methods.
The response spectrum control has been designed to determine the base shear and forces from the spectral accelerations defined at the periods typically obtained from 2020 National Building Code of Canada Seismic Hazard Tool for a given site location and site designation.
A significant enhancement introduced in this implementation of the NRC response spectrum results is that when the static seismic and response spectrum methods are used together, the response spectrum method will follow the modifications outlined in section 4.1.8.12 to determine the member forces.
Chinese Fire Resistance Design
The solution offered for checking steelwork to the GB51249-2017, Code for Fire Safety of Steel Structures in Buildings, as a technical preview in the initial STAAD.Pro 2025 is now included as fully commercial offering.
This specifies the requirements for accounting for the changes in structural behaviour in different fire events which will degrade the properties of steel.
The requirements are created as an additional set of design parameters, much like the method used to define parameters for the hot or cold steel member design to GB50017 or GB50018.
Wind Loading – US, ASCE 7, 2022
This release expands on the solution introduced in the STAAD.Pro 2025 major release with the additional support for structure types other than just building.
This wind solution now supports Chimneys, Tanks, Solid Signs, Open Signs, Lattice Framework and Trussed Towers.
Extended Standard Profile Database Schema
The recent implementation of the new standard database schema which provided direct support for the shapes of wide flange, channel, angle, circular and rectangular hollow, as well as cold formed shapes channel, angle, hat and zee, has been extended to additionally support tee, solid round and solid rectangle shapes.
This means you can now create specific databases for use with projects for which having a limited pallet of shapes can be beneficial. Consider a concrete project where the requirement is for the team to use specific sizes. By providing them in a defined database you can ensure better alignment with the project requirements.
Extended Direct Analysis
The requirements of the direct analysis method defined by the more recent versions of the AISC 360 code includes a requirement to further modify the structural stiffness, not just on the magnitude of the forces in the structural members, but also to account for profiles that are classed as slender according to these codes.
With this release, the Direct Analysis method used with the AISC 2016 or 2022 will include an additional step to determine the section classification of members in each load case such that if determined to be slender, the stiffness will be reduced based on the effective area calculated according to section E7.
Steel Connection Design
STAAD.Pro has been updated to include the latest RAM Connection module which means that new connections that were added in RAM Connection 2025 versions (25.00.00.***) and (25.00.01.***) are now available in the Steel Connection Design Workflow. The connections that are now available with this include:-
- US - AISC 360
- Base plate design updated to AISC Design Guide 1, Third Edition.
- Base plate option to consider reinforcement for shear lug concrete breakout.
- Option to reduce weld strength to match base metal shear.
- Australia - AS 4100
- Three new additional Horizontal Bracing Connections.
- Enhanced Web Side Plate Design
- Europe - EN 1993
- Slip Resistance included for all bolted connections, with improved bolt interaction equations.
- Canada – CSA S16
- New bearing pad connection templates
Additionally note that the Connection Design reports can now be produced using a DOCX format.
Note that to access the full functionality of the connections available in the Steel Design Workflow, a RAM Connection license is required. There are only limited connections available without using this license.
Python Package for OpenSTAAD
With continued growth in the use of the OpenSTAAD API by designers to assist in automation processes, additional capabilities have been added.
The most significant development is the inclusion of a dedicated Python package for OpenSTAAD. This means that, after installing the OpenSTAADpy package, all the main OpenSTAAD functions can be called directly from a Python project
Note that there is a separate help document that covers OpenSTAADpy that can be accessed from the main Help backstage panel.
Separately, the main OpenSTAAD functionality has been further updated to provide improved handling of reporting profile names that have been defined from a standard database and assigned a specification/parameter. Additionally, for those who need to solve models in both ADINA as well as STAAD.Pro, a new function has been added in OpenSTAAD to create an ADINA model so that this action can be included in an automated process.
User Report Updates
Two significant updates have been introduced to assist in producing customised reports from a STAAD.Pro model.
Firstly, User Reports have been enhanced to provide engineers with the ability to add both external images and text into a report without having to export the report into Word. More informative and professional level reports can be made quicker and within a more controlled environment.
Additionally when it comes to creating a detailed report and customisation is called for, a method is now provided to allow complex conditions to be defined by grouping together different rules rather than simply following each rule in turn.
Early Access Features
This release offers three early access features
Documentation Copilot
Due to the size and quantity of the STAAD documentation, it can sometimes be hard to quickly identify the answers to questions that you might have that would help you get the most out of the program. To help address this issue, we have developed a virtual assistant that uses an AI process to help get you answers to questions such as ‘How do I create a wind load?’ or ‘What is the parameter for setting effective length of members to the AISC Unified code?’
This is being initially rolled out as an Early Access feature to obtain feedback from engineers on the service before it is rolled out more widely. To activate this service, simply click on the Copilot icon on any ribbon tab accept the details outlined provide in the program.
Cloud Analysis
This is a continuation of the offering provided in the STAAD.Pro major release, but has been enhanced following feedback so that with this version, the accelerated analysis solution offered using sub-models, can now include both static seismic and dynamic load cases. When identified in primary load cases, they will be aggregated into the first sub model along with any combinations that refer to them and the remaining load case cases will be sub divided into the additional models that will be solved in parallel.
Import Steel Connections
Once the structural frame have been designed, engineers designing large projects often work in teams to deliver the construction information of the often hundreds of steel connections that will be needed to connect the beams, columns and braces together. With so many connections to design, it means that it is often more practical to divide that task amongst multiple designers. Then bring together the solutions from the each of these teams into a single consolidated model.
This is made easier now with a new function that can import all the connections from models found in a targeted folder. Each team can operate on their own copy of the design model and independently develop their allocated set of connections.
Importing all the connections developed by the connection teams into a master model can thus result is a more streamlined solution making maximum of the available team.
To activate this feature, ask your account manager to raise a Service Case with a request to provide the details to activate this on your system.
STAAD Foundation Advanced 2025 - minor 1*
This release of STAAD.Pro includes an updated version of the foundation design solution that offers rapid design from a STAAD.Pro superstructure model. This new release has focused on the two primary enhancements: -
- IS 456 crack width checks for isolated, combined, mat and pile cap designs.
- ACI 318 / ACI 224.1R crack with checks for isolated, combined, mat and pile cap designs.
For full details of this release see RAM | STAAD | ADINA Announcements - New Update - STAAD Foundation Advanced (25.00.01) - Communities
*Note that use of STAAD Foundation Advanced requires use of the STAAD Foundation Advanced license, although some limited functionality and design capability is available using a STAAD.Pro license.
QA&R
This release has been delivered to meet the necessary requirements such that it can be used as part of the QA&R program. This means the STAAD nuclear QA license will activate the Analysis and Design Engine Testing tool in the backstage, the output of which can now be exported as a PDF document allow for creating permanent records.