BASIC SACS ANALYSIS

Facilitator:

July 2008
 Contents
INTRODUCTION

THE STRUCTURAL MODEL GENERATION

JOINT AND MEMBER FEATURES

PROPERTY FEATURES

LOAD FEATURES

ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

USING THE DATA FILES
 Contents
THE STRUCTURAL MODEL GENERATION

GENERATING A JACKET STRUCTURE

SAVING A FILE

SETTINGS

DISPLAY FEATURES
ACTIVE/ISOMETRIC

SELECT

LABELING

ZOOM BOX
 Introduction
SACS is an acronym for Structural Analysis Computer System, an
integrated structural analysis software package developed by
Engineering Dynamics, Inc.
It is a comprehensive design and analysis package suitable to both the
offshore and the general structure design industries.
SACS consists of several modular programs interfaced to each other. All
programs include a full complement of standard engineering defaults in
both imperial and Metric units to simplify input.
All structural data: geometry, member dimensions, material properties
and environmental conditions are generated by the input generating
programs and reside in the common input file.
The solution programs operate on this data and produce the common
solution file which contains joint displacements and element internal
forces.
 Introduction

The post processing programs, using this information, evaluate the

performance of the structure with respect to any of several structural
codes.
Any structure not satisfying the code may be automatically redesigned.
Additionally, plots of the structural geometry, deformed shapes and code
checking information are available.
Complete dimensioned structural drawings and bills of materials can be
automatically produced.
The relationships among the programs comprising the system are
schematically illustrated in the flow diagram below.
The SACS System
The SACS System
 MODEL GENERATION
The precede module in sacs is the most efficient way to generate and
manipulate the geometry of a given structure.
Model generation capabilities include geometry, material and section
properties and loading.
The geometry can be generated either manually or automatically.
Precede can automatically generate five (5) different structure type such
as jackets, decks, wharves, towers and space frames.
 Model Generation
Coordinate System
There are two coordinate systems in SACS - global coordinate system and
local coordinate system.
The global axis is the axis in which the joints or nodes of the overall structure
are described.
Each member has a local axis system in which internal forces and stresses are
expressed.
 SAVING A FILE
SAVE
Save is used to save the current model as a SACS input file only. Any plots or model reports sent to
file are also saved. Precede will overwrite the previous version of the file.

SAVE AS
This option allows the user to specify the File Type, Sort option, Joint Coordinate option, Units of the
outputted file, SACS version and the file name of the model
 SETTINGS
The Setup option allows the default program display, file
and model options to be overridden for the current
modeling session. The default colours and profiles may be
modified for the current modeling session on the Display
Color dialog.
 DISPLAY FEATURES
Precede is MDI (multiple document interface). Multiple widows or
views of the structure may be opened and viewed.
ACTIVE/ISOMETRIC
The Active/Isometric display feature displays all active joints,
members, plates and shells in a three dimensional perspective view.
Face
This feature allows the user to select the plane of a predefined
face to be displayed. An out of plane tolerance may be entered.
3 Joints
This option will define a plane view may be defined by any three
joints that are not aligned along a line. The first two joints picked
define the line used as the horizontal display axis of the plane.
The third joint picked is used to define plane to be displayed.
XY Plane
This option will display a global XY plane, defined by a global Z
(vertical) coordinate. An out of plane tolerance may be specified.
XZ Plane
This option will display a global XZ plane, defined by a global Y
coordinate input. An out of plane tolerance may be specified.
YZ Plane
This option will display a global YZ plane, defined by a global X
coordinate input on the Data line. An out of plane tolerance may
be specified.
XY Volume
This option will display a volume defined between two global XY planes. The
volume is defined by a minimum and maximum global Z coordinates and any XZ
and/or YZ volumes already specified.

XZ volume
This option will display a volume defined between two global XZ planes. The
volume is defined by a minimum and maximum global Y coordinates specified
and any XY and/or YZ volumes already specified.

YZ Volume
This portion will display a volume defined between two global YZ planes. The
volume is defined by the minimum and maximum global X coordinates and any
XY and/or XZ volumes already specified.

Reset Volumes
This option resets the volume range coordinates to the default values of cc and
cc for XY, XZ and YZ volumes.
SELECT
The select option allows the user to select display options and to include
and/or excluded portions of the structure for display purposes.

