Checklist for Modeling ETABS

1. Geometry
1.1 Model all columns/beams as line elements
1.2 Colums shall be modelled with start node at the bottom and
end node at the top
1.3 Model beams such that its local axis is the same as in the dwgs
preferably:
left to right for horizontal beams
bottom to top for vertical beams( as shown in plan view)
1.4 Avoid modeling beams with length less than 2x its depth
1.5 Model all slabs as finite elements (SHELL)
1.6 Supports shall be fixed and elevation of support shall be
assumed at FGL elevation.
1.7 Verify storey heights with arki plans.
1.8 Don’t provide shell elements at slab openings. Don’t assign
openings on slabs.
1.9 Don’t use long storey labels, instead follow below ex. labels
Ftb level FL
FGL level GL
2nd floor level 2L
3rd floor level 3L
4th floor level 4L
5th floor level 5L
6th floor level 6L
7th floor level 7L
Roof level RL
1.10 Follow Grid labels with arki drawings.
1.11 top of columns at roof level shall be at bottom base plate
elevation
1.12 default units shall be kN-m

2. Material properties
1.1 Follow below material assignments
Concrete - ALL STRUCTURAL MEMBERS EXCEPT FOOTINGS,
SUSPENDED SLAB & SLAB-ON-GRADE
material label C28
Type Isotropic
Mass per unit volume 2.4
weight per unit volume 24
Modulus of elasticity 24,870,062.32
Poissons ratio 0.2
Coeff. Of thermal ex 0.0000099
fc' 28,000.00
fym 414,000.00
fys 276,000.00
 Concrete - FOR SUSPENDED SLAB & FOOTINGS
material label C21
Type Isotropic
Mass per unit volume 2.4
weight per unit volume 24
Modulus of elasticity 21,538,105.77
Poissons ratio 0.2
Coeff. Of thermal ex 0.0000099
fc' 21,000.00
fym 276,000.00
fys 276,000.00
Steel
material label STEEL
Type Isotropic
Mass per unit volume 7.7
weight per unit volume 77
Modulus of elasticity 200,000,000.00
Poissons ratio 0.3
Coeff. Of thermal ex 0.0000117
Fy 248,000.00
Fu 400,000.00

Light gage sections (purlins)

material label LG
Type Isotropic
Mass per unit volume 7.7
weight per unit volume 77
Modulus of elasticity 200,000,000.00
Poissons ratio 0.3
Coeff. Of thermal ex 0.0000117
Fy 245,000.00
Fu 300,000.00

3. Frame sections assignments

3.1 Beams
3.1.1 Beams shall follow a specific labeling per sector
Example label shall be
2B1
2 - 2nd floor
B - (B) for Beams, (G) for Girders
1 - in succeding order
3.1.2 Material shall be C28
3.1.3 Conc cover shall be 0.065 meters
3.1.4 Property Modifiers
All shal be default to 1 except
Moment of Inertia abt 2 axis 0.35
Moment of Inertia abt 3 axis 0.35
Mass/Weight =(h-t)/h
where h = height of beam
t = thickness of slab
 3.1.5 Minimum width dimensions
beams 250mm
girders/cntlvr 300mm or (0.75Cp(MAX));
Cp - perp colum width
ftb L/20 but not greater than 450
stair beam 100 to 150
edge beam 200mm
roof beams 350 if supporting truss
3.1.6 Minimum Depth
beams L/16
girders L/21
Cantilever L/8
ftb L/20 but not greater than 450
stair beam 300 to 400
edge beam 300 to 400
3.1.7 Width to depth ratio shall not be less than 0.30
3.1.8 Provide Moment End releases for intermediate beams,
except for curved beams

