So on today's episode, we had Andrea Costella, who is a structural engineer and product expert. Andrea is a su senior product engineer at Idea Statica, specializing in steel connection design and structural workflows. What was the highlight of this episode for you? That was a couple things. Um for me, this was a struct a heavy structural episode. So but there were some other things about it that were that were fun. And it's you know, I really liked how Andrea has a passion for structural engineering. You could tell it comes through. Uh she has a passion for the the program she works for, Ideostatica. Um and she also has a passion for doing things that stretch you. Mm-hmm. So have you done anything that's stretched you lately? Uh I graduated high school. Yeah. What was challenging about that? Yeah. Did you get it too hard? Um That's a good question. But it it just Yeah. It just shows that um Well, doing things that are hard is the only way that you can get better than your past self. Like if you just stick with your within your comfort zone or things you know you're good at, you're never gonna be good at anything outside of that. And you might even just stay complacent in the things that you are already good at. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I really haven't traveled much. I mean, she moved from a whole nother country. Um, is that a word? Whole nother? She moved from a whole nother country. We talked about accents a little bit today as well. Southern and And she's from Mexico City. and so she's had to learn like our accents here in the US. So whole whole nother. Whole nother uh country. Um so yeah, I'm definitely southern. But but it just shows, you know, I haven't really traveled as much as she has. She's come from a different country, worked here, new country, new job, new uh Everything. Language. So it's it's been a challenge I'm sure. But um she's embraced that challenge, which I think that was one of the big highlights of the show was just learning about that. So yeah, that was pretty exciting. It was definitely a good episode. It was a very technical episode. Um more surprises await. Yeah. Yeah, it was only technical, but don't let that don't let that um you know deter you deter you if you're an architect or contractor. If you're an engineer, you're gonna love it because it's very technical. But there are some fun parts to it as well and some life lessons as well. So my name is Andy Richardson. This is Madeline, our producer, and I'm a structural engineer. I've been doing this almost 30 years and we've been having this podcast for a couple years now. So we'd love for you to join us to learn about how professionals in the AEC industry And what their why is. Let's jump to the intro. Welcome to Enhance, an AEC podcast, where we learn the why behind AEC professionals so that you can learn your why. Hey Andrea, welcome to the Enhance Podcast. Hello, how are you, Andy? I'm doing great. So thanks for being on and I've just got a a few questions for you today I wanted to go through uh and just discuss with you. But I've got one, um, so you w spent some time in Mexico City and also now in Philadelphia, um, which I imagine that's a big cultural difference for you. What what is the biggest difference? For you. Definitely. Definitely. And I I just want to warn you that this is my second time on a podcast. So if if there is something weird, it's you know, like I guess you're cause used to, you know, like podcasts, newbies to podcasts or or like that, right? So yeah. Yeah, no worries. We're we're just having a good time and and getting to know each other. So Yeah, perfect. Yeah. Uh yeah, so Mexico City versus Philadelphia. I guess it's uh super change, of course. First of all, because Mexico City is so big. Like there are so many people, there is so much traffic in terms even in terms of structural engineering, you know, like you have earthquakes and uh over there, So I guess moving to Philadelphia it was great because you have the city ambient, you know, like you have the city activities but not as crowded as Mexico City, I guess. So you have the still the the cool things, you avoid the traffic, I guess. That's that's what I like. And the drawbacks is the food. I'm I miss the the Mexican food. Yeah. So they they have Mexican food there, right? But not as good? Yeah, yeah, correct. I I miss I miss my my real tacos, so. Yeah, okay. What what is uh some of the favorites that you like to eat when you go back home? definitely t tacos. Like that that's something like y you don't get the real ones over here. I mean there are some places in New York uh that we have found and um yeah, it's but that that's the first thing you you do as Mexican when you go back to Mexico and go for your for your favorite tacos, I guess. Nice. Well maybe one day I'll get to try these authentic uh tacos. So that sounds good. But um yeah, thanks for sharing that. And um so you're a s you're a civil engineer, a structural engineer, right? Right. Um, yeah. Yeah. And you've been on both sides. So you you worked with um originally as a design engineer um and and now you're working as a software, like creating software and selling software for a program. what is the biggest difference between between that? Yeah, I I I I like to have those two experiences. Uh, but I I guess I have more time