Continous Plate Girder Highway Bridge With Dynamic AproachlSTAADbeava TRN014310 1 0003
Continous Plate Girder Highway Bridge With Dynamic AproachlSTAADbeava TRN014310 1 0003
Continous Plate Girder Highway Bridge With Dynamic AproachlSTAADbeava TRN014310 1 0003
TRN014310-1/0003
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Course Description
In this course, you will develop skills specific to modeling, analyzing, and
designing bridge structures in STAAD.Pro. You will also learn to apply STAAD.beava
to create loading conditions that maximize structural responses of interest.
Target Audience
This course is recommended for the following audience(s):
• Structural Engineers engaged in bridge design, evaluation or rehabilitation
projects
Course Objectives
After completing this course, you will be able to:
• Proficiently model bridge structures in STAAD.Pro
• Use STAAD.beava to define bridge lane geometry, select a design vehicle,
identify structural responses of interest, create loading conditions and send
the loading back to the STAAD.Pro model
• Create custom Load Combination tables in STAAD.Pro, and use them to
automatically generate Load Combinations
• Set design parameters and issue design commands to perform code checks or
to optimize steel members according to the requirements of AASHTO code for
steel members and ACI code for concrete members.
Course Prerequisites
• Basic understanding of Structural Engineering Principles, including a
familiarity with AASHTO and ACI design criteria
• General familiarity with STAAD.Pro Fundamentals
Software Prerequisites
This manual was created using the following software versions:
• STAAD.Pro V8i (SELECTseries 2), 20.07.07.32
Note: Earlier or later versions of STAAD.Pro may be used with this training manual,
but you may encounter slight differences in the user interface and/or exercises.
Modules Included
The following modules are included in this course:
• Modeling Bridge Structures in STAAD.Pro
• Loading Bridge Structures in STAAD.Pro/STAAD.beava
• Designing Bridge Structures in STAAD.Pro
Module Prerequisites
• Basic understanding of Structural Engineering Principles
• General familiarity with STAAD.Pro Fundamentals
Module Objectives
After completing this module, you will be able to:
• Make efficient use of the STAAD.Pro Graphical User Interface to generate a
typical bridge model
• Prepare the model for the application of STAAD.beava
Introductory Knowledge
Before you begin this module, let's define what you already know.
Questions
1 STAAD.Pro defaults to a Cartesian coordinate system with the global Y-axis
oriented upwards; i.e. gravity pulls in the -Y direction.
• True
• False
2 Grids can be used to provide dimensional control when constructing a
model.
• True
• False
3 STAAD.Pro will automatically insert a node at any location where two
members cross each other.
• True
• False
Answers
1 STAAD.Pro defaults to a Cartesian coordinate system with the global Y-axis
oriented upwards; i.e. gravity pulls in the -Y direction.
True
And although it is possible to choose the variation called Set Z Up, it will
prohibit the use of certain features within the program. So, good practice
dictates using the program with this default orientation.
2 Grids can be used to provide dimensional control when constructing a
model.
True
Grids are a very effective way of adding members precisely and accurately.
3 STAAD.Pro will automatically insert a node at any location where two
members cross each other.
False
Nodes are NOT automatically created where members cross. The
implication is that crossing members are not automatically connected to
each other. There are tools within the program to automatically search for
and connect crossing members.
Bridge Modeling
The following images illustrate the model that will be created in the exercises
below:
3 Edit the Default Grid (Linear) to work in the X-Z plane. Create two X grid
lines on the Right at 80 ft spacing. Create four Z grid lines on the Right at
10 ft spacing.
4 In the Snap Node/Beam dialog, click the Snap Node/Beam button. Model
the five 160 foot long beams as full-length members in the X-direction.
Then, model the three 40 foot girders as full-length members in the Z-
direction.
Hint: Remember that the Control (CTRL) key makes it possible to reset
(relocate) the hotspot without adding a member.
At this time, the beams and girders cross each other but do not intersect
(connect) properly. We know this, because the girders at both ends of the
bridge are still full-length members that do not intersect the end nodes of
the beams, and because there are no nodes visible at the location shown
in the figure below:
Note: STAAD.Pro does permit this as a valid framing condition, but it is not the
intent in this situation. Here, we expect a structural connection
between members at all crossing points. Perform the following steps to
detect and correct these connectivity issues.
5 In the menu bar, select Geometry > Intersect Selected Members >
Highlight. In the Intersect Members dialog, click OK to accept the default
tolerance of zero.
Note: STAAD.Pro highlights all of the beams that cross each other with no
common nodes.
6 To break these beams and create a joint at each intersection point, click
Geometry > Intersect Selected Members > Intersect in the menu bar. In
the Intersect Members dialog, click OK to accept the default tolerance of
zero. In the STAAD.Pro dialog, click OK to acknowledge that some new
beams have been created.
Beams Segmented
Note: This completes the generation of the beams and girders. The next steps
create the columns.
7 In the Snap Node/Beam dialog, click Close.
8 In the View Window, select the three nodes indicated in the figure below.
Note: Node numbers are not an effective reference, because the node
numbers may vary depending upon the order in which the beams and
girders were modeled.
9 In the menu bar, select Geometry > Translational Repeat... or select the
Translational Repeat icon in the Generate toolbar.
Note: In this exercise, we will generate the finite element mesh to represent
the concrete bridge deck. In this case, the spacing of the beams and
girders is regular, which makes it convenient to use the Generate
Surface Meshing Tool. In a situation where the framing layout is not
regular, the Parametric Meshing Mode might be a more useful method
of generating the deck mesh.
2 In the menu bar, select View > Options... In the Options dialog, select the
Tolerance item and ensure that the “Split member if…” checkbox is
checked. Click OK.
Note: This ensures that the meshing process will split the existing beams and
girders and connect the plates to them at locations where generated
mesh nodes coordinate with existing framing members.
3 In the menu bar, select Geometry > Generate Surface Mesh or select the
Generate Surface Meshing icon in the Geometry toolbar.
4 In the View Window, click the node indicated in the figure below:
Click
Moving in counter-clockwise order, click the other three nodes that define
the corners of the overall bridge deck. Complete the command by clicking
back on the first node.
5 In the Choose Meshing Type dialog, select the Quadrilateral Meshing
radio button and then click OK.
Note: Use the Beams Cursor to verify that the beams and girders are now
segmented into smaller members as a result of the “Split member if…”
checkbox setting. Each small beam or girder segment is now connected
to nodes in the plate mesh.
Note: In reality, the steel beams are physically attached to the deck, but the
concrete girders parallel to the Z-axis are set some distance below the
deck as shown in the figure below:
9 In the Merge Selected Beams dialog, click the first line of data and then
click the Merge button. Confirm by clicking Yes.
Repeat for the remaining two lines of data, and then close the Merge
Selected Beams dialog.
Note: By merging the girder segments, connectivity was lost at the locations
where the concrete girders are supposed to connect to the concrete
columns and to the steel beams.
10 In the menu bar, click Geometry > Intersect Selected Members >
Highlight. Click OK to accept the default tolerance value of zero. This
highlights the locations where we intend to restore connectivity as shown
in the figure below:
11 In the menu bar, click Geometry > Intersect Selected Members >
Intersect. Click OK to accept the default tolerance value of zero, and then
click OK to acknowledge the pop-up dialog indicating that some new
beams have been created.
Hint: Use the Beams Cursor to verify that the girders are now segmented only
in the locations where they connect to the steel beams or the concrete
column.
The next exercises complete the model generation process and prepare the
model for use in STAAD.beava.
Note: The offsets specification can be used to apply rigid offsets at the ends of
members. In the next steps, we will offset the beams and girders by an
appropriate amount to establish the proper elevation relationships.
3 In the Page Control area, click the Specification sub-tab of the General tab.
Hint: In the View Window, hover the Beams Cursor over each of the columns
to establish that the top of the column displays the green Beam Ends
color, indicating that the top is the Starting end.
4 In the Specifications dialog, click the Beam... button. In the Member
Specification dialog, click the Offset tab.
Note: See the following notes regarding the geometry of this bridge structure:
• The W24x103 has a depth of 24.530 inches. In order to position it so
that the top of the top flange is flush with the underside of the 12 inch
thick deck, it must be offset downward by (12/2 + 24.530/2) = 18.265
inches.
• The concrete girder has a depth of 48 inches. In order to position it so
that the top of the girder is flush with the underside of the steel beam,
it must be offset downward by (12/2 + 24.530 + 48/2) = 54.53 inches.
• In order to position the top of the column it so that it is flush with the
underside of the concrete girder, it must be offset downward by (12/2
+ 24.530 + 48) = 78.53 inches.
Note: The Primary option is selected by default in the Add New: Load Cases
dialog.
4 In the Add New: Load Cases dialog, enter the following parameters:
• Number: 1
• Loading Type: Dead
• Title: Dead Load
Click the Add button, followed by Close.
5 In the Load & Definition dialog, highlight the 1: Dead Load item. Click the
Add... button.
The next exercises demonstrate how to initiate an analysis, and how to review
analysis results in the post processor.
Note: The model is now fully constructed, and it includes a Dead Load case
and a command to perform a linear elastic analysis.
Note: The STAAD Analysis and Design dialog provides information about the
analysis as it progresses.
