Advance Topics in Staadpro PDF

Advanced Topics in
STAAD.Pro
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STAAD.Pro
TRAINING MANUAL
ADVANCED TOPICS
A Bentley Solutions Center
www.reiworld.com
www.bentley.com/staad
STAAD.Pro is a suite of proprietary computer programs of
Research Engineers, a Bentley Solutions Center. Although
every effort has been made to ensure the correctness of these
programs, REI will not accept responsibility for any mistake,
error or misrepresentation in or as a result of the usage of
these programs.
© 2006 Bent ley Syst ems, Incorporat ed. All Right s Reserved.
Published October, 2006

About STAAD.Pro
STAAD.Pro is a general purpose structural analysis and design program with

applications primarily in the building industry - commercial buildings, bridges and
highway structures, industrial structures, chemical plant structures, dams, retaining
walls, turbine foundations, culverts and other embedded structures, etc. The program
hence consists of the following facilities to enab le this task.
1. Graphical model generation utilities as well as text editor based commands for
creating the mathematical model. Beam and column members are represented using
lines. Walls, slabs and panel type entities are represented using triangular and
quadrilateral finite elements. Solid blocks are represented using brick elements.
These utilities allow the user to create the geometry, assign properties, orient cross
sections as desired, assign materials like steel, concrete, timber, aluminum, specify
supports, apply loads explicitly as well as have the program generate loads, design
parameters etc.
2. Analysis engines for performing linear elastic and pdelta analysis, finite element
analysis, frequency extraction, and dynamic response (spectrum, time history ,
steady state, etc.).
3. Design engines for code checking and optimization of steel, aluminum and timber
members. Reinforcement calculations for concrete beams, columns, slabs and shear
walls. Design of shear and moment connections for steel members.
4. Result viewing, result verification and report generation tools for examining
displacement diagrams, bending moment and shear force diagrams, beam, plate and
solid stress contours, etc.
5. Peripheral tools for activities like import and export of data from and to ot her
widely accepted formats, links with other popular softwares for niche areas like
reinforced and prestressed concrete slab design, footing design, steel connection
design, etc.
6. A library of exposed functions called OpenSTAAD which allows users to access
STAAD.Pro’s internal functions and routines as well as its graphical commands to
tap into STAAD’s database and link input and output data to third -party software
written using languages like C, C++, VB, VBA, FORTRAN, Java, Delphi, etc.
Thus, OpenSTAAD allows users to link in-house or third-party applications with
STAAD.Pro.
About the STAAD.Pro Documentation
The documentation for STAAD.Pro consists of a set of manuals as described below.
These manuals are normally provided only in the electronic form at, with perhaps some
exceptions such as the Getting Started Manual which may be supplied as a printed book
to first time and new-version buyers.
All the manuals can be accessed from the Help facilities of STAAD.Pro. Users who
wish to obtain a printed copy of the books may contact Research Engineers. REI also
supplies the manuals in the PDF format at no cost for those who wish to print them on
their own. See the back cover of this book for addresses and phone numbers.
Getting Started and Tutorials : This manual contains information on the contents of
the STAAD.Pro package, computer system requirements, installation process, copy
protection issues and a description on how to run the programs in the package.
Tutorials that provide detailed and step -by-step explanation on using the programs are
also provided.
Examples Manual
This book offers examples of various problems that can be solved using the STAAD
engine. The examples represent various structural analyses and design problems
commonly encountered by structural engineers.
Graphical Environment
This document contains a detailed description of the Graphical User Interface (GUI) of
STAAD.Pro. The topics covered include model generation, structural analysis and
design, result verification, and report generation.
Technical Reference Manual

This manual deals with the theory behind the engineering calculations made by the
STAAD engine. It also includes an explanation of the commands available in the
STAAD command file.
International Design Codes

This document contains information on the various Concrete, Steel, and Aluminum
design codes, of several countries, that are implemented in STAAD.
The documentation for the STAAD.Pro Extension component(s) is available separately.

Table of Contents
Modeling Problems
• Zero Stiffness Conditions
• Understanding Instabilities
Dynamic Analysis
• Seismic Analysis using UBC and IBC codes
• Calculating mode shapes, frequencies, participation factors
• Response Spectrum Analysis
• Time History Analysis for seismic accelerations
• Time History Analysis subjected to a harmonic loading
• Time History Analysis subjected to a random excitation
Mat Foundations
• Automatic Spring Support Generation
• Modeling soil supports as compression only
• Viewing soil pressure diagrams and intensities
Load Generation
• Moving Loads
• Floor Loads
• Wind Loads
Zero Stiffness
1
Question : What does a zero stiffness warning message in the STAAD output
file mean?
Answer : The procedure used by STAAD in calculating displacements and

forces in a structure is the stiffness method. One of the steps
involved in this method is the assembly of the global stiffness
matrix. During this process, STAAD verifies that no active degree
of freedom (d.o.f) has a zero value, because a zero value could be
a potential cause of instability in the model along that d.o.f. It
means that the structural conditions which exist at that node and
degree of freedom result in the structure having no ability to resist
a load acting along that d.o.f.
A warning message is printed in the STAAD output file

highlighting the node number and the d.o.f at which the zero
stiffness condition exists.
Question : What are examples of cases which give rise to these conditions?
Answer : Consider a frame structure where some of the members are defined
to be trusses. On this model, if a joint exists where the only
structural components connected at that node are truss members,
there is no rotational stiffness at that node along any of the global
d.o.f. If the structure is defined as STAAD PLANE, it will result
in a warning along the MZ d.o.f at that node. If it were declared as
STAAD SPACE, there will be at least 3 warnings, one for each of
MX, MY and MZ, and perhaps additional warnings for the
translational d.o.f.
These warnings can also appear when other structural conditions

such as member releases and element releases deprive the structure
of stiffness at the associated nodes along the global translational or
rotational directions. A tower held down by cables, defined as a
PLANE or SPACE frame, where cable members are pinned
supported at their base will also generate these warnings for the
rotational d.o.f. at the supported nodes of the cables.
STAAD.Pro Training Manual – Advanced Topics
2
In a SPACE frame structure, connections may be modeled in such
a manner that all members meeting at any given node have a
moment release along all 3 axes. The joint is thus deprived of any
rotational stiffness.
Solid elements have no rotational stiffness at their nodes. So, at all

nodes where you have only solids, these zero stiffness warning
messages may appear.
Question : Why are these warnings and not errors?
Answer : The reason why these conditions are reported as warnings and not
errors is due to the fact that they may not necessarily be
detrimental to the proper transfer of loads from the structure to the
supports. If no load acts at and along the d.o.f where the stiffness
is zero, that point may not be a trouble-spot.
Question : What is the usefulness of these messages :
Answer : A zero stiffness message can be a tool for investigating the cause
of instabilities in the model. An instability is a condition where a
load applied on the structure is not able to make its way into the
supports because no paths exist for the load to flow through, and
may result in a lack of equilibrium between the applied load and
the support reaction. A zero stiffness message can tell us whether
any of those d.o.f are obstacles to the flow of the load.
Understanding Instabilities
1
Question : I have instability warning messages in my output file like that
shown below. What are these?
***WARNING - INSTABILITY AT JOINT 26 DIRECTION = FX

PROBABLE CAUSE SINGULAR-ADDING WEAK SPRING
K-MATRIX DIAG= 5.3274384E+03 L-MATRIX DIAG= 0.0000000E+00 EQN
NO 127
***NOTE - VERY WEAK SPRING ADDED FOR STABILITY
**NOTE** STAAD DETECTS INSTABILITIES AS EXCESSIVE LOSS OF

SIGNIFICANT DIGITS
DURING DECOMPOSITION. WHEN A DECOMPOSED DIAGONAL IS
LESS THAN THE
BUILT-IN REDUCTION FACTOR TIMES THE ORIGINAL STIFFNESS
MATRIX DIAGONAL,
STAAD PRINTS A SINGULARITY NOTICE. THE BUILT-IN REDUCTION
FACTOR
IS 1.000E-09
THE ABOVE CONDITIONS COULD ALSO BE CAUSED BY VERY STIFF

OR VERY WEAK
ELEMENTS AS WELL AS TRUE SINGULARITIES.
Answer : An instability is a condition where a load applied on the structure

is not able to make its way into the supports because no paths exist
for the load to flow through, and may result in a lack of
equilibrium between the applied load and the support reaction.
Examples and causes of Instability :
Defining a member as a TRUSS when it needs shear and bending

capacity. A framed structure with columns and beams where the
columns are defined as "TRUSS" members is definitely a cause of
instability. Such a column has no capacity to transfer shears or
moments from the regions above it to the supports.
When you declare all members connecting at specific nodes to be

truss members, the alignment of the members must be such that the
axial force from each member must be able to make its way
through the common node to the other members. For example, if
you have 3 members meeting at a point, one of them is purely
vertical and the other 2 are purely horizontal, and they are all truss
2
members, the axial force from the vertical member cannot be
transmitted into the horizontal members. On the other hand, if they
are frame members, the load will be transmitted into the
horizontals in the form of shear. This is an inherent weak point of
trusses, and a potential cause of instability.
A better option to calling a member a TRUSS is to define it as a

frame member and use partial moment releases at its ends.
Improper support conditions. When the supports of the structure

are such that they cannot offer any resistance to sliding or
overturning of the structure in one or more directions. For
example, a 2D structure (frame in the XY plane) that is defined as
a SPACE FRAME with pinned supports and subjected to a force in
the Z direction will topple over about the X-axis. Another example
is that of a space frame with all the supports released for FX, FY
or FZ.
Connecting a very stiff member to a very flexible member. A math

precision error is caused when numerical instabilities occur in the
matrix decomposition (inversion) process. One of the terms of the
equilibrium equation takes the form 1/(1-A), where A=k1/(k1+k2);
k1 and k2 being the stiffness coefficients of two adjacent
members. When a very "stiff" member is adjacent to a very
"flexible" member, viz., when k1>>k2, or k1+k2 .k1, A=1 and
hence, 1/(1-A) =1/0. Thus, huge variations in stiffnesses of
adjacent members are not permitted. Artificially high E or I values
should be reduced when this occurs. Math precision errors are also
caused when the units of length and force are not defined correctly
for member lengths, member properties, constants etc.
Excessive number of releases. Releases completely deprive a

member of any ability to transmit a particular type of force or
moment to the next member. Imagine for example, a portal frame
that looks like a table, with columns pinned at their base, and each
column attached to 2 orthogonal beams at the top.
3
If the beams are pinned connected to top of the column, it is
customary to specify releases on the beams along the lines
2 3 START MX MY MZ
The above release signifies that 100% of the resistance to MX, MY

and MZ has been switched off at the beam-ends. The beam is
hence behaving as a simply supported beam at that location.
This condition, along with the pinned column base, deprives the
column of any ability to transmit torsion to the base, leading to
instability about the global MY degree of freedom at the pinned
support.
Improper connection between members. When members cross each

in space, if a connection exists between 2 members, that point of
contact should be represented by a common node between the
members. Simply because lines appear to cross each other in space,
it doesn’t guarantee that STAAD will assume a connection
between those members. The user has to ensure that. One tool for
creating such common nodes is available under the Geometry
menu. It is called Intersect Selected Members.
Duplicate nodes. They are 2 or more nodes, having distinct node

numbers, but the same X, Y, Z coordinates. For example, if node
number 5 has coordinates of (7, 10, 0), and node 83 also has
coordinates of (7, 10, 0), node 5 and 83 are considered duplicate.
If you have 2 members, one attached to node 5, and the other to
node 83, then, those 2 members are not connected to each other at
that point in space. Go to Tools – Check Duplicate Nodes to detect
and merge such sets of nodes into a single node.
Improper connection between members and plate elements. In the

figure shown below, the beam goes from node 5 to node 6. The
element is connected between 2, 3, 4 and 1. Thus, the beam has no
common nodes with the element. No transfer of loads is possible
between these entities.
4
In order for the above set of entities to be properly connected, the

element would have to be broken into 2, and the beam too needs to
be split at node 2, as shown below.
While there are no simple tools for splitting elements, using finer
meshes of elements always helps. See the Generate Plate Mesh and
Generate Surface Meshing options of the Geometry menu. A beam
in the situation above may be broken up into pieces by using
means like Insert Node, or Break Beams at Selected Nodes, both of
which are in the Geometry menu.
5
Overlapping members. When 2 members are collinear, and further,
at least one of the nodes of one of those members happens to lie
within the span of the other, but the 2 members are not connected
at that node, those 2 members are considered as overlapping
collinear members. In STAAD, the tool for detecting such
members is Tools – Check Overlapping collinear members.
An example of 2 members which would qualify as overlapping

collinear is:
STAAD SPACE
UNIT FEET KIP
JOINT COORDINATES
1 0 0 0; 2 0 10 0; 3 10 10 0; 4 10 0 0; 5 13 10 0; 6 -4 10 0;
MEMBER INCIDENCES
1 1 2; 2 2 3; 3 3 4;
101 5 6
FINISH
Here, members 2 and 101 are overlapping collinear. Member 2 is