in the software industry rather than the design industry. And um the big the big change is that you don't have all that pressure that you get when you're doing design engineering like in the engineering y you know uh office that you need to finish things for next week or something like that. Obviously you have other pressures like in as every every job, right? However it's not that um I mean you have your weekends that let's put it that way. Yeah. Right. So the the that's a different kind of pressure. Right, right. And and then the other big difference is that or well yeah, the you you see so many type of projects in the in my current uh job or either in when I was in Bentley. You see so many type of projects or different cases that um that you learn so much. And in my job as design engineer, you just focus on one thing or one type of industry, let's say, like um just looking at buildings, structures, and and you're working every day in the same thing compared to here um in the software industry, like you have so many people with so many different type of projects that it's it's it's nice. It's refreshing to to see different things. Yeah. Okay, and what type of engineering did you focus on? Like what like buildings or I noticed concrete work on your profile? Yeah, so um w when I was doing design engineering I was doing almost like i it was buildings, commercial, houses, you know, like there was that it was the focus on on buildings I'll say. And um I was doing a little bit of everything. Um doing design, doing even cost estimation. uh going on site, looking at how they were constructing things. yeah, I I even was doing drawings, so many different things that I was doing at that moment just because I was um out of college and I was working immediately on on that. And you know that when you come to your first job you do like uh all all all all of that all all type of activities because you're learning. I guess that's you're not expert in one thing. So yeah. Yeah, and um And you definitely have a lot of pressure because deadlines there's always a deadline in this business, right? Right. Isn't that one reason why you w did you seek other did you seek the software industry to kinda get away from the deadlines and that the pressure or you just like that? No, not really. I I stopped working at design engineering because I went and and and did my master in the UK so I had that opportunity and it was like okay um I'm going to take it and and after that it was just a natural thing that happened. I I was actually looking for for a design engineering um job. But um not really it happened. So Yeah. Awesome. We're just discussing you know, your your career really and going from you got your master's degree, you decided uh and that sort of took a progression into software, it sounds like. Yeah, right. Like uh after coming back from the UK because I did my master in in the UK in in Southampton, I I came came back to to Mexico and I started to apply you know, to get a job and um I got an interview with Bentley and I like it and and Yeah, so so that's how it started, honestly. Yeah. Nothing extre like I I wasn't looking for that specifically, but when when I got this opportunity to work for Bentley and the opportunity to work for uh let's say StatPro and RAM structural RAM elements, RAM structural system softwares that you well, that I was working before with, i it was almost like when you were when you see these young people trying to work for Google or for Apple, i it was something like that, you know. So I was like, Yeah, this is exciting, you know, like working for a company that you use their software and um yeah, so it it was kind of exciting. Yeah, that is exciting. I mean, and s and by the way, this is um podcast for architects, engineers, and contractors. So um I imagine today with the emphasis being on what it is, we're gonna get more engineers, but um you know, some of the others may not know what what your program is that you're currently with or even some of the men programs you mentioned. Um, but these are s you're a structural engineer and these are structural softwares you're mentioning, like Bentley and Idea Statica. These are s structural softwares, right? Yeah, right. So yeah, yeah, that moment like I'm not sure how um what are the software that students are using nowadays. I I guess the same, similar software, but um yeah, I I was used to use um StatBro and it was a big big deal big thing for me to work for for that company. So yeah. Okay, so you have experience with Stad and Bentley? All the valently pr structural products. So yeah. Yeah. So uh what what did you do for these companies? were you doing like software design or sales or whichever? I was I was more like into uh my position was application engineer. So it's uh being in the technical part like pre sales and also let's say technical support, presentations, um demonstrations of the software, um so it's b basically pre sales together with technical support. So that's that's what I was doing in Bentley. But I was supporting all the structural products for l Mexico and Latin America. So for all the users over there. Yeah. Yeah. so that was your experience and then um what brought you to the US? Yeah, so so after after Bentley I I moved to another software company but that was for construction. And that didn't