Advance Design America (VisualDesign)

TUTORIAL 1

2D-Frame

Static Analysis &

Steel Design

May 2008
CivilDesign Inc 1995-2008

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Static Analysis
A 2D frame will be modeled, loads will be applied and a static analysis will be
performed. Next, design criteria and a steel specification will be specified and a
steel design will be performed.

Start Advance Design America. Click the New Project icon

Structure mode is automatically activated.

. The

Project Configuration

Select the Preferences tab of Project Configuration (File menu) and

deselect all the options included in the section "Dialog Box Display".

Select the Analysis tab and select the linear option in the "Type of Static
Analysis" section.

Modeling
Nodes

Insert lines in the Nodes spreadsheet (Structure menu) and enter

coordinates. Specify nodes 1 and 4 as support nodes (Double click the
"Type" column and select the Support option.)

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Members

Select the Member

icon on the Elements toolbar and press the Add

icon
on the Cursor toolbar. To create a member, click a node (origin
node, i) and a second one (end node, j). Do the same to create other
members. When elements are created, select the Extended window
selection mode

to exit the Add mode.

Supports

Select the Support element on the Elements toolbar and select supports.
Click the Properties
icon to open the Node Characteristics dialog
box. Modify the support degrees of freedom: displacements and rotations
are fixed. Close the dialog box.

Press the [Pg Up] key to get an isometric view of the structure.

Save your File

At this stage, save your application: Click the Save

to the project and select a directory.

icon. Give a name

Shapes, Materials, and Member Properties

Select the Member

icon on the Elements toolbar. Select all three

members and click the Properties

icon.
Characteristics dialog box appears on the screen.

The

Member

Note: When many members are selected, empty fields and blank fields
appear in the dialog box. Blank fields mean that selected options or values
are assigned to selected members. Some other blank fields include negative
values but they are not actual values. To consult default values and
initialized values, select only one member (double click). This feature also
applies to other type of element.

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Click the
icon in the "Properties" section to open the Shape selection
tree. Expand the Steel root and W200 branch and select the W200x31 shape.
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In the "Material" field, open the Steel root and G40 branch and double click
the 350G /W /WT/AT material.

Select the "Dead" load case title in the "Dead load" field to consider the
self-weight of elements in load combinations and analysis.

Specify member end conditions in the "End Conditions" section: Select

fixed-fixed end conditions (+------+) for bending on strong axis (Mx) and
weak axis (My).

Click OK to exit the dialog box.

View Options

Display the node numbers and shape outlines on the screen: Select the
View Options dialog box by clicking the
icon. Select the Elements
tab and select the "Number" option in the "Node" section. Next, select the
Attributes tab and select the Shape Outline option. Click OK.

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Display 3D shapes by selecting the 3D Display option in the "Member"

section on the Attributes tab.

Increase the displayed length of 3D members on the Graphic tab of the

View Options dialog box (View menu): Reduce the default length in the
field "Fraction of L not drawn". The purpose of this option is to see the
member end conditions when the 3D Display option is active.

Beta Angle

The default beta angle is equal to 0 degree when creating members.

Columns are not well oriented: Select the columns (click each column while
pressing the [Ctrl] key) and click the Properties

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icon.

Enter an angle of 90 degrees in the Beta Angle field on the Member tab of
the Member Characteristics dialog box. Click OK.

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Load Cases
Define load case titles and types in the Loads Definition spreadsheet
(Loads /Load Cases/ Definition).

The "Dead" load case is automatically defined and is calculated in

accordance with the density of selected materials (Common /
Materials). Insert a line in the spreadsheet: Select the row header #2
and press the [Insert] key. Double click the "Number" cell and enter the
Live title. Double click the "Type" cell and choose a "Live" load type in
the NBC 2005 branch. Click OK.

Dead Load
Dead loads are automatically calculated according to the selected materials. It
cannot be edited. Other dead load cases can be defined and applied to
elements.

Applying Loads
A distributed live load is applied to the beam and a triangular wind load is
applied to the left column. A punctual load is also applied at the top of the
column, as shown on the figure:

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Select the Load Case mode and select the "Live" load case in the dropdown list. The name of the selected load case appears at the bottom of the
screen.

Displaying Member Local Axis

The member local axis system follows the right hand rule. The local z-axis
(blue) is always pointing towards node j. The local x-axis (red) corresponds to
the member strong axis, and the y-axis (green), to the weak axis.
Before applying loads to columns, the member local axis system is displayed in
order to orient loads in the right direction.

