icabforce.com

What It Is

ICAB is a family of structural calculation software developed and commercialized by France-based ICAB SA. Its core focus is applying the finite element method to engineering objects such as metal buildings, industrial equipment, beams, plates, shells, and connections. It is closer to an engineering CAE / structural design tool than a general-purpose developer tool, and mainly serves design firms that need to model structures, run checks, and produce calculation reports.

Core Capabilities and Ecosystem

Based on the available content, ICAB can be used for structural calculations involving steel, aluminum, timber, concrete, composite materials, and more. It covers snow loads, wind loads, seismic analysis, dynamics, shells, and assembly calculations. Its supported standards include DTU CM66, CB71, BAEL91, Eurocode, AISC, and others, making it relatively well suited to French, European, and American engineering code environments. The software runs on Windows PCs, uses a Windows graphical interface, and allows users to create, modify, calculate, and visualize one or more structures within a single application.

For integration, it supports CAD/CAM exchange formats such as IGES, DXF, and Universal. Calculation data and results can be exported as ASCII, Lotus WKS, and Microsoft Office/Word files, making it easier to compile calculation reports and connect with spreadsheet and word-processing workflows. However, the available content does not mention an API, SDK, scripting automation, plugin marketplace, or modern cloud collaboration capabilities.

Pricing, Documentation, and Service

Pricing information is limited. The site only mentions offering the “best price” for design firms, without disclosing license models, subscriptions, perpetual purchases, trials, or maintenance fees. On the service side, ICAB provides training, user assistance, calculation report services, downloadable updates, an FAQ, technical support, and structural design guides, indicating a service model more typical of traditional engineering software vendors.

Pros, Cons, and Who It’s For

Its strengths are its professional focus, broad coverage of materials and component types, support for multiple engineering standards, and ability to export calculation report data. The drawbacks are that the public-facing information appears clearly outdated, with listed Windows versions stopping at 3.1/95/98/NT/2000/XP; pricing, payment, licensing, and modern integration capabilities are all unclear. It is best suited to engineering teams that already have Windows-based engineering workstations, rely on European/French standards, and want to perform finite element structural checks locally.

Access from China and Alternatives

Access from China cannot be determined from the available content, so it should be marked as unknown; payment methods are also not disclosed. For projects in China that require local standards, Chinese-language support, and local service, code compatibility should be evaluated carefully. Alternatives to compare include ANSYS Mechanical, SAP2000, ETABS, STAAD.Pro, Robot Structural Analysis, MIDAS, as well as domestic options such as PKPM and YJK.