didn't make me that happy, you know, because uh I was using I used to work for for structural engineering software and it was fun. I mean I I was having fun. And then changing to the construction industry, it wasn't my thing. Like it wasn't that fun. So I started to look again for for for new jobs and I was like uh in in Bentley I started to do things for the US doing things in English so I wanted a challenge and and that's what I what I I was starting to look at, you know, like working f in the US or working in in Europe. in the UK or something like that, you know, because whenever you go out from your country to live outside to study or work outside, you want to keep doing that, you know? So like this cultural um exchange and uh I mean it's it's always nice to be at home. I like to be at Mex in Mexico but um whenever you have this these experiences, these international experiences, um, it makes you want once more. So that that that was really the the motivation and I wanted this challenge to do my job, but in English, let's say. Yeah, I mean that's a double a double whammy, if you will. But it was because you went to a new country and you're now it sounds like I mean you you sound like you have have a really good uh English language. you speak well, but uh you I'm sure you weren't you doing that as much, obviously in being in Mexico, so you're you're having to speak um our language now in English. So and it's technical. Two. So it's a new job, new country and new language. Um, how did that how how did that go? for you. It wa it was difficult but I I I had been there before. You know, when when I was doing the master that that was the most difficult part of my career I guess. Uh because it in in Mexico it's it's normal that you have uh English classes in the university. It's okay, right? It's y you have to go through some courses in English but not for the actual school, for the actual exams, for studenting English, studing another code. That was super difficult when I moved to the UK to do my master. After that I mastered it, basically. You master that and then and then when I when I I came here I I guess it was a little bit easier. Obviously it's it's hard. It's it's it's always hard. Um Even here you have different accents. so it it wasn't that hard as when I was doing my master for the first time. And my ex manager in Bentley, she she is living in the I mean she is from here, from the US. So my conversations were in English, so I I was used to that. So yeah. Yeah. So For Mexico to here it it wasn't that hard, but at at the end of the day it's it's hard. You're we you're you're always singing in English, so yeah. And currently you're you're in a customer support role at at your current job as well. Presentations of the product and things. So uh yeah, you mentioned the accent, so I I imagine that's that's sort of an i interesting aspect of even in the US, the different accents. So I'm I'm in the South myself. Which I mean, I definitely have a southern accent but maybe not as strong as some, but uh what's the have you ever had any interesting conversations due to th that that were maybe you couldn't understand or maybe some things were like, don't know what this guy's saying Yes, I I no, definitely. I uh I can identify the southern um accent. It's a little bit slow, so it's easy. It's easy for me, honestly. But the accent here in the northeast, I I think it's super difficult. Like for for me I I I feel like it's it's even more difficult than other parts of the US. uh but Maybe I'm I'm wrong. Um do you know what happens to me when when I am when I am like in with my headset, I know what we're going to talk about in a meeting with a user or someone that wants to learn about idea aesthetica. I know the words, you know. It's harder for me to go outside and have random conversations. It's it's even harder. Why? Because you n here I know all the terms. I know what you're talking about. we're talking about the same topic which is idea statica. You know I we're going to talk about structural engineering. That's something I am reading and seeing every day, I'm hearing every day compared to going to I don't know, like to the movies and then you start buying some things and it's It's harder the the regular language than the the actual technical language that I live and breathe every day. Well, I think we all as engineers can relate to that. I mean I uh I I can relate to that. Like I I'm fine when I'm working and then I go out into the w quote unquote real world and I feel like I don't relate to people, right? Right, right, right, right, right. Definitely can relate to that. Um that's that's interesting. So um yeah, um what would you say to so our producer's on today, by the way, Madeline. Okay. And and you met her. So she's she's a young a young uh lady who just graduated high school. so what the idea that you're traveling the world and seeing seeing new things, so what So you're telling her or somebody like her, what is it that draws you and wh why did you do that? Like why why should she consider traveling, for example, and doing things like that? Um I I guess all this new experience that are out of your comfort zone makes you stronger. Like everything like not understanding some some someone that's telling you uh about a random topic. Hi I guess uh yeah just re rephrasing what