Altair S-FRAME Software | Structural Analysis & Design for AEC
Altair S-FRAME helps civil and structural engineers model, analyze, and design structures—from everyday building workflows to complex geometry—while supporting regional design code compliance and producing review-ready reports. TrueInsight provides licensing, onboarding, and practical engineering support so your team can adopt S-FRAME confidently and efficiently.
What is Altair S-FRAME?
Altair S-FRAME is a structural engineering solution used to model, analyze, and design structures regardless of geometric complexity, material type, loading conditions, nonlinear effects, or design-code requirements. It accelerates modeling with automation tools, supports BIM/DXF imports, and connects analysis to integrated steel and concrete design for optimization, code compliance, and reporting.
Key Features Of Altair S-Frame
Comprehensive Structural Analysis
S-FRAME supports a wide range of analyses including linear static, vibration/RSA, equivalent lateral force procedures (ESFP/ELFP), time history, P-Delta, buckling, staged construction, moving loads, and multiple nonlinear workflows. This breadth lets teams keep more of the structural workflow inside one environment.
Efficient Model Management
Build models faster using automated framework generators for regular structures and trusses, plus clone tools to replicate parts of your model. Import existing BIM and DXF geometry to reduce rework, then use S-FRAME’s meshing workflow to focus detail where you need it for analysis and review.
Integrated Steel & Concrete Design
Connect analysis results to steel and concrete design workflows. With S-FRAME + S-STEEL, teams can manually or automatically design steel members for strength and serviceability, including optimization against design criteria and constraints. Integrated concrete design uses analysis results to code check and design concrete members and generates engineering reports with utilization and clause references.
BIM/CAD workflow integration + collaboration
S-FRAME supports bidirectional BIM links (including Revit and TEKLA Structures) and advanced AutoCAD DXF import to streamline coordination with design teams. For collaboration and model validation, S-FRAME can leverage S-VIEW to review, share, and present results visually.
Altair S-FRAME Capabilities
Model any structural component with a broad FE library
Use element types such as truss, cable, beam, membrane, plate, shell, solid, springs (linear/nonlinear), and tension/compression-only members to represent real structural behavior without forcing awkward workarounds.
Produce review-ready analysis deliverables
Generate reports that include detailed analysis results; pair design outputs with transparent equations/clause references in steel and concrete workflows to support internal QA and external review cycles.
Automate wind loading
For code-based workflows, S-FRAME includes wind load generator support highlighted in Altair’s NBCC and ASCE 7 wind-loading webinar content—useful when you want consistent, repeatable wind setup aligned to code methodology
Extend into timber + foundations when your project needs it
Export S-FRAME models and reactions into connected tools such as S-TIMBER (timber/hybrid structures) and S-FOUNDATION (deep/shallow foundation analysis & design) to keep a consistent workflow across structure types.
Expert S-FRAME Support and Services from TrueInsight
TrueInsight is your partner for getting S-FRAME into production—fast, correctly, and with minimal friction:
License guidance (including the best-fit Altair licensing approach for your team and project mix)
Implementation & onboarding: templates, modeling standards, reporting outputs, team enablement
Workflow integration: BIM/DXF handoffs, review deliverables, multi-discipline coordination
Engineering-grade support: practical answers tied to real structural workflows (not generic ticket replies)
Frequently Asked Questions
S-FRAME is primarily positioned for AEC structural engineering analysis and design (buildings/structures, code workflows, BIM handoffs). It is finite-element based, but it’s built around structural engineering deliverables and regional code compliance workflows.
S-FRAME supports a wide range including linear static, vibration/RSA, ESFP/ELFP, time history, P-Delta, buckling, staged construction, moving load, and nonlinear workflows.
Yes, Altair describes bidirectional BIM data links with Revit and TEKLA Structures, plus DXF import for AutoCAD-based workflows.
Yes, Altair positions S-FRAME with integrated steel design via S-STEEL and integrated concrete design outputs (beams/columns/walls/continuous beams) driven by analysis results, including reporting with code references.
Altair provides a dedicated “Design Codes for Building Analysis and Design” resource covering the structural engineering suite (including S-FRAME) and references global standards such as ACI, AISC, CSA, and Eurocodes. For exact coverage by region and material, validate against that code list for your jurisdiction.