3 In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, review the final messages to
ensure that it indicates 0 errors and 0 warnings. Then, click the Go to Post
Processing Mode radio button and then click Done.
4 In the Results Setup dialog, click OK to accept the one and only load case in
this model.
5 In the menu bar, click Results > Scale… In the Diagrams dialog, select the
Scales tab and set the Displacement input field to a value of 0.005 in per
in. Click OK.
Note: The exaggerated deflection of the deck appears uniform and well-
behaved. The deflected beams follow the shape of the deflected deck.
Some deflection is apparent at the free end of the girders as compared
to their points of connection to the columns. The deflected shape is as
expected.
6 In the Node Displacements table, click the Summary tab to review the
extreme deflections.
Note: The “Difference” line in the Statics Check Results table shows all zeros.
This indicates that there is no loss of load. The full magnitude of the
applied load is finding its way to the supports through a valid load path.
Module Review
Now that you have completed this module, let’s measure what you have learned.
Questions
1 Proper use of the “Split member if…” option can greatly assist in creating
proper connectivity.
• True
• False
2 Plates modeled in STAAD.Pro have a “top” and a “bottom”.
• True
• False
3 Member Specifications have an effect on the way individual members
behave during an analysis.
• True
• False
Answers
1 Proper use of the “Split member if…” option can greatly assist in creating
proper connectivity.
True
When activated, the “Split member if…” option will ensure that a member
is split and connected if a new node is added on that member.
2 Plates modeled in STAAD.Pro have a “top” and a “bottom”.
True
The “top” and the “bottom” of a plate are dictated by the order in which
the plate's nodes were created. “Top” and “bottom” have meaning when it
comes to interpreting stresses in the plate.
3 Member Specifications have an effect on the way individual members
behave during an analysis.
True
Examples of member specifications include releases, offsets, and the
tension/compression-only specification.
Module Prerequisites
• Basic understanding of Structural Engineering Principles
• General familiarity with STAAD.Pro Fundamentals
• Familiarity with AASHTO loading criteria
• Completion of the module addressing Modeling of Bridge Structures
• Activation of the STAAD.beava (Bridge Codes) license
Module Objectives
After completing this module, you will be able to:
• Develop a familiarity with STAAD.beava’s use and functionality
• Identify critical loading conditions to maximize selected structural responses
• Use the results of STAAD.beava’s analysis to automatically create the critical
loading conditions as Load Items in the STAAD.Pro model
• Create a custom Load Combination table in STAAD.Pro, and use it to
automatically generate Load Combinations
Introductory Knowledge
Before you begin this module, let's define what you already know.
Questions
1 Influence surfaces describe the variation in a single structural response as
a function of the position of a unit load.
• True
• False
2 The AASHTO HL-93 load describes a lane loading requirement in addition
to the wheel loads from an HS20-44 vehicle.
• True
• False
3 Repeat Loads are an instruction to STAAD.Pro to consider the constituent
load cases as though they act concurrently, rather than summing the
results of the individual loads acting independently.
• True
• False
Answers
1 Influence surfaces describe the variation in a single structural response as
a function of the position of a unit load.
True
At any location x on an influence surface diagram for structural response y,
the ordinate value represents the value of structural response y when a
unit load is located at location x.
2 The AASHTO HL-93 load describes a lane loading requirement in addition
to the wheel loads from the design vehicle.
True
STAAD.beava automatically incorporates these requirements and creates
the lane load components as well as the wheel load components.
3 Repeat Loads are an instruction to STAAD.Pro to consider the constituent
load cases as though they act concurrently, rather than summing the
results of the individual loads acting independently.
True
It is particularly important to use Repeat Loads to combine loads any time
there are non-linearities such as tension-only members, compression-only
supports, etc. It is also important to use Repeat Load combinations any
time a P-Delta analysis is performed.
Bridge Loading
The process of load application for bridge design can be complex due to the
nature of the moving loads. Maximizing any particular structural response of
interest (shear, moment, axial load, and deflection) may be dependent on the
exact placement of multiple vehicles on multiple lanes. Modern codes and design
standards may also introduce additional complicating factors such as loaded
length on a lane, lane factors and load intensity.
STAAD.beava
In view of the complexities associated with bridge loading, STAAD.beava (Bridge
Engineering Automated Vehicle Application) works hand-in-hand with STAAD.Pro.
Its purpose is to minimize the effort associated with the load application process
while complying with national code requirements.
STAAD.beava helps to eliminate the trial and error approach (as well as the
possible errors arising from inaccuracies associated with it), by determining
loading positions required to maximize structural responses of interest.
The approach is based on the use of influence surfaces. An influence surface for a
given effect on a bridge deck relates its value to the movement of a unit load over
the area of interest. The influence surface is a three-dimensional form of an
influence line for a single member.
Influence surfaces can be generated for effects such as bending moments in plate
elements, deflection in all the degrees of freedom of nodes and support
reactions, and axial forces, shears and moments in beam members.
With input from the engineer, STAAD.beava uses the relevant influence surfaces
and takes code requirements into consideration to optimize load positions to
obtain the maximum desired effects.
Note: The use of STAAD.beava requires the activation of the STAAD.beava (Bridge
Codes) license.
Note: It is important to open the new dataset file in this case, because the
mesh has been modified as compared to the previous model. As always,
use engineering judgment when selecting a mesh density. In this model,
the deck has been re-meshed more coarsely to reduce processing times
in the learning environment.
2 In the menu bar, click Mode > Bridge Deck Preprocessor or select the
BEAVA icon in the Mode toolbar to activate STAAD.beava.
3 In the View Window, use the Plates Cursor to select all of the plates in the
model.
4 In the menu bar, click Deck > Create Deck.
5 In the Save Deck As dialog, enter the name Plates_Only and then click OK.
6 Deselect all currently selected elements.
7 In the View Window, use the Beams Cursor to select all of the beams in
the model.
8 In the menu bar, click Deck > Create Deck.
9 In the Save Deck As dialog, enter the name Beams_Only and then click OK.
Note: When creating decks, use them to your best advantage. By including
plates in one deck and members in another, it makes it possible to
separately view Influence surface information on subsets of the overall
structure. But regardless of how the decks are formed, the entire
structure will always be considered when the Influence Surfaces are
generated.
Influence Surfaces
Before we move into defining the roadway and the vehicle, we will initiate the
generation of Influence Surfaces, observe the Influence Surfaces associated with
the following structural responses, and discuss the physical meaning of each:
• Extreme Y-direction Node Displacement of Node 153
Node 153
Node 18
Beam 452
Plate 205
Note: This initiates an analysis of the model for the purpose of generating the
influence surface data. The STAAD Analysis and Design window opens
and reports progress as the model runs. The window closes
automatically when the analysis is complete.
3 In the View toolbar, set the Active Deck drop down list box to
1: Plates_Only.
The color codes indicate, on a relative basis, how much effect a unit load
would have on the Y-direction displacement of Node 153, if the unit load
was placed in all different areas of the structure.
Notice that the concentric rings radiate outward from Node 153. This
indicates that a unit load has a greater and greater effect on the Y-
direction displacement of Node 153, the closer it is placed to Node 153.
Notice also that the color coding indicates high negative influence
numbers in the vicinity of Node 153. This is because the unit load is
assumed to be in the downward direction (representative of gravity loads),
so the unit load actually causes a deflection in the negative Y-direction.
5 In the View toolbar, set the Active Deck drop down list box to
2: Beams_Only. The structure diagram updates to display the influence
colors on the members that are defined as being part of the Deck named
“Beams_Only”.
7 In the Diagrams dialog, choose the option named All Decks in the
Influence Shown category, and then click Apply. The structure diagram
now shows the influence colors for entities that belong to any defined
Deck in the model as shown below:
This diagram indicates that load should be placed close to the girder that
connects to the center column, to have the greatest influence on the
Support Reaction at Node 18. Notice that in this case, the color
distribution consists predominantly of positive values. This implies that
any load placed in those areas will produce some reaction at Node 18 that
is in the positive Y direction.
Defining a Roadway
Note: From this point forward, we will only concentrate our efforts on this one
Deck.
4 In the menu bar, click Deck > Define Roadway…
5 In the Roadways dialog, click the New… button.
Note: The Define Roadway dialog contains three tabs: Straight, Curved, and
Custom.
• The Straight tab provides a simple way to define two outer curbs, and
let STAAD.beava calculate the lane widths automatically as shown
below:
Curb A
Curb B
• The Curved tab provides a way to define two circular outer curbs, and
let STAAD.beava calculate the lane widths automatically as shown
below:
The Curved tab also provides angle input fields that can be used to
limit the extent of the load application to a sector defined by an angle.
This might be necessary if a ramping condition existed such that some
portion of the bridge structure was not subject to direct vehicular
loads as shown in the figure below:
The Curved tab can even be used on structures that are not circular in
shape.
• The Custom tab provides a way to explicitly define the individual lane
layout in any combination of straight sections, circular sections, and/or
sections of irregular geometry (such as spiral curves, or any other
geometry that can be digitized into X-Z data pairs).