I am saying. Um Yeah, just to learn more about the challenges that are outside your s comfort zone, I think that helps you to w with the regular challenges that you will have during your life. You are basically training for those challenges. So it's helpful, you know, to find those before they come and then you're prepared and then your life it's going to be easier. Like regular job challenges, they will be super easy. that's not the the most difficult part. So yeah. I I guess traveling outside your comfort zone it's it's always the best to be ready for the future. Yeah, that's a good a good lesson to make it um any questions for Oh, that was a good summary. I like that. Yeah, so travel. That's that's what you need to do. Yeah that she could travel. Well you gotta learn and she she learns the new languages too, so No, I am bilingual technically. Okay. she does have an I know sign language. I know sign language, so it's speak with your hands basically. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Cool. No, that's that's another way of communicating, so that's that's great. Yeah. Yeah, she's been working on that for a few years now. oh No, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Um okay. So yeah, thanks for sharing that, uh Andrea, and um definitely some good good advice for Madeline, our producer as she's um you know, learning and growing. And we all are, of course. So Idea Statica, you're working there now, right? Mm-hmm. customer support. uh what what is Idea Statica? I mean Why should engineers use it? What's different about it and maybe some of the other softwares out there? Yeah, I guess I I the aesthetic is not your regular software that you see every day, right? It's for structural details. Like this little details that makes the structural engineering harder, I'll say. Like connections, like uh let's say foundation or an opening in a concrete wall. Those type of details um most of the most well known softwares they don't address. So idea statica helps you to to go through those small details and make your life easier, I guess. It's the that's how I'll describe it. but if we start to talk more in the technical portion, um uh it's a suite of applications where you can design uh steel connections, space plates, uh member critical members in your structures where you need to assess an opening or you need to reinforce them or you want to retrofit them. Um then we we have our concrete applications where um you can look at this type of um structures or details where the geometry is changing. For instance, a walking column or a transfer beam. So shear walls. So wherever you need to use the strat and type method, that's where you will use our concrete applications. And then Recently we integrated connection application and and our concrete application so you can look at the reinforcement of the anchors if you have some anchoring issues. And the final like the cherry on top is our checkbot application where you can link idea statica to global analysis software like stat or ram structural system. Um that that you need to bring the geometry to to our software and then you check those small details that we were talking about. So that's in a few words what is what is idea statica. Okay. So, um a lot of people think it's just deal. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. And and that's that's what we're trying to, you know, like change the description of our whenever we're talking about ideas static, it's not connection application. It's a suite of tools, that helps you for this structural details. So yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I saw a good I saw a good uh quote the other day on LinkedIn. It said um structures are connections holding beams and columns together. Right. So that was a fun that was a fun quote. I think it was Hardy Cross. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cross method, which is um moment distribution. Mm-hmm. Obviously. But um anyway, that was a fun quote. But I mean you guys are under understand that because most of the failures often that occur and most of the issues occur um in connections. and also the like you mentioned, a lot of the work takes place in connection design, you know, and Um now that being said, what I found is eighty percent of the connection, you know, the eighty twenty rule, right? So eighty percent of the connections are pretty easy, right? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Or maybe more than that. So it's like, okay, yeah, we can share, you know, do this connection and just do it across the board. Yeah. And it works. But then you have these couple things, it's like, How am I gonna design this connection? Right? And you got three beams coming together and you got so moments and torsion. Um is that a g is that a good place to use idea statica? say you you can use it on that one hundred percent uh but but yeah like as a starting point uh that's that's how how someone will look into IT aesthetica, right? Like looking into a multi member joint or an HSS connection, that there is no easy solution by doing it by traditional methodologies. So yeah, for those twenty percent of the connections that you're mentioning, yeah, that that's how people come to the software. But then later they realize that you can do uh that eighty percent of your connections faster