This paper describes the development of an integrated CAD based application for the analysis and design of three-dimensional structures. The program runs under CADKEY which is a 3-D Computer Aided Design program available for several operating systems including DOS, OS12 and Unix. The program consists of three modules: a preprocessor for creating the structural model and performing modifications to the model, an analysis module that performs the structural analysis, and a post-processor for displaying analysis results in both tabular and graphical format. The program was developed in the C programming language and takes advantage of the CADKEY Dynamic Extension (CDE) mechanism to interface with the underlying CAD system. A structural entities database was developed for storing structural data along with the geometric CAD data in an integrated database. The integration of CAD with structural engineering offers many significant advantages over traditional character-based applications the most important being the efficiency in creating the computer model of the structure and a rich graphical visual environment for viewing the geometry, applied loads and response of the structure.

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