6 In the Define Roadway dialog, click the Custom tab and then enter the
following parameters:
Lane category:
• Active Lane: 1 of 1
• Origin X: 0 ft
• Origin Z: 5.5 ft
• Width: 9 ft
Section category:
• Active Section: 1 of 1
• Curb on Left: (checked)
• Curb on Right: (unchecked)
• Orientation: 0
• Length: 160 ft
• Section Type: Straight
Note: The zero-degree Orientation of this lane implies that loads are
positioned along a horizontal line. It does NOT imply that the load
patterns will only be considered as though the vehicle is driving from
left to right. In fact, STAAD.beava considers the wheel loads as though
they are driving in both directions, and identifies whichever case
creates the maximum response.
7 Click Apply.
The first lane is now defined and the Define Roadway dialog appears as
shown below:
8 Click the Add Lane Right button and enter the following parameters:
Lane category:
• Active Lane: 2 of 2
• Origin X: 0 ft
• Origin Z: 14.5 ft
• Width: 9 ft
Section category:
• Active Section: 1 of 1
• Curb on Left: (unchecked)
• Curb on Right: (checked)
• Orientation: 0
• Length: 160 ft
• Section Type: Straight
9 Click Apply.
The first and second lanes are now defined, and the Define Roadway
dialog appears as shown below:
10 Click the Add Lane Right button and enter the following parameters:
Lane category:
• Active Lane: 3 of 3
• Origin X: 0 ft
• Origin Z: 25.5 ft
• Width: 9 ft
Note: The lane origin locations used for the second and third lanes establishes
a 2-foot wide median divider.
Section category:
• Active Section: 1 of 1
• Curb on Left: (checked)
• Curb on Right: (unchecked)
• Orientation: 0
• Length: 160 ft
• Section Type: Straight
11 Click Apply.
The first, second, and third lanes are now defined, and after resetting the
curb on the right for Lane 2, the Define Roadway dialog appears as shown
below:
12 Click the Add Lane Right button and enter the following parameters:
Lane category:
• Active Lane: 4 of 4
• Origin X: 0 ft
• Origin Z: 34.5 ft
• Width: 9 ft
Section category:
• Active Section: 1 of 1
• Curb on Left: (unchecked)
• Curb on Right: (checked)
• Orientation: 0
• Length: 160 ft
• Section Type: Straight
13 Click Apply.
All four lanes are now defined, and the Define Roadway dialog appears as
shown below:
Note: The Roadways dialog appears as shown below, indicating the presence
of one, Custom 4-lane Roadway.
Hint: The “CW” nomenclature is a carryover from the term “Carriageway” that
was previously used in place of “Roadway”.
Warning: Remember that this Roadway will only apply to the Deck named “1:
Plates_Only”.
Vehicle Definitions
Note: The dataset file named Bridge 7.std contains no Deck or Roadway
information, as neither is required to observe Vehicle Definitions.
2 In the menu bar, click Vehicle > Database…
Note: The Vehicle Database dialog displays the list of defined vehicles and
shows details including vehicle dimensions, axle spacing, and wheel
loads. Custom vehicles can be created as necessary.
3 In the Vehicle Database dialog, click HS20-44 in the Vehicles list to observe
a representative vehicle definition.
4 Ensure that the Details of Axle drop down list box is set to 1.
The graphic below clarifies that Axle 1 consists of one wheel load of 4000
lb located 3 ft from the vehicle centerline, and another wheel load of 4000
lb located 3 ft on the other side of the vehicle centerline. Axle 1 is defined
as being at a Fixed Position of 0 ft from the start of the vehicle.
Axle 1: Position 0
10 ft Width
Front
50 ft Clearance 50 ft Clearance
Load Generator
The next exercise demonstrates how to use the Load Generator to position a
particular vehicle so as to maximize specific structural responses of interest. For
continuity, the exercise focuses on the same four structural responses identified
previously, namely:
• Extreme Y-direction Node Displacement of Node 153
• Extreme Y-direction Support Reaction at Node 18
• Extreme Starting End Mz for Beam 452
• Extreme Mx for Plate 205
Note: In this version of the model, the Deck named “Beams_Only” has been
removed, and the Roadway has been modified for simplicity.
2 Ensure that the current length input units are set to foot.
3 In the menu bar, click Loading > Influence Surface Generator to instruct
the program to generate the influence surface data for this model.
4 In the menu bar, click Loading > Run Load Generator… after the influence
surface generation is complete.
5 In the Load Generator Parameters dialog, General tab, set the Design Code
to AASHTO LRFD.
7 Click the AASHTO tab and note that when the AASHTO LRFD Design Code
is selected, Load Factors are provided as optional multipliers for the
various components of load.
Set the factors on the AASHTO tab as follows:
• Design Tandem: 1
• Design Truck (HS): 1.33
Note: Article 3.6.1.2.4 indicates that the dynamic load allowance shall not be
applied to lane loads.
Note: Article 3.6.2.1 provides table of dynamic load factors. We will use 33% in
this exercise.
Note: Live Load generation in BEAVA as per AASHTO LRFD considers Section
3.6.1.1.2 Multiple Presence Factor (Table 3.6.1.1.2-1). A table has been
provided in the code specific page of the Load Generation Parameters
dialog. The table takes the entry as in the Table 3.6.1.1.2-1 of AASHTO
LRFD (1998).
8 Click the Node Displacements tab and set the parameters in row 1 as
follows:
• Node: 153
• Displacement: Y
• Over Pier: No
• To Curb: 19 ft
• Effect: -ve
9 Click the Support Reactions tab and set the parameters in row 1 as
follows:
• Node: 18
• Support Reaction: FY
• Over Pier: Yes
• To Curb: 19 ft
• Effect: +ve
10 Remain on the Support Reactions tab and set the parameters in row 2 as
follows:
• Node: 18
• Support Reaction: FY
• Over Pier: No
• To Curb: 19 ft
• Effect: +ve
Note: This will allow us to see the effect of the “Over Pier” setting.
11 Click the Plate Center Stress tab and set the parameters in row 1 as
follows:
• Plate: 205
• Stress: MX (local)
• Over Pier: No
• To Curb: 16.5 ft (measured from center of plate)
• Effect: -ve (tension on the bottom)
12 Click the Beam End Forces tab and set the parameters in row 1 as follows:
• Beam: 452
• Force: End A: MZ
• Over Pier: Yes
• To Curb: 19 ft
• Effect: +ve
13 Remain on the Beam End Forces tab and set the parameters in row 2 as
follows
• Beam: 452
• Force: End A: MZ
• Over Pier: No
• To Curb: 19 ft
• Effect: +ve
Note: Again, this will provide us with important information regarding the
“Over Pier” setting.
14 In the Load Generator Parameters dialog, click OK.
15 Observe the resulting Vehicular Load Patterns Producing Extreme Values
of Structural Responses dialog.
• The Response drop down list box provides a way to select from among
the responses that have been defined for consideration.
• The Roadway No. drop down list box provides a way to select from
among the different Roadways that exist in the model.
• The Lane No. drop down list box provides a way to select from among
the various Lanes that vehicles can travel in.
Note: When defining a Roadway, if the Straight or Curved options are used,
STAAD.beava will use the defined geometry to automatically determine
the number of Lanes that could exist on the structure.
Beneath the drop down list boxes are four other data areas as shown
below.
Note: Some of these data areas may not apply in all situations, as is the case
with the Concentrated Load section in the figure below.
Note: This is a modeless dialog, meaning that it can be left open while other
tasks are performed on the screen.
16 Keep the dialog open, but slide it out of the way, so the structure can be
viewed in the View Window.
17 In the menu bar, click View > Structure Diagrams…
18 In the Diagrams dialog, click the Deck tab and enter the following
parameters:
• Loads: (checked)
• Vehicles: (checked)
Click OK.
19 In the View toolbar, ensure that the Surface Group drop down list box is
set to 1: N153: Disp Y -ve as shown below:
The Main Window shows a display of the structure with a depiction of the
Vehicle and Lane loads positioned to maximize the downward deflection
of Node 153 as shown below:
Lane 1
Lane 3
Note: The vehicles in all three lanes have smaller magnitudes of wheel loads
on the right-hand end of the image, implying that their front ends are
aimed to the right.
Note: If the dialog was closed, it can be recalled by clicking Loading > Browse
Load Generator Results.
21 In the Vehicular Load Patterns Producing Extreme Values of Structural
Responses dialog, ensure the following parameters are specified:
• Response: 1: Node 153: Displacement (Y)
• Roadway No.: 1
• Lane No.: 1
The dialog shows that Axle No. 1 (the front axle) for the vehicle in Lane No.
1 is positioned at an X coordinate of approximately 58 feet, and Axle No. 2
is positioned at an X coordinate of approximately 44 feet. This represents
an axle spacing of 14 feet, which coordinates with the values we saw
above, when we observed the HS20-44 vehicle definition, and it is
coordinated with the graphic depiction shown in the Main Window.
There are times where it may be useful to have such explicit information
regarding the vehicle position. However the next steps demonstrate one
of the most convenient features of STAAD.beava, which is the ability to
transfer the loading information (magnitudes and locations) back to the
STAAD.Pro input file, for incorporation into the analysis.
22 In the Vehicular Load Patterns Producing Extreme Values of Structural
Responses dialog, click Close.