and faster than than your traditional methodologies or putting you know the tables or the your Excel uh spreadsheets when they realize it's faster that's when they're they're they're they're changing their mindset like okay let's do that the that hundred one hundred percent in idea statica and that eighty percent that I'm talking about can be faster just because we can integrate with other applications and because we are not trying to have uh main global analysis software we are very open to communicate to all these other applications, right? So we don't have um a preference or a preferred um software. So we communicate with all of them and we are friends with all of them. So you can bring your information and and do that faster. So Okay, so the what what I'm hearing is I can use I don't know. Is it okay to say some names? Yeah, I mean I I I already I'm already saying it, so Yeah, uh so it's you know, Riza, for example, um e tabs maybe, um, whatever your preferences, and then you could connect this to that to so we connect idea statica to reza, for example. Right, right. So you can bring your the entire structure, so Yeah. And that's you'd think that would be quicker than trying to maybe do that by hand or like use a table or chart or something to do these shear tabs? Yes. And also I guess the because someone can challenge me and say, Okay, well I just spit it as a table and I have already those those designs. I I already have the details for for that. But what about, you know, like your deliverables? If you can have all in one, like you create your deliverables the same for all the connections, rather than one Excel spreadsheet for this shoot apps. Then you have another deliverable type or another report type for this one. And then for the more complex connection you have the idea static report. So there you have three type of calculation packages that I I I won't be that happy to to deliver that or you know like in three different formats. So here you have one single format and yeah. Okay, what is that format? I mean, how does that work? So talking more technical this technical aspect from checkbot, which is this kind of integrator, from there you can create like r reports for all the connections at once, like one calculation package, so that will look the same for all the connections, and then you can also export your details to either an IFC file which will contain all the connections, like all the connections in one file that you can share with someone and they can maybe overlap it to their Revit model or Tecla model or something like that. So it's it's just one type of model. Yeah. Okay. So that would go into your e each each connection would be modeled, basically. Specifically. And but if I'm talking about a shear tab, it's the same exact shear tab that happens on a hundred beams maybe. Do I really need that connection like shown each time? Like how I mean um Yeah, no, that's that's true, but then what about you know like the forces that you have on those one hundred beams? Like the forces are changing, right? They they can change from one level to the other level. So you have more control on that, you know? Like maybe okay, I I'm not saying like you will have one hundred different shooters. No. But what about groups? Having groups per level. groups per sown and and that's what checkbot allows you to do like design one connection per group and um and and that's what we we are trying to you know uh spread the word out and and and talk about this type of strategies that you can that you can group these connections and just deliver a better product as a structural engineer. So this is a a chat bot, is what you're saying, right? Yeah, it's it's called checkbot. Yeah. And I can just like chat with it and it sorta helps me. No not not as as that, but what you'll do is you'll just select your structure and bring it into uh ID statica and then you have this interface where you can see the entire structure and see the groups of connections and then you y you will see results per group and and so on. So it's it's an application, let's say. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Well, yeah, we I think w sounds like a really good way to interface with it and sounds pretty exciting. So I think maybe we should learn more about that and we might have you do a demonstration of it as well.'Cause it it sounds like it could really help us get better at the connection designs. so it sounds like ideas static is really making a lot of progress. Um And even since I've started noticing the program, it seems like it's made a lot of progress. Um, what are some of the biggest changes that have been made in the past couple of years? I I guess you you cannot keep track of all the improvements that that we have done to to the software, but um we have we have done a lot. Like every year we we do a lot of development in the software. We we really are hearing our users and ideas that it gets a uh check. Um company. So i i the headquarters are in the Czech Republic. So it started there. So you know like bringing uh silver to the US, to the Americas in general, right? Uh to Latin America. You need to do some changes to to adapt it to to that market. And um since the Since idea static is in the US, we have done a lot of changes for the US market. And that that can be from the way we