3.2 Columns
3.2.1 Columns shall follow a specific labeling
Example label shall be
1C1
1 - below 2nd floor
C - (C) for main columns, (PC) for plntd
1 - in succeding order but shall not
differ per level
3.2.2 Material shall be C28
3.2.3 Conc cover shall be 0.065 meters
3.2.4 Property Modifiers
All shall be default to 1 except
Moment of Inertia abt 2 axis 0.7
Moment of Inertia abt 3 axis 0.7
3.2.5 Minimum width dimensions
b + 75 where b = beam width supported by col
3.2.6 Minimum Depth
Cy = floor((2*(b*d^3))^(0.25),25)
where Cy = column depth (along beam length)
b = supported beam width
d = supported beam depth
3.2.7 As much as possible, try using square column. If antici-
pated to be uniaxial(one biaxial moment is very much
larger than the other), use rectangular column.
3.2.8 Coordinate with arki if column size will be greater than
500x500mm.
3.2.9 Minimum vert bar size is 16mm
3.2.10 Use template for column sizing. Preferred rebar ratio
is 2.5%.
 3.3 Slabs
3.3.1 Slabs shall be labelled per thickness
Example label shall be
S125
S - (CS) for cantilever, (S) for others
125 - thickness in mm
3.3.2 Material shall be C21
3.3.3 Type shall be SHELL
3.3.4 Property Modifiers
All shall be default to 1 except
bending m11 0.25
bending m22 0.25
3.3.5 slabs shall be 2way if S/L is equal or greater than 0.5
3.3.6 Do not use special 1-way load distribution of ETABS
3.3.7 Minimum thickness shall be
for 2 way = as per calculated refer to (NSCP 409.6.3)
for 1 way (see below table)
if 10 no other slabs at sides S/25
for 2 adjacent slabs S/30
main interior slabs(sandwich b/w 2 slabs) S/35
bars Cantilever S/12
no other slabs at sides S/20
if 12 2 adjacent slabs S/24
or
interior slabs(sandwich b/w 2 slabs) S/28
larger
Cantilever S/10
3.3.8 Assign mesh on slabs such that there will be atleast
3 points per beam, preferred mesh intersects. Manual
mesh if default mesh is not applicable.
3.4 Diaphragms shall be rigid and assigned per level

4. Response Spectrum Functions. Use UBC 97 Default Response Spectra.

Label UBC97
Seismic Source Type B
Seismic Coeff. Ca 0.44 Na Na = 1.0
Seismic Coeff. Cv 0.64 Nv Nv = 1.0
Damping Ratio = 0.05
5. Response Spectrum Case Data
Spectrum Case Name DEQX
Damping 0.05
Modal Comb CQC
Direc Comb SRSS
Direction U1 Scale 1.0(initial)
Exci Angle 0
Ecc ratio 0 (initial)
Spectrum Case Name DEQY
Damping 0.05
Modal Comb CQC
Direc Comb SRSS
Direction U2 Scale 1.0(initial)
Exci Angle 0
Ecc ratio 0 (initial)
6. Define Static Load Cases
Selfwt Auto
Load Type Lat.
Mult.
DEAD DEAD 1 L d
SDL SUPER DEAD 0
LIVE LIVE 0
RELIVE REDUCIBLE LIVE 0
ROOFLIVE LIVE 0
EQEY QUAKE 0 UBC 97
EQEY QUAKE 0 UBC 97
EQEX QUAKE 0 UBC 97
EQEX QUAKE 0 UBC 97
WLPX WIND 0 ASCE7-95
WLNX WIND 0 ASCE7-95
WLPY WIND 0 ASCE7-95
WLNY WIND 0 ASCE7-95

7. Seismic Auto Lateral Load Cases

Direction - based on load case
Ecc. Ratio(initial) = 0.05
Time Period = Program Calc, Ct = 0.03 for Concrete SMRF
Ct = 0.035 for Steel SMRF
Storey Range RL to Base
Overstrength Factor, R = 8.5
Soil Profile Type = SD
Seismic Zone Factor = 0.4
Near Source Factor, Na = 1.0
Near Source Factor, Nv = 1.2
Importance Factor, I = 1.25

8. Wind Auto Lateral Load Case

Direction - based on load case
Exposure from Extents of Rigid Diaphragm
Windward Coeff = 0.8
Leeward Coeff = 0.5 if L/B is 0 to 1
= 0.3 if L/B is 2
= 0.2 if L/B is > 4
(Note: interpolate if not available)
where L = length of building along wind
B = width of beam perpendicular to wind
Exposure Height = RL to Base
Wind Speed = 155.3428 mph
Exposure Type = B
Importance Factor = 1.15
Topographical Factor, Kzt = 1.0
Gust Factor = 0.8

9. Special Seismic Load Effects - IncluDE Special Seismic Design

Data
10. Define Seismic Source
From Loads D 1
SDL 1

11. Load SDL and Live loads as per design criteria. Apply Reactions
from roof model as joint loads, wall loads as line loads on beams,
area loads on shell elements, stair loads on stair beams, etc.
Assign Reducible live loads to RELIVE load case and unreducible
live loads to LIVE load case.