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Select the View Options dialog box and select the Attributes tab. Select
the Local Axis System option in the "Members" section.

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Distributed Load

Double click the beam.

In the Load on Member dialog box, click the row header 1 and insert a
line. Double click the Load Wa cell and enter 20. Negative values are
entered because a global load projection is selected and the global y axis is
pointing up. Do the same for Load Wb.

Clcik OK. The loading diagram is displayed on the screen.

Triangular Load
A trapezoidal load is defined by entering different values for Load Wa and Load
Wb. The position of loads along the member can be specified at the Start and
End cells.
In this example, node i is located at the support and the load magnitude is 0.0.

Double click the left column. According to local axis system, the
distributed load is applied in the negative direction of local y-axis (weak
axis). Therefore, the load is negative and is projected at 90 deg. on the
column strong axis.

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Concentrated Load
A point load is applied at the top of the left column, in the positive direction of
the global x axis.

Select the Node icon on the Elements toolbar. Double click the node #2.

Enter 25 kN as Fx and click OK.

Load Combination
At least one load combination is required to perform an analysis.
Select Loads / Load Combinations / Definition.

Insert a row in the Load Combination spreadsheet and give a name to

the load combination. Select an "Analysis without design" status.

To learn more about load combination statuses, refer to Online Help Chapter
4.

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Select the Load factors tab. Highlight (select) the load combination
definition in the left section and insert two rows in the right section. In
the first row, double click the "Load Case" column and select the Dead
load case in the drop-down list. Enter 1.25 as the load factor. Follow the
same steps to define the Live load factor.

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Click OK.

Static Analysis

Click the Static Analysis

icon on the Tools toolbar or select Static
Analysis in the Analysis menu. The Static Analysis dialog box appears
on the screen.

Click the "Analyze" button to launch the analysis.

Close the dialog box when the analysis is done.

Load Combination Results

The "Load Combination" mode is automatically selected on the Activate
toolbar when the static analysis is finished.

Select the load combination title on the drop-down list on Activate toolbar.

Select the View Options dialog box and select the Results tab.

Select the Deflection option. To display numerical values on the strong axis,
select the "Numerical" option or click the Numerical Values
icon on
the Diagram toolbar to display both deflections (strong and weak axis).

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Next, disable the Deflection option and select the Mx diagram (strong axis)
and the numerical values.

To adjust the diagram amplitude, select the Adjust Amplitude

on the Diagrams toolbar.

Double click the beam to access the Member Internal Forces and
Deflections spreadsheet.

icon

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N. B. A few columns have been masked using the Mask function of the
spreadsheet context menu.

Select all members. Select Results/ Load Combinations / Members Internal Stresses (min/max).

Note Press the F1 key to access the online help topic about this spreadsheet. Consult
the definition of supplied results.

We can see that stresses are too high.

If the Steel Design module is installed on your computer, follow the next part
of this booklet.

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Steel Design
Project Configuration
Select the Project Configuration dialog box in the File menu. Select the
Analysis tab.

Analysis tab
Consult the default values of parameters that are considered for non-linear
analyses (static and design). The parameters for cyclic design are also supplied.

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Steel Specification

Select the Structure mode

icon on the Activate toolbar.

Select Structure / Specifications / Steel.

Insert a row. Give a name to this specification and select the Canadian
CAN/CSA-S16-01 Standard among the "Code" drop down list. Select
"Design" as the type of analysis.

Select a W shape and the steel material. The USA group of sections is
selected because Algoma Steel is no longer producing W shapes in Canada.

Tip: You can create a custom group of sections, which can include many types
of shapes. Next, select the group of sections in the Steel Specifications
spreadsheet. The Groups of sections spreadsheet is accessible in the
Structure / Specifications menu.
Note: Insert as many rows as you need in the Steel Specifications spreadsheet and
specify a different steel shape for each one.

Member Design Criteria

Select the Member

icon on the Elements toolbar. Select all members

and click the Properties

icon. Select the Design Criteria option on the
Member tab of Member Characteristics dialog box.

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Next, select the Steel Design tab and choose specification S16-Design in
the drop-down list.

Click OK.

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Design Criteria for the Beam

Lateral Supports

Double click the beam and select the Steel Design tab. A continuous
lateral support is supplied to the top of the beam, on the weak axis.