entirely confined within the span of member 101, and collinear,
but they are not attached to each other.
Another example is:
STAAD SPACE
UNIT FEET KIP
JOINT COORDINATES
1 0 0 0; 2 0 10 0; 3 10 10 0; 4 10 0 0; 5 13 10 0; 6 -4 10 0;
MEMBER INCIDENCES
1 1 2; 2 2 3; 3 3 4;
101 2 5
FINISH
Here, again, members 2 and 101 are overlapping collinear. But

even though they are connected to each other at node 2, again
6
member 2 is entirely confined within the span of member 101, and
collinear.
Overlapping plates. These are elements whose nodes intersect

other elements at points other than the defined nodes. This entails
plates whose boundaries with adjacent plates are not attached at
the nodes or plates within other plates (in the same plane).
The figure above represents such a condition. Elements 1 and 2

share only one common node which is node 4. Though the drawing
appears to indicate a common boundary along nodes 4, 5 and 3,
there is no connection along that boundary. From the Tools menu,
choose Check Overlapping Plates to detect such conditions in the
model. The next figure shows what needs to be done to ensure
proper connection. Our original element 1 is converted to 3
triangular elements to accomplish it.
7
Question : If there are instability messages, does it mean my analysis results

may be unsatisfactory?
Answer : There are many situations where instabilities are unimportant and
the STAAD approach of adding a weak spring is an ideal solution
to the problem. For example, sometimes an engineer will release
the MX torsion in a single beam or at the ends of a series of
members such that technically the members are unstable in torsion.
If there is no torque applied, this singularity can safely be "fixed"
by STAAD with a weak torsional spring.
Similarly a column that is at a pinned support will sometimes be

connected to members that all have releases such that they cannot
transmit moments that cause torsion in the column. This column
will be unstable in torsion but can be safely "fixed" by STAAD
with a weak torsional spring.
8
Sometimes however, a section of a structure has members that are
overly released to the point where that section can rotate with
respect to the rest of the structure. In this case, if STAAD adds a
weak spring, there may be large displacements because there are
loads in the section that are in the direction of the extremely weak
spring. Another way of saying it is, an applied load acts along an
unstable degree of freedom, and causes excessive displacements at
that degree of freedom.
Question : If there are instability messages, are there any simple checks to
verify whether my analysis results are satisfactory?
Answer : There are 2 important checks that should be carried out if

instability messages are present.
a. A static equilibrium check. This check will tell us whether all

the applied loading flowed through the model into the
supports. A satisfactory result would require that the applied
loading be in equilibrium with the support reactions.
b. The joint displacement check. This check will tell us whether

the displacements in the model are within reasonable limits. If
a load passes through a corresponding unstable degree of
freedom, the structure will undergo excessive deflections at
that degree of freedom.
One may use the PRINT STATICS CHECK option in conjunction

with the PERFORM ANALYSIS command to obtain a report of
both the results mentioned in the above checks. The STAAD
output file will contain a report similar to the following, for every
primary load case that has been solved for :
9
***TOTAL APPLIED LOAD ( KG METE ) SUMMARY (LOADING

1)
SUMMATION FORCE-X = 0.00
SUMMATION FORCE-Y = -817.84
SUMMATION FORCE-Z = 0.00
SUMMATION OF MOMENTS AROUND THE ORIGIN-

MX= 291.23 MY= 0.00 MZ= -3598.50
***TOTAL REACTION LOAD( KG METE ) SUMMARY

(LOADING 1 )
SUMMATION FORCE-X = 0.00
SUMMATION FORCE-Y = 817.84
SUMMATION FORCE-Z = 0.00
SUMMATION OF MOMENTS AROUND THE ORIGIN-

MX= -291.23 MY= 0.00 MZ= 3598.50
MAXIMUM DISPLACEMENTS ( CM /RADIANS) (LOADING 1)

MAXIMUMS AT NODE
X = 1.00499E-04 25
Y = -3.18980E-01 12
Z = 1.18670E-02 23
RX= 1.52966E-04 5
RY= 1.22373E-04 23
RZ= 1.07535E-03 8
Go through these numbers to ensure that
i. The "TOTAL APPLIED LOAD" values and "TOTAL

REACTION LOAD" values are equal and opposite.
ii. The "MAXIMUM DISPLACEMENTS" are within reasonable
limits.
10
Question : What is the meaning of this message, "Probable cause warning-
near singular"
Answer : While performing the triangular factorization of the global stiffness

matrix, a diagonal matrix is computed. These computed diagonals
are the same as or smaller than the global stiffness matrix
diagonals. If the computed diagonals become zero then the matrix
is singular and the structure is unstable. In STAAD we say that
the structure is unstable/singular if any computed diagonal is less
that (1.E-9) * (the corresponding stiffness matrix diagonal).
Likewise in STAAD we say that the structure is nearly
unstable/singular if any computed diagonal is less that (1.E-7) *
(the corresponding stiffness matrix diagonal).
If the overall results look OK, then ignore nearly singular

messages.
Question : How to avoid instabilities if TRUSSES or RELEASES are the

cause?
Answer : There is a rather simple way to eliminate instabilities, especially if

truss members are present or when MEMBER RELEASE
commands are used and certain degrees of freedom are subjected
to a 100% release.
In reality, connections always have some amount of force and

moment capacity. Use PARTIAL RELEASES to enable the
connection to retain at least a very small amount of capacity. This
is a mechanism by which you can declare that, at the start node or
end node of a member, rather than fully eliminating the stiffness
for a certain moment degree of freedom (d.o.f), you are willing to
allow the member to have a small amount of stiffness for that d.o.f.
The advantage of this command is that the extent of the release is
controlled by you.
11
For example, if member 5, has a pinned connection at its start
node, if you specify
5 START MY MZ
it means MY and MZ are 100% released at the start node. But if

you say,
5 START MP 0.99
you are saying that the bending and torsional stiffnesses are 99%
less than what they would be for a fully moment resistant
connection. Thus, the 1% available stiffness might be adequate to
allow the load to pass through the node from one member to the
other.
So, this is what may be done :
a. Change the declaration of the truss members in your model

from
MEMBER TRUSS
to
MEMBER RELEASE
memb-list START MP 0.99
memb-list END MP 0.99
or
MEMBER RELEASE
memb-list Both MP 0.99
b. Run the analysis. Check to make sure the instability warnings

no longer appear. Then check your nodal displacements.
c. If the displacements are large, reduce the extent of the release

from 0.99 to say 0.98.
12
Repeat steps (b) and (c) by progressively reducing the extent of the
release until the displacements are satisfactory. When they look
reasonable, check the magnitude of the moments and shear at the
nodes of those members and make sure that the connection will be
able to handle those forces and moments.
STAAD.Pro 2002 onwards, you can apply these partial releases to

individual moment degrees of freedom. For example, you could
say
MEMBER RELEASE
memb-list Both MPX 0.99 MPY 0.97 MPZ 0.95
This flexibility permits you to adjust just the specific degree of

freedom that is the problem area.
You can refer to Section 5.22.1 of the Technical Reference Manual

for details.
Question : Is there any graphical facility in STAAD by which I can examine

the points of instability?
Answer : Yes, there is. Go to the Post processing mode. If instabilities are
present, the Nodes page along the left side should contain a sub-
page by the name Instability. If you click on this, two tables will
appear along the right hand side.
The upper table lists the node number, and the global degrees of
freedom at that node which are unstable. A zero for a d.o.f
indicates that all is well, and, 1 indicates it is unstable. Click on
the row and the node and all members connected to it will be
highlighted in the drawing.
The lower table has all of the joints in the order that gives the
stiffness matrix the minimum bandwidth which minimizes the
running time. When a joint is unstable, it means that the joint and
some or all of the joints before it in the list form an unstable
structure. That is, even fixing every subsequent joint in the list
would not make it stable.
13
If the instability is at the last joint [or sometimes the last joint and
one other joint], then the whole structure is free in that direction.
Note that the instability is reported at the last joint in the list that
is on the unstable component. If a column is pinned at the base
and floor connections are released in global My, the column will
be torsionally unstable, but only one joint on the column will be
reported as unstable and it could be any joint on the column.
14
Seismic Analysis Using
UBC And IBC Codes
1
Basic principle
When a building is subjected to an earthquake, it undergoes

vibrations. The weights of the structure, when accelerated along
the direction of the earthquake, induce forces in the building.
Normally, an elaborate dynamic analysis called time history

analysis is required to solve for displacements, forces and
reactions resulting from the seismic activity. However, codes like
UBC and IBC provide a static method of solving for those values.
The generalized procedure used in those methods consists of 3

steps
Step 1 : Calculate
Base Shear = Factor f * Weight W
where "f" is calculated from terms which take into consideration

the Importance factor of the building, Site Class and soil
characteristics, etc. W is the total vertical weight derived from
dead weight of the building and other imposed weights.
Step 2 : The base shear is then distributed over the height of the
building as a series of point loads.
Step 3 : The model is then analyzed for the horizontal loads

generated in step 2.
2
The input required in STAAD consists of 2 parts.
Part 1, which appears under a heading called
DEFINE UBC LOAD
or
DEFINE IBC LOAD
contains the terms used to compute "f" and "W" described in step
1.
Part 2, which appears within a load case, contains the actual

instruction to generate the forces described in step 2 and analyze
the structure for those forces.
Let us examine this procedure using the example problem shown

below.
STAAD SPACE
SET NL 5
The structure is defined as a space frame type. The maximum

number of primary load cases in the model is set to 5.
UNIT KIP FEET

JOINT COORD
1 0 0 0 ; 2 0 10 0 ; 3 13 10 0 ; 4 27 10 0 ; 5 40 10 0 ; 6 40 0 0
7 0 20.5 0 ; 8 20 20.5 0 ; 9 40 20.5 0
REPEAT ALL 1 0 0 11
Joint coordinates are specified using a mixture of explicit

definition and generation using REPEAT command.
3
MEMBER INCI
1 1 2 5 ; 6 1 3 ; 7 4 6 ; 8 2 7 ; 9 7 8 10 ; 11 9 5 ; 12 2 8 ; 13 5 8
21 10 11 25 ; 26 10 12 ; 27 13 15 ; 28 11 16 ; 29 16 17 30 ; 31 18
14
32 11 17 ; 33 14 17
41 2 11 44
45 7 16 47
51 1 11
52 10 2
53 2 16
54 11 7
55 6 14
56 15 5
57 5 18
58 14 9
Member incidences are specified using a mixture of explicit

definition and generation.
MEMBER PROPERTIES
1 5 8 11 21 25 28 31 TA ST W14X90
2 3 4 22 23 24 TA ST W18X35
9 10 29 30 TA ST W21X50
41 TO 44 TA D C12X30
45 TO 47 TA D C15X40
6 7 26 27 TA ST HSST20X12X0.5
51 TO 58 TA LD L50308
12 13 32 33 TA ST TUB2001205
4
Various section types are used in this model. Among them are
double channels, hollow structural sections and double angles.
CONSTANTS
E STEEL ALL
POISSON STEEL ALL
DENSITY STEEL ALL
Structural steel is the material used in this model.
SUPPORT
1 6 10 15 FIXED
Fixed supports are defined at 4 nodes.
MEMBER TENSION
51 TO 58
Members 51 to 58 are defined as capable of carrying tensile forces

only.
UNIT POUND
DEFINE UBC ACCIDENTAL LOAD
ZONE 0.3 I 1 RWX 2.9 RWZ 2.9 STYP 4 NA 1 NV 1
SELFWEIGHT
FLOOR WEIGHT
YRANGE 9 11 FLOAD 0.4
YRANGE 20 21 FLOAD 0.3
There are two stages in the command specification of the UBC

loads. The first stage is initiated with the command DEFINE UBC
LOAD. Here we specify parameters such as Zone factor,
Importance factor, site coefficient for soil characteristics etc. and,
the vertical loads (weights) from which the base shear will be
calculated. The vertical loads may be specified in the form of
selfweight, joint weights, member weights, element weights or
floor weights. Floor weight is used when a pressure acting over a
panel has to be applied when the structural entity which makes up
the panel (like a aluminum roof for example) itself isn’t defined as
5
part of the model. The selfweight and floor weights are shown in
this example. It is important to note that these vertical loads are
used purely in the determination of the horizontal base shear only.
In other words, the structure is not analyzed for these vertical
loads.
LOAD 1
UBC LOAD X
This is the second stage in which the UBC load is applied with the
help of load case number, corresponding direction (X in the above
case) and a factor by which the generated horizontal loads should
be multiplied. Along with the UBC load, deadweight and other
vertical loads may be added to the same load case (they are not in
this example).
PERFORM ANALYSIS PRINT LOAD DATA

CHANGE
A linear elastic type analysis is requested for load case 1. We can

view the values and position of the generated loads with the help
of the PRINT LOAD DATA command used above along with the
PERFORM ANALYSIS command. A CHANGE command should
follow the analysis command for models like this where the
MEMBER TENSION command is used in conjunction with UBC
load cases.
LOAD 2
UBC LOAD Z
We define load case 2 as consisting of the UBC loads to be

generated along the Z direction. The structure will be analyzed for
those generated loads.

