Queen’s Road, London

We develop software for structural engineers and detailers. Our development team researches, tests, and applies new methods of analyzing the behaviour of structures and their members. Based on this, we created IDEA StatiCa – software that enables engineers to work faster, evaluate requirements of the national code thoroughly, and use the optimal amount of material. For us, creating software is a way to contribute to making every new construction around the world safer and cheaper.

June 28, 2020

StructureMode made use of IDEA StatiCa while carrying out a significant refurbishment and alteration to a period property on Queens Gate, in central London.

The project involved the creation of many large openings in existing loadbearing walls of the apartment, that supported six storeys of solid masonry and timber floors above, each owned by separate leaseholders. Therefore, determination of structural stability and overall stiffness of the frames was critical to ensure excessive deflections do not occur, to avoid cracking in the neighbouring flats above.

More specifically, IDEA StatiCa was used to design and code-check a moment connection for a steel box frame during the refurbishment.

“Before we purchased IDEA StatiCa, connection designs were prepared by hand calculation, or using spreadsheets. As a result, we were using simplified methods that do not consider double plate curvature etc. While this was acceptable structurally, it did not utilise the full strength of the connections. This was where IDEA StatiCa made the process that much easier, allowing us to accurately design everything from the simple to the most complex connections in a time efficient way.”

Geoff Morrow

Founding Director

About the author:
Geoff Morrow is a Chartered Structural Engineer with 25 years’ experience and founded StructureMode in 2007. He is passionate about making architectural design better through a collaborative, creative and innovative approach to structural engineering, and has an excellent track record of designing intelligent and efficient new-build and refurbishment projects, as well as arts and educational buildings.

Geoff is also a sculptor, whose practice explores space, energy and form. His work has been shortlisted for the 2014 V&A ‘Inspired by…’ competition, exhibited at the 2017 London Group ‘Shoreham Sculpture Trail’, and several ‘Made at Morley’ exhibitions. Geoff is a trustee of the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail.

Geoff has published two peer reviewed research papers in the IASS Journal, which he presented in 2018 at the International Association of Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) conference at MIT, Boston.