Exercise 1: Analysis of continuous beam

Step 1:Starting the software

Open StaadPro (shortcut on desktop) by double clicking the left mouse (LM) ,

StaadPro

Click New Project,

Step 2: Select the structure type, set the file name, file location and set the units.
( For this exercise, click Plane, units: meter and KiloNewton)

Click Next, then tick Add Beam

Click Finish

Step 3: Create nodes and members

Change the view from 3D to 2D by clicking view from +z icon.

2D
3D

On the right side, there is Snap Node/Beam window, click edit. Set the grid as shown. Each
spacing in axis has 0.5m.Click OK

Create 4 nodes by clicking the cursor at the positions shown. 3 members are automatically
generated. Then just move your cursor to Snap/node beam at your right side to switch off or just
push button esc to escape.

Switch off the Snap/node beam icon

Click the right mouse (RM) within working area, select labels, and toggle on as shown

Click OK. This is where you want to set up or to show the node numbers, beam numbers and
others. The nodes and members numbering system appear on the screen.

To check the distance between nodes, click Node to Node Distance icon and click node 1,2,3,
and 4.

Sometime we need to remove the dimension lines. To do that, just click Remove All node to node
distance icon, just next to Node to Node Distance icon.

Step 4: Assign properties from standard library

In this step, we need to assign geometric and material properties to the structure. Click General,
then Property bar from submenu bar (on left screen).Click Section Database (on right screen).

Click British, click UB Shape, Click UB 254x102x25 and click Add, then Close.

The default material is steel. Select the whole structure by clicking the top left corner, hold the
mouse and drag as shown.

Release the mouse. The whole structure is selected. While the section is toggled on, click Assign
then click Yes.

Dont forget to save your works by clicking Save icon

Step 5: Assign supports to the structure

On sub-page menu(on your left) , click Support. Click Create (on the right side)

Click Fixed, and then click Add. Highlight Support 2, tick Use Cursor To Assign, click Assign

Bring the cursor to node 1, and click at node 1.The icon fixed support will appear at node 1.

Therefore node 1 is fixed against translation in X,Y, and rotation in Z. Then click Assigning or
push button esc to escape.( means finish assign fixed support).

To create pinned support, repeat the step as fixed. Click Create, click Pinned, and click Add.
Highlight Support 3, tick Use Cursor To Assign, click Assign, bring the cursor to node 2 and 3,
and click at node 2 and 3.The icon pinned support will appear.

Step 6: Assign loading to the structure

Click Load on sub-page menu , highlight Load Cases Details, and click Add.

type the load title, ex: Dead Load. Click Add and Close

You will see the title Dead Load appear under title Load Cases Details. Highlight the Dead Load
and click Add. Click member load (on right screen), click Uniform Force, and fill in the blank as
shown, -5. Click Add and Close.

You will see UNI GY -5 kN/m appear at the right window. While this load is highlighted (UNI
GY -5 kN/m) , tick Use Cursor to Assign, click Assign, and select member 1.

You will see the uniform load is shown on member 1.Click Assigning at your right as you finish
your load assigning.

Again, repeat the step for concentrated force. Highlight the Dead Load, click Add, and click
Member Load, click Concentrated force, fill as shown. Then click Add and Close.

You will see CON GY -8 1.5 kN, m appear at the right window. Highlight (CON GY -8 1.5
kN, m) , tick Use Cursor to Assign, click Assign, and select member 2.You will see the
concentrated force appear on member 2.

Repeat the step above for Nodal force. Highlight the Dead Load, click Add, and click Nodal
Load, click Node, fill as shown (Fy = -7, Mz = 4). Then click Add and Close.

You will see (FY -7 MZ 4 kN,m), appear at the right window. Highlight (FY -7 MZ 4 kN,m),
tick Use Cursor to Assign, click Assign, and select node 4.You will see the nodal force and
moment z are appear on node 4.

Sometimes you will see that the uniform force, nodal force and moment in the diagram are not in
the same scale. To get the proper diagram, click Scales icon, at Scales, you will see the Load
Scales and you can try play with the numbers to adjust the scale (Point Force, Dist.Force,Point
Moment).Click Apply and OK. Repeat until you get the proper diagram.

Now we have complete model of a beam structure

Step 7: Run the analysis

Click Analysis/Print, Analysis, Perform Analysis, No Print, Add, Close

Click anywhere on the window, then click Analyse on main menu, click Run Analysis. If a
message box Save appear, just click save to your file.

Click Done

Step 8: Results of analysis

Click Deflection icon. To adjust the diagram, click Scale icon, click Scales, adjust the scale for
displacement until appropriate view is displayed.

Click OK.

Click the Deflection icon again to switch off. Click Bending Z moment icon to display MZ. Click
Scale icon and adjust the scale for bending until appropriate diagram is obtained.

To show the important values on the diagram, click Post-Processing icon, click OK.

click Deflection icon and then Bending Z moment icon, click maximize icon on the window,
click Results from the main menu (top), click View Value, click Beam Results and tick as
follows:

Click Annotate, and Close.

Click the Bending Z Moment icon to close the bending moment diagram, and click Shear Y
Force icon for shear force diagram. You can adjust the scale by clicking Scale icon and edit the
scale number for Shear Y.

To display the values on diagram, just repeat the same procedure as we did for bending moment
diagram.

***Reference book : Training notes of STAAD.Pro (ver 2003)-Yusof Ahmad, UTM.