The Display Options check boxes are used to designate whether or not
disconnected joints (joints with no active members connected),
members, member offsets, plates, plate offsets, and shell elements are
to be displayed.
LABELLING
The Display/Labeling features allow for joints, members,
plates and/or shells to be labeled on the display. In general,
label sub-menus items are toggles that turn the feature on
or off

Joints
The joints menu item accesses the joint information labeling
features on the sub-menu. Joint labels include joint name,
fixity or boundary condition, joint symbol and joint design
setting.
Members
The members menu item accesses the member information
labeling toggles on the sub-menu.
Load
The Load tab allows the user to display the members and/or
joints where loadings of the specified load condition is
applied. The labeling applies only to the active window.
ZOOM BOX
The Window features allow the user to zoom, delete joints,
delete elements, delete beam elements, delete plate
elements, renumber joints, translate/rotate/duplicate or
design connection offsets of the portion of the structure
enclosed in a rectangular window or box.
Zoom Display
This feature expands the area within the designated window
so that it fills the entire display area.
Delete Joints
All joints which lie inside the designated window are deleted
along with all attached structural elements.
Delete Elements
All structural elements which lie within the window are deleted, in
addition to the corresponding element loads.
Delete Members
This function deletes all members which lie completely within the
designated window, in addition to the corresponding member loads.
Delete Plates
All plates, which lie completely within the designated window, in addition
to any corresponding plate loads, are deleted using this function.
Increment Joints
The joint names of all joints which lie inside the window are incremented
by the amount specified.
Translate/Rotate
All joints which lie inside the defined are selected to be translated,
rotated and/or duplicated. This feature inputs joints residing within the
window into the Joints/Translate & Rotate option, instead of requiring the
user to input joint ranges.
General
The rotation angle, axis about which to rotate, the X, Y and Z
translations and/or X, Y and Z scale factors are specified on the
Translate and Rotate dialog. Beam elements may be created between
the original joint and its duplicate by checking the appropriate box in the
Duplicate tab.
Figure 6: Model Viewer
Figure 5: 3D View
 Contents

JOINT AND MEMBER FEATURES

JOINT FEATURES

MEMBER FEATURES
 JOINT FEATURES
Joint Numbering System
It is always advisable to have the starting digit of joint numbers on a
particular level the same and the last digit of joint numbers on a leg
should be the same. This helps in the easy identification and location of
joints
 JOINT FEATURES
DETAILS/MODIFY
A joints coordinates and/or fixity may be displaced and/or
modified with this option. Once a joint is selected, the values
are displayed in the dialog and may be modified by entering
a new value. The joint is updated by clicking the Apply
button.
FIND
DISTANCE
ADD
Absolute
Relative
Intersection
Divide a Line
Figure 1: Adding Joints
 JOINT FEATURES
FIXITIES
This option is used to assign joint fixities to a joint or set of
joints. The fixities is entered in the fixity field on the Data line
then the appropriate joints are selected with the mouse. The
joint fixities are assigned by pressing the perform mouse
button or the Enter key. A fixity of FIXED, PINNED or
PILEHD may be specified for fixed, pinned or pile head
supports respectively

SPRINGS
This option allows the specification of translation and
rotational spring rates for the selected joints. Spring rates
may be assigned only to degrees of freedom designated as
fixed to ground
 MEMBER FEATURES
DETAILS/MODIFY
The Detail/Modify option allows the user to display and/or modify
member data for the selected member. The data for the last member
selected is displayed on the command line.

ADD
SPRING
DIVIDE
Figure 2: Adding Members
 MEMBER FEATURES
DIVIDE
Ratio
Length
Equal Parts
Perpendicular
 PROPERTY FEATURES
Material and Section Properties
Material properties such as density, yield stress, modulus of elasticity
and shear modulus must be assigned to each member.
Section properties for non tubular members selected in defined section
referenced library or user defined. Tubular members can be calculated
directly from the diameter and wall thickness.

Buckling lengths
In SACS, either the K-factor or effective length (but not both) may be
specified for the buckling about the Y and Z-axes for a particular
member. When the K-factor is specified, the effective length is
considered as the actual length of the member multiplied by the K-
factor. Where neither the K-factor nor effective length is specified, the
actual length of the member is taken as effective length by the program
 PROPERTY FEATURES
MEMBER GROUP
The Member Group option allows the user to add, modify or delete member
property group data.

GRUP Labeling System

Each member has to be assigned a group. It is advisable to group members
with the same properties together and also a number or a letter to identify the
type of member or level e.g. LG1 for a leg and 2BM for a member on level 2.
This is an advice and not a rule.

MEMBER SECTION
The Member Section option may be used to add, delete or edit section property
definitions by designating the section name then selecting the appropriate
operation and section type.

Member offsets
Member offsets are used to shorten or lengthen a member a member or
when the neutral axis is not on the line between its connecting joints.
Figure 3: Member Group
Figure 4: Member Section Selection
Figure 5: Tubular Section
 LOAD FEATURES
Loading
Precede may be used to create loading directly on the
model or to define operating data used by Seastate to
generate environmental loading.
The program has the ability to create loading for specific
joint, member and/or plate loading manually designated by
the user. Precede can also calculate loading based on
general load data specified by the user.