12. Set Analyze options

Full 3D analysis
Check Dynamic Analysis (UNCHECK IF STATIC ANALYSIS)
Number of Modes 5(min)
Ritz Vector Analysis
Check Pdelta Analysis (Iterative) include all gravity load cases
Iterations (5 min)
Tolerance (0.001)
13. Edit Preferences
Steel Design - AISC-ASD89
Concrete Design - ACI 318-05
Live Load Reduction - Influence Area (ASCE 7-95)

14. Initial Run. . .

15. Check Torsional Irregularity using load cases EQEX and EQEY
Apply Torsional Amplification factor, Ax to eccentricity
Override Eccentricities for Step 5 and 7 with below value per
diaphragm (Refer to NSCP 208.5.7)
Ecc = Ax (0.05B)

16. Scale up/down scale factor for dynamic load cases based on static
load cases to 100%
scale factor = Vs/Vd

18. Calculate  for building (refer to NSCP 208.5.1.1) use EQEX, EQEY
r = 2 - 6.1/rmax/√Ab
for SMRF 1 ≤  ≤ 1.25
for dual Systems 1 ≤  ≤ 1.5 but  shall be taken as 80% that 
calculated by above equation
If  exceeds that of maximum limits specified above, contact
Philip

19. Check axial load capacity of columns using below criteria

Seismic forces in columns (EQEX, EQEY) is less than 20% of

columns' axial load capacity
20. Define Load Combinations
D = DEAD + SDL
L = LIVE + RELIVE
LR = ROOFLIVE
CD101 1.4D
CD102 1.2D + 1.6L + 0.5LR
CD103 1.2D + 1.6LR + 1.0LIVE + 0.5RELIVE
CD201 1.2D + 1.6LR + 0.8WLPX
CD202 1.2D + 1.6LR + 0.8WLNX
CD203 1.2D + 1.6LR + 0.8WLPY
CD204 1.2D + 1.6LR + 0.8WLNY
CD205 1.2D + 1.3WLPX + 0.5RELIVE + 1.0LIVE + 0.5LR
CD206 1.2D + 1.3WLNX + 0.5RELIVE + 1.0LIVE + 0.5LR
CD207 1.2D + 1.3WLPY + 0.5RELIVE + 1.0LIVE + 0.5LR
CD208 1.2D + 1.3WLNY + 0.5RELIVE + 1.0LIVE + 0.5LR
CD209 0.9D + 1.3WLPX
CD210 0.9D + 1.3WLNX
CD211 0.9D + 1.3WLPY
CD212 0.9D + 1.3WLNY
CD301 1.475D + DEQX + 0.5RELIVE + 1.0LIVE
CD302 1.475D + DEQY + 0.5RELIVE + 1.0LIVE
CD303 1.475D - DEQX + 0.5RELIVE + 1.0LIVE
CD304 1.475D - DEQY + 0.5RELIVE + 1.0LIVE
CD305 0.625D + DEQX
CD306 0.625D + DEQy
CD307 0.625D - DEQX
CD308 0.625D - DEQy
A101 1.0D
A102 1.0D + 1.0L + 1.0LR
A201 1.0D + 1.0WLPX
A202 1.0D + 1.0WLNX
A203 1.0D + 1.0WLPY
A204 1.0D + 1.0WLNY
A205 1.0D + 0.75L + 0.75LR + 0.75WLPX
A206 1.0D + 0.75L + 0.75LR + 0.75WLNX
A207 1.0D + 0.75L + 0.75LR + 0.75WLPY
A208 1.0D + 0.75L + 0.75LR + 0.75WLNY
A301 1.0D + DEQX/1.4
A302 1.0D + DEQY/1.4
A303 1.0D - DEQX/1.4
A304 1.0D - DEQY/1.4
A305 0.9D + DEQX/1.4
A306 0.9D + DEQY/1.4
A307 0.9D - DEQX/1.4
A308 0.9D - DEQY/1.4
A309 1.0D + 0.75L + 0.75LR + 0.75DEQX/1.4
A310 1.0D + 0.75L + 0.75LR + 0.75DEQY/1.4
A311 1.0D + 0.75L + 0.75LR - 0.75DEQX/1.4
A312 1.0D + 0.75L + 0.75LR - 0.75DEQY/1.4
ALT101 1.0D + 1.0L + 1.0LR
ALT201 0.75D + 0.75L + 0.75WLPX
ALT202 0.75D + 0.75L + 0.75WLNX
 ALT203 0.75D + 0.75L + 0.75WLPY
ALT204 0.75D + 0.75L + 0.75WLNY
ALT301 0.75D + 0.75L + 0.75(DEQX/1.4)
ALT302 0.75D + 0.75L + 0.75(DEQY/1.4)
ALT303 0.75D + 0.75L - 0.75(DEQX/1.4)
ALT304 0.75D + 0.75L - 0.75(DEQY/1.4)

21. Combination for specified elements refer below

Concrete - CD101 TO CD308
Steel - A101 to A312
Footing ASD - ALT101 TO ALT304

22. Analyze and Design