A strategic solution for composite safety and compliance

Composite structures are the unsung heroes of modern infrastructure — delivering strength, efficiency, and durability by combining the best properties of two materials.

By Dr Troy Coyle

In the case of composite steel-concrete systems, steel brings tensile strength and flexibility, while concrete offers excellent compressive strength and robustness.

 Hence, they form a system that outperforms the sum of its parts—making buildings and bridges not only stronger and longer-lasting, but often also more material-efficient and cost-effective. 

It is this synergy that underpins much of today’s high-performance infrastructure. Among these high-performing systems, composite steel-concrete beams play a vital role in modern infrastructure – carrying the load of bridges, buildings, and critical facilities across New Zealand. 

Yet, when these structural elements are punctuated with service penetrations — openings needed for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or communications — the challenge of maintaining safety and compliance becomes exponentially more complex.

Enter HERA-CompWebPen: a recently released digital tool. This software supports engineers designing composite beams with web openings. Backed by the latest industry standards, integrated into our digital ecosystem and built for practical use by structural professionals, CompWebPen is a leap forward in infrastructure design.

In a fast-changing construction environment, tools like CompWebPen offer a crucial advantage. They deliver precision, adaptability, and code compliance – without demanding months of training or costly add-ons. Whether you’re designing a commercial high-rise or retrofitting essential infrastructure, it empowers engineers to bring their ideas to life with confidence and speed.

CompWebPen – solving industry problems

HERA prioritises developing design tools and guides based on industry feedback, with a strong focus on supporting engineers across New Zealand.

CompWebPen was created to help address the long-standing challenges of designing composite beams with web penetrations – offering an accurate, efficient, and standards-compliant solution. 

Released as part of a suite of structural design tools, CompWebPen is more than just software – it’s a strategic solution to a persistent engineering problem. 

The software simplifies the analysis and design of composite steel-concrete beams with web penetrations while supporting compliance with AS/NZS 2327:2017 Amd1 2020.

 

By streamlining the design process, it not only improves structural performance but also supports cost-effective and sustainable construction outcomes.

It is engineered with New Zealand’s structural professionals in mind.  The focus is to support engineers to meet complex design demands without compromising safety, standards, or time.

Accessible through HERA’s digital tool portal, CompWebPen supports users to define, analyse, and optimise beams with a range of web openings – whether they are circular, rectangular, or elongated, and whether isolated or closely-spaced.

CompWebPen has been developed as a practical, user-friendly tool for design engineers, steel fabricators, researchers, and industry professionals. 

It offers a clear, standards-aligned approach to tackling the complexities of designing composite steel-concrete beams with web penetrations. 

One of its greatest strengths is its accessibility – it’s powerful enough for experienced engineers, yet intuitive enough for those less familiar with this specific area of design.

Why do web openings matter? 

Why are they a challenge?

In large-scale infrastructure projects, services often need to pass through structural elements. Beams with penetrations must carry the same load and maintain integrity, even with substantial material removed. 

Historically, this has led to either over-designed members to “brute force” past the opening losses or costly consultations with experts for manual calculations and custom details.

“Web penetrations are where real-world needs collide with theoretical design,” says HERA’s Structural Engineer, Dr Maryam Hasanali. 

“CompWebPen addresses this intersection by enabling smart, standards-aligned, decision-making for every hole, notch and opening.”

Standards-based digital engineering

Unlike generalised finite element packages or spreadsheets, CompWebPen is built from the ground up to comply with AS/NZS 2327:2017 Amd1 2020, which governs composite structures in Australia and New Zealand. 

The software is designed to assist engineers to:

• embed relevant clauses and equations;
• automatically evaluate load effects, stud capacity, and web shear; and
• flag areas requiring reinforcement or redesign.

“The goal is trust,” says Dr Kaveh Andisheh, General Manager of Structural Systems.  “Engineers need confidence that every input leads to a compliant output. CompWebPen can support them to achieve that – while still offering flexibility for manual overrides and advanced use cases.”

The software is designed to generate reports that enable seamless integration of the relevant clauses and equations from the AS/NZS 2327 standard used in design calculations. 

This innovative tool streamlines both the calculation and peer review processes, enabling enhanced trust, efficiency, and accuracy.

A seamless workflow 

One of CompWebPen’s biggest strengths is its integration with HERA’s existing web-based composite beam design software. Users can import beam data and loading parameters through XML files, streamlining the process for those already using this tool.

Once imported, the interface allows engineers to adjust key inputs manually if needed, define multiple web openings – by location, shape, and size and save a new project file locally (including all data) for further iterations or audit trails.

Design versatility

From a simple circular duct to a cluster of elongated rectangular penetrations, CompWebPen can assist engineers to model single or multiple penetrations, spaced or adjacent openings, stiffened or unstiffened configurations and/or varying sizes and locations along the beam length.

This flexibility allows engineers to tailor their designs without having to oversimplify or approximate geometry. 

“One of the most powerful things we’ve done is allow for realistic modelling,” says Dr Hasanali. “If a service designer requests an HVAC path through a beam, you can now deliver an engineered solution in minutes — not days.”

members receive discounted access, with licensing available via our main software page.

 Digital engineering excellence

CompWebPen aligns with HERA’s broader strategic goals of digitisation, innovation, and sustainability in New Zealand’s heavy engineering sector. By reducing waste, avoiding overdesign, and speeding up delivery, it supports carbon-conscious design without sacrificing strength. 

Digital tools like CompWebPen aren’t just modern — they’re essential. They help us build better, faster, and safer, and they keep New Zealand at the forefront of engineering excellence.

We see tools like CompWebPen as a bridge between manual legacy practices and the data-rich environments of Building Information Modelling (BIM), digital twins, and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD).

Dr Andisheh saying “We’re not just releasing software – we’re building a new design culture. One where digital data flows between stakeholders and where design intelligence is shared, not siloed.”

Future enhancements and industry collaboration

While HERA’s current release offers powerful features, we are actively working on future updates that may include:

• BIM plugin integration for real-time 3D feedback;
• API access for enterprise-scale project management tools; and
• multi-language support for regional adoption in Australia and the Pacific.

HERA welcomes industry feedback to shape these next steps, where an early-adopter program is currently under development to allow firms to influence the direction of these tools.

“To me, collaboration is our hallmark at HERA! The more we work with industry partners, the more our tools reflect real project challenges”, says Dr Coyle.

 Environmental impact: Sustainable engineering through efficiency

In addition to design clarity, CompWebPen promotes sustainability. By avoiding over-engineered beams, it helps reduce unnecessary steel use, waste, and embodied carbon. This is especially vital in commercial and public projects targeting Green Star or Homestar ratings. Its impact goes beyond material savings – time, too, is a critical sustainability metric. Faster design turnaround means fewer project delays, reduced on-site energy use, and more efficient coordination between teams. In today’s fast-paced infrastructure environment, where both environmental responsibility and delivery speed are under the spotlight, CompWebPen helps engineers meet both goals at once – designing smarter, building faster, and leaving a lighter footprint.

Visual tools to support design insight

To aid design decision-making, HERA plans to expand CompWebPen’s visual capabilities in future releases. Planned visual feature enhancements include on-screen beam visualization, automatic clash detection with closely spaced penetrations and stress contour overlays and simplified performance reports.

 

HERA also offers webinars, video tutorials, and direct support for those adopting CompWebPen. 

 

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