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TeklaStructuralDesignerQuickStartGuideforSteel PDF
TeklaStructuralDesignerQuickStartGuideforSteel PDF
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Table of Contents ii (27)
1 Table of Contents
2 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 4
3 The Interface................................................................................................................................. 4
3.1 Basic Functionality ................................................................................................................. 5
4 Exercise Details ............................................................................................................................ 6
4.1 Structural Details ................................................................................................................... 8
4.2 Loading Details ...................................................................................................................... 8
5 Modelling ...................................................................................................................................... 9
5.1 Creating a new model ............................................................................................................ 9
5.2 Defining Construction Levels ................................................................................................. 9
5.3 Inserting the Architectural Grid ............................................................................................. 10
5.4 Creating steel columns ........................................................................................................ 10
5.5 Creating steel trusses .......................................................................................................... 11
5.6 Creating steel beams ........................................................................................................... 11
5.7 Creating slabs on beams ..................................................................................................... 13
5.8 Creating roof panels............................................................................................................. 13
5.9 Creating bracing .................................................................................................................. 14
6 Loading and Combinations ......................................................................................................... 15
6.1 Creating load cases ............................................................................................................. 15
6.2 Applying loads ..................................................................................................................... 15
6.3 Creating Load Combinations................................................................................................ 16
7 Analysis and Design ................................................................................................................... 17
7.1 Analysing and Designing the structure ................................................................................. 17
7.2 Analysis and Design Options ............................................................................................... 18
8 Reviewing the design status ....................................................................................................... 18
8.1 Designing and checking individual elements ........................................................................ 19
8.2 Show\Alter State .................................................................................................................. 19
8.3 Design Tabular Results........................................................................................................ 21
9 Analysis Results ......................................................................................................................... 22
9.1 Model Analysis Results ........................................................................................................ 22
9.2 Tabular Analysis Results...................................................................................................... 23
Quick Start Guide Tekla Structural Designer
2 Introduction
Welcome to the Tekla Structural Designer Quick Start Guide for Steel.
This document offers brief guidance on the basics of using Tekla Structural Designer for steel structures,
using a simple example. It is intended to accompany the Tekla Structural Designer e-Learning Quick Start
Guide for Steel, which demonstrates the steps required to complete this example, as well as some of the
programs fundamental concepts. You can view the e-Learning Quick Start Guide as many times as
required.
Detailed information about each program command and setting is available in the Help System – this can
be accessed pressing ‘F1’ on your keyboard, or by clicking the Help (?) icon in the top right corner of the
ribbon.
3 The Interface
Tekla Structural Designer has a single user interface that allows multi-material models to be built, analysed
and interrogated easily. All concrete and steel elements can be designed and a variety of reports and
detailed drawings can be generated, all within the same program. In comparison to using Fastrak and
Orion, this should make it a lot quicker and easier to learn and use, and it won’t matter what material you’re
working in.
The main components of the interface are detailed below:
The Ribbon is located at the top of the screen and is split up into a number of tabs. Each tab is
labelled based on the type of action that can be carried out when that tab is selected. For example,
the Model tab allows you to create/edit your model, the Load tab allows you to apply loads, etc.
The File tab contains standard options, such as New, Open, Save As and Exit. It also provides
a list of Recent Documents that you’ve been working on.
The Quick Access Toolbar contains certain tools that can always be accessed, irrespective of
which tab you have selected on the Ribbon, such as Delete, Undo and Save.
The Project Workspace contains numerous tabs that display different trees of information. The
Structure tree lists all elements in the model, as well as architectural grids, levels, frames, planes
and more. Other options include the Loading tree, which compares loads applied against
reactions, and the Status tree, which shows the status of various validations and analyses
completed.
The Properties window list all properties associated with whatever items are selected in the
model.
The Scene Views show various different views of the model, including 3D views, 2D plans,
frames and planes. These views can also display the model in different View Modes, including
Structural, Solver, Results and Review.
The Scene Content window allows you to control what information is displayed in the current view.
The Loading drop list controls the active load case or combination, and allows you to either apply
loads or view results for the selected option.
The Status Bar shows the units, design codes used and allows you to switch between View
Modes.
The yellow Information Bar shows the currently active command, what the next step for that
command is, and to press Esc to exit the command.
4 Exercise Details
5 Modelling
All standard modelling commands are accessed from the Model ribbon tab.