model things, that can be units, that can be integrations, so so many, many changes that we have done, implementations of the implementation of the uh of the code checks like AIC uh AIC three forty one or three five eight for seismic connections, those type of things, you know, like they're very local and those are are big changes that had happened in the last five years that I started here to to work in ideasatic. But I guess the the one of the main advancements and and that it's this it's already working very well is Looking at the concrete part of the connections, like the the base plate and having the pedestal and seeing the reinforcement, how the force is traveling through the concrete, through the like it goes from the anchor to the concrete and then to the reinforcement. Like having a three D FEA commercially available to see how uh the reinforcement helps the anchor, I think that's that's huge. Like That's something that's really advanced. And probably I see it as very normal because I work with that like f from the last two years, but it's it's awesome, right? Having a three D F E A available to run your base plate, that it's it's awesome. Yeah. That's that's what I would be like. It's yeah. agree. I mean that's it's pretty amazing and that's what to me that's what I think we've been looking for for my whole career, right? Is like that's what I think when we think of compu we look around, we see what computers are doing all around us, right? In engineering. And yet structural engineering is like if sometimes it feels like we don't have the tools that everybody else has. You know, and so I'm glad to see these tools are catching up, it seems like, where we can see how an anchor bolt interacts with the concrete. You know, I mean we have these codes and these deterministic formulas that tell us, you know, this is we have to go through like five formulas to figure out what the anchor bolt's good for. oh And now we can just put it into this program, right? And you know, granted the anchor bolt formulas are fine and um it works. But there are times when you need this extra step, right, to to really show it works. but are you finding that sometimes you're getting better results than ACI for that type of thing? Or are you able to ex go above and beyond what ACI allows in that situation? I I I don't think it's kind of a better way, it's just to see how it's really uh working, you know? Uh because at the end of the day the the formulas have been working like for for years. I I I totally agree with that. But this feeling of seeing a hand calculation, like the way you you do the the reinforcement, it's basically taking a force and then you divide it by an area. And that's what you're doing. It's it's it sounds a little bit basic, right? Yeah. Um but and then you have your this detailing checks and I understand that's it's not that basic. But um it's it if I think about it, it's basic. But the the the the part that I like is that you can visualize what you're designing and The visualization I I think it's key for every human. I'm not saying like for structural engineers, like for everyone. Like seeing something it's it's better than just okay, proving that this formula is okay, check, check, okay, it goes out. So I prefer to see something. Yeah, exactly. I mean that makes sense. We're in a visual w we're dealing with we're dealing with sticks and bricks, right? So um we're dealing with visual things, so why not have a visual program? I I love that. yeah, we need to see more we need to see more of those uh colorful diagrams that you post. Yeah. Those are great. Uh I love those. Yeah. So um I think that's one of the reasons it's it's so popular is this it's the visual, right? Like it's caught on. And um to me it's it's hard to catch on in the US because we engineers we're all like um we we like what we like, right? So the fact that Ideastatica has caught on really is is actually quite amazing in itself, in my opinion. Um what do you think the the the thing that c caused that is? like um why it's it's getting so popular or oh That made it sort of catch on in the US. Yeah, I guess it's it's kind of the transparency of what what you can see. And i people can say, okay, this is a black box, right? But seeing a deformation in a connection, it's not a black box box, right? We're we're applying these forces. This is the forces that you're applying, this is the m the connection you model, you use our operations, and then You run the analysis and this is the result of that. Like this is how it's deforming because you apply these things. So for me it's I have seen people saying that that's a black box, but maybe they're not looking at this deform shape, uh the deformation of uh that beam, you know? And and and that's that's something I um always encourage people like the very first thing that you need to do is look at the deform shape. We're not used to that. It's it's it's natural. We are we're not used to to do that for connection design. So So that's the key. Look at the deformed shape. And then that will help you see where the load path is. Right. Okay. And we we're we're talking always about load paths. If if you if you like during this all these years that I'm coming to let's say NASC and people is just talking about load paths, it's super hard to imagine them without seeing