Some aspects to consider when analysing

mat foundations using STAAD.Pro

Created by Kris Sathia, Technical Support Group, Bentley Systems, Inc.
Question:
I am using STAAD.Pro to analyze a mat foundation that supports a steel frame. I have used the PLATE
MAT command and set the springs to COMPRESSION only. I encounter 2 problems :- a) Instability
warnings b) Some springs still go into tension
How do I go about correcting these problems?
Answer:
In order to solve problems of this type, there are two aspects that one needs to pay attention to.
1. Solving pure component load cases
Let us assume that there are 4 primary load cases. Load cases 1 and 2 are vertical load cases (downward
loads along GY), 3 is wind along X (Nodal forces along global X), 4 is wind along Z (Nodal forces along
global Z).
Consider the load cases 3 and 4. They contain only lateral forces. Cases such as these are called
component-type primary cases because they represent only one type of load - wind only, seismic only,
etc. In the real world, a component type load acts in conjunction with other cases such as gravity. Thus,
solving a pure component case is useful only when the results for that case can be combined with those
from gravity and other load cases for a steel design for example. But this requires the principle of
superposition to be applicable for that analysis run. The principle of superposition states that
Results of case A + Results of case B = Results of (case A + case B)
This principle works only for static linear conditions.
Load cases 3 and 4 produce an overturning moment. To satisfy equilibrium, a restoring moment needs
to be mobilized to counteract this overturning moment. In these load cases, in addition to the horizontal
forces, had there been loads acting vertically downwards, they would have contributed towards a
restoring moment. But such loads are not present.
So, the contribution to restoring must come solely from the soil springs. Normally, this is formed when
some springs go into compression and others go into tension thus forming a couple. But, by declaring
the soil springs as compression-only, the tensile force in the springs are disallowed. Thus, a restoring
moment cannot be formed solely by the spring forces. It leads to the instability warnings.

Consequently, a component load case containing only horizontal forces that produce an overturning
moment cannot be resisted by a system of soil springs in which a tensile force in the soil spring is
disallowed.
There are two ways to address this situation.
1. Instruct the program to "not" solve such load cases. The means to do that is to convert them into
"REFERENCE LOAD DATA" which is explained in section 5.31.6 of the Technical Reference manual.
2. Instruct the program to solve load cases 1 through 4 without the "COMPRESSION" attribute. That
attribute can be specified later when the combination cases are solved, as explained next. The PERFORM
ANALYSIS and CHANGE commands should also be specified after load case 4. Since the results of these
component cases are of no use to us, we will dis-regard them. Thus, we will have something like this.
MEMBER PROPERTIES
..
CONSTANTS
..
MEMBER RELEASE
..
SUPPORTS
1 TO 126 PLATE MAT DIRECTION Y SUBGRADE 12.0
LOAD 1 DEAD LOAD
SELF Y -1.0
LOAD 2 LIVE LOAD
MEMBER LOAD
LOAD 3 WIND IN X
JOINT LOAD
35 TO 46 FX 0.6
LOAD 4 WIND IN Z
JOINT LOAD
31 TO 67 FZ 0.35
PERFORM ANALYSIS
CHANGE

2. Solving combination load cases

The second aspect to consider in these models is the type of command to use when combining the
individual cases to form combination cases. Most people typically use the syntax LOAD COMBINATION
nnn. This instructs STAAD to find the result for a combination case by adding the results of the
component primary cases that make up that combination case. In other words,
LOAD COMBINATION 7
1 1.0 2 1.0
instructs the program to fetch the results of load cases 1 and 2 and add them algebraically to produce
the results of load case 7. An analysis involving the equation [K]{d}={P} is not being done when this
syntax is used.
This approach is OK to use only under linear conditions in which the laws of superposition work.
In non-linear conditions such as when COMPRESSION-only springs are present in the model, this
principle does not work.
So, instead of adding the results, the program must be instructed to form a physical load case called 7
which contains the load items of cases 1 and 2 factored by 1.0 and perform the operation
[K]{d}={P} where {P} is load case 7. This is the correct way to analyze the model for the loads of cases 1
and 2 acting simultaneously.
The means to achieve it is to use the REPEAT LOAD syntax instead of the LOAD COMBINATION syntax.
For example, the commands
LOAD COMB 7 COMBINATION LOAD CASE 7
1 1.0 2 1.0
LOAD COMB 8 COMBINATION LOAD CASE 8
1 1.0 2 1.0 3 1.0
LOAD COMB 9 COMBINATION LOAD CASE 9
1 1.0 2 1.0 4 1.0
LOAD COMB 12 COMBINATION LOAD CASE 12
1 1.0 4 1.0
LOAD COMB 13 COMBINATION LOAD CASE 13
1 0.67 2 0.67 3 0.67
LOAD COMB 14 COMBINATION LOAD CASE 14
1 0.67 2 0.67 4 0.67
must be changed to

LOAD 7 COMBINATION LOAD CASE 7

REPEAT LOAD
1 1.0 2 1.0
LOAD 8 COMBINATION LOAD CASE 8
REPEAT LOAD
1 1.0 2 1.0 3 1.0
LOAD 9 COMBINATION LOAD CASE 9
REPEAT LOAD
1 1.0 2 1.0 4 1.0
LOAD 12 COMBINATION LOAD CASE 12
REPEAT LOAD
1 1.0 4 1.0
LOAD 13 COMBINATION LOAD CASE 13
REPEAT LOAD
1 0.67 2 0.67 3 0.67
LOAD 14 COMBINATION LOAD CASE 14
REPEAT LOAD
1 0.67 2 0.67 4 0.67
Additionally, since the COMPRESSION-only attribute was removed for cases 1 to 4, the SUPPORTS need
to be re-specified just before load case 7 and the COMPRESSION attribute must be included in that
command. The data will then look like
LOAD 4 WIND IN Z
JOINT LOAD
31 TO 67 FZ 0.35
PERFORM ANALYSIS
CHANGE
SUPPORTS
1 TO 126 PLATE MAT DIRECTION Y SUBGRADE 12.0 COMPRESSION
LOAD 7 COMBINATION LOAD CASE 7
REPEAT LOAD
1 1.0 2 1.0
..
..
..

LOAD 14 COMBINATION LOAD CASE 14

REPEAT LOAD
1 0.67 2 0.67 4 0.67
PERFORM ANALYSIS
CHANGE
LOAD LIST 7 TO 14
..
PARAMETER
CODE AISC UNIFIED 2010
METHOD ASD
..