Before creating a new model, the Settings and Materials commands on the Home ribbon tab should be
reviewed to ensure the required options are selected. New models take these settings to create their own
model settings for the new file, and can include information such as the default section sizes and the
concrete grades. Once the new file has been created, its model settings can be reviewed and amended
via the Model Settings command on the Home ribbon tab. Design code-based features in the program,
such as generated Load Combinations, are based on the default Head Code setting also specified in these
windows.
Clicking the New command will create a new blank file, ready for you to insert your model.
Review the Settings and Materials, then create a new file based on the Exercise details.
Move on to the Model ribbon tab.
The Level and Spacing columns can be edited to specify the storey heights and their Z
coordinates.
The Type column defines the setting out position as T.O.S (top of steel), S.S.L (structural slab
level) or T.O.F (top of foundation) for entities placed on that level.
The Source column defines whether a level is unique or a duplicate copy of another defined level.
The Floor column determines if the level is a floor or not and can affect imposed load reductions.
Insert the construction levels based on the Exercise details in this document, as shown above.
To insert most elements into a model, Grid Lines or Construction Lines are required. To define an
Architectural grid, you can click on the drop down arrow below the Grid Line command and review the
options.
Click on the drop down arrow below the Grid Line command and choose Rectangular Wizard.
On the Levels and Grid Name dialog, define a Grid Name, then click Next.
On the Select Origin dialog, accept the default (0,0) position for the bottom left corner of the grid,
then click Next.
On the Generate dialog, accept the default of All Lines, then click Next.
On the X direction extents dialog, select Irregular and enter the Lengths, as per the Exercise
details, then click Next.
Do the same for the Y direction extents dialog, then click Finish.
Click on the Structure 3D scene tab to make it the active scene view.
Click on the Roof Panel command.
Click node points to define the two roof panels as per the Exercise details.
Press Escape to exit the command.
All standard Loading commands are accessed from the Load ribbon tab.
The Loadcases in your model can be viewed and edited by clicking the Loadcases command. A number
of loadcases are created by default, including Self weight – excluding slabs and Slab self-weight, which
are then automatically calculated based on your model. New loadcases can be created by clicking the
Add button in this window.
Click onto the Load ribbon tab, click the Loadcases button to review them.
Click a loadcase in the list on the left to review the loadcase details.
Click Add, and create an additional loadcase Roof Imposed of load type Roof Imposed and then
click OK to confirm.
To apply a load under a particular loadcase, you must first select an appropriate scene view (1), as some
load types can only be applied whilst in a 2D view, whilst others can only be applied in a 3D view. If a load
type can’t be applied in the scene view you have selected, then it will be greyed out (2). You then need to
select the loadcase that you want to apply the load under using the Loading drop list (3). Once this is
done, you can then select the appropriate load type from the Load ribbon tab (4), adjust their directions
and magnitudes in the Properties window (5), and apply the load to the model. The Scene Content
window (6) allows you to control which load types are displayed.
Apply all loads to the model under the appropriate loadcases, as per the Exercise details –
Refer to the Tekla Structural Designer e-Learning Quick Start Guide for Steel for a full
demonstration.
The Load Combinations in your model can be viewed and edited by clicking the Combinations
command. New combinations can be manually created by clicking the Add button in this window. You
can then edit the Name of the combination and control which load cases are included in it – this is done
by selecting the required load case in the Available Loadcases list and using the arrow buttons to move
it into the Included list.
A series of code-based combinations can also be generated automatically by clicking the Generate
button in this window, which will then lead you through the Combination Generator. All that’s required
for this model is gravity combination containing all of the default load cases, and the gravity combination
including EHFs.
Click the Combinations button, and then Generate…to run through the wizard. Refer to the
e-Learning Quick Start Guide for Steel for a full demonstration.
All standard analysis and design commands are accessed from the Analyse ribbon tab and the Design
ribbon tab.
In a traditional design package we would now run the analysis and then undertake the design of the
elements afterwards. All of the various analyses that can be completed in the program can be accessed
from the Analyse tab, and the analysis results could then be interrogated.
In Tekla Structural Designer, we combine the analysis and design into a single design step, although the
analysis is still available for us to review. This is achieved via the Design ribbon tab.