CHANGE
The analysis instruction is specified again.

6
LOAD 3
SELF Y -1.0
FLOOR LOAD
YRANGE 9 11 FLOAD -0.4
YRANGE 20 21 FLOAD -0.3
In load case 3 in this problem, we apply 2 types of loads. The

selfweight is applied in the global Y direction acting downwards.
Then, a floor load generation is performed. In a floor load
generation, a pressure load (force per unit area) is converted by the
program into specific points forces and distributed forces on the
members located in that region. The YRANGE (and if specified,
the XRANGE and ZRANGE) values are used to define the region
of the structure on which the pressure is acting. The FLOAD
specification is used to specify the value of that pressure. All
values need to be provided in the current UNIT system. For
example, in the first line in the above FLOOR LOAD
specification, the region is defined as being located within the
bounds YRANGE of 9-11 ft. Since XRANGE and ZRANGE are
not mentioned, the entire floor within the YRANGE will become a
candidate for the load. The -0.4 signifies that the pressure is 0.4
Kip/sq. ft in the negative global Y direction.
The program will identify the members lying within the specified
region and derive MEMBER LOADS on these members based on
two-way load distribution.
PERFORM ANALYSIS
CHANGE
LOAD 4
REPEAT LOAD
1 1.0 3 1.0
Load case 4 illustrates the technique employed to instruct STAAD

to create a load case which consists of data to be assembled from
other load cases already specified earlier. We would like the
7
program to analyze the structure for loads from cases 1 and 3
acting simultaneously.
PERFORM ANALYSIS PRINT STATICS CHECK

CHANGE
LOAD 5
REPEAT LOAD
2 1.0 3 1.0
In load case 5, we instruct STAAD to create a load case consisting

of data to be assembled from cases 2 and 3 acting simultaneously.
PERFORM ANALYSIS PRINT STATICS CHECK

CHANGE
LOAD LIST 4 5
PRINT JOINT DISPLACEMENTS

PRINT SUPPORT REACTIONS
PRINT MEMBER FORCES LIST 51 TO 58
Various results are requested for just load cases 4 and 5.
FINISH
The STAAD run is terminated.

8
Question : When I specify vertical weights under the DEFINE UBC LOAD
command, why do I have to specify them again under the actual
load case? Won't STAAD be double-counting those weights?
Answer : Generally, all code related seismic methods follow a procedure

called static equivalent method. That is to say, even if seismic
forces are dynamic in nature, they can be solved using a static
approach.
That means, one has to first come up with static loads. These are
calculated usually using an equation called
H = constant x V
where H is the horizontal load which is calculated.

V is the applied vertical load.
In STAAD, the V has to be defined under commands like
DEFINE IBC LOAD
or
DEFINE IBC LOAD
There, they are defined in the form of selfweight, joint weight,

member weight, etc. The data specified over there is used just to
compute the V. Hence, once the H is derived from the V, the V is
discarded. If a user wants the structure to be analysed for the
vertical loads, they have to be explicity specified with Load cases.
That is what you'll find in example 14. Load cases 1 & 2 contain a
horizontal load and a vertical load. The horizontal load comes
from the UBC LOAD X and UBC LOAD Z commands. The
vertical load comes from selfweight, joint load commands.
So, there is no double counting.

9
Question : We would like to know what Ta and Tb in the static seismic base
shear output stand for. We know that both are computed time
periods, but we would like to know why there are two values for it.
Answer : The UBC and IBC codes involve determination of the period based
on 2 methods - Method A and Method B. The value based on
Method A is called Ta. The value based on Method B is called Tb.
Question : What is the difference between a JOINT WEIGHT and a JOINT

LOAD?
Answer : The JOINT WEIGHT option is specified under the DEFINE UBC
LOAD command and is used merely to assemble the weight values
which make up the value of "W" in the UBC equations. In other
words, it is the amount of lumped weight at the joint and a fraction
of this weight eventually makes up the total base shear for the
structure.
A JOINT LOAD on the other hand is an actual force which is

acting at the joint, and is defined through the means of an actual
load case.
Question : When using the "ACCIDENTAL" option in the "DEFINE UBC

LOAD" command, it appears that for the mass displacement along
a given axis STAAD.Pro only considers the displacement in one
direction rather than a plus or minus displacement. Is this true?
You can verify this by adding the "ACCIDENTAL" option to
Example Problem 14 and comparing the reactions.
Answer : Use the "ACC f2" option as explained in the command syntax in
section 5.32.12 of the Technical Reference manual. You can
specify a negative value for f2 if you want the minus sign for the
torsional moments. You will need STAAD.Pro 2003 to use this.
10
Question : How do I display the Load values of an IBC2000 load case?
Answer : First run the analysis. Then go to the View menu, choose Structure
Diagrams. Click on the Loads and Results tab. Select the load case
corresponding to the IBC load command. Switch on the checkbox
for Loads, click on OK.
Calculating Mode Shapes, Frequencies
And
Participation factors
1
In STAAD, there are 2 methods for obtaining the frequencies of a
structure.
1. The Rayleigh method using the CALCULATE RAYLEIGH

FREQUENCY command
2. The elaborate method which involves extracting eigenvalues

from a matrix based on the structure stiffness and lumped
masses in the model.
The Rayleigh method in STAAD is a one-iteration approximate

method from which a single frequency is obtained. It uses the
displaced shape of the model to obtain the frequency. Needless to
say, it is extremely important that the displaced shape that the
calculation is based on, resemble one of the vibration modes. If
one is interested in the fundamental mode, the loading on the
model should cause it to displace in a manner which resembles the
fundamental mode. For example, the fundamental mode of
vibration of a tall building would be a cantilever style mode, where
the building sways from side to side with the base remaining
stationary. The type of loading which creates a displaced shape
which resembles this mode is a lateral force such as a wind force.
Hence, if one were to use the Rayleigh method, the loads which
should be applied are lateral loads, not vertical loads.
For the eigensolution method, the user is required to specify all the
masses in the model along with the directions they are capable of
vibrating in. If this data is correctly provided, the program extracts
as many modes as the user requests (default value is 6) in
ascending order of strain energy. The mode shapes can be viewed
graphically to verify that they make sense.
2
Eigenvalue extraction method
The input which is important and relevant to the analysis of a

structure for frequencies and modes – using the eigenvalue
extraction method is explained below. These are explained in
association with an example problem provided at the end of this
section.
1. The DENSITY command
One of the critical components of a frequency analysis is the

amount of "mass" undergoing vibration. For a structure, this mass
comes from the selfweight, and from permanent/imposed loads on
the building. To calculate selfweight, density is required, and is
hence specified under the command CONSTANTS.
2. The CUT OFF MODE SHAPE command
Theoretically, a structure has as many modes of vibration as the

number of degrees of freedom in the model. However, the
limitations of the mathematical process used in extracting modes
may limit the number of modes that can actually be extracted. In a
large structure, the extraction process can also be a very time
consuming process. Further, not all modes are of equal importance.
(One measure of the importance of modes is the participation
factor of that mode.) In many cases, the first few modes may be
sufficient to obtain a significant portion of the total dynamic
response.
Due to these reasons, in the absence of any explicit instruction,

STAAD calculates only the first 6 modes. (Versions of STAAD
prior to STAAD/Pro 2000 calculated only 3 modes by default).
This is like saying that the command CUT OFF MODE SHAPE 6
has been specified.
If the inspection of the first 6 modes reveals that the overall

vibration pattern of the structure has not been obtained, one may
ask STAAD to compute a larger (or smaller) number of modes with
the help of this command. The number that follows this command
3
is the number of modes being requested. In our example, we are
asking for 10 modes by specifying CUT OFF MODE SHAPE 10.
3. The MODAL CALCULATION REQUESTED command.
This is the command which triggers the calculation of frequencies

and modes. It is specified inside a load case. In other words, this
command accompanies the loads which are to be used in
generating the mass matrix.
Frequencies and modes have to be calculated when dynamic

analysis such as response spectrum or time history analysis are
carried out. But in such analyses, the MODAL CALCULATION
REQUESTED command is not explicitly required. When STAAD
encounters the commands for response spectrum (see example 11)
and time history (see examples 16 and 22), it automatically will
carry out a frequency extraction without the help of the MODAL ..
command.
4. The MASSES which are to be used in assembling the MASS

MATRIX
The mathematical method that STAAD uses is called the subspace

iteration eigen extraction method. Some information on this is
available in Section 1.18.3 of the STAAD.Pro Technical Reference
Manual. The method involves 2 matrices - the stiffness matrix, and
the mass matrix.
The stiffness matrix, usually called the [K] matrix, is assembled

using data such as member and element lengths, member and
element properties, modulus of elasticity, poisson's ratio, member
and element releases, member offsets, support information, etc.
4
For assembling the mass matrix, called the [M] matrix, STAAD
uses the load data specified in the load case in which the MODAL
CAL REQ command is specified. So, some of the important
aspects to bear in mind are:
i. The input you specify is weights, not masses. Internally,

STAAD will convert weights to masses by dividing the
input by "g", the acceleration due to gravity.
ii. If the structure is declared as a PLANE frame, there are 2

possible directions of vibration - global X, and global Y. If
the structure is declared as a SPACE frame, there are 3
possible directions - global X, global Y and global Z.
However, this does not guarantee that STAAD will
automatically consider the masses for vibration in all the
available directions.
You have control over and are responsible for specifying

the directions in which the masses ought to vibrate. In
other words, if a weight if not specified along a certain
direction, the corresponding degrees of freedom (such as
for example, global Z at node 34) will not receive a
contribution in the mass matrix. The mass matrix is
assembled using only the masses from the weights and
directions specified by the user.
In our example, notice that we are specifying the

selfweight along global X, Y and Z directions. Similarly,
the element pressure load is also specified along all 3
directions. We have chosen not to restrict any direction for
this problem. If a user wishes to restrict a certain weight to
certain directions only, all he/she has to do is not provide
the directions in which those weights cannot vibrate in.
iii. As much as possible, provide absolute values for the

weights. STAAD is programmed to algebraically add the
weights at nodes. So, if some weights are specified as
positive numbers, and others as negative, the total weight
5
at a given node is the algebraic summation of all the
weights in the global directions at that node.
STAAD SPACE
* EXAMPLE PROBLEM FOR CALCULATION OF MODES AND

FREQUENCIES
UNIT FEET KIP
JOINT COORDINATES
1 0 0 0; 2 0 0 20; 3 20 0 0; 4 20 0 20; 5 40 0 0; 6 40 0 20; 7 0 15 0;
8 0 15 5; 9 0 15 10; 10 0 15 15; 11 0 15 20; 12 5 15 0; 13 10 15 0;
14 15 15 0; 15 5 15 20; 16 10 15 20; 17 15 15 20; 18 20 15 0;
19 20 15 5; 20 20 15 10; 21 20 15 15; 22 20 15 20; 23 25 15 0;
24 30 15 0; 25 35 15 0; 26 25 15 20; 27 30 15 20; 28 35 15 20;
29 40 15 0; 30 40 15 5; 31 40 15 10; 32 40 15 15; 33 40 15 20;
34 20 3.75 0; 35 20 7.5 0; 36 20 11.25 0; 37 20 3.75 20; 38 20 7.5 20;
39 20 11.25 20; 40 5 15 5; 41 5 15 10; 42 5 15 15; 43 10 15 5;
44 10 15 10; 45 10 15 15; 46 15 15 5; 47 15 15 10; 48 15 15 15;
49 25 15 5; 50 25 15 10; 51 25 15 15; 52 30 15 5; 53 30 15 10;
54 30 15 15; 55 35 15 5; 56 35 15 10; 57 35 15 15; 58 20 11.25 5;
59 20 11.25 10; 60 20 11.25 15; 61 20 7.5 5; 62 20 7.5 10; 63 20 7.5 15;
64 20 3.75 5; 65 20 3.75 10; 66 20 3.75 15; 67 20 0 5; 68 20 0 10;
69 20 0 15;
MEMBER INCIDENCES
1 1 7; 2 2 11; 3 3 34; 4 34 35; 5 35 36; 6 36 18; 7 4 37; 8 37 38;
9 38 39; 10 39 22; 11 5 29; 12 6 33; 13 7 8; 14 8 9; 15 9 10; 16 10 11;
17 18 19; 18 19 20; 19 20 21; 20 21 22; 21 29 30; 22 30 31; 23 31 32;
24 32 33; 25 7 12; 26 12 13; 27 13 14; 28 14 18; 29 18 23; 30 23 24;
31 24 25; 32 25 29; 33 11 15; 34 15 16; 35 16 17; 36 17 22; 37 22 26;
38 26 27; 39 27 28; 40 28 33;
ELEMENT INCIDENCES SHELL

