FRILO Software GmbH

A German company, FRILO Software GmbH develops software for structural engineers. Its programs are used to calculate and design building elements, and the company says it has built these tools for more than forty years. It is part of the Nemetschek Group and works with partners that promote the OPEN BIM approach to building design, so that its programs exchange information with other design software.

Beam and frame calculation programs

The company's most established product line covers the design of beams and frames. The Continuous Beam program handles single-span beams and multi-span beams, with or without cantilevers, in reinforced concrete, steel or timber, and it takes any number of spans. In release 2023-1 the most widely used program was moved to the company's PLUS version, which the company presents as a modern and user friendly edition.

Building models and finite elements

Other tools handle the transfer of vertical and horizontal loads through complete buildings made of concrete and masonry, and the company offers a finite element product for plate-type structures. A BIM connector links the calculations with building information models, and a Framework program covers two and three dimensional frame analysis in steel, timber and concrete.

Masonry and reinforced concrete design

The company describes its masonry tools as a way to design walls and structures with more efficiency. The 2023-1 release added an interface between the SCIA Engineer analysis software and the FRILO masonry programs, which the company says makes the design of masonry structures faster.

Foundations, soil and geotechnics

For geotechnical engineers, the company offers foundation and soil analysis. Its listed programs cover strip, pad and raft foundations, construction pit walls, borehole profiles, field and laboratory testing, geological sections, contaminated sites and geohydraulics. Editions are split between professional and ultimate levels, and a separate geotechnics line is available for geotechnical engineers.

Timber roofs and columns

The timber and roof programs calculate rafters, purlins and collar beam roofs in their different forms, and the company also offers programs for columns made from steel, timber and reinforced concrete. Together these tools cover the common elements that structural engineers design for buildings.

Training, students and support

FRILO runs webinars, online courses, onsite training and fairs for its users, and it lists manuals, worked examples and a download area for documentation. It also offers student licences and a support hotline for customers with service agreements. The company says it wants to support engineers in their everyday work, and its trade magazine focuses on productivity and sustainability, including the use of high strength reinforcement in concrete construction.