Annual Plans Added for RKALC Subscriptions

November 2026

• Added annual subscriptions for the Design Pack and Analysis Pack at A$550 per year each, saving $110 comparing to monthly plans
• Added an annual Professional Pack subscription at A$1,000 per year, saving A$200 compared with monthly payments.
• Monthly subscriptions remain available: $55 per month for Design or Analysis, and $100 per month for Professional.
• Annual subscriptions provide access to the applications included in the selected pack for the subscription period.

View RKALC subscription plans

Model Viewer, Floor Plans and Column Drawing Schedules in ProjectHub

October 2026

• Upload IFC models to ProjectHub, retain model versions and explore the project in an interactive 3D viewer with storey selection.
• Save element names, types, reference tags and display colours, with multi-selection for applying shared details to several elements.
• Link model elements to Engineering Register calculations and open the linked calculation and review directly from the viewer.
• Create draft structural floor plan sheets from a selected model storey, showing cut geometry and projected edges below the cut.
• Adjust plan scale, rotation, bottom and cut elevations, and included element types, with automatic selection of a suitable standard scale.
• Display element and linked calculation tags with leader lines and clickable Engineering Register references, with an optional overlay to identify unassigned elements.
• Open floor plans in a standalone drawing preview, with sheet settings retained in the URL and current saved model details and calculation assignments loaded on refresh.
• Added column documentation schedules to the Standard columns workspace, connecting saved column designs with project drawing layouts.
• Create documentation tags independently of calculation names, and assign saved designs to height segments between project levels.
• Reuse a saved design across multiple documentation columns or height ranges, allowing reinforcement and section sizes to change over the height of a column.
• Manage project levels in a defined order, with checks to prevent overlapping segments and invalid height ranges.
• Retain assigned design snapshots and explicitly accept newer saved revisions when updating the column schedule.
• Generate column-stack drawings showing project levels, section dimensions, concrete grades and longitudinal reinforcement, together with dimensioned rectangular and circular section sketches.
• Configure A3, A2, A1 or A0 sheets in landscape or portrait orientation, with automatic pagination and adjustable column order and sheet capacity for column schedules.
• Save column schedule drawing numbers and revision records, including dates, descriptions and produced, checked and approved fields, with project title blocks repeated on every sheet.
• Review floor plans and column schedules using shared zoom, pan, fit-to-sheet and fit-to-width controls, then print or save as PDF directly from the drawing preview.

Open ProjectHub

Modal Analysis, Shear Wall Design, Published Verification Reports and ProjectHub Integration

October 2026

• Published FEAKalc verification reports for modal analysis and coupled shear wall analysis, documenting comparisons with ETABS, modelling assumptions and numerical results for the benchmark models.
• Expanded our public verification evidence so engineers can review how we verify FEAKalc structural analysis results against established software.
• Added pier and spandrel labels, with integrated axial forces, shear forces, bending moments and torsion available in result tables and model diagrams.
• Added reinforced concrete shear wall design workflows for piers and spandrels, connecting analysis forces with design checks, reinforcement requirements and calculation reports.
• Added linear response-spectrum analysis using Ritz modes, with CQC, SRSS and absolute modal combination methods.
• Define spectrum functions and cases, including generated AS1170.4:2024 horizontal spectra and user-defined curves, with configurable excitation directions and scale factors.
• Review modal periods, frequencies, participation factors, effective masses and cumulative mass ratios to assess the retained modal response.
• Compare horizontal response-spectrum base shear against the AS1170.4:2024 minimum, with optional scaling of results to meet the calculated minimum.
• View spectrum displacements, support reactions, frame forces and shell results, with positive and negative envelopes available for load combinations.
• Explore modal and spectrum output tables with numeric sorting, search and filtering, and export the selected results to CSV or print them to PDF.
• Reuse recovered modal responses when changing spectrum curves, scale factors or case combinations, reducing repeated analysis work.
• Improved column-to-shell connections using rectangular and circular section footprints, with consistent connection-force recovery for static and modal analysis.
• Save named FEAKalc models to ProjectHub with a level reference, and reopen saved models from the project workspace.

Open FEAKalc  |  View FEAKalc Verification Reports

Introducing General Beam: RC and PT Section Design

October 2026

• Released General Beam for reinforced and post-tensioned concrete beam section design to AS 3600:2018 incorporating Amendment 1.
• Define rectangular or T-shaped sections and enter moments, shear forces, torsion and external axial forces directly. Negative moments place the top reinforcement in tension; positive moments place the bottom reinforcement in tension.
• Specify multiple top and bottom reinforcement layers with independent bar sizes, quantities and clear vertical gaps, accounting for their actual effective depths and stresses.
• Configure bonded or unbonded tendons using 12.7 or 15.2 mm seven-wire strands, with one to five strands per tendon and user-defined tendon levels and prestress losses.
• View an interactive section preview showing reinforcement and tendons, together with steel quantities, effective depths, prestress forces and the effective P/A ratio.
• Review flexural strength, shear and torsion, service stresses, crack control and detailing checks, with failed checks and items requiring further member assessment clearly identified.
• Generate RKALC-branded calculation reports, accessible from the navigation bar and available to print or save as PDF.
• Published verification comparisons with an AS 3600:2018 T-beam example and legacy textbook RC and PT capacity examples, explaining differences in code factors, reinforcement areas and modelling assumptions.
• Included manual input tables and expected results so users can reproduce the verification examples through the application.