41 7 8 40 12; 42 8 9 41 40; 43 9 10 42 41; 44 10 11 15 42;
45 12 40 43 13; 46 40 41 44 43; 47 41 42 45 44; 48 42 15 16 45;
49 13 43 46 14; 50 43 44 47 46; 51 44 45 48 47; 52 45 16 17 48;
53 14 46 19 18; 54 46 47 20 19; 55 47 48 21 20; 56 48 17 22 21;
6
57 18 19 49 23; 58 19 20 50 49; 59 20 21 51 50; 60 21 22 26 51;
61 23 49 52 24; 62 49 50 53 52; 63 50 51 54 53; 64 51 26 27 54;
65 24 52 55 25; 66 52 53 56 55; 67 53 54 57 56; 68 54 27 28 57;
69 25 55 30 29; 70 55 56 31 30; 71 56 57 32 31; 72 57 28 33 32;
73 18 19 58 36; 74 19 20 59 58; 75 20 21 60 59; 76 21 22 39 60;
77 36 58 61 35; 78 58 59 62 61; 79 59 60 63 62; 80 60 39 38 63;
81 35 61 64 34; 82 61 62 65 64; 83 62 63 66 65; 84 63 38 37 66;
85 34 64 67 3; 86 64 65 68 67; 87 65 66 69 68; 88 66 37 4 69;
MEMBER PROPERTY
1 TO 40 PRIS YD 1 ZD 1
ELEMENT PROPERTY
41 TO 88 THICKNESS 0.5
CONSTANTS
E CONCRETE ALL
DENSITY CONCRETE ALL
POISSON CONCRETE ALL
CUT OFF MODE SHAPE 10
SUPPORTS
1 TO 6 FIXED
UNIT POUND FEET

*MASS DATA AND INSTRUCTION FOR COMPUTING FREQUENCIES
AND MODES
LOAD 1
SELFWEIGHT X 1.0
SELFWEIGHT Y 1.0
SELFWEIGHT Z 1.0
ELEMENT LOAD
41 TO 88 PR GX 300.0
41 TO 88 PR GY 300.0
41 TO 88 PR GZ 300.0
7
MODAL CALCULATION REQUESTED
PERFORM ANALYSIS
FINISH
Understanding the output :
After the analysis is completed, look at the output file. This file
can be viewed from File - View - Output File - STAAD output.
i. Mode number and corresponding frequencies and periods
Since we asked for 10 modes, we obtain a report which is as

follows:
8
ii. Participation factors in Percentage
In the explanation above for the CUT OFF MODE command,

we said that one measure of the importance of a mode is the
participation factor of that mode. We can see from the above
report that for vibration along X direction, the first mode has
a 90.89 percent participation. It is also apparent that the 4th
mode is primarily a Y direction mode due to its 50.5 %
participation along Y and 0 in X and Z.
The SUMM-X, SUMM-Y and SUMM-Z columns show the

cumulative value of the participation of all the modes up to
and including a given mode. One can infer from those terms
that if one is interested in 95% participation along X, the first
5 modes are sufficient.
But for the Z direction, even with 10 modes, we barely

obtained 0.6%. The reason for this can be understood by a
close examination of the nature of the structure. Our model
has a shear wall which spans in the YZ plane. This makes the
structure extremely stiff in that plane. It would take a lot of
energy to make the structure vibrate along the Z direction.
Modes are extracted in the ascending order of energy. The
higher modes are high energy modes, compared to the lower
modes. It is likely that unless we raise the number of modes
extracted from 10 to a much larger number - 30 or more -
9
using the CUT OFF MODE SHAPE command, we may not
be able to obtain substantial participation along the Z
direction.
Another unique aspect of the above result are the modes

where all 3 directions have 0 or near 0 participation. This is
caused by the fact that the vibration pattern of the model for
that mode results in symmetrically located masses vibrating
in opposing directions, thus canceling each other's effect.
Torsional modes too exhibit this behavior. See the next item
for the method for viewing the shape of vibration. Localized
modes, where small pockets in the structure undergo flutter
due to their relative weak stiffness compared to the rest of the
model, also result in small participation factors.
iii. Viewing the mode shapes
After the analysis is completed, select Post-processing from

the mode menu. This screen contains facilities for graphically
examining the shape of the mode in static and animated
views. The Dynamics page on the left side of the screen is
available for viewing the shape of the mode statically. The
Animation option of the Results menu can be used for
animating the mode. The mode number can be selected from
the "Loads and Results" tab of the "Diagrams" dialog box
which comes up when the Animation option is chosen. The
size to which the mode is drawn is controlled using the
"Scales" tab of the "Diagrams" dialog box.
10
How are modes, frequencies and the other terms are calculated
The process of calculating the MODES and FREQUENCIES is

known as Modal Extraction and is performed by solving the
equation:
ω2 [ m ] { q } - [ K ] { q } = o
Where
[ m ] = the mass matrix (assumed to be diagonal, i.e., no
mass coupling)
ω = the natural frequencies (eigenvalues)
{ q } = the normalized mode shapes (eigenvectors)
Frequency (HZ or CPS) = ω/2π
The solution method used in STAAD is the Subspace iteration

method.
Please note that various nomenclature is used to refer to the

normal modes of vibration. (Eigenvalue, Natural Frequency,
Modal Frequency and Eigenvector, Mode Shape, Modal Vector,
Normal Modes, Normalized Mode Shape.
Generalized Weight and Generalized Mass
Each eigenvector {q} has an associated generalized mass defined

by
Generalized Mass (GM) = { q } T [ M ] { q }
Generalized Weight (GW) = GM * g

11
Participation Factors - A participation factor (Qi) is computed
for each eigenvector for each of the three global (Xi) translational
directions. N is the number of modes.
N
∑ (q j,i )( w j,i )
Qi = j=1
GW
Modal Weights - The modal weight for each mode is (GW)(Q i ²).
The summation of modal weights for all modes in a given direction
is equal to the Base Shear which would result from a one g base
acceleration. The sum of the modal weights for the computed
modes may be compared to the total weight of the structure (only
the weight that has not been lumped at supports). The difference
is the amount of weight missing from a dynamic, base excitation,
modal response analysis. If too much is missing, then rerun the
eigensolution asking for a greater number of modes.
STAAD prints the "MASS PARTICIPATION FACTOR IN

PERCENT" for each mode. This is the modal weight of a mode as
a percentage of the total weight of the structure. Also a running
sum for all modes is given so that the last line indicates the percent
of the total weight that all of the modes extracted would represent
in a 1g base excitation.
12
Response Spectrum Analysis
1
Description
Response spectra are plots of maximum response of single degree

of freedom (SDOF) systems subjected to a specific excitation. For
various values of frequency of the SDOF system and various
damping ratios, the peak response is calculated.
Structures normally have multiple degrees of freedom (MDOF).

The dynamic analysis of a MDOF system having "n" DOF involves
reducing it to "n" independent SDOF systems. The modal
superposition method is used and the maximum modal responses
are combined using SRSS, CQC and other methods available in
STAAD.
The command syntax for defining response spectrum data is

explained in Section 5.32.10.1 of the Technical Reference manual.
It is important to understand that once the combination methods

like SRSS or CQC are applied, the sign of the results is lost.
Consequently, results of a spectrum analysis, like displacements,
forces and reactions do not have any sign.
Because spectrum analysis requires modes and frequencies, the

mass data and other details explained in the chapter on calculating
modes and frequencies are all applicable in the case of spectrum
analysis also. In other words, the mode and frequency calculation
is a pre-requisite to performing response spectrum analysis.
2
Calculation of Base Shear in a Response Spectrum Analysis
The base shear, for a given mode for a given direction, reported in
the response spectrum analysis is obtained as
A*B*C*D
where
A = Mass participation factor for that mode for that direction
B = Total mass specified for that direction
C = Spectral acceleration for that mode
D = direction factor specified in that load case
A is calculated by the program from the mass matrix and mode

shapes
B is obtained from the masses specified in the response spectrum

load case
C is obtained by interpolating between the user provided values of

period vs. acceleration and multiplying the resulting value by the
SCALE FACTOR.
D is specified by the user
Bending Moment Diagram for a load case that involves the

Response Spectrum Analysis
In a response spectrum analysis in STAAD, the member forces are

computed accurately only at the 2 ends of the member. The sign of
these forces cannot be determined due to the fact that the method
used to combine the contribution of modes does not allow for the
determination of the sign of the forces. Further, these force values
do not necessarily indicate whether these forces occur at the same
instant of time.
3
In order to draw the bending moment diagram, one needs to know
the moments at the intermediate section points on the member. In
order to calculate these section force values, the forces at the
member ends have to be used. However, due to the special nature
of these end force values as described in the paragraph above, it
makes no sense to calculate the intermediate section forces based
on the end force values.
Due to this reasoning, the bending moment diagram simply cannot

be drawn accurately for the response spectrum loading. STAAD
merely plots a straight line that joins the bending moment values at
the start and end joints of the member which are as mentioned
earlier, absolute (positive) values. Current versions of STAAD do
not let the user draw the diagram at all from certain places such as
the Member Query.
Comparison of results of a spectrum analysis (which uses the

UBC spectrum data) with the results of an equivalent UBC
static analysis
For the following reasons, this comparison isn't meaningful :
1. In a spectrum analysis, the number of modes to be combined

is a decision made by the engineer. If 100% participation
from the modes isn't utilized in the displacement calculation,
it is obvious that the results will be only approximate.
2. In a spectrum analysis, the contribution from the various

modes is combined using an SRSS method or a CQC method,
both of which are only approximate methods. One very
important drawback of both these methods is that the sign of
the displacements and forces cannot be determined. Also, the
results can vary significantly depending on the type of
method used in the combination.
3. In the UBC method, only a single period is used. Normally,

the assumption is that this period is associated with a mode
that encompasses a significant portion of the overall response
of the structure. This may not necessarily be true in reality. If
4
more than one mode is required to capture the overall
response of the structure, that fact is not brought to light in
the UBC static equivalent approach.
4. The UBC static equivalent method involves several

parameters such as Importance factor, soil structure
coefficient, etc. which are incorporated through an emperical
formula. In a response spectrum analysis, there is no facility
available to incorporate these factors in a direct manner.
Due to these reasons, a direct comparison of the results of a

spectrum analysis and a static equivalent approach is not
recommended.
Question : What is the Scale Factor (f4) that needs to be provided when
specifying the Response Spectra?
Answer : The spectrum data consists of pairs of values which are Period vs.
Accn. or Period vs. Displacement. The acceleration or
displacement values that you obtain from the geological data for
that site may have been provided to you as normalized values or
un-normalized values. Normalization means that the values of
acceleration or displacement have been divided by a number
(called normalization factor) which represents some reference
value. One of the commonly used normalization factors is 'g', the
acceleration due to gravity.
If the spectrum data you specify in STAAD is a normalized

spectrum data, you should provide the NORMALIZATION
FACTOR as the SCALE FACTOR. If your spectrum data is un-
normalized, there is no need to provide a scale factor(Another way
of putting it is that if you provide un-normalized spectrum values,
the scale factor is 1, which happens to be the default value also.)
Make sure that the value you provide for the SCALE FACTOR is
in accordance with the length units you have specified. (A common
error is that if the scale factor is 'g', users erroneously provide 32.2
when the length unit is in INCHES.)
5
STAAD will multiply the spectral acceleration or spectral
displacement values by the scale factor. Hence, if you provide a
normalized acceleration value of 0.5 and a scale factor of 386.4
inch/sq.sec., it has the same effect as providing an un-normalized
acceleration value of 193.2 inch/sq.sec. and a scale factor of 1.0.
Question : What is the Direction Factor that needs to be provided when

specifying the Response Spectra?
Answer : The Direction factor is a quantity by which the spectral

displacement for the associated direction is multiplied.
For example, if the command reads as
SPECTRUM SRSS X 0.7 Y 0.5 Z 0.65 DISP DAMP 0.05

SCALE 32.2
the following is done:
1. For each mode, the period is determined.
2. Corresponding to the period, the spectral displacement for

that mode is calculated by interpolation from the input pairs
of period vs. spectral displacement. Call this "sd"
3. Calculate the spectral displacement for each direction by

multiplying "sd" by the associated Direction factor.
The X direction spectral displacement = sd * 0.7