something. And for I'll say for young people, probably for experienced people, they they know, right? Because they they have seen so many maybe experiments or studies. But what about young people? They they don't have this experience so it helps them to see what is this load pad that everyone is talking about during a connection design class for for instance. So now that's a a bit of a box that you've opened up there because um when you mentioned young people or really anybody who leans on the software, right, and m maybe too much, right? What is the balance between leaning on the software versus understanding the load path yourself? Like how how do you feel about what are your thoughts on that? yeah, I mean the the the load path uh thing is it's it's very abstract, I'll say. Because if if you don't have the software you need to kind of imagine it. And um But how how do you learn that? Like how how you're not expecting to something to fail to see a loath path, right? oh Do you read books and learn about it? Do you see pictures and learn about it? So but at the uh at the same time as you say, like you're focusing too much in the software sometimes people it's like yeah let's it's it's imagine like before idea statica people just looking at FEA software like I'll I'm going to say some brands like Avacus or ANSIS. They were modeling these connections there and people were like that that's too much for a connection or for a shoot up right now we are calling them crazies but They were trying maybe to see how it's really uh the physics of that joint or the geometry of that joint and how that will be deforming. So yeah, i it's hard. It's hard to to to to think about the load pad without having experience. Hmm. Well, so those programs, uh it was that uh is that basically what you're you're doing now with Idea Statica is you're taking that concept and taking it a step further, would you say or Yeah, I mean it's idea statica uses finite element analysis but is uh focused for connection design. So all these parameters that you need will need to let's say uh set up in a general FEA, they are ready to use in Idea Statica. So you don't have to think or not to think, but you know you don't have to set up a bold spring element, right? Uh or how you will model the shell element for connecting uh the wealth or for creating a wealth element in Avacus. Yeah. It's a template of sorts. It's a kit to help you get there better. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah. Um so um I wanna go into you a little bit and your thought process about structural engineering. What are you passionate about when it comes to structural engineering? Um that's that's interesting. I guess I I like st steel design. It's very novel, I'll say it's uh kind of predictable uh too and uh yeah, I guess uh designing soul structures and now designing, you know, like connections and learning and showing people how the force is travelling in reality, right? Um that's that's that's that's what I am passionate about, I'll say design in general. Yeah. How do you how do you do that? Is it is it through the program? Is there other means to do that? Like how how how to do how to be passionate about No, no, you said you were passionate about this understanding, you know, you kinda went back to the low path a bit. Yeah. How do you explain that? Is it through is it through this idea? Yeah, and I I think also through solving problems. Right. So how you come from this this point to this other point? So what what will be the solution and uh and I guess that's that's part of the connection design, right? You you need to th it's not like you you have a response immediately for a connection design. You need to think about a concept. That's I I was talking about that with a colleague. Like first you need to define a concept connection. You're not thinking about like what is the size of the plate, what is the thickness of the or what is the size of the wealth or what will be the size of the bolt. First we need to think about a concept. So understanding that how you how You will transfer a force coming from a a member to the column. This member has moments, this member only has shear force. So translating that into a detail, I I believe that's that's that's that's the nice part, right? Rather than just doing calculations and learning what is the n needed size of the bolt or or the well. Yeah, I love that. I mean it's really the way you describe it, it sounds like art in a way. You know, I mean it's an art and a science, of course, right? Like you're taking the the idea of this conceptual design, you know, and okay, I got shear, so I need to use things that what are what are some things that are good for shear? Well, I could I mean a shear tab, a clip and go, you know, or moment. What are good for a moment? And so Yeah, I mean it's uh it's a bit of an art to do a connection, right? And so but yeah, you definitely don't want to just jump into the program. Uh what are so uh going back to idea for a minute, idea statica for a minute, um what is next for idea statica? What are some of the trends or things that is next? Yeah, I guess um I mean it's a big deal what we did with this integration of connection with um the concrete application. I I believe the the next thing will be to make it so let's say kind of fast and easy to model