Bentley Institute training

Practice Workbook
This workbook is designed for use in Live instructor-led training and for OnDemand selfstudy.
The explanations and demonstrations are provided by the instructor in the classroom, or in the OnDemand
eLectures of this course available on the Bentley LEARN Server (learn.bentley.com).
This practice workbook is formatted for on-screen viewing using a PDF reader.
It is also available as a PDF document in the dataset for this course.

Modeling Finite Elements

This workbook contains exercises to practice modeling plate elements in STAAD.Pro.

TRNC010501/0001
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Description and Objectives

Course Description
This workbook contains exercises to practice modeling plate elements in STAAD.Pro.

Skills Taught

Creating Single Finite Elements

Modifying Plate Orientation

Generating a Finite Element Mesh

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Open a STAAD.Pro Model

In this exercise, you will learn how to select the program configuration and open a STAAD.Pro model.

1. Launch STAAD.Pro.
2. In the Project Tasks window, click on the Configuration... link.
3. In the Configure Program dialog, select the BaseUnit tab and then select the following parameter:

Select Base Unit: English

Then, click Accept.

4. In the menu bar, click File>Open...

5. In the Open dialog, navigate to the dataset file FEM_1.std that was supplied with this training. Then, click Open.

6. Keep this model open for the next exercise.

Create a Single Finite Element

In this exercise, you will learn how to create a single finite element using the Geometry toolbar:

The Geometry toolbar can be used to model individual plate elements in STAAD.Pro:

Add 4-Noded Plates: Used to model quadrilateral plate elements.

Add 3-Noded Plates: Used to model triangular plate elements.

1. Continue with the model from the previous exercise.

2. In the Geometry toolbar, click on the Add4NodedPlates icon.

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3. In the Main Window, click on the node indicated below (Node #1):

2
1

4
Then, click on the nodes in the following order:

Node #2

Node #3

Node #4

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4. In the Main Window, use the Add4NodedPlates tool to create the rest of the walls. (Be sure to select the nodes in either a clockwise or
counter-clockwise order. Nodes selected out of order will result in warped plates.)

5. In the menu bar, click File>Save.

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Create Multiple Finite Elements

In this exercise, you will learn how to automatically create a group of plate elements using the following tool in the Generate toolbar.

Fill Floor Grid with Plates command

This command can be used to automatically generate plates from a selection of beams bounding panels. Typically used for floor slabs, this
method significantly reduces the modeling time for generation of floor slabs in multi-storied framed structure.

1. Continue with the model from the previous exercise.

2. In the Selection toolbar, click on the BeamsCursor icon.
3. In the menu bar, click Select>ByRange>XZ...
4. In the Select by Range XZ dialog, enter the following parameters:

Y Minimum: 14ft

Y Maximum: 14ft

Then, click OK.

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5. In the Generate toolbar, click on the FillFloorGridwithPlates icon.

6. In the STAAD.Pro dialog, click OK.

7. In the menu bar, click File>Save.

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Modify the Plate Orientation

In this exercise, you will learn how to re-orient members and plates using the following command:

Commands > Geometric Constants > Plate Reference Point command

This command can be used to specify options for determining the general direction of the local Z axis of elements.

1. Continue with the model from the previous exercise.

2. In the Structure toolbar, click on the SymbolsandLabels icon.
3. In the Diagrams dialog, select the following check boxes:

Plate Orientation (T): (checked)

Then, click OK.

Notice that the local Z axes for the horizontal plate elements are pointing towards the base of the structure. When plate elements are
analyzed in STAAD.Pro, the stress at the top and bottom of the plate will be reported. The side of the plate elements pointing in the
direction of the positive Z local axis will represent the top of the plate when the results are reported. For this reason, we will reorient the
plates so that the local Z axis is pointing up.
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4. In the Selection toolbar, click on the PlatesCursor icon.

5. In the menu bar, click Select>ByRange>XZ...
6. In the Select by Range XZ dialog, enter the following parameters:

Y Minimum: 14ft

Y Maximum: 14ft

Then, click OK.

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7. In the menu bar, click Commands>GeometricConstants>PlateReferencePoint...

8. In the Plate Reference Point dialog, enter the following information:

X: 0ft

Y: 15ft

Z: 0ft

Local Z Axis: TowardsRef.Point

Assign: ToSelection

Then, click OK.

9. In the menu bar, click File>Save.

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Specify the Tolerance

In this exercise, you will learn how to set the Tolerance Option to ensure proper force transfer between a finite element mesh and the
supporting beam or column members.

1. Continue with the model from the previous exercise.

2. In the menu bar, click View>Options...
3. In the Options dialog, select the Tolerance option in the left pane. Then, ensure that the Splitmemberifnewnodeisaddedonthe
memberoption is checked.

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When this option is selected, if modeling changes cause a new node to be placed somewhere along the length of an existing beam
member, the existing member will automatically be split at the location of the new node, and both portions of the split member will be
connected to the new node.
When this option is not selected, the existing members will not be split. Instead, the existing member will remain as a single, continuous
member running through the new node location and have no structural connection to the new node.

4. In the Options dialog, click OK.

5. In the menu bar, click File>Save.

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Generate a Finite Element Mesh

In this exercise, you will learn how to generate a finite element mesh using the following command:

Generate Plate Mesh command

This command is used to generate a polygonal or quadrilateral finite element mesh for an existing plate element.

1. Continue with the model from the previous exercise.

2. In the Selection toolbar, click on the PlatesCursor icon.
3. In the menu bar, click Select>ByRange>XZ...
4. In the Select by Range XZ dialog, enter the following parameters:

Y Minimum: 14ft

Y Maximum: 14ft

Then, click OK.

5. In the menu bar, click Geometry>GeneratePlateMesh.

6. In the Meshing Division and Biasing dialog, enter the following parameters:
Bias.

Divn.

AB:

BC:

10

CD/CA:

DA:

10

Then, click OK.

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7. In the Choose Meshing Type dialog, select the QuadrilateralMeshing radio button and then click OK.

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8. In the Selection toolbar, click on the BeamsCursor icon.

9. In the Main Window, use the Beams Cursor to select any of the beam members at the roof level.

Notice that the beam members have been split and now share nodes with the plate elements. This will ensure proper force transfer and
will simulate monolithic action for concrete structures.

10. In the menu bar, click File>Save.

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Generate Surface Meshing

In this exercise, you will learn how to generate a finite element mesh using the following command:

Generate Surface Meshing command

This command is used to generate a polygonal or quadrilateral finite element mesh.

1. Continue with the model from the previous exercise.

2. In the Geometry toolbar, click on the GenerateSurfaceMeshing icon.
3. In the Main Window, click on the node indicated below (Node #1):

2
1
3
4

Click on the nodes in the following order:

Node #2 - Node #3 - Node #4

Then, right-click to close the polygon.

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4. In the Choose Meshing Type dialog, select the PolygonalMeshing radio button and then click OK.
5. In the Define Mesh Region dialog, enter the following parameters:
X

Divn.

Bias

30

11

90

60

11

90

60

11

120

30

11

120

30

11

90

6. In the Define Mesh Region dialog, select the HOLES option in the left pane. Then, click on theAddNewHole icon.
7. In the Define Mesh Region dialog, enter the following parameters to define the hole:
Circle

Region Type:
Origin:

40ft

11ft

110ft

Radius of Circle:

5ft

Division Along Periphery:

10

Then, click OK.

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8. In the menu bar, click File>Save.

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