pyCET

Python APIs

The world's First and Only API sets for Steel Member and Connection design

CET.APIs (pyCET) is the first APIs in the world for steel member/connection design. Created by professionals, APIs share the same calculations with CER.Calculators. APIs will cover most formulas and equations in AISC references and create drawings, math equations, reports for the users.

pyCET_demo in github

Users can try the demo version of CET.APIs, pyCET_demo (github). The demo project is open-source and it has the same functionalities as pyCET. Only limits are the the member size and load values.

What makes CET.APIs Unique?

Though APIs needs users to have programming skill, itself is very much more powerful. Its original goal is to be a calculation software,  but users can turn it to a design software. For example

Source file
 1 dia_list = [0.5, 0.625, 0.75, 0.875, 1.0, 1.25, 1.5]
 2 t_list = [0.125, 0.25, 0.375, 0.5, 0.625, 0.75, 0.875, 1.0, 1.25, 1.5, 2.0]
 3 
 4 found = False;
 5 
 6 for dia in dia_list:
 7   if found == False:
 8     for t in t_list:
 9       web_conn.bolt.diameter = dia
10       web_conn.thickness = t
11       web_conn.set_data()
12       shear_yield = check_shear_yield()
13       shear_rupture = check_shear_rupture()
14 
15       if( shear_yield['result'] > web_conn.check_force 
16         and shear_rupture['result'] > web_conn.check_force ):
17         found = True
18         break

Line 1 and 2 define a plate list and and a thickness list. Line 12 and 13 use the shear yield and shear rupture check from the CET.APIs. The loop form line 6 to 18 is finding the possible thickness and bolt diameter for a shear plate. The whole code could be found in github, example 2. Of course, more checks, like block shear check or bolt bearing check, should be done in reality.

Readers may think functions check_shear_yield() and check_shear_rupture() are simple. APIs can do more complicate checks. For example, in AISC 14th Design Example II.B-1, the flange plate block shear needs to check for 3 cases:

Users could spend hours to realize the calculations in spread sheets. Also, maintaince of these calculations is a touth taske. With help of APIs, user can just call function check_block_shear() of the flange plate and get all calculations done. Besides, APIs will genereate nice Latex equations (in Markdown format) for the flange plate block shear check:

After creating the Markdown report, users can use many software to render the file. Typora is highly recommended. And users can edit these Markdown files, even for equations.