PADO v.2.0

PADO is an optimization program of portal frame structures. The employed method makes PADO different from other common structural analysis and dimensioning of steel structures. When a designer introduces an initial design along with the applied load, a common program gives back the displacements and the stress status. If some of them show inadequate values, the designer himself should make some changes in the design until the disadvantages are gradually eliminated by an iterative trial and error process depending only on his experiences. This way, the quality of the end-result depends on the ability of the user and the time available to identify the changes.

An optimization program is something more than just a mere structural analysis. In addition to its analysis capability, it accomplishes design improvements in a more rational manner than conventional methods which process it in a subjective manner as mentioned before.

Therefore, with a given type of a portal frame structure and taking the initial prototype and its loads into account, PADO generates changes in the design automatically until it identifies those that satisfy all the restrictions with greater excellence in a logical way.