23 In the menu bar, click Loading > Create Loading in STAAD Model, and then
click OK in the pop-up dialog announcing that load generation is complete.
Note: The load case details are automatically named with descriptive terms
that indicate the Design Code on which they are based, and the
structural response they are intended to maximize or minimize.
7 In the Load & Definition dialog, expand Load Case 2.
Note: The individual Load Items consist of Partial Plate Pressure Loads and
Pressure on Full Plate loads. Even the vehicle wheel loads are created in
the form of Partial Plate Pressure Loads distributed over a small area.
8 In the menu bar, click View > Structure Diagrams…
9 In the Diagrams dialog, click the Scales tab and modify the following
parameter:
• Pressure: 90000 psf per ft or 3 psf per ft
Click OK.
Hint: 90000 psf per ft and 3 psf per ft are comfortable viewing scales to
visualize the wheel loads and the distributed lane loads, respectively.
10 In the Load & Definition dialog, click on some of the Load Items and notice
that the corresponding load becomes highlighted in the View Window.
Note: In this exercise, we will study the effect of the “Over Pier” setting.
2 In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis... and then click Save in the
pop-up dialog.
3 In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, choose the Go to Post Processing
Mode radio button and then click Done.
4 In the Results Setup dialog, select Load Cases 6 and 7 only (moving all
other load cases from the Selected window to the Available window).
Note: Load Case 6 contains the loads to maximize the extreme positive
support reaction at node 18 by choosing Yes for the “Over Pier” setting.
Load Case 7 contains the loads to maximize the extreme positive
support reaction at node 18 by choosing No for the “Over Pier” setting.
5 In the Results Setup dialog, click the Range tab and click the Ranges radio
button. Enter node number 18 in the Nodes field.
Click OK.
6 In the Page Control area, click the Reactions sub-tab.
7 In the Support Reactions table, observe the Fy vertical reactions in the and
note that Load Case 6 produces a greater reaction than Load Case 7.
8 In the menu bar, click View > Structure Diagrams...
9 In the Diagrams dialog, click the Loads and Results tab. In the Loads
category, activate the Loads checkbox and then click OK.
10 In the View toolbar, use the Active Load drop down list box to toggle
between Load Case 6 and 7.
We can now see that Load Case 6 (the one that was created by choosing
Yes in the Over Pier setting) places vehicles on either side of the pier. This
is an effective way to maximize the hogging moment in the girders over
the center pier. Load Case 7 places vehicles directly over the central pier.
Given the current geometry, it turns out that Load Case 6 produces a
greater reaction at node 18.
The same process could be used to compare the effects of Load Case 4 and
Load Case 5, which were established to maximize the End A moment
about the local z-axis for member 452 assuming Over Pier and Not Over
Pier respectively. The result of the comparison would show that the
extreme effect is created by Load Case 4
In this previous section, we used a model that contained the critical loading
conditions. The next exercise demonstrates how to develop a load combination
table.
Note: Based on the comparative study just performed in the previous exercise,
the loading data in this file has been modified by eliminating the non-
controlling load conditions, and the remaining Load Cases have been
renumbered for simplicity.
2 In the menu bar, click Commands > Loading > Edit Auto Load Rules.
3 In the Edit Loading Rules for Auto Load Combination Generation dialog,
use the Select Code drop down list box to view the available codes.
6 Click the New Category button and enter the following parameters:
• Category Name: TRAINING
• No. of Rules: 4
Click OK.
7 Edit the parameters in the TRAINING table as shown below:
Note: The load combinations created for this exercise are for example
purposes only. For simplicity, they incorporate a value of 1.0 for the load
modifier, ηi, relating to ductility, redundancy, and operational
importance, as specified in Article 1.3.2.1 of AASHTO LRFD Bridge
Design Specifications.
8 Click the Update Table button and then click the Close button. This custom
Load Combination table is now available for use in the next exercise.
The next exercise illustrates the process of applying our custom Load Combination
table to automatically generate Load Combinations in the form of Repeat Loads. It
is important that they be created as Repeat Loads, rather than results
combinations, any time a P-Delta analysis will be performed.
Note: Note that ten combinations are generated in the form of Repeat Loads.
They take into consideration the two different possible factors for the
Dead Load component, and they generate all of the different
permutations of the four Traffic Load conditions in combination with
Dead Load.
Module Review
Now that you have completed this module, let’s measure what you have learned.
Questions
1 Beava stands for Bridge Engineering Automated Vehicle Application.
• True
• False
2 STAAD.beava separates the load items that represent the wheel loads
from the load items that represent the lane loads, so they can be factored
separately.
• True
• False
3 The LOAD LIST command can be exported directly from STAAD.beava into
the STAAD.Pro input file.
• True
• False
Answers
1 Beava stands for Bridge Engineering Automated Vehicle Application.
True
2 STAAD.beava separates the load items that represent the wheel loads
from the load items that represent the lane loads, so they can be factored
separately.
False
This separation was done manually during the preparation of the dataset
files. By default, STAAD.beava lumps all load items for a single structural
response into one Load Case.
3 The LOAD LIST command can be exported directly from STAAD.beava into
the STAAD.Pro input file.
False
STAAD.beava can export the loading conditions directly into a STAAD.Pro
input file, but a LOAD LIST command is inserted into the input file through
the GUI or from the STAAD Editor.
Module Prerequisites
• Basic understanding of Structural Engineering Principles
• General familiarity with STAAD.Pro Fundamentals
• Familiarity with AASHTO and ACI design criteria
Module Objectives
After completing this module, you will be able to:
• Apply steel design parameters
• Perform code checking of steel members according to AASHTO LRFD Code
• Observe the results of a code check based on the loading conditions
generated by STAAD.beava
• Optimize and unify designs of steel members
• Observe critical deflections of steel members
• Apply concrete design parameters
• Initiate the batch mode design of reinforced concrete slabs, beams, and
columns
• Interpret concrete design output results
Introductory Knowledge
Before you begin this module, let's define what you already know.
Questions
1 With regard to steel design, STAAD.Pro has the ability to perform code
checking or member selection (optimization) processes.
• True
• False
2 The use of STAAD.beava makes it unnecessary to reanalyze a model after
any stiffnesses have changed in the structure.
• True
• False
3 Concrete design commands will trigger a change in the member section
properties if a rational reinforcing pattern cannot be determined.
• True
• False
Answers
1 With regard to steel design, STAAD.Pro has the ability to perform code
checking or member selection (optimization) processes.
True
When the Code Checking function is used, the program will return a Pass/
Fail status and a utilization ratio. If the member fails the code check, it is
the user's responsibility to address the issue. If the member is oversized,
the program makes no attempt to economize. By contrast, when the
Member Selection function is used, the program will return the lightest
weight section within that family of sections, which meets the code
requirements while satisfying all of the design parameters.
2 The use of STAAD.beava makes it unnecessary to reanalyze a model after
any stiffnesses have changed in the structure.
False
Regardless of whether STAAD.beava has been used to generate the
loading conditions or not, when a stiffness analysis is performed, it is
always good practice to reanalyze the model after making any significant
changes. This is important for two reasons: first, to capture the effects of
the revised stiffnesses when the load is distributed, and second, to
incorporate the effects of any changes in self weight.
3 Concrete design commands will trigger a change in the member section
properties if a rational reinforcing pattern cannot be determined.
False
Concrete design commands will only result in reinforcing patterns for the
assigned section size. If a rational reinforcing pattern cannot be
determined, the program will indicate this in the output, but will not
attempt to revise the section size.
Load List
The Load List command is used to activate the load cases listed in this command
and deactivate all other load cases.
Click OK.
Note: Load Cases 6 through 13 are now the only load cases considered for any
commands that are issued hereafter, until another Load List command
is issued.
Note: This load list does not include the traffic load-only condition, which is
the likely one to use for evaluating deflections. We will check deflection
in a subsequent step.
Now that loading has been properly established, the next step is to apply design
parameters and commands.
Check Code is a request to determine if the member properties that the user has
provided are adequate to carry the forces that are applied to the members. You
use Check Code when you have provided member properties that you believe to
be close to what they should be. If the Code Check finds members that are
inadequate, you will be responsible for finding a new set of members to replace
the inadequate ones.
The sequence of commands for performing a Check Code and those for
performing a Member Selection are similar.
Note: The model used in the following exercises is based on the model used in the
previous modules (with some minor modeling revisions). For the next series of
exercises, we will assume that the intent is to investigate the design of the
central longitudinal girder. For this purpose, STAAD.beava has been applied, to
determine loading patterns that maximize:
• hogging moment at interior support
• shear at interior support
• sagging moment in the left span, and
• downward deflection in left span
The next dataset file incorporates these loading patterns, with the dynamic
loading factor applied to the wheel loads.
The following exercise illustrates how to identify the design code to be used for
evaluating steel members.
Note: STAAD.Pro offers the choice of designing using many different codes
from numerous countries, some of which require specific licenses.
4 In the Current Code list, select the AASHTO (LRFD) code. Keep this model
open for use in the next section.
In the lower portion of the Steel Design dialog, note the three buttons labeled
Select Parameters, Define Parameters and Commands. Clicking the Define
Parameters button opens the Design Parameters dialog. The category window on
the left side of this dialog lists all of the available design parameters from which to
choose.