This process goes through a series of steps mentioned below. You can see which stage the design
process is at by clicking the Show Process button in the bottom left corner of the screen. Elements
designed during this process will be designed for the analysis type set in the Design options. The steps
are typically;
Validation – The purpose of validation is to trap out errors that will likely cause the analysis or
design to fail. If any issues are found, they will be reported as either a warning or an error in the
Status Tree. Errors MUST be corrected to allow the analysis and design to be completed. You
can double click on the warning and error messages to locate the issues.
Load Decomposition – Slab loads are decomposed into the frame using an FE mesh, ready for
the 3D Analysis.
3D Analysis – This will analyse the whole model at once, following the analysis and design options
made.
Auto Design/Check Design – Once the structure is fully analysed, Tekla Structural Designer will
perform either a full Auto Design or a Check Design of all frame elements in the model, depending
on their Autodesign status and whether they’ve been designed before or not.
Design Steel (Gravity) – Autodesign or check designs elements for combinations classed as
Gravity. This allow the quick effective design of elements such as floor beams that are not effected
by lateral loads.
Design Steel (All) – Autodesign or check designs elements for combinations classed as Gravity
and Lateral.
As with all analysis and design packages, it’s important to check the settings for the analyses and designs
to be completed before running them. This should ensure that the analysis results are accurate and
correct, and that the completed designs follow the parameters you want.
The Analysis Options contain key settings related to each analysis type available in the program, such
as the Modification Factors for E and I values, which will naturally affect the stiffness of the structure.
The Design Options let you control how the various elements are designed, allowing you to specify things
like ignorable force limits.
Click onto the Analyse ribbon tab, click the Options button, review them and accept the defaults.
Click onto the Design ribbon tab, click the Options button, review them and accept the defaults.
Click onto the Design ribbon tab and click the Design Steel (All) button.
Once the Design Steel (All) process is complete, the View Mode of your active scene view will
automatically change to the Review View mode, and the newly-created Review ribbon tab will be
activated. This will allow you to see the graphical design Status of each element in the model, as well as
the design Ratio. This Review mode will also allow you to quickly change parameters using the
Show\Alter State group.
Use the Scene content to turn off the Roof Panels, Slab Items and Loading to see the steel
structure more clearly.
You can right click elements in the model and undertake a number of tasks.
Check Member to check an entity and see the code design results,
Edit Member to change the properties of the member,
Design Member to re-design (based upon the current analysis results),
Open load analysis view to review the force and displacement results for the individual element,
Show Member loading to review the applied member loads.
Other tasks are also available.
Show\Alter state allows you to show and alter the state of the model.
Show\Alter state Auto\Check Design allows you to review quickly which elements are in auto design
mode and which are in check mode i.e. have a section assigned.
Use Auto\Check Design to confirm that all entities have a section and hence are in check mode
(Off).
Reset all the failing entities back to auto design so that you can run the Steel Design (All) to size them
again for all combinations.
Click on each failing brace to toggle the Auto\Check Design status to On.
Click onto the Design ribbon tab and click the Design Steel (All) button to design (size) the
entities with their Auto\Check Design status to On.
Return to the Review View and Status to review the updated design status for the model.
Show\Alter State Steel provides the ability to rationalise the model by assigning the same steel
section/grade to other entities in the model .This can be useful for rationalising a floor plate to ensure the
same section is utilised. Define the section to apply in the properties window and then left click on entities
in the model to assign the properties. Show\Alter state Copy properties provides the ability to copy
sections of the properties to other entities in the model. This also allows copying of the section/grade as
the steel command.
Use Steel and/or Copy Properties to make all internal primary beams along gridline 2, UKB
457x191x67 section.
Once changes occur to the model the analysis and design results are no longer valid, as indicated on the
status tree.
Switch back to the Design ribbon tab and re-run the Design Steel (All) which will update the
analysis and design status for all combinations.
Tabular design data can be reviewed by clicking on the Tabular Data icon on the Review View tab. You
can then set the view type (1) to review Sway, Design summary or Material list and apply further filters via
the review data ribbon.
Review the Sway results to determine the sway susceptibility of the structure.
Quick Start Guide Tekla Structural Designer
9 Analysis Results
Once an analysis has been completed, the results can be interrogated by switching view mode to the
Results View on the Status Bar (1) or via the context menu of the view tab (2), and a newly-created
Results ribbon tab (3) will be activated. Here, you can choose which analysis you want to view the results
for, such as 1st Order Linear, and also select the type of results you want to view, such as deflections,
moment & shear diagrams, and reactions. The results displayed are dependent on the load case,
combination or envelope selected in the Loading Drop List, and you can adjust the scale of the diagrams
using the Scale Settings.