Open General Beam  |  View Verification Report

Introducing ShoreKALC — Shoring Wall Analysis

October 2026

• Released ShoreKALC, a new shoring wall analysis application bringing excavation modelling, nonlinear soil behaviour and staged construction analysis to the RKALC platform.
• Model soil layers, wall geometry and stiffness, groundwater levels and surface surcharge loads through an interactive graphical workspace.
• Analyse soil–structure interaction using two-dimensional plane-strain finite element analysis, with Mohr–Coulomb soil modelling and bonded or frictional wall interfaces.
• Develop staged excavation and construction sequences, including the installation, prestressing and removal of shoring anchors and internal struts.
• Review wall movements, bending moments, shear forces, support forces and soil response at each construction stage, helping identify critical conditions throughout the excavation sequence.
• Generate visual results and detailed calculation reports documenting model inputs, construction stages and analysis outputs for engineering review.
• Completed in-depth review and verification studies, including comparisons with published PLAXIS 2D and DIANA examples, with modelling assumptions and differences documented.
• Published a detailed user manual covering model setup, analysis theory, construction staging, interpretation of results and verification examples.

Introducing RKALC Project Hub

September 2026

• Released RKALC Project Hub, a new project-centred workspace bringing engineering calculations, design information and project activity together in one place.
• Organise RKALC calculations by project, workspace and engineering element, providing a clear structure for managing day-to-day design work.
• Run RKALC engineering applications directly within the project environment, keeping calculations connected to the project rather than scattered across separate files and programs.
• Introduced project navigation, calculation batches and revision-aware workflows to make large sets of engineering calculations easier to create, update and review.
• Bring calculations, reports, tasks, decisions and design history into a common project environment, helping create a clearer and more traceable engineering record.
• Project Hub establishes the foundation for the next generation of RKALC, connecting its engineering applications through a unified project workflow.

Introducing RKALC STM Studio

August 2026

• Released STM Studio, a new interactive environment for strut-and-tie modelling, analysis and design.
• Develop structural geometry, loads, supports, nodes, struts and ties graphically, with real-time analysis and visualisation of the structural load path.
• Integrated TopoKALC-assisted load-path generation to help investigate and develop suitable strut-and-tie models for complex discontinuity regions.
• Added design workflows for struts, ties and nodal zones, including reinforcement design and detailed engineering checks.
• Introduced calculation reporting and graphical outputs to support transparent, reviewable and documented strut-and-tie design.

PTKalc — T and L Sections & Continued Development

August 2026

• Expanded PTKalc section capability to include T and L sections in addition to rectangular beam sections.
• Extended the section-based analysis, design and graphical workflows to support flanged beam geometry throughout the calculation process.
• Continued broader PTKalc improvements across modelling, analysis, design, reporting, usability, performance and calculation transparency.

FEAKalc Steel & Concrete Design Manuals Published

11 August 2026

• Published the complete FEAKalc Steel Design Manual covering the steel member design implementation and engineering workflow.
• Published the complete FEAKalc Concrete Frame Design Manual covering reinforced concrete frame design and associated design outputs.
• Expanded the public technical documentation available to support review, verification and transparent use of FEAKalc design capabilities.

RKALC University Programme Introduced

August 2026

• Introduced the RKALC University Programme to support the use of RKALC software and engineering resources within structural engineering education.
• Established a framework for universities and educators to incorporate practical analysis, design, verification and worked-example material into teaching.
• Connected the programme with the growing RKALC Learning Centre, software manuals and verification resources.

RC Column & Beam Calculator Updates

August 2026

• Updated the reinforced concrete column calculator to include interactive 3D interaction diagrams for visualisation of column capacity.
• Improved the presentation and interpretation of column design results through the new three-dimensional capacity display.
• Corrected identified issues in the reinforced concrete beam calculator and implemented associated reliability and usability refinements.

PTKalc Documentation & Engineering Guidance

August 2026

• Published the first full PTKalc User Manual, providing a structured reference for modelling, analysis, design, result interpretation and report generation.
• Documented the complete PTKalc workflow for reinforced concrete and post-tensioned continuous beams, including tendon definition, load balancing, stresses, strength design, serviceability and reporting.
• Expanded supporting engineering guidance so users can follow both the software workflow and the design decisions behind the calculations.

PTKalc Verification Library Published

August 2026

• Launched a dedicated PTKalc Verification page within the RKALC Verification Library.
• Published three detailed verification examples covering a rectangular reinforced concrete beam, a rectangular post-tensioned beam and a flanged post-tensioned beam.
• Brought verification reports, technical documentation and the PTKalc manual together in a single public reference location.
• Improved the presentation of verification material to make independent review of assumptions, analysis results and design outputs easier.

Learning Centre — PT Band Beam Walkthrough

August 2026

• Published a complete five-span PT band-beam walkthrough using PTKalc.
• The example covers beam geometry and loading, tendon profiling and load balancing, stresses and bending moments, short- and long-term deflections, flexural and shear reinforcement demand, tendon-profile refinement and final report generation.
• Created a dedicated Learning Centre topic page combining the walkthrough video, supporting resources, verification material and user manual.
• Continued developing the Learning Centre around practical structural engineering decisions and transparent interpretation of results rather than software operation alone.

RKALC Learning Centre & Website Expansion

July – August 2026

• Expanded the Learning Centre from a general resource area into a growing library of application-specific worked examples, walkthroughs and engineering guidance.
• Introduced clearer links between learning material, software verification, user manuals and the corresponding RKALC applications.
• Continued restructuring website navigation so technical resources can be reached directly from relevant product, Learning Centre and Verification Library pages.
• Improved presentation of manuals and technical PDFs with more prominent dedicated document sections rather than treating them as ordinary resource links.