Note: Lateral supports are always applied to the member weak axis. Therefore,
the effective compression length on the weak axis, Ky, is set to zero. This is
true when a continuous lateral support is supplied at the top OR bottom of a
beam.
The position of load is considered in the calculation of torsional buckling. The
default value is "Center".

Allowable Deflection
A deflection criterion of L/360 is specified on the beam strong axis.

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Load Combinations
Ultimate load combination (Design)

Open the Load Combination spreadsheet. Modify the first load

combination status to Ultimate because a design will be performed.

"Deflection" Load Combination

Advance Design America considers the deflection criterion during the design
process if at least one Deflection load combination is defined.

Insert a row in the Load Combination spreadsheet. Double click the

"Status" column and select the "Instantaneous Deflection" status in the
drop-down list.

Select the Live load case and enter a load factor of 1.0 in the Load Factors
tab.

Save the file.

Analysis and Design

Click the Analysis and Design

icon on the Tools toolbar or select
Analysis and Design in the Analysis menu.

The Analysis and Design dialog box is displayed on the screen. It is written
that three members are to be optimized according to the shape area.

Click the "Analyze" button to launch the design process.

Close the dialog box when analysis will be completed.

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Steel Design Results

The "Design Results" mode

is active when the design is done.

Graphical Results

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Open the View Options dialog box by clicking the

icon. Select the
Results tab and select the "Design load" option along with the
"Numerical" option in the "Members" section.

Modify the font and style of displayed legend by clicking the "Font" button
on the Limits tab.

View the shape designation by selecting the "Shape" option on the

Elements tab.

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Numerical Results
Open the Steel Design Results spreadsheet: Select all members and click the
Properties icon or select Results / Structural Design / Steel. The results
spreadsheet is divided into three tabs.
Design results are corresponding to the most critical analyzed load
combinations (bending and compression & shear) for each member. In this
example, there is only one ultimate load combination. The code provision that
controlled the design is indicated in the spreadsheet.

Bending /Axial Load tab

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Shear / Torsion tab

Deflection tab

Calculated Deflection
The deflection supplied in the Steel Design Results spreadsheet is the
maximum calculated deflection between inflexion points, which are
automatically calculated by Advance Design America. The length between
those points is equal to 4.29m and the calculated deflection is -7.78mm. Ratio
is L/550 < L/360. Therefore, the deflection is not critical.
Note: The deflection that is displayed for a selected load combination comes
from a static analysis and is not corresponding to the calculated deflection
between inflexion points, as in a steel design.

Displayed Deflections for the Deflection load combination

Select the Load Combination mode and select load combination "2: L1" in the
drop-down list on the Activate toolbar.
Select the View Options dialog box and select the "Deflection" option and
"Numerical" option on strong axis on the Results tab.

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Member Forces and Deflections

This icon, available in the lower part of the Design results spreadsheet
includes the critical Member Internal Forces and Deflections for the
selected row (member) in the spreadsheet. Results are given for the load
combination that controlled the design of the member.

Note: Some columns were masked.

Print Preview of the Design Brief

Click the icon to get a print preview of a member design brief. (The member
must be selected (row) in the Steel Design Results spreadsheet.) To print it, use
the Print button on the Print Preview window.

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Design Brief
Click the icon to print the member design brief. (The member must be selected
(row) in the Steel Design Results spreadsheet.)

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Design Groups (optional)

Create and Assign Design Group to Members
The design process supplies one shape per design group. Design groups are
created and assigned to members in the Structure mode. The same steel
specification can be assigned to many design groups.

Select the members that you want to group and press the shortcut keys
[Ctrl]+G or select Structure / Groups / Group members. For our
example, we selected the columns.

The Design Group dialog box appears on screen. Enter a name and select
a steel specification in the drop-down list.

Click OK.

The design group is initialized on the Steel Design tab of Member

Characteristics dialog box. A steel specification must be selected if no design
group is assigned to a member.

Displaying a Design Group

Select the View Options dialog box and select the Attributes tab. Select the
Design Group option and choose one among the list box.

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Load Combination Results

To view forces and deflection diagrams, select the Load Combination

mode on the Activate toolbar and select a load combination title in the
drop-down list.

Select the Results tab of the View Options dialog box and select a result
that you want to view.

Bending on strong axis:

Member 1 Internal Forces and Deflections

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Double-click member 1 to quickly open this spreadsheet.

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Member 2 Internal Stresses

Select member 2 and select Results/ Load Combinations / Members
Internal Stresses.

A few columns have been masked.

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