Workflow

1. Create grid lines

2. Define materials
3. Define sections
4. Define load patterns
5. Define load combinations (Load patterns must have been defined)
6. Draw frames and areas
7. Select objects
8. Assign support restraints
9. Assign loads to load patterns
10.Analyze
11.Check results
Working with Grid Lines
1. Grid lines can be linear or radial
2. X grid lines are perpendicular to the X-axis and run in the x-direction. Y
grid lines are perpendicular to the Y-axis and run along the Y-axis. Z grid
lines are perpendicular to the Z-axis and run along the Z-axis.
3. X grids are usually labelled with alphabets and Y grids are labelled with
numbers
4. Grid lines can be modified at any point of time
5. Grid lines are especially useful when using the Quick Draw feature
Working with Views
1. Usually two windows are open when a new model is created
2. You can choose the view that you wish to see in each window. Available
views are 3D, XY (Plan), XZ (Elevation), YZ (Elevation). You can also
choose perspective view, rotate 3D view, save views and choose
previously saved views.
3. The working plane is the plane on which you can draw frames or areas.
You can choose a horizontal or a vertical plane aligned with the grid lines
as the working plane.
4. You can choose the working plane by moving up and down through the
list of planes

Example 1

Number of Frames: 3

Spacing of frames: 4 m

Material Properties: Concrete M20

o

f ck =20

N/mm2,

E=22360 10

N/mm2, Density = 25 kN/m3

Slab thickness: 150 mm

Wall thickness: 230mm (Density = 20 kN/m 3)

Unit weight =

0.23 3.15 20=14.49 14.0

kN/m

Section Sizes

230 380

Columns:

Main Beams:

Secondary Beams:

Plinth Beams:

mm

230 450

mm

230 380

230 380

mm

mm

Loads
o

Self weight of all members (Beams, Columns, Slab)

Live Load: 1.5 kN/m2

Example 2

Number of frames: 4
Spacing of frames: 3.5 m
Roofing: 125 mm thick concrete slab
Member Section Shapes:
o Columns: Square Tube Sections
o Truss: Channel Sections
Loads:
o Self weight of all members
o Dead Load: P = 80 kN at each panel point
o Live Load: 1.5 kN/m2
o Wind Load:
Windward side: 0.75 kN/m2 pressure
Leeward side: 0.375 kN/m2 suction
Load Combinations:
o 1.5 (DL + LL)
o 1.2 (DL + LL + WL)
o 1.2 (DL + LL WL)

The Road to Performance Assessment

Prescription Based Design
1. Objective: Structure must be safely withstand the most severe out of the
several prescribed load combinations
2. Model the structure, apply the loads as per the prescribed load
combinations and assess the demand made on the structure by the
external environment
3. Proportion the structural members to withstand the most severe load
combination, that is, decide the capacity of the structural members.
4. Carry out the detailing as per prescribed building code procedures
Unanswered questions
1. What is the capacity of the structure? Why is capacity of the structure not
the same as the capacity of the individual structural members?
2. How will the building perform and will it meet the objective that was
initially set?

Pushover Analysis

1. Linear static analysis for gravity loads only. Check the support reactions
to verify whether all loads were applied
2. Response spectrum analysis. Check for storey masses.
3. Design the structure for selected load combinations.
4. Define hinge locations and hinge properties.
5. Choose the loads that will be applied as monotonically increasing lateral
loads
6. Carry out pushover analysis

Steps to Performance Based Design

1. Structure geometry (Materials, Sections, Arrangement of members,
Support restraints)
2. Working loads
3. Linear elastic static analysis for working loads and assessment of demand
in terms of load combinations (working or limit state demands)
4. Proportioning of structural members (by working stress method or limit
state method), accompanied by grouping of members
5. Assessment of capacity by carrying out a nonlinear static pushover
analysis. When does the structure actually fail? If the performance is
below the objectives, vulnerable structural members need to be
strengthened. If the performance is above the objectives, members that
are stronger than required must be weakened.