The Y direction spectral displacement = sd * 0.5
The Z direction spectral displacement = sd * 0.65
These factored values are then multiplied by
a. the mode shape value corresponding to that degree of

freedom,
b. participation factor.
Call the result T(m) where "m" stands for the mode number.
6
Once the T(m) is determined for all modes, subject them to the
SRSS calculation. That will provide the node displacement
corresponding to that degree of freedom.
Question : The results of the response spectrum load case are always positive
numbers. Why? How do I know that the positive value is always
critical, especially from the design standpoint?
Answer : In a spectrum analysis, the contribution of the individual modes is

combined using methods such as SRSS or CQC to arrive at the
overall response. The limitation of these methods is that the sign
of the response cannot be determined after the method is applied.
This is the reason why the output you get from STAAD for a
response spectrum analysis are absolute values.
One way to deal with the problem is to create 2 load combination

cases for each set of load cases you wish to combine. For example,
if the dead load case is 1, and the spectrum load case is 5, you
could create
LOAD COMB 10
1 1.1 5 1.3
LOAD COMB 11
1 1.1 5 -1.3
and use the critical value from amongst these 2 load combination
cases for design purposes. What you accomplish from this process
is that you are considering a positive effect as well as the negative
effect of the spectrum load case.
7
Question : In the Technical Reference manual section 5.32.10.1, you state: "
Note, if data is in g acceleration units, then set SCALE to a
conversion factor to the current length unit (9.81, 386.4, etc.)"
What does "g acceleration units" mean?
Related question : What is the Scale Factor (f4) that needs to be provided
when specifying the Response Spectra?
Answer : The spectrum data consists of pairs of values which are Period vs.
Accn. or Period vs. Displacement. The acceleration or
displacement values that you obtain from the geological data for
that site may have been provided to you as normalized values or
un-normalized values. Normalization means that the values of
acceleration or displacement have been divided by a number
(called normalization factor) which represents some reference
value. One of the commonly used normalization factors is 'g', the
acceleration due to gravity.
If the spectrum data you specify in STAAD is a normalized

spectrum data, you should provide the NORMALIZATION
FACTOR as the SCALE FACTOR. If your spectrum data is un-
normalized, there is no need to provide a scale factor(Another way
of putting it is that if you provide un-normalized spectrum values,
the scale factor is 1, which happens to be the default value also.)
Make sure that the value you provide for the SCALE FACTOR is
in accordance with the length units you have specified. (A common
error is that if the scale factor is 'g', users erroneously provide 32.2
when the length unit is in INCHES.)
STAAD will multiply the spectral acceleration or spectral

displacement values by the scale factor. Hence, if you provide a
normalized acceleration value of 0.5 and a scale factor of 386.4
inch/sq.sec., it has the same effect as providing an un-normalized
acceleration value of 193.2 inch/sq.sec. and a scale factor of 1.0.
8
Question : STAAD allows me to use SRSS, ABS, CQC, ASCE4-98 & TEN
Percent for combining the responses from each mode into a total
response. The CQC & ASCE4 methods require damping. But,
ABS, SRSS, and TEN do not use damping unless Spectra-Period
curves are made a function of damping. Why?
Answer : The spectral acceleration versus period curve is for a particular

value of damping. So the user has selected a damping when he
selects the acceleration curve. The damping on the SPECTRUM
command only affects the calculation of the closely spaced modal
interaction matrix which SRSS, ABS, and TEN do not use.
Question : I have some doubts in how to use the Spectrum command.
First of all, dead loads are always applied in the Y axis direction
(downwards). When I’m going to run a spectrum analysis and I use
the same dead loads, do I have to modify the direction of the
loads?
Answer : The load data you provide in the load case in which the
SPECTRUM command is specified goes into the making of the
mass matrix. The mass matrix is supposed to be populated with
terms for all the global directions in which the structure is capable
of vibrating. To enable this, the loads must be specified in all the
possible directions of vibration.
Consequently, the load case for response spectrum might look

something like this :
LOAD 20 SPECTRUM IN X DIRECTION

*
SELFWEIGHT X 1
SELFWEIGHT Y 1
SELFWEIGHT Z 1
9
MEMBER LOAD
274 TO 277 UNI GX 1.36

272 466 998 UNI GX 4.13
313 314 474 477 UNI GX 6.29
274 TO 277 UNI GY 1.36

272 466 998 UNI GY 4.13
313 314 474 477 UNI GY 6.29
274 TO 277 UNI GZ 1.36

272 466 998 UNI GZ 4.13
313 314 474 477 UNI GZ 6.29
JOINT LOAD
420 424 FX 47.32
389 TO 391 FX 560
420 424 FY 47.32

389 TO 391 FY 560
420 424 FZ 47.32

389 TO 391 FZ 560
SPECTRUM CQC X 1 ACC SCALE 9.81 DAMP 0.07

0.025 0.14; 0.0303 0.1636; 0.05 0.2455; 0.0625 0.2941;
0.0769 0.3479; 0.0833 0.3713;
0.1 0.3713; 0.125 0.3713; 0.1667 0.3713; 0.1895
0.3713; 0.25 0.2815; 0.2857 0.2463;
0.3333 0.2111; 0.4 0.1759; 0.5 0.1407; 0.6667 0.1056;
1 0.0704; 2 0.0344; 10 0.001372;
LOAD 21 SPECTRUM IN Z DIRECTION
SPECTRUM CQC Z 1 ACC SCALE 9.81 DAMP 0.07

0.025 0.14; 0.0303 0.1636; 0.05 0.2455; 0.0625 0.2941;
0.0769 0.3479; 0.0833 0.3713;
10
0.1 0.3713; 0.125 0.3713; 0.1667 0.3713; 0.1895
0.3713; 0.25 0.2815; 0.2857 0.2463;
0.3333 0.2111; 0.4 0.1759; 0.5 0.1407; 0.6667 0.1056;
1 0.0704; 2 0.0344; 10 0.001372;
Question : Can I specify a different spectrum for each of the 3 directions

(x , y or z)?
Answer : Yes.
Question : Can I decide how many modes I want to include in the spectrum
analysis?
Answer : Use the command CUT OFF MODE SHAPE. Refer to example
problems 11, 28, 29, etc.
Question : In the results, what are the dynamic, missing, and modal weights?
Answer : The dynamic weight line contains the total potential weight for base
shear calculations. Missing Weight is the amount of weight
missing in the modes; Modal weight is the total weight actually
used in the modes. If you algebraically add up Dynamic &
Missing, you should get Modal.
SRSS MODAL COMBINATION METHOD USED.

DYNAMIC WEIGHT X Y Z 8.165253E+02 8.165294E+02 8.165276E+02 POUN
MISSING WEIGHT X Y Z -4.118054E+01 -3.292104E+02 -4.840284E+02 POUN
MODAL WEIGHT X Y Z 7.753447E+02 4.873190E+02 3.324991E+02 POUN
11
Question : What is meant by MASS PARTICIPATION FACTORS IN
PERCENT?
Answer : When the weight of the building is accelerated in a certain

direction, it produces a force in that direction. That force can be
broken down into small parts, with each part coming from a
specific mode. The sum of the values of these parts is called the
base shear.
The percentage of the weight of the building, participating in the

vibration in a mode in a specific direction is called the
PARTICIPATION factor. It is a reflection of the "part" of the base
shear, generated by that mode in that direction.
Question : I am a little bit confused with the response spectrum analysis

results. Refer your Example 11 results. The support reactions that
we are getting are the same for both the supports for load cases 3
& 4. In combining lateral loads (response spectrum loading in this
case) with vertical loads, one support should have less force than
the other. At one support, the vertical reaction from the lateral load
case will add to that from the vertical load case, and, at the other,
it will get subtracted. Why do I not see that in the results?
Answer : The support reaction values from a response spectrum analysis

(like any other results from a response spectrum analysis) are
absolute quantities. Consequently, the reactions from case 2, which
is the spectrum case, are both equal and have the same sign. The
primary reasons for this are
a. when the numbers are subjected to the SRSS, CQC or other

methods, their sign is lost
b. the values do not necessarily reflect the result at the same
instant of time.
When you combine these results with those from the dead load
case, it leads to the same value at both supports.
12
If you want the results to truly reflect the sign, use a static
equivalent method like that stipulated by the UBC code.
Alternatively, perform a time history analysis where the sign of the
values is obtained for each time step.
Question : Is it possible to get the vertical distribution of the total base shear
in a response spectrum analysis, like one can for a UBC analysis?
Answer : Unfortunately No. Since the values from a response spectrum

analysis are absolute quantities (numbers without sign), there is no
reasonable way to obtain it. You may add up the shears in the
columns above that level for an approximate estimate.
Question : Can you please let me know if we can print nodal acceleration
from response spectra runs? If so, how do I print the data in the
report format or display it in the Post-Processing mode?
Answer : Add the word SAVE at the end of the SPECTRUM command. A
.ACC file will be created.
There is unfortunately no facility available for displaying it in the

post-processing mode. However, since the ACC file is simply a
text file, you can open it using any text editor, and in Excel too. In
Excel, you can use the graph generation facilities for plotting it.
Question : In a response spectrum analysis using the STAAD.Pro, the base

shear is not matching with the summation of the support reaction
values in that direction. Why? Also, which values should be
taken for designing the foundation? the base shear value or the
support reaction value? If it is the base shear value then what is
the method generally used to distribute this base shear to all the
supports?
Answer : The results are statistical, SRSS, CQC, etc. The numbers are all
peak positive values. Since each of the reactions at the time of
peak base shear could be less than that reaction's peak and could
be positive or negative, it is likely that the peak base shear will be
much less than the sum of the peak reactions.
13
There is no way to distribute the base shear to the supports. Even
if you could, that would not be the peak reaction at the support, the
reaction printed by STAAD is the peak value. If there are several
components of reaction at a joint, these are peak values that may
have occurred at different times.
Question : The base shear reported by STAAD does not match with the
Summation of Support Reactions in the relevant direction. I want
to know the reason for the same.
Answer : When the SRSS method is used, all results from a Response
Spectrum analysis are a result of a square root of a sum of the
squares (SRSS) of the desired output quantity from each mode.
The reactions within a single mode may have equal and opposite
reactions of the various supports such that the base shear for that
mode is near zero. Therefore the contribution of that mode to a
SRSS of all the modal base shears will be nearly zero.
However, in that same mode, a particular support may have a large

reaction value. So when that value is SRSSed with that supports
reaction value from all the other modes, that same mode may be a
major contributor to the final result for the support reaction while
that mode contributes little to the base shear.
Of course if all the support reactions in all of the modes have the
same sign, then the answers will be close.
Question : I am getting a large Difference in the results ( Base shear ) of

between Seismic Coefficient Method (UBC) Response Spectrum
Method. Can you explain why? Also, the CQC method produces a
higher base shear than the SRSS method.
Answer : If the base shear is spread over many frequencies, the Response
Spectrum method will result in a base shear that is much lower
than an absolute sum of the base shears of all the modes. The
theory of SRSS combination is that the peak value from each mode
will occur at a different time and is statistically independent. In
14
STAAD 200x the base shear is also printed using Absolute Sum
combination which assumes that the modes are all in phase and
peaks occur at the same time. You will note that in many problems
the absolute sum result is much higher than the SRSS result. I
believe that the UBC approach is closer to the absolute response
since a static case is entirely in phase.
For close spaced eigenvalues the CQC method will amplify the
response of those modes as compared to the SRSS method.
Question : I am trying to correlate the relationship between the base shears

and the Global Support Reactions. For example, on the attached
model, the total base shear in the x-direction does not add up to the
total reaction in the x-direction for the dynamic load case. I'm
thinking that STAAD solves a reaction for each mode and
subsequently sums them in either SRSS or CQC, but I am trying to
justify in my mind why the total base shear in the X direction is
not also the total Global Reaction in the X direction. Could you
try to explain?
Answer : Every individual output result value in a response spectrum

analysis is independent and all results are absolute (positive).
15
Lets say you have two modes and 4 supports in the x direction.
Then for the SRSS combination method the results are computed
as follows:
******************************************************
***
Support# Mode 1 Mode 2 Sum of Squares Square root
Reaction Reaction SRSS
1 10. -15. 325 18.0

2 -5. 19. 386 19.6
3 17. 43. 2138 46.2
4 -3. -12. 153 12.4
==== ==== ==== ====
SRSS Base Shear 19 35 1586 96.2
(Sum of
Reactions)
1586 = 39.8
******************************************************
***
Note that SRSS base shear (39.8) does not equal the sum of the
SRSS reactions (18.0+19.6+46.2+12.4=96.2). In effect the
procedure says that the maximum likely reaction value at each
support is as shown. However the maximum likely sum is the Base
shear as shown. This is due to the fact that the individual
maximums would not occur at the same time and not necessarily
with the same sign. So the base shear magnitude is usually much
less than the sum of the reactions.
Question : For Load case 1, I have

SPECTRUM SRSS X 1 ACC SCALE 0.9806 DAMP 0.05
0.03 0.8702; 0.05 1.0752; 0.1 1.5876; 0.15 2.1; 0.3 2.1; 0.5
2.1; 0.7 1.5;
0.9 1.1667; 1.1 0.9545; 1.3 0.8077; 1.5 0.7; 1.7 0.6176; 1.9
0.5526;
16
2.1 0.4762; 2.3 0.397; 2.5 0.336; 2.7 0.2881; 2.9 0.2497; 3.1
0.2185;
3.3 0.1928; 3.5 0.1714; 3.7 0.1534; 3.9 0.1381; 4.1 0.1249;
4.3 0.1136;
4.8 0.0911; 6 0.0583; 7 0.0429; 8 0.0328; 10 0.021; 20
0.0053; 30 0.0023;
For Load case 2, I have
SPECTRUM SRSS Z 1 ACC SCALE 0.9806 DAMP 0.05

