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Private Knowledge Base

Optional Feature: The Private Knowledge Base allows you to connect firm-specific documents, standards, and proprietary information to the Stru AI Agent.

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What You Can Add

Internal Standards

Firm design guides, technical bulletins, standard details, and engineering policies

Code Copies

Your own copies of building codes and reference standards

Project Documents

Reports, calculations, specifications, and geotechnical reports

Reference Materials

Product catalogs, manufacturer data, research papers, and technical articles
Beta Limit: Currently limited to 100 documents per account during beta testing.

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How It Works

1

Document Upload

Upload your documents to your private folder (cloud-based) or use the Stru Desktop App to keep data on your machine.Supported formats: PDF, DOCX, TXT, MD, MCDX (Mathcad files)
2

Initial Processing

Each document is indexed once for semantic search. Processing takes approximately 1 second per page (e.g., 10 seconds for a 10-page document).You’ll see a processing status indicator for each uploaded document.
3

Runtime Access

When you make a request, the Agent can access your private documents to answer questions, generate calculations, or perform comparisons.Example: “Compare our firm’s ‘Seismic_Design_Guide.pdf’ approach with ASCE 7-22 requirements”
4

Privacy Protection

Your data is never used to train models, stored on our servers (local option), or saved to LLM providers. Permissions can be removed at any time.

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Security & Privacy

Option 1 (Recommended): Cloud-based private folder managed by Stru AI with enterprise-grade encryption.
  • Your documents are encrypted at rest and in transit
  • Stored in secure, isolated cloud storage
  • Accessible only by your account
  • Backed up automatically
Option 2: Data stays on your local machine. Requires Stru Desktop App to connect with the server during runtime.
  • Documents never leave your machine
  • Agent accesses them via secure connection during active use
  • You control all access permissions
  • Ideal for highly sensitive projects
  • Only accessible to the Agent during runtime when you make a request
  • Not used for model training
  • Not stored on our servers (if using local option)
  • Not shared with LLM providers
  • Only documents in your specific folder are accessible to your Agent
  • Processed for indexing only - original files remain unchanged
Zero Training Guarantee: Your documents are never used to train AI models, and your data never improves anyone else’s results.
Yes, you can remove document access permissions at any time:
  1. Delete specific documents from your knowledge base
  2. Remove all documents at once
  3. Disconnect the Stru Desktop App (local option)
  4. Delete your entire private folder
Once removed, the Agent will no longer be able to access those documents.
Your intellectual property and project data remain yours. The Agent accesses documents only at your direction during active use.Recommendations for sensitive projects:
  • Use the local storage option with Stru Desktop App
  • Upload only non-confidential reference materials to the cloud
  • Remove project-specific documents after project completion
  • Use document access logs to audit Agent interactions
Your team only. All users on your Stru AI account can access your shared Private Knowledge Base.
  • No one outside your organization can access your documents
  • Stru AI staff cannot view your documents
  • LLM providers never see your documents
  • Documents are isolated per account
If you need sub-groups with different access levels, contact us about Enterprise features.
Cloud storage option:
  • You’ll have 30 days to download your documents
  • After 30 days, documents are permanently deleted
  • No data retention after cancellation period
Local storage option:
  • Your documents remain on your machine
  • Simply disconnect the Stru Desktop App
  • No data to delete on our side

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Best Practices

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Organizing Your Knowledge Base

  • By Type
  • By Project
  • By Discipline
Organize documents by type for easy reference:
  • /standards/ - Firm design standards and policies
  • /templates/ - Mathcad templates and calculation shells
  • /codes/ - Building code copies (if uploading your own)
  • /references/ - Manufacturer catalogs, research papers
  • /projects/ - Project-specific calculations and reports

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Referencing Documents in Prompts

When you want the Agent to use a specific document, reference it explicitly: 
"Use our firm's 'Column_Design_Template_2024.mcdx' from the
private knowledge base as the starting point for this calculation."
Pro Tip: The Agent can search across all your documents if you don’t specify a filename. Try: “Search our knowledge base for any documents related to transfer beam design”