This dialog is used to specify values for the different design parameters. The
parameters listed are those that are referenced in the various sections of the
currently selected design code.
All of the parameters are initially set to default values. In the absence of any other
instruction, STAAD.Pro will use the default values shown.
Grade of Steel
One common example of the use of parameters is to correctly set the grade of
steel for the different members in the model. The next exercise demonstrates this
procedure.
Slenderness checking
Some other commonly used parameters are the ones that affect slenderness
checking; that is the Kl/r ratio. In the Kl/r ratio, the definitions are as follows:
• The effective length factor, K, addresses the end conditions of the columns.
• The unsupported length, l, represents the distance between two points at
which the member is braced against lateral buckling.
• The radius of gyration, r, is a property of the cross section, expressed as the
square root of the moment of inertia divided by the area.
I
r = ----
A
For buckling about the Y-axis, the parameter names are Ky and Ly; for buckling
about the Z-axis, they are called Kz and Lz.
In the absence of any user input, the K values are assigned a default value of 1.0
and the l values are assigned to be equal to the node-to-node member length. It is
up to you to assign the correct K and l values to the members.
It is important that you understand the system of bracing in the model. For
example, a member that is braced at a point against buckling in one plane may
not necessarily be braced for buckling in the orthogonal plane at that point.
Under these conditions, it may be necessary to modify the default value of 1.0 for
K in one of the directions.
Under normal conditions, when a beam bends, one flange is in tension, the other
in compression. Compression flanges can buckle, either local buckling or lateral
torsional buckling, between points of bracing. Two parameters called UNT and
UNB are used to define these unbraced lengths for bending. UNT is the unbraced
length for the top flange of the beam, and UNB is the unbraced length for the
bottom flange.
“Top flange” and “bottom flange” are defined with reference to the orientation of
the member's local axis system. The flange in the positive local-y direction is the
top flange; the flange in the negative direction is the bottom flange.
Local Y-axis
Top Flange
Major Axis
There may be instances where the top flange of a wide flange beam is braced by a
deck, precluding any kind of buckling of the top flange; whereas, the bottom
flange may be supported at discrete distances.
Under this condition, the unsupported length for the top flange will be one value,
and the unsupported length for the bottom flange will be another value.
Deflection Checking
Parameters can also be applied to assist with deflection checking. Deflections are
not automatically investigated when the Check Code or Member Selection
commands are used. To specifically instruct STAAD.Pro to perform deflection
checking, the variables DFF, DJ1 and DJ2 can be specified.
In the case of the current bridge example, STAAD.Pro would need input from the
user as to what to consider as the “length” of the longitudinal steel beam, if a
deflection check is to be performed. It can't determine the length automatically,
because those structural elements are represented by a series of individual
member segments connected at nodes.
The details of all of these parameters are explained in Chapter 2 of the Technical
Reference manual. There are also several examples in the Examples manual that
illustrate the use of parameters to control the design.
Note: On the left of the Design Parameters dialog is a list of all of the
parameters that are available for the selected design code. On the right
side of the dialog is a description of the currently selected parameter, as
well as a field to enter the desired value for that parameter. (The field
displays the default value for each parameter unless it is modified by
the user.)
Note: This adds some new lines in the input file and in the Command Tree in
the Steel Design dialog. The new lines include the units change to UNIT
INCHES KIP, the reference to the selected AASHTO LRFD code, and a line
referring to GRADE 3 with a question mark icon.
Note: The question mark icon indicates that this particular parameter has not
yet been assigned to any members. We will define the remaining
parameters, and then assign them to the appropriate members.
5 In the Design Parameters dialog, click the TRACK item and then Click the
radio button for 0 = Print the design output at the minimum detail level.
Click the Add button.
Note: The track parameter is used to specify the desired level of detail in the
output. TRACK is an example of a parameter that controls program
behavior as opposed to setting design values.
6 In the Design Parameters dialog, click the UNB item and then enter 240 in.
Click the Add button.
Note: The UNB parameter specifies the unbraced length of the bottom flange
of the beam members to which it is assigned. We have assumed that
there will actually be cross-bracing at 20'-0” intervals along the length
of the bridge, and that it will be stiff enough to brace the bottom flange.
7 In the Design Parameters dialog, click the UNT item and then enter 12 in.
Click the Add button, followed by Close.
Note: The UNT parameter specifies the unbraced length of the top flange of
the beam members to which it is assigned. We have assumed that the
top flange of the longitudinal steel beams will be continuously braced
by the concrete deck. Continuous bracing might be interpreted as an
unbraced length of zero. But, as is the case with many instances in
STAAD.Pro, a value of zero for the UNT parameter implies the “default”
condition, and the default is to assume that the unbraced length is the
member length. So, the most effective way to achieve the effect of
continuous bracing is to specify a small nonzero value for UNT.
Note: Note that all of these new lines have been added to the end of the input
file and Command Tree by default.
Note: This automatically selects the option to Assign to Edit List in the Steel
Design dialog, and it populates the edit list with the name of the group
that contains all of the members in the central longitudinal girder.
10 In the Steel Design dialog, click the Assign button. The members in the
central longitudinal girder become highlighted to indicate that they have
received the specification assignment.
11 Repeat the same assignment procedure to assign TRACK 0, UNB 240, and
UNT 12 to all of the members in the central longitudinal girder.
Code Checking
Now that design parameters have been assigned to the model, the Check Code
command can be used to determine if the members are adequate to carry the
applied forces.
Warning: Remember that if the Code Check finds members that are inadequate, it will
report that condition, but will not make any attempt to modify member
sizes. It is the user's responsibility to interpret the design results and
modify framing conditions or member sizes if necessary.
Note: For this exercise, we will assume the intent is to do a code check for all
of the members in the central longitudinal girder.
2 In the menu bar, click Select > By Group Name…
3 In the Select Groups dialog, click on the name _CENTRAL-GIRDER and then
click Close.
4 In the Steel Design dialog, click the Commands… button.
Note: In the Design Commands dialog, the Assign button is available, because
members are currently selected in the View Window. The Assign button
is convenient because it adds the currently selected command to the
Command Tree, while simultaneously assigning it to all of the currently
selected members.
5 In the Design Commands dialog, select the Code Check item and then click
the Assign button. Click the Close button.
6 In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis… In the Warning dialog, click
Save.
Note: The STAAD Analysis and Design dialog opens and reports on the process
of the current analysis. When the analysis concludes, leave this dialog
open for the next section.
There are now some messages in the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog indicating
additional operations that were performed, like Performing Steel Design, Finished
Design, Creating Design Information File (DGN), and so forth.
If the program is ever unsuccessful in analyzing the input file and generating
results, the Post Processing mode will not be available, as shown below.
The program may also display a message such as “ERROR in Analysis, check
Output (ANL) File” if the analysis concludes prematurely, without generating any
results.
If this ever occurs, open the output file and look for error and/or warning
messages that will help to locate the problem.
The STAAD Output Viewer has two panes. If there is any kind of problem in the
file, the left pane will display horizontal bars labeled Error or Warning. There may
also be a Results bar if the program was able to proceed through the analysis far
enough to generate some results.
Note: An error message indicates a condition which must be corrected in order for a
successful analysis to be performed. A Warning message indicates that the
program encountered an unexpected or abnormal condition, but it was still
able to perform an analysis while warning that the output results should be
checked carefully.
When the analysis concludes, note that some warnings are indicated.
Note: A member size of W24x146 satisfies the flange width-thickness and web
height-thickness requirements.
4 In the menu bar, click File > Exit to close the STAAD Output Viewer.
5 In the Page Control area, click the General tab and the Property sub-tab.
6 In the Properties dialog, select the W24x103 in the section list. Click the
Edit... button.
7 In the American Steel Table dialog, select the W24X146 section and then
click the Change button. Confirm by clicking Yes and then click Close.
Warning: Bear in mind that as soon as any changes are made to the stiffness of
the structure, the results of the previous STAAD.beava analysis
immediately become suspect. Engineering judgment must be
exercised under these conditions, to decide when a change is
significant enough to warrant re-running the STAAD.beava analysis
to take the revised stiffness into consideration. For the purposes of
these training exercises, we will continue to work with the same
loading conditions determined in the previous STAAD.beava
analysis.
8 In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis… In the Warning dialog, click
Save. When the analysis concludes, note that no warnings are indicated.
9 In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, click the View Output File radio
button and then click Done.
10 In the STAAD Output Viewer, click on STEEL DESIGN in the left margin. This
is a quick link to jump right to the location in the output file where the
steel design results begin.
Review the Steel Design Results and note the following:
• CODE: The first line in the results says STAAD.Pro CODE CHECKING -
(AASHTO - LRFD) which confirms the selected design code.
• UNITS: The next line indicates the units that are being used to report
the results.
The results of the code check are reported for each member that is
checked. The level of detail shown in the results is a function of the Track
parameter, which was set to a value of 0 in this exercise. Each of the
columns in the CODE CHECKING results, other than MEMBER or TABLE,
reports two pieces of data. The column headings provide the key to
determining what the data represents.
From left to right, the columns and results for Member 3 are as described
below.
• MEMBER: Displays the member number. The ST notation indicates that
it is a single section from the table, as opposed to a double section,
cover-plated section, etc.