Loads can be applied to joints or members. Member loads

can be applied either in global or local axis as
concentrated, uniformly distributed or pressure load.
 LOAD FEATURES
JOINTS
The Joint load option allows the user to add, delete or edit joint loads for a specific load condition. Joint
loads may be added, deleted or modified by selecting the appropriate operation and specifying the Load
condition and the Load ID label.
 LOAD FEATURES
MEMBER
The member load option allows the user to add, delete or
edit member loads for a specific load condition. Member
loading may be applied to a single member or to multiple
members in the form of distributed loads (force or
moment), distributed total (force or moment), concentrated
load (forces and moments) and Temperature loads in or
about the member local or global X, Y and Z directions.
 LOAD FEATURES
PRESSURE
The Pressure loading options allow the user to define area loading by
specifying the area of a plane to which the loading applies. Precede
creates either member distributed loads or plate joint loads based on
tributary area

Simple
The simple pressure load feature calculates member uniform distributed
loading based on a uniform pressure and tributary areas. The
rectangular area to be loaded is defined by selecting the four corner
joints of the area.
After defining the load area, the load condition, load ID and pressure
are specified on the data line.

SELF WEIGHT
This feature generates loading corresponding to the self weight of the
beam, plate and shell elements. The load condition and load ID along
with the load direction and Acceleration factor must be designated. The
self weight of any portion of the structure may be displayed without
generating loading by checking the For information only box.
COMBINE LC
The Combine LC feature is used to add, modify or delete load
combination definitions consisting of basic load conditions or previously
defined combinations. The load conditions and the appropriate factor
that make up the combination are entered in the LC and Factor fields,
respectively.
ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
PRE-SERVICE CONDITIONS

IN-SERVICE CONDITIONS
 ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
Offshore structures are fabricated in the fabrication yard on land and
installed in one piece. The various loading conditions for which analyses
are carried out and the structures designed are primarily categorized
into:
Pre-service conditions
In-service conditions

PRE-SERVICE CONDITIONS
These are the loading conditions experienced by the platform until and
including the time of on site installation. Each of the conditions listed
below require separate analyses.
Load out Analysis
Towing analysis
Lifting Analysis
 ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
IN-SERVICE CONDITIONS
In-place Analysis
The in-place condition is the operation condition of the structure. The In-place
condition is again sub' divided into three analyses in order to capture the overall
loading that the structure could be subjected to in its lifetime. These are:
In-place (Operating storm)
In-place (Extreme storm)
Damaged In-place

Jacking Analysis
For an FPSO during operation, the need will always arise for the support to be
jacked up for maintenance purposes.

Fatigue Analysis
In the sea environment, there is a continuous wave action and members
are subjected reversal of stresses of different magnitude.
USING THE DATA FILES
THE COMBINE FILE
THE TOW FILE
THE JOINT CAN FILE
THE POST FILE
THE PREVUE FILE
 USING THE DATA FILES
THE COMBINE FILE
The combine program is a utility program completely compatible with
common solution files from the SACS suite of programs. It allows the
user to combine static and/or dynamic results of the same model from
various analyses into a single solution file.

THE TOW FILE

The Tow program module is used to generate forces typically
encountered during transportation of structures. The program generates
inertia forces due to acceleration of the structure, in the form of joint
concentrated and member distributed loads.
Tow requires SACS input model file and a Tow input file for execution.
The program creates an output structural data file containing the model
and load cases consisting of inertia loads generated by the program
 USING THE DATA FILES
JOINT CAN FILE
The Joint Can program determines the adequacy of simple and
overlapping tubular joints for punching shear. In addition to checking the
adequacy of a joint. It has the ability to redesign the joint based on axial
loads and bending moments of the chord and brace.
Joint Can is completely compatible with the output files of SACS such
that all dimensions, geometry, internal loads, material properties, cross
sectional properties, yield stress and allowable stress increases
necessary for joint can analysis and design are obtained without user
intervention.
 USING THE DATA FILES
THE POST FILE
Post, a sub-program of SACS IV is used to calculate element stresses,
compare them to code allowable and optionally redesign the elements.
The program can also be used to modify element properties and/or code
check parameters and create an updated common solution file.
Post is completely compatible with the output files of SACS such that all
dimensions, geometry, internal loads, material properties, cross
sectional properties, yield stress and allowable stress factors necessary
for post processing and design are obtained from the common solution
file without user intervention
Post processing options and code check parameters may also be read
directly from the common solution file or may be specified in a separate.

THE PREVUE FILE

This program was developed to provide the design engineer with an
intuitive and efficient tool with which geometric structures may be
defined and manipulated.
Output of this program is in the form of hardcopy plots on any Windows
printer.