Our Company
Since 1989, Space Gass has been at the forefront of structural engineering software innovation.
Our story
Company Milestones
The initial release of SPACE GASS with 3D analysis and design capabilities
The first Windows version of SPACE GASS released, coinciding with Windows 95
SPACE GASS gaining wide acceptance and now used in over 70 countries
Added a photo-realistic 3D rendered Viewer
New 64-bit parallel multi-core sparse matrix solver released
3D renderer now the default user interface for SPACE GASS
A new partnership between SPACE GASS and StruSoft was formed
Release →A new partnership between SPACE GASS and Structural Toolkit was formed
Release →a Brief History
SPACE GASS was born in 1989 along with its companion program PLANE GASS. The names come from SPACE (3D) or PLANE (2D) General Analysis of Structural Systems.
They were developed specifically for personal computers at a time when PCs were in their infancy and engineers were still reliant on specialist computer bureaus to run their structural analyses overnight. Due to the newfound convenience of being able to perform structural analysis and design in-house on a PC, engineers soon warmed to the idea of programs like SPACE GASS and PLANE GASS, and hence their popularity soared.
By 1990 it became apparent that structural engineers wanted 3D rather than 2D analysis and so PLANE GASS was discontinued. SPACE GASS continued to be developed and new modules were added for non-linear analysis, dynamic analysis, buckling analysis, steel design and reinforced concrete design. The design modules were also adapted for the major US, European and Asia-Pacific design codes, and by 1999 SPACE GASS was being used worldwide in over 70 countries.
More recently, a sparse matrix solver that fully supports the parallel processing power of modern multi-core computers was added. A new user interface has also been developed that operates in wireframe, outline or fully rendered photo-realistic modes and takes full advantage of today's super-fast graphics cards.
In December 2021, a new partnership was formed between SPACE GASS and StruSoft. StruSoft Group is the home for highly specialized and exceptional building and construction business systems, and is a majority owned by Vind, a Norwegian based industrial owner company with an eternal perspective for all its businesses. Space Gass Pty Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of StruSoft AB, took over ownership of all assets related to the SPACE GASS software. All employees of ITS Pty Ltd transferred their employment to Space Gass Pty Ltd, including founder and managing director Peter Schulze.
In July 2024, Space Gass Pty Ltd announced the successful acquisition of Structural Toolkit, the essential structural design and analysis tool trusted by Australian structural engineers for over 20 years. Tony Furr and Greg Douglas, the creators of Structural Toolkit, joined the Space Gass team, bringing their expertise to further improve the design and analysis workflow for engineers using both products.
Space Gass is part of the StruSoft Group. You can read more about the Group here.
The development of SPACE GASS has been continuous since its inception and continues unabated today.