• TABLE: Lists the name of the section (W24X146 in the case of Member
3).
• RESULT: Provides the overall design result for the member in PASS/FAIL
format. In this case, Member 3 passes the code check.
• CRITICAL COND: indicates the structural function that produces the
highest ratio for the member. In this example, the Critical Condition for
Member 3 is created by Bending about its local z axis.
• RATIO: Provides the controlling utilization (demand/capacity) ratio for
the member.
• LOADING: Indicates the Load Case that produced the controlling ratio.
• FX (directly beneath RESULT): Indicates the axial force in the member
under the controlling Load Case. In this case, Member 3 has no axial
force. But in general, if the axial force is tensile, it is indicated with the
letter “T” after the force magnitude, and if the axial force is
compressive, it is indicated with the letter “C”. Note that this is not
necessarily the largest axial force. It is just the axial force associated
with the load case indicated in the LOADING column.
• MY and MZ: Indicate the bending moments about the local y and local
z axes, respectively, that are associated with the load case indicated in
the LOADING column.
• LOCATION: Provides the location along the beam where the RATIO is
the highest. In this case the value is 60.00, indicating that the critical
loading occurs 60 inches from the starting end of Member 3.
11 Scroll down through the steel design results and note that some members
fail the code check. These members are indicated by FAIL in the Result
column. They are also flagged graphically with an asterisk in the extreme
left column.
This model will obviously require some modifications to address the failing
members. But before we address those issues, let's use this model to
demonstrate some other methods that are available to check a model for
failing members.
Hint: In lieu of scanning through output file line by line, there are other
facilities available for checking steel design results:
• Searching the Output file for Failed members
Member Selection
STAAD.Pro has the ability to design steel members (i.e. select lightest weight
members), as opposed to just performing a code check on pre-assigned member
sizes. These features are discussed and illustrated in the following exercises.
It may be more beneficial in many cases to have STAAD.Pro select the appropriate
member size for us. STAAD.Pro has the ability to select the most economical
section in terms of weight that will satisfy the code requirements.
Note: Even though we are asking STAAD.Pro to select members for us, we still must
assign an initial size to all members of the model. This is required in order for
STAAD.Pro to be able to assemble the stiffness matrix that is necessary for
analyzing the structure.
Note: In this dataset file, the Check Code command is no longer appropriate
since we will be instructing STAAD.Pro to select members that satisfy
the code requirements, rather than to just check the adequacy of the
assigned sizes. Therefore, the Code Check command has been deleted
from the input file.
3 In the View Window, select all members in the central longitudinal steel
girder.
Hint: Remember that Select By Group Name is a useful option if the members
are not already selected.
4 In the Steel Design dialog, click the Commands... button.
5 In the Design Commands dialog, click the SELECT item and then click the
Assign button. Click Close.
6 In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis… In the Warning dialog, click
Save.
7 In the STAAD.Pro dialog, click Yes to the warning and to proceed with the
analysis.
Note: This message is a reminder that our model contains commands that are
likely to change the stiffness of some members of the model, but that
we have not issued another command to trigger a re-analysis after
those stiffness changes. Therefore, the analysis results will not be
technically correct based on the commands that currently exist in this
model. We will address this and adjust the commands to correct the
issue in the upcoming exercises.
8 In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, click the View Output File radio
button, and then click Done.
9 In the STAAD Output Viewer, click the RESULTS bar in the left window, and
then click the words STEEL DESIGN. This is a link to go straight to the steel
design pages in the output file.
10 Scroll through the steel design results, and note the following:
• Every member has passed.
• Nearly every member now has a unique cross section, because no
control was provided for the program as it optimized individual
members.
12 In the Steel Design dialog, note that the MEMBER PROPERTY AMERICAN
folder icon has been expanded in the Command Tree.
Note: The new entries in the list (the ones with the question marks) represent
the sections that were determined to be the optimized sizes by the
SELECT command. The question mark icon is used to indicate that they
have not yet been assigned to the model.
13 In the menu bar, click Select > By Group Name…
14 In the Select Groups dialog, click the group name _CENTRAL-GIRDER and
then click Close.
15 In the menu bar, click View > View Selected Objects Only.
16 On your keyboard, press the hotkey Shift + X to display member sections
in the View Window.
Note: All girder segments are still display W24X146, the original size that wa
assigned to the members.
17 In the menu bar, click Mode > Post Processing or select the Post
Processing icon in the Mode toolbar to activate the Post Processor.
18 If the Results Setup dialog appears, click OK to select all load cases.
Note: The structure diagram still displays member sections, but in the Post
Processing mode, it displays the sections that were found to be the
optimum for each individual member.
19 In the Page Control area, click the Beam tab and the Unity Check sub-tab.
Note: In the Design Results table, in the Data Area, notice the following
results:
• The Analysis Property column indicates the cross sections that were
used in the analysis to obtain the member forces. These are the
member sections that we initially assigned to the members of the
model.
• This Design Property column indicates the member sizes that were
determined using the SELECT command.
Note: There is a command in the Post Processor menu bar that can be used
when appropriate to overwrite the original member sections in the
STAAD input file with the sections that were determined using the
SELECT command. We won't apply that command at this time, but be
aware of the fact that it does exist. It is Results > Update Properties.
• The Actual Ratio column indicates the Unity Check ratio for each
member that was chosen by the Select command.
• The Actual Ratio values are all less than (but very close to) 1.0. This is
an indication of the efficiency of the selection process. If many
members had a ratio far below 1.0, it would not be considered to be an
efficient, economical design.
Note: Occasionally, a Select command will result in some members with very
low ratios. This may happen with lightly loaded members, where the
selected size is either the smallest section in the database, or when the
selected member size is required in order to meet a minimum
slenderness ratio, Kl/r.
Note: The AASHTO LRFD code provides a design parameter named MAIN that
can be used to designate certain members as secondary members, and
waive the slenderness check where appropriate.
Note: This makes the SELECT command the “current” location in the
Command Tree, and facilitates inserting the grouping command in the
right location.
6 In the Design Commands dialog, toggle on the After Current checkbox.
Hint: The use of After Current ensures that the next command will be added
immediately beneath currently selected command, instead of
defaulting to the position at the very end of the Command Tree.
7 In the Design Commands dialog, click the GROUP item and select Sz in the
Property Specification list.
Note: The Property Specification list specifies the property that will be used to
identify the controlling member. Options include:
• Ax, Sy or Sz: cross sectional area or section modulus.
• None: Selecting None is the same as selecting Ax as the controlling
parameter.
• Same as Beam #: If this option is used, the section determined for the
selected beam will be used as the section for all members to which this
Group command is assigned.
8 In the Design Commands dialog, click the Assign button and then click
Close.
The other issue we have to address is the consistency (or lack thereof) between
the analysis results and the member section properties. Based on the discussion
in the previous section, once the program has selected members of a uniform
size, the model should be re-analyzed. The forces found in the first analysis will
not be valid anymore because of the differences in stiffness and self-weight
associated with the member size changes. A second analysis will determine the
distribution of the forces in the new members.
Note: The Analysis/Print Commands dialog opens, with the Perform Analysis
tab active.
3 In the Analysis/Print Commands dialog, click Add and then Close.
Note: This adds a second PERFORM ANALYSIS command in the Command Tree
of the Analysis dialog.
4 In the Page Control area, click the Design tab.
5 In the menu bar, click Select > By Group Name…
6 In the Select Groups dialog, click the group name _CENTRAL-GIRDER and
then click Close.
7 In the Steel Design dialog, click the Commands... button.
Note: The Design Commands dialog opens with the CHECK CODE command
selected.
8 In the Design Commands dialog, click Assign and then Close.
Note: This CHECK CODE command instructs the program to conduct one more
code check with the new force values to confirm that the new member
sizes are able to safely support the forces within code limits.
Exercise: Run Model with Analyze, Select, Group, Re-Analyze, and Check
Code
1 Open the saved dataset file named Bridge 18.std.
2 In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis…
Note: In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, notice that no errors and no
warnings are indicated.
3 In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, click the View Output File radio
button and then click Done.
4 In the STAAD Output Viewer, click the first STEEL DESIGN link in the left
pane. Scroll down through the results and note the following:
• All members pass the code check.
• There are many different section sizes indicated.
• The Utilization Ratios are all very close to 1.0.
Continue scrolling past the first set of design results and note the GROUP
SZ MEMB _CENTRAL-GIRDER command. It indicates “GROUPING BASED
ON MEMBER 458 (ST W27X194)”. In other words, of the members that
were just optimized, member 458 had the largest value of section
modulus about the local z-axis, so all members of the _CENTRAL-GIRDER
group are reassigned that section size.
Note: Before scrolling further, make note of the fact that the design result for
member 458 is displayed immediately above the GROUP SZ MEMB
_CENTRAL-GIRDER command, and it indicates a ratio of 0.999 based on
loading condition 11.
What options are available in situations where some members have failed after
the Check Code command? One option is to perform additional design iterations:
reselect, regroup, and reanalyze. This process can be iterated over and over until
STAAD.Pro converges on a solution. In larger and more complex models, more
design iterations may be required in order to converge on a solution.
However, there is a quick way to reduce the number of iterations that may be
required by using a design parameter called RATIO.