0.03 0.8702; 0.05 1.0752; 0.1 1.5876; 0.15 2.1; 0.3 2.1; 0.5
2.1; 0.7 1.5;
0.9 1.1667; 1.1 0.9545; 1.3 0.8077; 1.5 0.7; 1.7 0.6176; 1.9
0.5526;
2.1 0.4762; 2.3 0.397; 2.5 0.336; 2.7 0.2881; 2.9 0.2497; 3.1
0.2185;
3.3 0.1928; 3.5 0.1714; 3.7 0.1534; 3.9 0.1381; 4.1 0.1249;
4.3 0.1136;
4.8 0.0911; 6 0.0583; 7 0.0429; 8 0.0328; 10 0.021; 20
0.0053; 30 0.0023;
For Load case 3, I have
SPECTRUM SRSS X 1 Z 1 ACC SCALE 0.9806 DAMP 0.05

0.03 0.8702; 0.05 1.0752; 0.1 1.5876; 0.2 2.1; 0.3 2.1; 0.5
2.1; 0.7 1.5;
0.9 1.1667; 1.1 0.9545; 1.3 0.8077; 1.5 0.7; 1.7 0.6176; 1.9
0.5526;
2.1 0.4762; 2.3 0.397; 2.5 0.336; 2.7 0.2881; 2.9 0.2497; 3.1
0.2185;
3.3 0.1928; 3.5 0.1714; 3.7 0.1534; 3.9 0.1381; 4.1 0.1249;
4.3 0.1136;
4.8 0.0911; 6 0.0583; 7 0.0429; 8 0.0328; 10 0.021; 20
0.0053; 30 0.0023;
Load combination 5 is an SRSS of 1 & 2.
LOAD COMBINATION SRSS 5 Überlagerung

17
1 1.0 2 1.0
Should load case 5 produce the same answers as load case 3?
Answer : Load case 1 means the earthquake is acting in the X direction at an

intensity of say 100%.
Load case 2 means the earthquake is acting in the Z direction at an

intensity of say 100%.
Then, load case 3 means the earthquake is acting at a 45 degree

angle to the X and Z directions at an intensity of 141.414%.
Load combination 5 will not produce the same result as load case
3. An earthquake with a 100% intensity in X and another with a
100% intensity in Z is not the same as one with a 141.4% intensity
at a 45 degree angle to X and Z. The combination methods such as
SRSS or CQC are not linear.
Another reason for the difference has to do with the Direction

factor.
18
Time History analysis of a structure
for
seismic accelerations
1
Time history analysis is an extension to the process of calculating
modes and frequencies in the sense that it occurs after those are
calculated.
The input which is relevant to the time history analysis of a

structure for seismic accelerations is explained below.
There are two stages in the command specification required for a

time-history analysis.
Stage 1 : The first stage is defined as shown in the following

example. Here, the characteristics of the earthquake, the arrival
time, and damping are defined.
Example :
UNIT METER
DEFINE TIME HISTORY
TYPE 1 ACCELERATION SCALE 9.806
READ EQDATA.TXT
ARRIVAL TIME
0.0
DAMPING 0.05
Each data set is individually identified by the number that follows

the TYPE command. In this file, only one data set is defined,
which is apparent from the fact that only one TYPE is defined.
The word ACCELERATION that follows the TYPE 1 command

signifies that this data set is for a ground acceleration. (If one
wishes to specify a forcing function, the keyword FORCE or
MOMENT must be used instead.)
Notice the expression "READ EQDATA.TXT". It means that we

have chosen to specify the time vs. ground acceleration data in the
file called EQDATA.TXT. That file must reside in the same folder
as the one in which the data file for this structure resides. As
explained in the small examples shown in Section 5.31.4 of the
Technical Reference manual, the EQDATA.TXT file is a simple
2
text file containing several pairs of time-acceleration data. A
sample portion of that file is as shown below.
0.0000 0.006300
0.0200 0.003640
0.0400 0.000990
0.0600 0.004280
0.0800 0.007580
0.1000 0.010870
While it may not be apparent from the above numbers, it may also
be noted that the geological data for the site the building sits on
indicate that the above acceleration values are a fraction of "g",
the acceleration due to gravity. Thus, for example, at 0.02 seconds,
the acceleration is 0.00364 multiplied by 9.806 m/sec^2 (or
0.00364 multiplied by 32.2 ft/sec^2). Consequently, the burden of
informing the program that the values need to be multiplied by "g"
is upon us. We do that by specifying the term “SCALE 9.806”
alongside “TYPE 1 ACCELERATION”.
The arrival time value indicates the relative value of time at which
the earthquake begins to act upon the structure. We have chosen
0.0, as there is no other dynamic load on the structure from the
relative time standpoint. The modal damping ratio for all the
modes is set to 0.05.
Stage 2 :
UNIT POUND FEET

LOAD 3 DYNAMIC LOAD CASE
SELFWEIGHT X 1.0
SELFWEIGHT Y 1.0
SELFWEIGHT Z 1.0
ELEMENT LOAD
41 TO 88 PR GX 300.0
41 TO 88 PR GY 300.0
41 TO 88 PR GZ 300.0
3
Load case 3 is the dynamic load case, the one which contains the
second part of the instruction set for a dynamic analysis to be
performed. The data here are
a. loads which will yield the mass values which will populate
the mass matrix
b. the directions of the loads, which will yield the degree of

freedom numbers of the mass matrix for being populated.
Thus, the selfweight, as well as the imposed loads on the structural

slab are to be considered as participating in the vibration along all
the global directions. This information is identical to what is
specified in the situation where all that we are interested is
frequencies and modes.
GROUND MOTION X 1 1
The above command too is part of load case 3. Here we say that
the seismic force, whose characteristics are defined by the TYPE 1
time history input data, acting at arrival time 1, is to be applied
along the X direction.
Example:
LOAD 1
Mass data in weight units
GROUND MOTION direction Type# Arrival Time#

PERF ANAL
FINISH
4
Time History Analysis for a Structure
subjected to a
Harmonic Loading
1
A sinusoidal loading is one which has the characteristic of
repetitiveness, as in the case of a tower at the top of which are two
radar antennas which cause a rotational type of dynamic loading
with a specified rotation rate and a nominal turning circle.
A sinusoidal loading usually can be described using the equation.
F (t) = F0sin (ω t + φ)
In the above equation,
F(t) = Value of the force at any instant of time "t"

F = Peak value of the force
ω = Frequency of the forcing function
φ = Phase angle
A plot of the above equation is shown in the figure below.
Definition of input in STAAD for the above forcing function
As can be seen from its definition, a forcing function is a

continuous function. However, in STAAD, a set of discrete time-
force pairs is generated from the forcing function and an analysis
is performed using these discrete time-force pairs. What that
means is that based on the number of cycles that the user specifies
for the loading, STAAD will generate a table consisting of the
magnitude of the force at various points of time. The time values
are chosen from time '0' to n*tc in steps of "STEP" where n is the
number of cycles and tc is the duration of one cycle. STEP is a
value that the user may provide or may choose the default value
that is built into the program. Users may refer to section 5.31.4 of
the Technical Reference Manual for a list of input parameters that
2
need to be specified for a Time History Analysis on a structure
subjected to a Sinusoidal loading.
A typical example of input specification for the above is shown

below. Some typical input that normally appears prior to these
commands is also included.
UNIT KIP INCH

DEFINE TIME HISTORY
TYPE 1 FORCE
FUNCTION SINE
AMPLITUDE 10.8 FREQUENCY 47 PHASE 30 CYCLES 150
TYPE 2 FORCE
FUNCTION COSINE
AMPLITUDE 12.3 FREQUENCY 28 PHASE 40 CYCLES 200
ARRIVAL TIME
0.0 3.0
DAMPING 0.06
There are two stages in the command specification required for a

time-history analysis. The first stage is defined above. Here, the
parameters of the sinusoidal loading are provided.
Each data set is individually identified by the number that follows

the TYPE command. In this file, two data sets are defined, which
is apparent from the fact that two TYPEs are defined.
The word FORCE that follows the TYPE n command signifies that
this data set is for a forcing function. (If one wishes to specify an
earthquake motion, an ACCELERATION may be specified.)
The command FUNCTION COSINE indicates that instead of

providing the data set as discrete TIME-FORCE pairs, a sinusoidal
function, which describes the variation of force with time, is
provided.
The parameters of the cosine function, such as FREQUENCY,

AMPLITUDE, and number of CYCLES of application are then
defined. STAAD internally generates discrete TIME-FORCE pairs
3
of data from the sine function in steps of time defined by the
default value (See section 5.31.6 of the Technical Reference
Manual for more information). The arrival time value indicates the
relative value of time at which the force begins to act upon the
structure. The modal damping ratio for all the modes is set to
0.075.
LOAD 1 DEAD LOAD

SELF Y -1.0
The above is a static load case.
LOAD 2 LOADING FOR TIME HISTORY ANALYSIS

SELF X 1.0
SELF Y 1.0
SELF Z 1.0
JOINT LOAD
10 FX 7.5
10 FY 7.5
10 FZ 7.5
TIME LOAD
7 FX 1 1
14 FZ 2 1
17 FZ 2 2
The above is the second stage of command specification for time

history analysis. The 2 sets of data specified here are a) the
weights for generation of the mass matrix and b) the application of
the time varying loads on the structure.
The weights (from which the masses for the mass matrix are
obtained) are specified in the form of selfweight and joint loads.
Following that, the sinusoidal force is applied using the "TIME

LOAD" command. The forcing function described by the TYPE 1
load is applied on joints 7 it starts to act starting at a time defined
by the 1st arrival time number. At joint 14, the TYPE 2 force is
applied along FZ, also starting at arrival time number 1. Finally, at
4
joint 17, the TYPE 2 force is applied along FZ, starting at arrival
time number 2.
LOAD COMB 3
1 1.2 2 1.4
The static and dynamic load cases are combined through the above
case.
PERFORM ANALYSIS
PRINT SUPPORT REACTIONS

PRINT MEMBER FORCES
PRINT JOINT DISPLACEMENTS
The member forces, support reactions and joint displacements are

calculated for every time step. For each degree of freedom, the
maximum value of these values is extracted from these histories
and reported in the output file using the above commands.
How modes, frequencies and the other terms calculated
The process of calculating the MODES and FREQUENCIES is

known as Modal Extraction and is performed by solving the
equation:
ω2 [ m ] { q } - [ K ] { q } = o
Where
[ m ] = the mass matrix (assumed to be diagonal, i.e., no

mass coupling)
ω = the natural frequencies (eigenvalues)
{ q } = the normalized mode shapes (eigenvectors)
Frequency (HZ or CPS) = ω/2π
The solution method used in STAAD is the Subspace iteration

method.
5
Please note that various nomenclature is used to refer to the
normal modes of vibration. (Eigenvalue, Natural Frequency,
Modal Frequency and Eigenvector, Mode Shape, Modal Vector,
Normal Modes, Normalized Mode Shape.
Generalized weight and generalized mass
Each eigenvector {q} has an associated generalized mass defined

by
Generalized Mass (GM) = { q } T [ M ] { q }
Generalized Weight (GW) = GM * g
Participation Factors - A participation factor (Qi) is computed

for each eigenvector for each of the three global (Xi) translational
directions. N is the number of modes.
N
∑ (q j,i )( w j,i )
Qi = j=1
GW
Modal Weights - The modal weight for each mode is (GW)(Q i ²).
The summation of modal weights for all modes in a given direction

is equal to the Base Shear which would result from a one g base
acceleration. The sum of the modal weights for the computed
modes may be compared to the total weight of the structure (only
the weight that has not been lumped at supports). The difference
is the amount of weight missing from a dynamic, base excitation,
modal response analysis. If too much is missing, then rerun the
eigensolution asking for a greater number of modes.
STAAD prints the "MASS PARTICIPATION FACTOR IN

PERCENT" for each mode. This is the modal weight of a mode as
a percentage of the total weight of the structure. Also a running
sum for all modes is given so that the last line indicates the percent
of the total weight that all of the modes extracted would represent
in a 1g base excitation.
6
Time History Analysis for a Structure
subjected to a
random excitation
1
A random excitation is a force which varies with time, and not
necessarily in an orderly fashion. An example of the same is a
blast loading.
The only difference between this type of loading and the

sinusoidal loading is that the force versus time data has to be
defined explicitly under the DEFINE TIME HISTORY command.
An example of it is shown below.
UNIT METER KNS

DEFINE TIME HISTORY
TYPE 1 FORCE
0.00001 -0.000001 0.005 -650 0.01 -800 0.015 -800 0.02 -800
0.025 -800
0.03 -700 0.035 -350 0.04 -250 0.045 -500 0.05 -730 0.055 -600
0.06 -350 0.065 -280 0.07 -450 0.075 -600 0.08 -550 0.085 -440
0.09 -415 0.095 -410 0.1 -420
ARRIVAL TIME
0.0
DAMPING 0.07
For a blast type of loading, there will be a sudden spike in the

value of the force over a very short period of time.
DEFINE TIME HISTORY

TYPE 1 FORCE
0.0 0.0 0.1 80.0 0.2 0.1 0.35 0.0 0.4 0.0 1.0 0.0
ARRIVAL TIMES
0.0
DAMPING 0.05
2
Mat foundations
1
Description
STAAD has the ability to generate supports for structures like

slabs on grade, which also go by the name mat foundations. A mat
foundation is a large concrete slab sitting on soil. The support for
the structure is the soil itself. The resistance of the soil is
represented through a term called Modulus of Subgrade Reaction,
the definition of which may be found in many textbooks on
foundation analysis.
The general approach to solving such problems is to sub-divide the

slab into several plate elements. Each node of the meshed slab will
then have an influence area or a contributory area, which is to say
that soil within the area surrounding that node acts like a spring.
The influence area is then multiplied by the subgrade modulus to
arrive at the spring constant. Subgrade modulus has units of force
per length^3. So, the spring will have units of force/length.
The problem with using this method is that, for irregularly-shaped

or large slabs with many nodes, computing the influence area for
each node can become quite tedious and time-consuming. The
model below exemplifies the problem.
2
This is where the Foundation type of support can be useful.