things. Uh to make an application for the actual design. Right. Right now I'll I'll say that um we're missing some some tricks or some some things that really will make it as easy as connection. To to not focus that much in the modeling aspects uh or not waiting that much on seeing a concrete block that is failing. Right. we we need some faster tools to to use it for the design. I'll say keep keep developing that that integration. Like that that's the dream. Like seeing the integration between the steel and the concrete and how they interact together. Similar to like this is about another topic, but similar to the this dream of having, you know, like your global structure and the interaction with the soil, right? That that's that's difficult. We're so so I I I I saw one of the questions and I was thinking the other day like that also it's kind of similar to what we did here, but it will be great if our computers or our software is so strong and so smart that we can model this soul interaction. It's it it'll be kind of awesome. Yeah, that would be great. Are you guys looking at at that type of work? well it's it's something similar to what we're doing with um, you know, like the anchors and the concrete block. But I'm just extrapolating to uh a different area which is something similar. Yeah. Yeah, that's a that's an interesting topic too. So maybe we'll bring that one up another one another day. Yeah, someone that works for for uh global software, you know, that uh that would be a good question. Um, so so that sounds interesting. some ideas that that they're gonna be continuing to work on and um are they are you think do you think they're gonna be including any new materials anytime soon? uh I cannot promise you anything but that that'll be that'll be interesting too. That's a good idea. Yeah.'Cause right now it's steel and concrete pretty much or Mm, yeah. So that that's a regular question that we have. Can you do aluminium or can you do uh coal form steel? Um like you can model these sections, but at the end of the day the the the the material that we're using is steel. So you can decrease the strength of the steel to mimic somehow, but it's not the same behavior. Like you have different behaviors, so yeah. Yeah, I light gauge steel shouldn't be too bad because it's just steel, right? But aluminum is definitely a different material. So react very differently as you know. So Yeah. what about c CMU concrete masonry? Do you c are you able to do that one? Or is that yeah, okay. So concrete and steel. I did notice there's a pr a pre stressed concrete and a and a post tension module, so that's that's cool. Yeah. I was playing around with that one a little bit, but it's it's definitely a a learning curve. I'm the owner of the company. I have a hard time getting into softwares, but I do like I do like doing it. Um but I'm not able to spend too much time into it usually. But and uh was there anything else you wanted to uh cover today or any topics that you wanted to mention that I didn't already touch on? Not really. I I I guess we we talk about this load pads part and that's what I I always like to share with people and yeah. No, I guess um I'm I'm I'm okay. Yeah. Well we this is the enhanced podcast. I do like to find out, you know, I think we've already hit on some of it, you know, just inherently, but we really like to know what what you know, how you're enhancing the world around you and, you know, like what your why is. So how do you feel that you and or Idea Statica is really making the world a little better? Mm yeah. So from from my side I guess I have the I have the opportunity to work in this position where I can help people. I can help uh engineers, you know, doing their work, their doing their their their connections, for instance. So I guess that is how I contribute, you know, with my knowledge. on on the application with my knowledge in structural engineering, uh with my knowledge also, you know, like from other cultures and um sharing the the way I am, you know, uh because as as Mexican you're well I feel a little bit different, so I'm I'm sharing the way we are, right? That we express so much. I but yeah th and on this position I have the opportunity to do that. So that's that's what I like from from my job, helping helping people to understand some concepts. So if I can contribute with that, uh I'm happy. Yeah. Yeah, that sounds awesome. And it sounds like you're really doing that and I love the passion you have for structural engineering. So keep doing that and keep sharing. Yeah, thank you. So well Andrea, it was great to speak with you today and have you on the enhanced podcast. Um how do people find you if they wanna find The the best way is LinkedIn, I guess. Um I am in LinkedIn. probably we can share the link in in this podcast. But yeah, you can type Andrea Castello with one L and I'll I'll be there. Okay, awesome. And um hopefully you'll have some some nice colorful posts coming up soon. Yeah, yeah, all all good. Of the low pads and so forth. Yeah. Yeah. We'll look forward to seeing that and look forward to seeing you further on LinkedIn and elsewhere. Andrea. Sure. Thank you so much, Andy. Yeah. Yeah, bye bye. Hey everybody, thanks for listening to today's episode of Enhance. And please leave a like, a subscribe, or a follow, and we'll see you next time.