Earthquake Concrete Tools

ECtools is a design software for Reinforced Concrete and Unreinforced Masonry Structures using either the European Norms (Eurocodes) or the ACI CODE-318-25 & ASCE/SEI 7-22 US norms. It to facilitate the practicing structural engineer or the design office in the correct application of the several clauses of these codes.

Seismic design of Reinforced Concrete Buildings
Checking/Reviewing the Design of Reinforced Concrete Buildings
Seismic Assessment and Retrofitting of existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings
Seismic design of Composite buildings with Concrete Cores (The cores)
Seismic design of Unreinforced Masonry Buildings
Seismic Assessment and Retrofitting of existing Unreinforced Masonry Buildings
Preparation of the static inelastic analysis model according to the procedures of the Eurocodes and FEMA.

What's New in ECTools 2025

Major Updates

Say goodbye to multiple pop-ups! The entire workflow is now integrated into a single-screen interface for improved usability.
Import ETABS models directly into ECTools and visualize element failures in real-time within the application.
Upon user selection, sections for composite wall/columns are automatically created, reducing manual effort.
Fully optimized for the latest ETABS version, ensuring faster API calls when importing models and results.
ECTools now supports cloud-based licensing, allowing you to install the software on multiple computers while ensuring only one active instance at a time.

Minor Enhancements

Improved relabeling functionality for easier model organization.
Added support for elastic response spectra analysis within the software.
General stability improvements and optimized performance across the platform.

Beta Features

Key Features

General Building Checks
fitting the requirements of EN1998 or ACI CODE-318-25 & ASCE/SEI 7-22 US norms, such as:

• Automatic definition of building type
• Automatic calculation of behaviour factor q
• Torsional Sensitivity
• P-D effects
• Required seismic joint at each level

Application of the capacity design concept
which is inhrent in all modern seismic codes

• Capacity design of joints (the weak beam - strong column rule)
• Capacity shear design of all members for ductile behaviour (capacity shear forces)

Flexural design
of all 1D elements 2D walls and cores

with biaxial Moment -Axial force interaction, utilising a very efficient algorithm that produces fast results, while applying the cracked sections design concept with parabolic stress distribution for concrete.

Checking the design
of a new building

• Input of the design results to be checked via excel spreadsheets
• Use of custom safery factors
• Indication of elements with inadequacy using red indictors in the status bar

Seismic Assessment and Strengthenning
of existing buildings

• Input of the design results to be checked via excel spreadsheets
• Use of custom safety factors for verified materials
• Use of element ductility factors (primary & secondary elements)
• Available stregthenning options with R/C jackets of existing elements
• Indication of elements with inadequacy using red indicators in the status bar.

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ECtools utilises the analysis results for the Eurocodes - ETABS© and can be used on many cases.
Students

FAQ's

ECtools is a software tool designed for structural design and verification according to Eurocodes. It supports reinforced concrete (RC) and unreinforced masonry (URM) structures, integrating with ETABS for static and dynamic analysis.
ECtools performs design checks based on Eurocodes, specifically EN1992 (Concrete Design), EN1996 (Masonry Design), and EN1998 (Seismic Design).
The software is installed by running the ECtools Setup file. After installation, a license activation process is required with credentials given from us.
ECtools requires an installed version of ETABS and a valid license. The software runs on Windows operating systems and requires Adobe Reader for accessing the manual.
ECtools supports RC walls, masonry walls, RC cores, beams, columns, and jacketed sections for structural strengthening.
• Define material properties correctly for concrete and masonry.
• Use pier definitions for RC and masonry walls.
• Run a dynamic spectral analysis for seismic design.
ECtools includes features for seismic checks, such as capacity design verification, ductility class selection, and structural system classification according to EN1998.
Yes, ECtools includes options for checking and strengthening existing RC and URM structures by designing jacketed sections and applying Eurocode-based strengthening guidelines.
ECtools can automatically generate load combinations based on the defined load cases in ETABS. It follows Eurocode load combination rules and allows customization of parameters like ψ2 coefficients and eccentricity effects.
The RC/Masonry Wall Editor allows users to define and edit wall sections, including geometry and reinforcement details. It ensures compatibility with ETABS by creating .wal files for RC walls and .mas files for masonry elements.
‘Nous’ is an independent module within ECtools used for checking and designing arbitrary RC and masonry sections. It allows for custom reinforcement configurations and section modifications, including the addition of strengthening jackets.
ECtools identifies seismic walls and RC cores based on connected wall elements in plan view. It applies Eurocode ductility and confinement checks and allows the definition of custom core sections for advanced analysis.