STAAD will calculate the influence areas of all the nodes by itself
and derive the spring constants for you. In STAAD, we refer to
facility as SPRING SUPPORT GENERATION.
STAAD has two options for such supports:
a) The ELASTIC MAT option

b) The PLATE MAT option
The ELASTIC MAT option :
When the spring support generation facility was first introduced in

STAAD, it was based on this method. In fact, this was the only
method available until and including STAAD.Pro 2002 Build 1004.
This method calculates the influence area of the various nodes
using the Delaunay triangle method.
3
The distinguishing aspect of this method is that it uses the joint-
list that accompanies the ELASTIC MAT command to form a
closed surface. The area within this closed surface is then
determined and the share of this area for each node in the list is
then calculated.
Hence, while specifying the joint-list, one should make sure that
these joints make up a closed surface. Without a proper closed
surface, the area calculated for the region may be indeterminate
and the spring constant values may be erroneous. Consequently,
the list should have at a minimum, 3 nodes.
While forming the closed surface, namely, a polygon, the sides of

the polygon have to be assembled by lining up points along the
edges. The edge detection aspects of this method are very sensitive
to out-of-straightness, which may occur if the coordinates of the
nodes aren't precise to a significant number of digits.
Also, the internal angle formed by 2 adjacent lines connecting 3

consecutive nodes in the list should be less than 180 degrees,
which is to say that, the region should have the shape of a convex
polygon.
Failure to form straight edges and convex polygons can lead to

erroneous influence area values and consequently, erroneous
spring constants. This is the limitation of this feature.
The example below explains the method that may be used to get
around a situation where a convex polygon is not available.
For the model comprised of plate elements 100 to 102 in the figure
below, one wishes to generate the spring supports at nodes 1 to 8.
However, a single ELASTIC MAT command will not suffice
because the internal angle between the edges 1-8 and 8-7 at node 8
is 270 degrees, which violates the requirements of a convex
polygon.
4
So, one should break it up into 2 commands:
1 2 3 8 ELASTIC MAT DIREC Y SUBG 200.

3 4 5 6 7 8 ELASTIC MAT DIREC Y SUBG 200.
Joints 3 and 8 will hence get the contribution from both of the
above commands.
Because this method uses nodes to generate contours, it may be

used whether the mat is defined using plates, or solids. This is the
advantage of this method.
5
The PLATE MAT option :
If the foundation slab is modeled using plate elements, the

influence area can be calculated using the principles used in
determining the tributary area of the nodes from the finite element
modeling standpoint. In other words, the rules used by the program
in converting a uniform pressure load on an element into fixed end
actions at the nodes are used in calculating the influence area of
the node, which is then multiplied by the subgrade modulus to
obtain the spring constant. This feature has been available since
STAAD.Pro 2002 Build 1005.
The advantage of this method is that it overcomes one of the major

limitations of the Delaunay triangle method, which is that the
contour formed by the nodes of the mat must form a convex hull.
Example
SUPPORTS
17054 TO 17081 PLATE MAT DIR YONLY SUBGRADE 5000.0
PRINT
YR -.01 0.01 PLATE MAT DIR YONLY SUBGRADE 5000.0
The first of the above 2 commands instructs STAAD to internally

generate supports for the nodes at the corners of plate elements
17054 TO 17081.
The second example instructs STAAD to internally generate

supports for the nodes at the corners of plate elements which lie in
the global XZ plane bound by the YRANGE value of -0.01 and
+0.01 length units.
Another advantage of the PLATE MAT method is that it enables us

to view soil pressure contours beneath the base of the slab. After
the analysis, go to the post-processing mode, and click on the
Plates page. In the selection box for choosing the type of result to
plot, choose base pressures. This is not currently available with the
ELASTIC MAT method.
6
Question : How do I tell STAAD that my soil spring is effective only in
COMPRESSION, and should not be considered when it goes into
tension?
Answer : This may be done by using the ELASTIC MAT or PLATE MAT
command in conjunction with the SPRING COMPRESSION
command. The program iteratively solves the problem so that the
final answer reflects the condition corresponding to actual contact
between slab & soil. Example problem 27 illustrates this.
Question : Is it possible to get a report which shows the influence area

generated by STAAD for each support node?
Answer : Yes. Use the PRINT option available with the ELASTIC MAT or
PLATE MAT commands. This will produce a report of the
influence areas. An example of such a report is shown below.
To get a report of the spring constants themselves, use the

command
PRINT SUPPORT INFORMATION

7
Question : Is it possible to find out the base pressure at each node for each
load case?
Answer : Yes. In the post-processing mode, go to the Node – Base pressure

page. A table will appear along the right side of the screen
showing these values. The Summary tab will show the maximum
and minimum pressure along with the associated node for each of
the 3 global directions.
Question : How does subgrade modulus differ from soil bearing capacity?
Answer : A soil must be capable of carrying the loads it is subjected to,

without undergoing a shear failure, or excessive settlements. This
capacity is referred to as the soil bearing capacity.
The modulus of subgrade reaction is a measure of the stiffness of

soil if it were to behave like a spring. It is the relationship between
bearing pressure and soil deflection.
The modulus of subgrade reaction is the quantity by which the

influence area of a support node is multiplied by to get the
equivalent spring constant which can be used at the analysis stage.
One would provide this as an input item when one wishes STAAD
to generate spring supports using the ELASTIC MAT command, as
explained in section 5.27.3 of the STAAD.Pro Technical Reference
manual.
At the end of the mat foundation analysis, the maximum soil

pressure you get from STAAD’s soil pressure diagram should be
within the limits of the soil’s bearing capacity. If the actual
pressure exceeds the capacity, it is an indication of failure.
8
Question : If you have the value for soil bearing pressure, how do you use
that to come up with the subgrade modulus that STAAD uses for
elastic mat definitions?
Answer : One doesn't use the bearing capacity of soil to determine the
subgrade modulus. Instead, it is a separate attribute of soil. If you
have a look at the text book "Foundation Analysis and Design" by
Joseph Bowles, you will find a few sections devoted to that topic,
with specific values listed for specific types of soil.
The basic difference between these 2 attributes is that, bearing

capacity (or bearing pressure) is the pressure at which the soil
fails, either in shear or compression. It hence has units of force per
unit area. Subgrade Modulus on the other hand is a measure of the
"spring constant" of soil. It is the distance that a unit area of soil
would deflect under a unit load.
Generating loads from
moving load-causing units
1
This type of loading occurs classically when the load-causing
units move on the structure, as in the case of trucks on a bridge
deck. The mobile loads are discretized into several individual
immobile load cases at discrete positions.
Defining the input data
There are 2 stages for specifying these types of loads.
Stage 1 is as shown in the example below.
DEFINE MOVING LOAD

TYPE 1 LOAD 119.6 108.3 94.5 DISTANCE 1.778 1.5 WIDTH 1.8
TYPE 2 LOAD 34.9 34.9 34.9 34.9 DISTANCE 1.3 1.3 1.3 WIDTH 1.7
The above lines represent the first out of two sets of data required
in moving load generation. The type number (1) is a label for
identification of the load-causing unit, such as a truck. 3 axles (
119.6 108.3 94.5) are specified with the LOAD command. The
spacing between the axles in the direction of movement
(longitudinal direction) is specified after the DISTANCE
command. Since there are 3 axles, there are 2 spacings between
them. WIDTH is the spacing in the transverse direction, that is, it
is the distance between the 2 prongs of an axle of the truck. For
the TYPE 2 truck, there are 4 axles and 3 spacings.
LOAD 1
SELF Y -1.0
Load case 1 is a static load case.
LOAD GENERATION 75
TYPE 1 -3.278 0. 4. XINC 1.5
TYPE 2 -3.9 0. 6. XINC 1.5
This constitutes the second of the two sets of data required for
moving load generation. 75 load cases are generated using the
Type 1 and Type 2 vehicles whose characteristics were described
earlier. For the first of these load cases, the X, Y and Z location of
2
the reference load (see section 5.31.1 of the Technical Reference
Manual) have been specified after the command TYPE 1 and TYPE
2 respectively. The X Increment of 1.5ft denotes that the vehicle
moves along the X direction and the individual positions which are
1.5ft apart will be used to generate the remaining 74 load cases.
The basis for determining the number of load cases to generate, 75

in the example above, is as follows :
As seen in Section 5.31.1 of the Technical Reference manual, the

reference wheel is on the last axle. The first load case which is
generated will be the one for which the first axle is just about to
enter the bridge. The last load case should be the one for which the
last axle is just about to exit the bridge. Thus, the total distance
travelled by the reference load will be the length of the vehicle
(distance from first axle to last axle) plus the span of the bridge.
Let us call this term "D".
If we want the vehicle to move forward in 1.5 feet increments

(each 1.5 foot increment will create a discrete position of the truck
on the bridge), it would required (D/1.5+1) cases to be generated.
The load generation commands are followed by the PERFORM

ANALYSIS command. The PRINT LOAD DATA option is used to
obtain a report in the output file of the values and positions of the
generated loads.
3
Question : I want to move a crane along a beam. How do I use the moving
load generation for this case?
Answer : Use the same procedure as in the case of a bridge. Set the WIDTH
value to zero.
Question : Could you tell me how I can display the generated moving loads
graphically? I want to see whether I enter and generate the moving
loads correctly.
Answer : If you wish to obtain the position of the concentrated loads

generated from a moving vehicle, this is what you can do.
First, make sure the input file does have the commands required to
generate loads from a vehicle. Example 12 is a good reference.
Then, run the analysis. After the analysis is successfully

completed, the "Select Load" drop down list box will contain
individual load case numbers for each generated load case. For
example, if your sequence of load data is
LOAD 1
LOAD 2
LOAD 3
LOAD GENERATION 30
then, after the analysis, the load selection box will list them as
LOAD 1
LOAD 2
LOAD 3
LOAD GENERATION, LOAD # 4
etc.
4
Select those cases, and switch on the load display icon. Or, right
click the mouse on the drawing area. Select Structure Diagrams. In
the Loads and Results tab, switch on the check box for Loads,
select the load case from the list, and click on Apply. Keep
changing the load case, and keep clicking on Apply.
Question: Is there any way to generate a moving load on an inclined member

?
Answer : Yes you can. Have a look at Section 5.32.12 of the Technical Ref
Manual. You will find an option called YRANGE. So, have the
load located at an elevation below the lower node of the member,
and provide a YRANGE which will enable the program to apply
the load on members whose longitudinal axis lie in the range
between the lower and upper ends of the inclined member.
However, there is no guarantee that it will work every time.
Question : How do I define the moving load data through an external file?
Answer : See example below :
Example : When data is provided through the external file

