Using double-click

Double-click on the desired Beam. A dialog box will appear , under the
Additional Info part, the current Beta Angle will be displayed.
Fig:
Click Change Beta button, and set the new Beta Angle.
Assign Geometric Constant
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Continue with the previous file.

Using Structure Diagrams, show the Section Outline.
Select the beam (the horizontal member).
Set Beta angle to be 90.
Dont close the file and keep it open for the next exercise.

Supports
STAAD Pro provides several types of support to model any structural case.
Supports are essential part of the input file. Without this part, the analysis may not
run, and may produce an error message.
Types of Supports
We will focus in this courseware on the following supports:
1. Fixed
2. Pinned
3. Fixed But
Fixed Support
Fixed in STAAD Pro means there will be no movement in any direction, and no
rotation around any axes.
There will be six reactions on this support: Fx, Fy, Fz, Mx, My, and Mz.
Used mostly to model isolated footings.
Can be used with STAAD etc to design the footing after the analysis results
generated from STAAD Pro.
Pinned Support
Pinned in STAAD Pro means there will be no movement in any direction, but
there will be rotation around all axes.
There will be three reactions only on this support Fx, Fy, Fz.
Used mostly in Plane structure (2D geometry parallel to XY plane). If used in
Plane structure, there will be only 2 reactions Fx, and Fy (which is Axial, ad Shear
respectively) as Fz will not be considered by the structure it self. If you want to
use it in 3D geometry, study your case carefully as it may not fit what you need.
Fixed But Support
We recommend this support to be used in cases of releasing your fixed support,
especially in 3D frames.
User can control which of the three forces, or the three moments to be released
This will give the user the power to model the structural case exactly.
You can release any of the following: Fx, Fy, Fz, Mx, My, Mz

How to Assign Supports

There are two ways to assign Supports to Nodes:
1. Using Menus.
2. Using Page Control
Using Menus
Select desired Nodes.
From menus select Commands/Support Specification, then select one of the
first three choices: Pinned, Fixed But/Spring.
For fixed and pinned, there will be no additional information
For fixed but, you select which of the 3 forces and/or which of the 3 moments to
be released:
Fig:
Using Page Control
From General Page Control, select Support sub-page.
Once you are there, the cursor will change to Node cursor automatically.
Select the desired Nodes.
From the Data Area, click Create.
A dialog box will be displayed, pick the desired type of supports, and click
Assign.
Note:
The dialog box in the two methods is the same.
In the case of Fixed But, it will be meaningless if you clicked all the 3 forces and
the 3 momets to be released.

Editing Supports
From the Selection toolbar, select Support Edit Cursor icon. Double-click the
support, to show the dialog box of the support to edit it.
Another way would be to double click the Support definition in the Data Area, to
show the dialog box of the Support to edit it.
Deleting
If you want to delete an assignement, do one of the following
1. Select the Ref number of the support you want to delete, and click Delete button.
2. Select the Ref number of the support and press Del at the keyboard.
In both way the following dialog box will appear:
Fig:
click OK to confirm the deletion or Cancel to ignore.
Assign Supports
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Continue with the previous file

Go to General Page Control
Select Support sub-page.
Select the left support, and define it as Fixed.
Select the right support, and define it as Pinned.
Dont close the file and keep it open for the next exercise.

Specifications
Specifications command in STAAD Pro is the way to define things about your
Model that geometry alone cant.
For example by default all of your Nodes at the ends of each Beam are stiffed. In
Specifications you can release Beams from any side using any of the six
reactions.
Another example would be to declare to STAAD Pro that some of your Beams in
Space model are Truss members; hence they can sustain axial loads only.
Beam Release
The Nodes at the ends of each Beam, is always considered to be rigid Nodes,
hence there will be six reactions at each Node.
You can release a Beam by releasing the Start Node or the End Node from any of
the 3 forces and/or 3 moments.
Points to the desired Beam, the Beam number will be displayed along with the
Green color (start), and Blue color (Enc). This way you will know where exactly
you will define the release of the Beam.
Select General Page Control and Spec sub-page.
Select the desired Beam, then click Beam button.
You can reach the same command using menus by selecting Command/Member
Specificaion/Release.
The following dialog box will appear:
Fig:

 Specify the following information:

1.
2.
3.
4.

The release Type, whether Partial Moment Release, or Release.

The Location whether at the Start, or at the End.
Specify the Release choose the desired checkbox.
Click Assign.

This is how STAAD Pro represent the Release:

Fig:
Editing Beam Release
After you apply the release you can change it, by double clicking he Beam, a
dialog box will appear, under Releases you will see the current release conditions:
Fig:
Click Change Releases At Start button, if the current release is at the start, or
else click the other key.
The original Release dialog box will appear, and you can change it to the desired
release.
From the Selection toolbar, select Member Release Edit Cursor icon, doubleclick the Release iself (and not the Beam), to show the dialog box of the Release
to edit it.
Another way would be to double-click on the Release from the Data Area, to
show the dialog box and edit the Release.