If you are unsure why you are getting certain results, you can also try switching view mode to the Solver
View on the Status Bar, so you can see the actual analysis model that was analysed. See the Help system
for further information on the Solver view.
Click onto the Results ribbon tab and investigate some of the results available.
Change to a Solver view and take a look at the analysis solver model.
Nodes, Elements, Nodal Forces, Nodal Deflections and Element End Forces can all be displayed in tables
by selecting the Analyse ribbon tab (1) > Tabular data command (2). Select the Analysis type required
from the drop list on the Result Type group (3). Select the result type to be displayed as a table from the
View Type drop list (4). Finally select the loadcase or combination to display from the Loading drop list (5)
if required.
As well as being able to view the analysis results for the model as a whole, you can also view the results
for individual elements. These can be accessed through any view mode with the member geometry visible.
This is achieved by hovering the cursor over the element in question, right clicking and choosing Open
Load Analysis View. A new view will be opened, and a Loading Analysis ribbon tab will also
automatically opened. This will allow you to choose which results are displayed and from which analysis
type.
Try reviewing the individual member analysis results for a beam and a column.
10 Reports
Two types of reports are available – Model and Member reports. Model reports are accessed from the
Report ribbon tab. Member reports are generated by right clicking on a member to bring up the context
menu and choosing the option Report for member.
There are a number of standard model reports available using the Select drop down menu on the Report
ribbon tab. Once the required report is selected here, the Show Report button will display the report in
a new scene view.
Once the report is generated, there are a number of options on the Report ribbon tab, including:
Settings – Control font and text size, margins, page numbering, etc.
Edit Header/Footer – Control the layout, labels and content of the report’s header and footer.
Navigation – Navigate through the pages of the report using the arrow commands, or by using the
Report Index to quickly get to specific pages, which will become available in the Project Workspace.
Export – Options to export the report to PDF, Word, Excel and Tedds for Word.
If you want to create your own custom report, or just edit the content of the standard reports, you can use
the Model Report or Member Report options on the Report ribbon tab. Select an existing report to edit
or create a new report by clicking Add (1) and then entering a Report Name (2). Content available for
inclusion in the report is listed under the Chapters and Options list. Once the option required for the
report are found, it can be dragged into the Report Structure list (3), and then up or down that list to
specify the order.
Filters need to be defined for each items in the report to control the content. You can define model and
loading filters and the analysis method. Model filters allow you to specify if you are looking at the Structure,
Level or Frame. Loading filters allow you to specify if you are looking at a specific loadcase, combination
or envelope.
Right clicking over the entries in the Report Structure list allows filters to be applied (4).
For the Filter type - select an available filter or create a new one by clicking Add (5), set the Filter property
type (6) and Item (7) and finally provide a Name to suit the properties (8). This filter will then be applied
to the entry and will be available in the list when you right click an item in the future (4).
You will need to repeat steps (4) to (8) to define the other filter types.
Try generating a default report and creating your own report style.
11 Drawings
All currently available standard drawing commands are accessed from the Draw ribbon tab and from the
right click context menu of an entity.
Once elements have been designed, drawings of them can be created. All drawings are created based
on the Drawing Settings which controls presentation and the Design Options which controls detailing
preferences. Drawing Settings can be accessed by clicking the Edit option on the Draw ribbon tab. These
settings allow you to control a wide variety of things, including what information is displayed in each type
of drawing, the colours of the different layers, section information, labelling and dimensioning. The detail
drawings will be generated as DXF files and will be displayed by exporting them to another program, so
you’ll need a program such as AutoCAD or TrueView to be able to view them.
Go onto the Draw ribbon tab and review the Drawing Settings.
You can generate drawings of the currently active plan, frame or slope scene view by clicking on the
General Arrangement icon. The DXF Export Preferences dialog allows you to define the filename,
drawing type, layer style, scale and text block spacing.
The drawing type defines the layers that are active for export to create drawings such as General
Arrangement, Floor Loading, Beam End Forces and Foundation Reactions. These are controlled via the
Drawing Settings icon.
Ensure the St 1 (1) First floor scene view is active and click on the DXF Export Preferences dialog.
Review the settings, accept the defaults and click OK to generate a General Arrangement drawing.
This will be automatically be opened in your DXF application.