CHAPTER 5

2D PROBLEM using Graphical User Interface

Problem 1: Continuous Beam (3 unequal spans with udl):

1. Geometry Creation :
New Project Select Plane Length =meters; Force=Kn;
File Name=Continuous beam 1 Next

Select Add Beam Finish.

Use Grid system to model the structure. As the spans are irregular, let us
set up construction line to irregular. Click Create on snap Node/Beam.
 XY plane.

Go to irregular Tab. EnterType in X values 3.2 4.2 4.0 Ok.

By default the grid is set to isometric view. Set Front view (+Z view).
Click Snap node/Beam. Click on the grid line intersection points. The
beam
segments will be drawn between each node point you click. Press Esc key
at
the end of the task.
2. Member Properties :

Select the beam using beam cursor From Main menu Commands
Member Property Prismatic Rectangular YD=0.45
D=0.225Assign Close. (OR)

Page control Click GeneralPropertyDefine (In Data area) Rectangle

YD=0.45 ZD=0.225 Assign.
De select the member.

3. Supports:

Change to Node cursor (joint) and select the nodes (joints).

From Main menu Commands Support specification Pinned
Assign to selected nodesAssignYes Close. (OR) page control Click
support create Pinned Assign. De select the nodes and change to
beam cursor.
After assigning pinned support the model look like this.

4 .Loads :

From Main menu Commands Loading Primary Load Load case 1

Add
close Select Load case 1 Add Member Loaduniform force
w1=-25 Add
w1=-10 Add Close.
Select the first Load and the member 1,2 Assign to selected beam
Assign
Yes Select the second Load and member 2 Assign to selected
beamAssignYes.
5. Analysis :

Fom Main menu Command Analysis Perform Analysis No print

Add.

6 Post Analysis Print:

From Main Menu Commands Post Analysis Print Support Reactions

 To view OK.
7. Perform Analysis:
From Main Menu Analysis Run Analysis Done.
8 .Results:

Select the member and double click on it Shear bending Close.

(OR)

Post processing
Deflection.
ResultsView valueBeam results deflectionAnnotate.
Bending moment MZ :
Click Mz icon.
ResultsView valueBeam results
Bending moments Ends Midspan Annotate.
Shear Force FY
Click Fy icon.
ResultsView value Beam Results
Shear Force Ends Annotate.
(Remove other ticks already assigned)
Axial Force FX:
Click FX icon.
Results View value Beam Results
Axial Force Ends Annotate.
9.Report:
Click Report setup icon Click input from available from left side.
Select sections , Loadings and sent to Right side by clicking > Select
output.
From output select Beam end forces, reactions, shear forces, axial forces,
Beam force detail summary.
To Take picture:
Click take picture icon Enter the title of the sketch. Then Go to report set
up. Select picture Album. If you want to change the sketch title enter
the title in caption. Adjust the picture size by adjusting height & width.
Select Full page.
To export Results in word file:
File Export Report MS word file. Click save.

Problem 2: continuous Beam with moment

Step 1:Starting the software

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

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.

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.