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Section Designer

Show Section Properties

Form: Properties

Use the Display menu > Show Section Properties command or button to display the Properties
form. This form serves three functions:

1. The form displays the section properties.

2. The section base material property can be viewed using this form, but not edited. Do not confuse the
section base material property with the material property of one of the shapes that makes up the
section.

3. For frame sections only, the form can be used to modify the local axis angle for the section. This is
the angle from the Section Designer X axis to the section local 2-axis. Positive angles appear
counterclockwise as you look down on them as illustrated in the sketch below. You can not modify
the local axis angle for wall pier sections; that angle is always 0 degrees.

Section Properties

The section properties are reported with respect to the section local axes (2-3), not the Section
Designer X and Y axes. Furthermore the section properties are reported assuming that the entire
section is transformed into an equivalent area of the specified base material. In other words, each
infinitesimal area of the section, dA, is multiplied by the ratio E /E when computing the
shape base
section properties where E and E are defined below. Using this transformation, the
shape base
following relationship holds true.

where,

2
A = Area reported for the section, length .
section
A = Area of a geometric shape (not reinforcing shape) included in the section,
shape
2
length .
2
E = Modulus of elasticity of the base material, force/length .
base
2
E = Modulus of elasticity of the material specified for the shape, force/length .
shape

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n = Number of geometric shapes included in the section, unitless.

Important note: The reinforcing steel is not considered when calculating the section properties. This
includes the reinforcing steel defined as a reinforcing shape and the reinforcing steel that is associated
with a geometric shape. The section properties are based on the gross area of all geometric shapes
transformed to an equivalent area of the base material.

The following section properties are reported:

2
A: Area of the section, length .
4
J: Torsional constant, length .
4 Ix Major Axis
I33: Moment of inertia about the 3-axis, length .
4 Iy Minor Axis
I22: Moment of inertia about the 2-axis, length .
4
I23: Moment of inertia, length . The figure below illustrates the derivation of I23, I22, and I33.

The I23 moment of inertia is equal to zero when the local 2 and 3 axes are the principal axes
of the section. If the local 2 and 3 axes are not the principal axes of the section, then I23 is
nonzero.

2
As2: Shear area for shear parallel to the 2-axis, length .
2
As3: Shear area for shear parallel to the 3-axis, length .
S33(+face): Section modulus about the 3-axis at extreme fiber of the section in the positive 2-
3 Zx Major Axis
axis direction, length .
S22(+face): Section modulus about the 2-axis at extreme fiber of the section in the positive 3-
3
axis direction, length . Zy Minor Axis
S33(-face): Section modulus about the 3-axis at extreme fiber of the section in the negative
3
2-axis direction, length .
S22(-face): Section modulus about the 2-axis at extreme fiber of the section in the negative
3
3-axis direction, length .
r33: Radius of gyration about the 3-axis, length. rx

r22: Radius of gyration about the 2-axis, length. ry

d33pna: The distance to the plastic neutral axis about the 3-axis, measured from the section

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center of gravity, length.

d22pna: The distance to the plastic neutral axis about the 2-axis, measured from the section
center of gravity, length.

Xcg: The Section Designer X-axis coordinate of the center of gravity of the section, length.

Ycg: The Section Designer Y-axis coordinate of the center of gravity of the section, length.

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