Note: The RATIO parameter can be used to specify an upper limit for the Unity
Check ratio of the section. Setting this value to something less than 1.0
directs STAAD.Pro to select members with some reserve capacity with
respect to the code design strength.
9 In the menu bar, click Select > By Group Name… In the Select Groups
dialog, click the group name _CENTRAL-GIRDER and then click Close.
10 In the Steel Design dialog, click the Define Parameters.. button.
11 In the Design Parameters dialog, click the After Current checkbox, and
then click the RATIO parameter. The value in the input field defaults back
to 1. This time, leave it at its default value.
12 In the Design Parameters dialog, click the Assign button, and then Close.
Note: Now when an analysis is run, the SELECT command will use an upper
limit of 0.4 on the unity ratio when optimizing, but the CHECK CODE
command will use an upper limit of 1.0 on the unity ratio when
performing the final check. If any member still fails, the new member
sizes could be captured with Results > Update Properties, and then the
analysis could be run again to see if STAAD.Pro will correct the failure
based on the redistribution of forces, or the original sizes could be
retained and the RATIO parameter could be revised to a more
conservative value.
Note: In this exercise, the design of this full length girder is being controlled by
the two segments closest to the central support. In a real-world
situation, it is likely that a more economical solution could be achieved
by considering cover plates, closer spacing of the bottom flange bracing
near the central support, or other approaches, rather than just allowing
the program to select a larger section.
Warning: Remember that this design is predicated on the first set of loading
conditions that we obtained from STAAD.beava, and that
technically, the STAAD.beava analysis should be rerun after
significant stiffness changes occur in the structural model.
3 In the STAAD Output Viewer, click the first STEEL DESIGN line under the
RESULTS bar to go straight to the section in the output file that reports the
results of the member selection process.
Note that the results listed in this section are of various sizes, because the
Grouping command has not yet been applied. Also, noticed that the ratios
in this section are all close to 0.4 because of the parameter we applied to
set an upper limit of 0.4 on the ratios during the selection process.
The pass/fail status in this section is actually based on a comparison of the
unity ratio to a value of 0.4. If the program was unable to find a wide
flange section that could satisfy the AASHTO LRFD code requirements with
a ratio of 0.4 or less, then it would indicate the last section it tried, along
with its design result, and a FAIL status in this section. However, just
because a member my indicate a FAIL result in this section of the results,
that does not necessarily mean that the member fails the final code check
where the allowable ratio is raised back up to 1.0. So in this exercise, there
is little value in studying the pass/fail status associated with the first STEEL
DESIGN result, because it is an intermediate step toward determining the
final result, which is accessible from the second STEEL DESIGN link.
4 In the STAAD Output Viewer, click the second STEEL DESIGN line under the
RESULTS bar to observe the results that are based on the reanalysis of the
girder with members of a uniform size and with the RATIO parameter reset
to 1.0.
5 In the menu bar, select File > Exit to close the STAAD Output Viewer.
Note: Load 5 is the Reference Load that consists only of unfactored lane loads
and wheel loads positioned to maximize the downward deflection of
the left span, which was determined to occur at node 153.
4 In the Results Setup dialog, click the Range tab. Click the Ranges radio
button, enter 153 in the Nodes field, and then click OK.
5 In the Page Control area, click the Node tab, Displacement sub-tab. The
Node Displacements table now clearly indicates a downward deflection of
1.064 inches in the global Y direction. This equates to a deflection-to-span
length ratio of approximately L/900.
SELECT OPTIMIZED
When the SELECT OPTIMIZED command is issued, the following steps are taken:
CHECK CODE ALL, then modify ratios, then SELECT ALL, then PERFORM ANALYSIS,
then SELECT ALL.
The TAKE OFF and MEMBER TAKE OFF commands can be used to generate a Bill of
Materials for a model, showing the total weight of each section size that is used.
MEMBER TAKE OFF also includes a table showing the length and total weight of
each individual member.
FIXED GROUP
The FIXED GROUP command is used with the SELECT OPTIMIZED command, in the
same way that GROUP is used with the SELECT command. It creates a grouping
that is retained in memory so it can be used in subsequent member select
operations.
The next step is to perform a reinforced concrete slab design. We will focus on
Plate 205 as shown in the figure below, assuming that we have identified its
design as being of critical importance.
Plate 205
Note: The CLB item is active by default. This parameter is used to specify the
clear cover for the outermost bottom reinforcement.
Note: The value of the CLB parameter is currently 1.5 inches. Since we are
seeing this parameter for the very first time, we know that we are
seeing the default value. All parameters have a default value. It is only
necessary to assign a parameter if there is a need to use something
other than the default value. Otherwise, STAAD.Pro just uses the default
value.
6 In the Design Parameters dialog, enter 0.75 in into the input field for the
CLB parameter, and then click the Assign button.
7 In the Design Parameters dialog, click the CLT parameter. Enter 0.75 in into
the input field for the CLT parameter, and then click the Assign button.
8 In the Design Parameters dialog, click the FC parameter, and note that the
default value is 4 kip/in2. The intent is to use this default value in the
design, so nothing needs to be done with this parameter.
Note: The yield strength parameters for main and secondary reinforcing were
not selected. In this exercise, the default value of 60 ksi is used for these
parameters.
9 In the Design Parameters dialog, click Close.
Note: This completes the assignment of Design Parameters. The next step is to
add the actual concrete design command.
10 In the Concrete Design dialog, click the Commands... button.
11 In the Design Commands dialog, click the DESIGN SLAB/ELEMENT item.
Click the Assign button, and then click Close.
Note: This adds the command for designing individual plate elements for two-
way flexural moments (Mx and My).
12 In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis... Click Save in the Warning
dialog.
13 In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, click View Output File radio
button and then click Done.
14 In the STAAD Output Viewer window, click the item in the left pane that
says CONCRETE DESIGN. This is a link that jumps directly to the location
where the concrete design results appear in the output file.
The next section provides an annotated interpretation of the slab design results.
The Element Design Summary appears in the output file. See the numbered items
below for a description of the output items.
ELEMENT DESIGN SUMMARY
----------------------
3 4
***************************END OF ELEMENT DESIGN***************************
Close the STAAD Output Viewer to prepare for the next exercise.
Hint: See also Section 1.6.1 of the STAAD.Pro Technical Reference manual.
The nodes defining the quadrilateral plate were drawn in the order A - B - C - D.
The nodes defining the triangular plate were drawn in the order A - B - C. The
orientation of the local coordinate system for plates is determined as follows:
• The local x-axis is defined to be parallel to the vector pointing from A to B.
• The cross-product of vectors AB and AC defines a vector parallel to the local z-
axis, i.e., z = AB x AC. The z-axis is always perpendicular to the plate surface.
• The cross-product of vectors z and x defines a vector parallel to the local y-
axis, i.e., y = z cross x. (Both the x and the y axes always lie in the plane of the
plate.)
• The origin of the axes is at the center (average) of the 3 or 4 node locations
that define the plate.
Hint: The keyboard hotkey Shift + T toggles the display of Plate Orientation axes on
the structure diagram.
In STAAD.Pro, the side of the plate from which the positive z-axis points is
considered to be the “top” of the plate.
Beam 463
In the following exercise, it helps to note that node 307 is the node that connects
beam 463 to the column, as shown in the figure below.
Note: The maxmain parameter defines the maximum permissible rebar size
for main reinforcement.
7 In the Design Parameters dialog, click the TRACK item. Click the (2) radio
button corresponding to the highest level of output detail, and then click
Assign, followed by Close.
Note: The track parameter is used to select the level of detail to be provided in
the output.
8 In the Concrete Design dialog, click the Commands... button.
Note: The Design Beam item is active by default. The Design Beam item is used
to add the command for performing reinforcement calculations for
flexure, shear and torsion (Mz, Fy and Mx).
9 In the Design Commands dialog, click the Assign button followed by Close.
10 In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis. In the Warning dialog, click
Save.
11 In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, click View Output File radio
button and then click Done.
12 In the STAAD Output Viewer, click the CONCRETE DESIGN item in the left
pane.
The next section provides an annotated interpretation of the beam design results.
Scroll down in the output file and locate the beginning of the design output for
BEAM NO. 463. The first line of data in the beam design output echoes the beam
dimensions and material properties.
BEAM NO. 463 DESIGN RESULTS - FLEXURE PER CODE ACI 318-05
The next section provides geometric information about the layer of rebar that
occurs near the bottom of the beam. See the descriptions corresponding to the
numbered items in the figure below.
LEVEL HEIGHT BAR INFO FROM TO ANCHOR
FT. IN. FT. IN. FT. IN. STA END
_____________________________________________________________________
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 Item 1: Rebar Level number - starting with bottom layer first.
2 Item 2: Height from bottom of beam to centroid of rebar at this level.
3 Item 3: Number and size of rebar required at this level by design.
4 Item 4: Starting location of the rebar at this level, measured from the
starting node of the beam.
5 Item 5: Ending location of the rebar at this level, measured from the
starting node of the beam.
6 Item 6: Indication as to whether or not the rebar at this level is considered
to be fully-developed (as with a standard hook or full development length
projection) at the start (STA) and end (END) of the rebar.