"MOVLOAD"
Data in the input file
UNIT KIP FEET

DEFINE MOVING LOAD FILE MOVLOAD
TYPE 1 AXLTYP1
TYPE 2 AXLTYP2 1.25
5
Data in the external file "MOVLOAD"
AXLTYP1
10 20 15
5.0 7.5
6.0
AXLTYP2
20 20
10
7.5
6
Pressure loads on panels – Floor loads
1
Question : I am modeling a steel building consisting of columns and beams.
The floor slab is a non-structural entity, which, though capable of
carrying the loads acting on it, is not meant to be an integral part
of the framing system. It merely transmits the load to the beam-
column grid.
There are uniform area loads on the floor (think of the load as
wooden pallets supporting boxes of paper). Since the slab is not
part of the structural model, is there a way to tell the program to
transmit the load to the beams without manually figuring out the
beam loads on my own?
Answer: STAAD's FLOOR LOAD option is ideally suited for such cases.
This is a facility where you specify the load as a pressure, and the
program converts the pressure to individual beam loads. Thus, the
input required from the user is very simple - load intensity in the
form of pressure, and the region of the structure in terms of X, Y
and Z coordinates in space, of the area over which the pressure
acts.
In the process of converting the pressure to beam loads, STAAD

will consider the empty space between crossing beams (in plan
view) to be panels, similar to the squares of a chessboard. The load
on each panel is then transferred to beams surrounding the panel,
using a triangular or trapezoidal load distribution method.
Users can verify the accuracy of the values of the joint and
member loads generated by the FLOOR LOAD and AREA LOAD
option by using the command
The output file will contain the values of the generated loads. If
the values are not what you expect, you may directly specify the
JOINT LOADs and MEMBER LOADs on those members instead
of using the FLOOR LOAD option to generate loads for those
members.
2
STAAD also provides an option called ONEWAY load if the
distribution is desired along the shorter direction of a panel instead
of a 2-way action. This and additional information on the FLOOR
LOAD facility is available in example problem 15 in the examples
manual, and section 5.32.4 in the STAAD.Pro Technical Reference
manual.
Question : Are there any graphical tools to examine the individual panels the
program considers in processing the floor load command?
Answer : Yes. Click the right mouse button, and select Labels. Under
Loading Display Options, Display Floor Load Distribution will
show the division of panels into influence areas based on a color-
coded scheme (see figure below). Display Floor Loads will show
the triangular and trapezoidal loading on the individual members
around each panel.
3
Question : When does one use FLOOR LOAD and when does one use
ELEMENT LOAD?
Answer : When modeling a grid system made up of horizontal beams and the
slabs which span between the beams, there are 2 approaches one
may take :
1. Model the beams only, and do not include the slabs in the
model. However, the large in-plane stiffness of the slab may
be taken into account by using the master-slave relationship
to tie together the nodes of the deck so that a rigid diaphragm
effect is simulated for the horizontal plane at the slab level.
2. Include the slabs by modeling them using plate elements.
The question that arises is, how does one account for the
distributed loading (load per area of floor) which is present on top
of the slab?
If you model the structure using method (1), the load can be
assumed to be transferred directly on to the beams. The slab-beam
grillage is assumed to be made up of a number of panels, similar to
the squares of a chessboard. The load on each panel is then
transferred to beams surrounding the panel, using a triangular or
trapezoidal load distribution method. You can do this in STAAD
by defining the load intensity in the FLOOR LOAD command. In
other words, the pressure load on the slabs (which are not included
in the model) are converted to individual beam loads by utilizing
the FLOOR LOAD facility.
In method (2), the fact that the slab is part of the model makes it
very easy to handle the load. The load can be applied on individual
elements using the ELEMENT LOAD facility. The connectivity
between the beams and elements ensures that the load will flow
from the plates to the beams through the columns to the supports.
4
Question : I have a floor made up of several panels. The floor consists of
straight-line edges but with a concave face and a convex face, like
a boomerang.
The total floor area is 381 sq.m. and I am applying a floor load of
1 t/sq.m. on the entire area. Thus, expecting a total load of 381 t.
From analysis I get total load as 810.2 t which is not correct.
When I try to apply floor load to individual panel I get nearly the
expected load. But when the floor load is applied on group of
panels or on entire area, graphically it shows wrong distribution of
load and total load is also not correct.
Answer : The problem you mention is one of the limitations of the floor load
routine. If you have a floor whose shape contains a mixture of
concave and convex edges, break up the floor load command into
several parts, as you have done. This will force the program to
localize its search for panels and the solution will be much better.
If you don't do this, the entire floor will end up being treated as
one giant panel with unsatisfactory results.
The example below illustrates a case where the floor has to be sub-
divided into smaller regions for the floor load generation to yield
proper results. The internal angle at node 6 between the sides 108
and 111 exceeds 180 degrees. A similar situation exists at node 7
also. As a result, the following command
LOAD 1
FLOOR LOAD
YRANGE 11.9 12.1 FLOAD -0.35
will not yield acceptable results.

5
Instead, the region should be subdivided as shown in the
following example
LOAD 1
FLOOR LOAD
YRANGE 11.9 12.1 FLOAD -0.35 XRANGE -0.1 15.1
ZRANGE -0.1 8.1
YRANGE 11.9 12.1 FLOAD –0.35 XRANGE 4.9 10.1
ZRANGE -7.9 16.1
6
Wind load generation
1
Description
Wind load generation in STAAD.Pro is a facility, which takes as

input wind pressure, and height ranges over which those pressures
act and generates nodal point loads on windward and leeward sides
of buildings. This may be found in sections 5.31.3 and 5.32.12 of
the Technical Reference manual, and in example problem 15 of the
Examples manual.
Until and including STAAD.Pro 2003, this feature is capable of

generating loads on panel type of exposed faces. So, the basis of
this generation is that the program first identifies panels – regions
circumscribed by members and the ground – and assumes that the
wind pressure acts on the panel area. So, the force on that panel is
calculated by multiplying the pressure by the panel area.
Consequently, this type of load generation is applicable to

“closed” structures such as office buildings where the component
constituting the panels could be a glass façade, or walls made of
wood or other material that was not considered to be part of the
structural model.
This facility has been enhanced in STAAD.Pro 2004 by

considering lattice type open structures also.
Defining the input data
There are 2 stages for specifying these types of loads.
Stage 1 is as shown in the example below.
UNIT KIP FEET

DEFINE WIND LOAD
TYPE 1
INT .015 .022 .026 .028 HEI 10. 30. 60. 100.
EXPOSURE 1.2 YR 0. 75.
The numbers which follow the word INTENSITY are the wind
pressures. The first intensity acts from the ground (the datum) to
2
10 ft, the second from 10 ft to 30 ft, and so on. EXPOSURE
factors, which are magnification or reduction factors for the
resulting generated loads should be specified if their value is
different from 1.0. Here, all nodes between 0 and 75 feet are
assigned a value 1.2.
LOAD 1 DW
SELFWEIGHT Y -1.
LOAD 2 WIND
WIND LOAD X -1. TYPE 1
LOAD 3 WINDZ
WIND LOAD Z 1. TYPE 1
The second part of the command consists of the actual load

application and is done through the WIND LOAD command as
shown above.
Question : What is the significance of the TYPE command and the number
that follows?
Answer : STAAD permits the definition of several different wind loads, each
with certain characteristics. In order to distinguish the wind load
having one set of characteristics from another wind load with a
different set of characteristics, each wind load is identified using a
TYPE command followed by an identification number. In other
words, the TYPE command and the number are entirely a creation
of the user. They are not terminologies that the user will find from
any code or handbook that provides guidelines on loading for
structures. The advantage of this feature is that the user is now
able to communicate to the program information such as that the
wind pressure is different at different heights, the structure has
openings at certain heights and so on.
3
Question : What is Wind Intensity?
Answer : Wind intensity as required for input in STAAD is merely the wind
pressure in units of Force per unit area. The user is required to
compute the pressure from any coefficients that codes require.
Question : Does the wind load command in STAAD take into account any
wind codes like ASCE 7? Does it take into account the drag factor,
or shape factor for different shapes like angle, channel etc.
Answer : WIND LOAD generation in STAAD is not based on any code. It

also does not take into account any of the other factors you
mentioned. It is based purely on the concept of influence areas of
nodes and multiplying them by the user defined wind pressures for
the respective heights. Any reduction or magnification of the
resulting force is achieved by multiplying the generated values by
exposure factors for nodes.
Influence area of a node is defined as the region surrounding a

node over which any wind pressure acting over that area is
transmitted entirely into that node as a concentrated force.
Influence area is equal to influence length multiplied by influence

height where:
influence length is half the distance from the joint to the

joints to the left and to the right of the joint and
influence height is the distance from the joint to the joints at

the top and to the bottom.
Multiply the influence area of each joint by the wind intensity and
the exposure factor for the joint. This will yield the concentrated
horizontal force for the joint. The exposure factor becomes useful
for situations where the entire panel area is not effective due to the
presence of openings or needs to be magnified due to a curvilinear
shape of the load bearing panel.
4
Question : If I have wind speeds from different directions acting on a tower
having (round shaped) discs fitted to it, how can I make the
software take the discs into account which are also exposed to
wind?
Answer : The influence area calculation will work correctly if and only if the
exposed area is parallel to one of the global planes. A region
which is curvilinear in shape cannot be handled by the program.
Question : Can the wind force be generated in the Y-direction?
Answer : No. Wind forces can be computed for horizontal (X and Z)

directions only.
Question : What if the windward face of the structure is inclined to the X and
Z axes, viz., not perpendicular to X or Z axes?
Answer : The feature works best when the panels are parallel to one of the
global planes. The program does have some capability for
generating loads on inclined planes too. However, if the user finds
the results unsatisfactory, other load generation methods like the
"ELEMENT LOAD JOINTS" option may be used.
Question : What influence do finite elements have on wind load generation?
Answer : The presence or absence of elements, along or perpendicular to the

direction of wind has no effect on wind load generation. Wind load
generation is possible only with panels surrounded by members as
described above. If the panels are already defined using plate
elements, apply the load using the ELEMENT PRESSURE option
instead of using wind load generation for those panels.
5
Question : I have three questions. 1) How can I tell STAAD that the load is
acting on the LEEWARD side and not on the WINDWARD side of
the building? 2) How do I specify that a load acts from east to west
instead of west to east? 3) How do I specify a suction load instead
of one which bears against the structure?
Answer : The command syntax accommodates all of the above. For example,
along the X direction, the following four types are allowed.
WIND LOAD +X +f
WIND LOAD -X +f
WIND LOAD +X -f
WIND LOAD -X +f
See the figure below for the meaning of the four commands.
Y Y
X or Z X or Z
X or Z +f -X or -Z +f
Y Y
X or Z X or Z
X or Z -f -X or -Z -f
6
Question : Can STAAD perform wind load generation on open-lattice
structures?
Answer : In STAAD.Pro 2004, the wind load generation facility has been
enhanced for generating loads on open structures too. These are
structures like electrical transmission towers, in which the region
between members is “open” allowing the wind to blow through.
For those, the program first calculates the exposed surface area of
individual members of the model. Then, that exposed area is
multiplied by the wind pressure and divided by the member length
to arrive at a uniform distributed member load. It is assumed that
all members of the structure within the specified ranges are
subjected to the pressure and hence, they will all received the load.
The concept of members on the windward side shielding the
members in the inside regions of the structure does not exist for
open structures.

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Windows, Microsoft and Visual Basic are registered trademarks of Microsoft

AutoCAD is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc.

United States Patent Nos. 5,8.15,415 and 5,784,068 and 6,199,125.

2000-2006 Bentley Systems, Incorporated.

4/17/2008 Copyright © 2006 Bentley Systems, Incorporated Do Not Duplicate

A Bentley Solutions Center

Published October, 2006

STAAD.Pro is a general purpose structural analysis and design program with

Technical Reference Manual

International Design Codes

The documentation for the STAAD.Pro Extension component(s) is available separately.

Answer : The procedure used by STAAD in calculating displacements and

A warning message is printed in the STAAD output file

These warnings can also appear when other structural conditions

Solid elements have no rotational stiffness at their nodes. So, at all

Question : Why are these warnings and not errors?

Question : What is the usefulness of these messages :

***WARNING - INSTABILITY AT JOINT 26 DIRECTION = FX

**NOTE** STAAD DETECTS INSTABILITIES AS EXCESSIVE LOSS OF

THE ABOVE CONDITIONS COULD ALSO BE CAUSED BY VERY STIFF

Answer : An instability is a condition where a load applied on the structure

Examples and causes of Instability :

Defining a member as a TRUSS when it needs shear and bending

When you declare all members connecting at specific nodes to be

A better option to calling a member a TRUSS is to define it as a

Improper support conditions. When the supports of the structure

Connecting a very stiff member to a very flexible member. A math

Excessive number of releases. Releases completely deprive a

The above release signifies that 100% of the resistance to MX, MY

Improper connection between members. When members cross each

Duplicate nodes. They are 2 or more nodes, having distinct node

Improper connection between members and plate elements. In the

In order for the above set of entities to be properly connected, the

An example of 2 members which would qualify as overlapping

Here, members 2 and 101 are overlapping collinear. Member 2 is

Another example is:

Here, again, members 2 and 101 are overlapping collinear. But

Overlapping plates. These are elements whose nodes intersect

The figure above represents such a condition. Elements 1 and 2

Question : If there are instability messages, does it mean my analysis results

Similarly a column that is at a pinned support will sometimes be

Answer : There are 2 important checks that should be carried out if

a. A static equilibrium check. This check will tell us whether all

b. The joint displacement check. This check will tell us whether

One may use the PRINT STATICS CHECK option in conjunction

***TOTAL APPLIED LOAD ( KG METE ) SUMMARY (LOADING

SUMMATION OF MOMENTS AROUND THE ORIGIN-

***TOTAL REACTION LOAD( KG METE ) SUMMARY

SUMMATION OF MOMENTS AROUND THE ORIGIN-

MAXIMUM DISPLACEMENTS ( CM /RADIANS) (LOADING 1)

Go through these numbers to ensure that

i. The "TOTAL APPLIED LOAD" values and "TOTAL

Answer : While performing the triangular factorization of the global stiffness

If the overall results look OK, then ignore nearly singular

Question : How to avoid instabilities if TRUSSES or RELEASES are the

Answer : There is a rather simple way to eliminate instabilities, especially if

In reality, connections always have some amount of force and

it means MY and MZ are 100% released at the start node. But if

So, this is what may be done :

a. Change the declaration of the truss members in your model

b. Run the analysis. Check to make sure the instability warnings

c. If the displacements are large, reduce the extent of the release

NOTE STAAD DETECTS INSTABILITIES AS EXCESSIVE LOSS OF