Four structure types are available:

Space Plane Floor Truss

Permits three- Acceptable only for two- Acceptable for two- Permits loading in any
dimensional structures & dimensional models in dimensional models in direction, but members
loading in any direction the XY-plane the XZ-plane only
with no loading or with loading and provide axial resistance.
deformations deformations Members cannot resist
perpendicular to perpendicular to this bending
this plane plane or shear loads
Permits deformations in All loads and All loads and Permits deformations in
all three global axes deformations are in the deformations are parallel all three global
plane of the to the global Y-axis directions.
structure

STAAD Pro provides five types of elements to use in modelling structures:

• Beams:
o In Staad Pro both columns and beams are call beams only.
o It is also called as members

• Plates:
o Commonly used to model “surface structures” such as walls, slabs
o May be either 3-noded (triangular) or 4-noded (quadrilateral).

• Solids:
o Solids are useful for solving problems such as stress distribution in concrete dams etc
o Solid elements consist of 8 nodes

• Surfaces:
o Useful in the rapid modelling of walls, slabs surfaces.
o Similar to plate elements in terms of structural behaviour, but faster and easier to model.

Grids
• Types of grid systems:
o Linear
o Radial
o Irregular
Grids assist with model construction by providing dimensional control and snap points. We can create
multiple grid systems

Now we shall use linear grid to make about portal frame as follows;

You can activate grind window using three paths viz

 1. Using “toolbar” click “Snap Node/Beam” button
2. Using “menu” click Geometry - Snap Grid Node – Beam
3. Using “page control” click Geometry, then use Grid

Select elements using different cursors

Beams can be selected using beam cursor or from data area – beam table
Nodes can be selected using node cursor or from data area -node table
There are several cursors available in left toolbar [default location which can be changed]
You can also find all cursors in Main menu - Select

Dimension [Between nodes]

Distance between nodes can be measured using Display node to node command from
• Toolbar button
• Main menu – Tools
To hide or unhide dimension use shortcut “Shift + d”
All dimensions can be removed using button “Remove all node to node distance display” button from either
toolbar of from Main menu – Tools

Labels
Labels of the beams can be toggled [hide – unhide] using shortcut “Shift + b”
Labels of the nodes can be toggled [hide – unhide] using shortcut “Shift + n”
Beam orientations can be toggled [hide – unhide] using shortcut “Shift + o”
Label with beam length can be seen using button “Dimension” from toolbar or from main menu – tools –
dimension beams
You can change the colour, font etc of the label form main menu – view - option