Below the line of geometric data pertaining to the first layer of rebar is a dashed
box. It contains the design information for the first layer of rebar including:
• Magnitude and location of the critical (design) moment
• The load condition that produces the critical moment
• Area of rebar required by the design
• Actual, maximum, and minimum reinforcing ratios
• Maximum, minimum, and actual rebar spacing
• Required development length
A single line of text below the dashed box reports the cracked moment of inertia
at the location of the design moment.
Subsequent levels of rebar are described in the same manner. In this beam, there
is a need for a top layer of rebar to resist negative moment for the full length of
the member, so the second level is indicated as shown in the figure below.
2 3 + 9-1/8 16-NUM.11 0 + 0-0/0 10 + 0-0/0 YES YES
|----------------------------------------------------------------|
| CRITICAL NEG MOMENT= 4532.45 KIP-FT AT 0.00 FT, LOAD 8|
| REQD STEEL= 24.72 IN2, RHO=0.0114, RHOMX=0.0214 RHOMN=0.0033 |
| MAX/MIN/ACTUAL BAR SPACING= 10.00/ 2.82/ 2.84 INCH |
| REQD. DEVELOPMENT LENGTH = 99.64 INCH |
|----------------------------------------------------------------|
The top layer of rebar consists of 16 - #11 bars being designed for the negative
moment of approximately 4534 kip-ft at the starting end. The anchorage labels
indicate that this rebar is assumed to be anchored (hooked or otherwise fully
developed) at both ends, so it would be important to detail these bars in such a
way as to validate this assumption.
Note: There are likely to be subtle differences in the reinforcing steel areas reported
by the Design Results section and the Required Reinforcing Steel Summary due
to a difference in the way the required reinforcing steel areas are calculated in
the two locations.
• In the Design Results section, the program iterates until the effective depth
used to calculate the area of steel required is the value based on the actual
bars being provided. For example, if the steel provided says 7 NUM 5 for the
midspan region, then the effective depth is based on the arrangement of
seven #5 bars.
• In the Required Reinforcing Steel Summary, on the other hand, there is no
actual bar arrangement being calculated. The program assumes the effective
depth based on the clear cover, an assumed stirrup size and an assumed
longitudinal bar size. Based on the assumed effective depth, the program then
calculates the area of steel required.
Since the effective depth could be different in these two calculation methods,
this could lead to differences in the required areas of steel reported by the
two methods.
The next section of output presents the shear design for the starting end and the
ending end of beam 125.
B E A M N O. 463 D E S I G N R E S U L T S - SHEAR
AT START SUPPORT - Vu= 645.85 KIP Vc= 366.00 KIP Vs= 495.12 KIP
Tu= 1.88 KIP-FT Tc= 177.91 KIP-FT Ts= 0.00 KIP-FT LOAD 8
NO STIRRUPS ARE REQUIRED FOR TORSION.
REINFORCEMENT IS REQUIRED FOR SHEAR.
PROVIDE NUM. 7 2-LEGGED STIRRUPS AT 6.6 IN. C/C FOR 14. IN.
AT END SUPPORT - Vu= 638.58 KIP Vc= 653.94 KIP Vs= 197.50 KIP
Tu= 1.88 KIP-FT Tc= 177.91 KIP-FT Ts= 0.00 KIP-FT LOAD 8
NO STIRRUPS ARE REQUIRED FOR TORSION.
REINFORCEMENT IS REQUIRED FOR SHEAR.
PROVIDE NUM. 5 2-LEGGED STIRRUPS AT 8.6 IN. C/C FOR 14. IN.
The shear designs incorporate the effects of both shear and torsion in beams, and
indicate any required stirrups and additional longitudinal reinforcing.Diagrams of
the elevation view and sections through the beam are provided next. The
diagrams schematically show the top and bottom longitudinal reinforcement and
the stirrups. See the itemized descriptions corresponding to the numbered items
in the figure below.
1
___ 307J____________________ 2 120.X 48.X 48_____________________ 3 305J____
||=========================================================================||
|16#11H 45. 0.TO 120. | | | |
| 4 | | | |
| 4#7 C/C 7
6 3#5 C/C 9 | |
| 5 7 | | | |
| 10#9 H 3. 48.TO 120. | | | |
| =============================================||
|___________________________________________________________________________|
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________
|OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO| |OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO| |OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO| |OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO|
| 8 | | | | | | 9 |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | |10#9 | |10#9 10 |
| | | | | OOOOOOOOOO | | OOOOOOOOOO |
|_______________| |_______________| |_______________| |_______________|
Close the STAAD Output Viewer to prepare for the next exercise.
The beam design parameters and commands that we entered in the previous
exercise have been removed from the dataset file we are about to open. In
addition, the Loading Conditions in the following exercise have been revised to
represent extreme conditions for axial and bending forces on member 462 shown
highlighted in the figure below.
Member 462
Note: The REINF parameter is used to distinguish between Tied and Spiral
column reinforcing. The default is Tied, but we have assumed that
column 462 is spirally reinforced.
8 In the Design Parameters dialog, click the TRACK item. Click the (2) radio
button corresponding to the highest level of output detail, and then click
Assign, followed by Close.
Note: The TRACK parameter is used to select the level of detail to be provided
in the output.
9 In the Concrete Design dialog, click the Commands... button.
10 In the Design Commands dialog, click the DESIGN COLUMN item. Click the
Assign button, and then click Close.
Note: The Design Column command is used to add the command for designing
for biaxial bending moments and axial force (My, Mz and Fx).
11 In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis... In the Warning dialog,
click Save.
12 In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, click the View Output File radio
button and then click Done.
13 In the STAAD Output Viewer window, click the item in the left pane that
says CONCRETE DESIGN. This is a link that jumps directly to the location of
the concrete design results in the output file.
Scroll down in the output file and locate the beginning of the design output for
COLUMN NO. 462. Material and geometric properties are listed first.
COLUMN NO. 462 DESIGN PER ACI 318-05 - AXIAL + BENDING
Close the STAAD Output Viewer to prepare for the next section.
The Take Off command is designed to summarize the quantity of concrete and
reinforcing steel in the designed beams and columns.
Module Review
Now that you have completed this module, let’s measure what you have learned.
Questions
1 When optimizing multi-segment steel members, the batch mode of steel
design is likely to select many different sections along the length of the
member as the design requirements vary. What command does STAAD.Pro
provide to address this issue and lend uniformity to the designs?
2 Under what conditions might it be important to re-run STAAD.beava after
an initial member selection?
3 Under what conditions might the RATIO parameter prove useful during
steel member selection?
Answers
1 When optimizing multi-segment steel members, the batch mode of steel
design is likely to select many different sections along the length of the
member as the design requirements vary. What command does STAAD.Pro
provide to address this issue and lend uniformity to the designs?
The GROUP command can be used to evaluate a set of beams, identify
the one with the largest area or section modulus, and then reassign that
section property to all beams within the set.
2 Under what conditions might it be important to re-run STAAD.beava after
an initial member selection?
It would be good practice to re-run STAAD.beava if a design results in a
significant change in stiffness as compared to the model upon which the
STAAD.beava analysis was based.
3 Under what conditions might the RATIO parameter prove useful during
steel member selection?
The RATIO parameter can be used to reserve some capacity as the
program optimizes steel members. It can be particularly useful in
achieving an acceptable design more quickly under conditions where
changes in stiffness cause significant changes in load distribution, which
continue to overstress the members that have just been stiffened.
Course Summary
Now you will be able to:
• Proficiently model bridge structures in STAAD.Pro
• Use STAAD.beava to define bridge lane geometry, select a design vehicle,
identify structural responses of interest, create loading conditions that
maximize responses of interest, and send those loading conditions back to the
STAAD.Pro model
• Create custom Load Combination tables in STAAD.Pro, and use them to
automatically generate Load Combinations
• Set design parameters and issue design commands to perform code checks or
to optimize steel members according to the requirements of AASHTO code for
steel members and ACI code for concrete members.
Course Review
Now that you have completed this course, let’s measure what you have learned.
Questions
1 Most of the modeling of a bridge structure in STAAD.Pro is typically done
by working within the text input file using the STAAD Editor.
• True
• False
2 STAAD.beava is capable of identifying critical load positions as well as
critical members within a structure.
• True
• False
3 The steel design process in STAAD.Pro can evaluate deflections for a multi-
segment bridge girder.
• True
• False
Answers
1 Most of the modeling of a bridge structure in STAAD.Pro is typically done
by working within the text input file using the STAAD Editor.
False
The ease and convenience of the Graphical User Interface is equally well-
suited for modeling structures of all types, including bridge structures. As
always, the text input file is still accessible for instances where it may be
easier to make an edit to the file directly.
2 STAAD.beava is capable of identifying critical load positions as well as
critical members within a structure.
False
Beava's power lies in its ability to locate loads to maximize or minimize the
response of selected structural functions. However, it remains the
engineer's task to select the members whose structural functions are to
be maximized or minimized.
3 The steel design process in STAAD.Pro can evaluate deflections for a multi-
segment bridge girder.
True
By using the DFF, DJ1 and DJ2 parameters, the steel design engine is
capable of correctly evaluating the deflections of a multi-span girder by
normalizing the deflections at the end nodes and then comparing the
critical deflection to the overall girder span.