SANS Structural Steel Catalog for Autodesk Plant 3D 2026 + 2027

The complete South African (SANS) structural steel section library for AutoCAD Plant 3D 2026 and 2027 - 792 sections sourced from the SAISC official database, ready to drop into your Plant 3D installation in minutes.

If you're doing structural work in AutoCAD Plant 3D on South African projects, you already know the problem: the default structural catalog ships with AISC (imperial) and DIN (German) sections. There is no out-of-the-box SANS or South African steel section library.

This catalog fixes that.

Compiled by Modena Design Centres (Cape Town) from the SAISC official databases and the Stewart & Lloyds SABS/SANS 1431 catalog, it gives you 792 South African standard sections - all under a single SANS standard in Plant 3D Member Settings, all with correct SAISC linear weights for material take-off.

What's included

• UB - Universal Beams (44 sections)
• UC - Universal Columns (19 sections)
• IPE - European I-Sections (12 sections)
• C - Channels, Taper Flange (10 sections)
• PC - Channels, Parallel Flange (10 sections)
• CLC - Cold-formed Lipped Channels (85 sections, SAISC database)
• CZ - Cold-formed Z-Sections / Purlins (20 sections, CZ 100–250mm)
• EA - Equal Angles (49 sections)
• UA - Unequal Angles (24 sections)
• CHS - Circular Hollow Sections (122 sections, 32mm–508mm OD)
• SHS - Square Hollow Sections (85 sections)
• RHS - Rectangular Hollow Sections (97 sections)
• FB - Flat Bar, SABS/SANS 1431 (134 sections)
• RB - Solid Round Bar (20 sections, 6mm–100mm)
• SB - Solid Square Bar (16 sections, 8mm–100mm)
• BT - Structural Tees cut from UB (35 sections, BS4 Part 1)
• CR - Crane Rails, A-series DIN 536 (A45, A55, A65, A75, A100, A120, A150)

Plus full metric plate thicknesses (5mm–100mm) with correct SABS/SANS 1431 area weights.

Material standard

All sections carry the SANS 1431 material standard.

Data sources

SAISC official steel profiles database (Files 1 & 2) · Stewart & Lloyds SABS/SANS 1431 published catalog · SAISC Red Book / BS4 Part 1 (structural tees) · DIN 536 (crane rail masses)

Installation

One file swap. No scripts, no plugins, no licence manager. Close Plant 3D → back up the existing Structural Catalog.acat → drop in the new file → restart. Full instructions included. Compatible with AutoCAD Plant 3D 2026 & 2027.

What you receive

• Structural Catalog - SANS Updated.acat - drop-in replacement file
• README with full section counts, data sources, deployment steps, version history, and known limitations

Frequently asked questions

Does AutoCAD Plant 3D include South African steel sections?
No. The structural catalog that ships with Plant 3D covers international standards such as AISC and DIN, but has no SANS sections. This catalog adds them under their own SANS standard.

How do I add SANS steel sections to Plant 3D?
Close Plant 3D, back up your existing Structural Catalog.acat, replace it with the supplied file and restart. The SANS sections then appear in Member Settings. The README walks you through each step.

Which versions of Plant 3D are supported?
AutoCAD Plant 3D 2026 and 2027.

Will material take-off report the correct steel mass?
Yes. Every section carries its SAISC linear weight, and plates carry SABS/SANS 1431 area weights, so structural quantities and BOMs reflect South African section masses.

Do I need to install a plugin or script?
No. It is a standard Plant 3D catalog file - no add-ins, scripts or licence manager.

About Modena Design Centres

Modena Design Centres is a Cape Town-based engineering technology consultancy specialising in Autodesk Plant 3D implementation, training, and content development for the South African process and industrial sector.