Automation of AutoCAD for Detailing of Reinforced Concrete Dog-Leg/Half-Turn Staircase Using AutoLISP

Abstract

AutoLISP was used to automate AutoCAD to produce reinforced concrete drawing of a half-turn dog-leg staircase, on receiving information relating to geometry and related parameters. This was done to improve efficiency as well as to save time and effort during structural detailing of the staircase type. The software development was based on the use of AutoLISP customization features to define X and Y coordinates of any point that the software uses to draw any element in the detailing. AutoLISP functions were used to define function of routines, obtain user input, define the drawing pattern and change the system variables where necessary before using the command function to produce the desired drawing. This was done in the AutoLISP integrated development environment (VLIDE). The software has enhanced time utilization and efficiency during structural detailing work such that drawings that could have taken hours to produce (even by a good AutoCAD user) can now be completed in a fraction of the time.

Keywords: AutoCad, Autolisp, Dod-leg staircase, Software development, Structural detailing