Plate Release
The same idea applies for Plates. In this case you can specify 3-4 Nodes instead of
2 only. Select General Page Control, and Spec Sub-page.
Select the desired Plate, then click Plate button.
You can reach the same command using menus by selecting Command/Plate
Element Specification/Release.
The following dialog box will appear:
Fig:
Select the Node you want to release (they numbered 1,2,3 and 4)
Then specify the Release by clicking the checkbox on. Click Assign.
If you want to release another Node in the same Plate, without closing the dialog
box, select the other Node, and set the new release, and click Assign.
To edit it the release you can double-click the Plate, and follow the same
procerdure as in the Beam case.
Deleting:
If you want to delete an assignment do one of the following:
1. Select from the list the Specification you want to delete, and click Delete button.
Select the Ref number of the support and Press del at the keyboard. In both way,
the following dialog box will appear:
Fig:
Click OK to confirm the deletion or Cancel to ignore.

Truss Members
If user defined the file as truss structure, all the Beams (by default) will take only
axial loads only. Hence the Beams. Will not carry neither shear nor moment.
But if the user defined the structure as Space or Plane all the Beams (by default)
will carry axial shear, and moment.
Accordingly, if you have in Space or Plane structure a truss STAAD Pro will
never know how to deal with truss members, except to consider them as other
members, which means will carry axial, shear, and moment.
To let STAAD Pro treat truss members as special case, you have to specify that as
Specification
From General Page Control, select Spec sub-page.
You can reach the same command using menus by selectigg Command/Member
Specificaion/Truss.
Select the Beams to be declared as Truss members.
Click Beam button, the Member Specification dialog box will appear, select
Truss tab.
Fig:
--Click Assign.

 This is how STAAD Pro represents the Truss members:

Fig:
Member Cracked Property
As per the recommendation of ACI-318:2005 which recommend a simplified
method of calculating the cracked section property by using reduction factor, the
user now has the ability to utilize such a feature in STAAD Pro.
Click Beam button. The Member Specification dialog box will appear, select
Member Cracked Property tab.
Fig:
Input one or all of the reduction factors as your case required.

Assign Specifications
1. Continue with the previous file.
2. Go to General Page Control and select Spec sub-page.
3. Point to the beam (the horizontal member). Make sure you knew the start and the
end of it.
4. Select it, and click Beam.
5. Release it from Mz only from the End.
6. Click Assign.
7. Dont save and close.

Assigning Constants, Supports, and Spec (Concrete Structure)

1. Open Small_Building file.
2. Right click, and select from the shortcut menu, Structure Diagrams. When the
dialog box appears select from 3D Section, the option Section Outline. We did
this step so we can see the cross section before and after the Beta angle
assignment.
3. Select the Beams as shown:
Fig:
4. Set the Beta Angle to be 90
5. Define all supports as Fixed.
6. Save and Close.

Assigning Constants, Supports, and Spec (Steel Structure)

1. Open Small_Building file.
2. Select the Beams as shown:
Fig:
3. Declare the selected Beams as Truss Members.
4. Define outer supports as Fixed, and the inner supports as Fixed but Mz.
5. Save and Close.

Module Review
1. Beta must be always 90.
a. True
b. False
2. STAAD Pro
a.
b.
c.
d.

Has a facility to declare Truss members.

In Space model cant differentiate between Beams, and Truss Members.
Will treat Truss members as ordinary members in Space Structure.
All of the above.

3. Pinned support will have______reactions.

4. You can release a Beam from any of the 6 reactions at the Start or End.
a. True
b. False
5. For Plates, one of the following is true:
a.
b.
c.
d.

In order to release a Plate, you can release the Beams holding the Plates.
You can release the Nodes of the Plates.
You can release more than one Node of the Plates.
Answers B &C

6.___________, and______should be input as Material constants the rest can be ignored.

Module Review Answers

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

b
d
3
a
d
E & Density

Module 6:
Loading
This module contains:
Introduction to the types of loading in STAAD Pro.
How to create Primary Loads
Individual Loads: Member Loads
Individual Loads: Area & Floor Loads
Individual Loads: Node Loads
Individual Loads: Plate Loads
How to View and to Edit Loads
How to create Combinations (Manual or Automatic)

Introduction
Loading is considered to be the last step in creating your input file before the
Analysis command.
Loading will be done through creation of POrimary Loads, which includes
Individual Loads.
Then creating Combination Loads, which will combine a factored Primary Loads
simulating the design codes combinations, which will generate the maximum
shear/Moments results.
Primary Loads
Primary Loads is the base for the loading in STAAD Pro.
Each primary Load should have a Number (essential to STAAD Pro), and a title
(optional for STAAD Po but important to the user)
As an examply of Loading Number ad Title will be Load 1 dead load, load 2, and
load 3 Wind Load.
If you left Title empty, STAAD Pro will accept that, but later on, it will be very
difficult to remember what is this load, hence make sure always to type a good
title
Primary Load contains inside it all the individual loads which may act on:
a. Nodes
b. Beams
c. Plates
One of the pre-defined loads, which can be included in a Primary load, is
Selfweight.