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Document Maintenance

Keep Documents Updated

Regularly update your knowledge base with:
  • New code editions when released
  • Updated firm standards
  • Recent project learnings
  • Revised manufacturer data

Remove Outdated Content

Delete documents that are:
  • Superseded by newer versions
  • From completed projects (if no longer needed)
  • Outdated manufacturer data
  • Old code editions no longer in use

Use Clear Filenames

Name files descriptively:
  • ✅ ACI_318-19_Chapter_17_Notes.pdf
  • ✅ Hilti_Anchor_Catalog_2024.pdf
  • ❌ document.pdf
  • ❌ file1.pdf

Version Control

Include version info in filenames:
  • ✅ Column_Template_v3.2.mcdx
  • ✅ Firm_Standard_2024.pdf
  • ❌ Column_Template.mcdx
  • ❌ Firm_Standard.pdf

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Common Use Cases

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Use Case 1: Firm Standards Library

Setup: Upload all your firm’s design guides, standard details, and calculation templates to the Private Knowledge Base. Usage: 
Prompt: "Using our firm's 'Standard_Footing_Design.mcdx' template,
create a calculation for a 8'x8' spread footing. Follow our firm's
standard format from 'Calculation_Standards_2024.pdf'."

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Use Case 2: Project-Specific Context

Setup: Upload geotechnical reports, specifications, and project drawings for active projects. Usage: 
Prompt: "Based on the soil report 'Project_XYZ_Geotech_Report.pdf',
design a mat foundation. Use the allowable bearing pressure and
soil parameters from Section 4.2 of that report."

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Use Case 3: Code Comparison & Compliance

Setup: Upload your own copies of building codes alongside your firm’s interpretations and bulletins. Usage: 
Prompt: "Our technical bulletin 'TB-2024-05_Tilt-Up_Design.pdf'
provides guidance on tilt-up wall connections. Verify that our
approach complies with ACI 318-19 and flag any discrepancies."

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Frequently Asked Questions

Currently supported:
  • PDF (.pdf) - Most common, recommended for scanned documents
  • Word (.docx, .doc) - Text documents
  • Text (.txt, .md) - Plain text and markdown
  • Mathcad (.mcdx) - Mathcad Prime 9+ files
  • Images (.png, .jpg) - For diagrams and scanned calculations
Coming soon: Excel (.xlsx), AutoCAD (.dwg), Revit (.rvt)
Per file: 50 MB maximumTotal storage (Beta): 100 documents, approximately 5 GB totalNeed more? Contact us about Enterprise plans with custom limits.
Processing is approximately 1 second per page:
  • 10-page document: ~10 seconds
  • 50-page document: ~50 seconds
  • 200-page code: ~3-4 minutes
You can use other features while documents process in the background.
Not yet, but this is coming. Currently, you need to:
  1. Delete the old version
  2. Upload the new version
  3. Wait for re-indexing
The Agent will automatically use the most recent version.
Your proprietary methods are safe in the Private Knowledge Base:
  • Never used to train models
  • Never shared with other users
  • Never accessible to Stru AI staff
  • Optional local storage keeps data on your machine
For additional protection, consider our Custom Tool Integration service to embed proprietary methods directly into Agent capabilities without exposing the underlying logic.

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Getting Started

1

Request Access

Contact bhosh@stru.ai to enable Private Knowledge Base for your account.
2

Choose Storage Option

Decide between cloud-based (recommended) or local storage via Desktop App.
3

Upload Documents

Start with your most commonly used templates and standards.
4

Test with Prompts

Try referencing your documents in prompts to see how the Agent uses them.
5

Expand Over Time

Gradually add more documents as you identify useful references.

Ready to Set Up?

Contact us to enable Private Knowledge Base for your accountEmail: bhosh@stru.ai