Combination Loads
Combination Load contains Primary Loads defined earlier multiplied by a factor
The number of the first Combination will take the following number of the last
Primary Loads. As an example, if the last Primary Load holds numbe 3, the first
Combination will old number 4
One of the Combination may look like
a. 1.4*(1)+1.6*(2)
Because STAAD Pro deals with the number of the Primary Loads, and not the
title, therefore the equation of the Combination should show only the numbers of
the Primary Loads.
How to Create Primary Loads
From Page Control Go to General Page Control, and select Load sub-page, the following dialog box
will appear on the Data Area.
Fig:

Note:
Make sure that you will Load Cases Details before you proceed to the below step
To add a new Primary Load, click Add button, the following dialog box will
appear:
Fig:

The Number of the Primary load is given automatically.

Leave the Loading Type to None (we will discuss this later)
Type in a good Title
Click Add button.
A new load case will be added and STAAD Pro gives you the ability to add more
loads in the same step See the figure below:

Fig:
From Menus
--From the menus select commands/Loading/Primary Load, wherever you are this
command will take you directly to load sub-page and open the dialog box shown in the
above to define/edit Primeary Loads.

Note
You can see the number of the current load in 3 different places:
Fig:
Individual Loads: Introduction
While you are in a primary load, you will able to apply loads to Nodes, Beams
and Plates.
It is preferable to select the desired Nodes, Beams, or Plates prior to applying the
load. This way you wil be able to apply the load to multiple Nodes, Beams, or
Plates which will minimize your time.
STAAD Pro enables the user to specify the direction of each load using Global,
Local or Projected methods.
STAAD Pro enables is equipped with a Selfweight command, which can calculate
selfweight of the structure based on cross-section, length, and material density.
STAAD Pro can simulate a One-Way and Two-Way slab loading directly on the
beams carrying any slab.

Individual Loads: Selfweight

No need to select anything, neither Members, nor Plates.
Select the desired Primary load, and click Add Button the following dialog box
will appear:
Fig:
By default the Y is the Direction of the load, and the Factor is -1.
Click Assign.

Individual Loads: Member Loads

Member Loads are loads applied to Beams, covering all types, like, beams
columns, truss members, bracing members etc.
It is preferable to select the Beams prior to invoking the commnd
5-Steps Procedure
This is a very simple approach to applying load to Beams:
a. Select the Beams.
b. Select the desired primary load case, and click Add button, a dialog box will
appear.
c. Specify the type, value of the load, and the distances (if applicable)
d. Specify the direction of the load, click Add button.
e. From Assignment method select Assign to selected Beams, then click Assign
button.
Concentrated Force or Moment
Click Concentrated Force, or Concentrated Moment.
The case should look like the following:
Fig:

 The following dialog box will appear:

Fig:
Specify P force value, d1, and d2.
a. The sign of the force will be discussed in the Force Direction part. D1 as shown
in the illustration is measured from the start of the Beam. D2 is the eccentricity.
b. If d1, d2 left blank, the load is at the middle of the Beam.
Uniform Force or Moment
Click Uniform Force or uniform Moment.
The case should look like the following:
Fig:

 The following dialog box will appear:

Fig;
Specify W1 force value, d1, d2 and d3
a. The sign of the force will be discussed in the Force Direction part, d1 and d2 as
shown in the illustration is measured from the start of the Beam d3 is the
eccentricity.
b. If d1,d2 and d3 left blank, the load will cover the whole Beam.
Trapezoidal Force
Click Trapezoidal tab.
The case should look like the following:
Fig;

 The following dialog box will appear:

Fig:
Specify W1, and W2 force value, d1, and d2:
a. The sign of the force will be discussed in the Force Direction part. D1 and d2 as
shown I the illustration is measured from the Start of the Beam no eccentricity
in this type of loading.
b. If d1, and d2 left blank, the load will cover the whole Beam.
Force Direction
In the above three types of Individual loads, 9 options (except for Concentrated load 6
were available only) to specify the direction of the load
Fig:

Three of them are in the Local direction of the Beam, X, Y, and Z.

Three of them are in the Global direction, GX, GY, GZ.
Three of them are in the projected direction, PX. PY, PZ
Specify whether the desired load will act parallel to the Global or locals, or in
projected fashion. According to your decision, specify whether it holds negative sign
or positive sign. Here are some examples.

Examples for Force Direction:

In case of a beam as in the illustration below, note that; if you specify the direction of
the load as GY or Y, the sign of the load will be negative.
Fig:
In case of a column as in the illustration below note that if you specify the Global X
as the direction of the load, the sign of the load will be positive. Alternatively, if you
specify the Local Y as the direction of the load. The sign of the load will be negative.
Fig:
--In the case of inclined beam like in the illustration below, note that; the only right
choice would be negative Y.
Fig: