Tekla Structures Basic Training

Tekla Structures 10.0 February 13, 2004

Copyright 2004 Tekla Corporation

Contents

Run Default AutoConnections ......................................................................... 4 Rule Group ...................................................................................................... 5 Framing Conditions ......................................................................................... 6 Rule Sets......................................................................................................... 6 Connections .................................................................................................... 7 End Plate......................................................................................................... 8 Tube Gusset.................................................................................................. 10 Create Rule Group Industrial Building Connections ...................................... 14 Beam to Beam Web ...................................................................................... 15 Beam to Column Web ................................................................................... 21 Beam to Column Flange................................................................................ 24

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING Steel Detailing

Steel Detailing

In this lesson

In this chapter we will first create connections by using default Autoconnection / Autodefault rules. We then investigate little the logic how certain connections are created to certain positions according the Autoconnection rules. We will then create new Autoconnection rules for this project, remove the existing connections and replace them using new Autoconnection rules group. We will also investigate how Autoconnections react to changes in the model.

1.1 AutoConnections
You can create connections either manually (as we did in Lesson 2) or by using Autoconnections.
Help: Creating connections Help: Using Autoconnections

Autoconnections is recommendable way to create connections. Use AutoConnection to have Tekla Structures automatically create connections using a predefined set of rules, or rule group. With AutoConnection, Tekla Structures automatically creates similar connections for similar framing conditions. As creating AutoConnections you can also choose which connection properties you want to use (Autodefaults).
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Run Default AutoConnections

Delete connections

1. 2.

Create or open pre-defined view where only steel members are visible. Select all the connections and delete them.

Create autoconnections

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Select all the visible parts in the model. Click Detailing > AutoConnection... to display the AutoConnection dialog box. Select a default rule group Basic for AutoConnection. Select a default rule group Factory defaults for AutoDefaults. Click the Create connections button.

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The connections are created.

1.2 General About the Criteria the Connections Are Created with
The AutoConnection setup is a tree structure containing rules. To apply a particular connection, the conditions within the model have to match all the rules in the branch containing the connection. The order of the rules in the tree is important. Tekla Structures uses the first rule that matches the conditions within the model.

Rule Group
The 1st level in the tree is the rule group, a user defined group of rules for different standards, projects, manufacturers or models. You can create connections using predefined rule group in AutoConnection dialog box (as we did above).

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Framing Conditions
The 2nd level shows the six different predefined framing conditions in AutoConnection setup which you cannot change.

Rule Sets
Under each framing condition you can create rule sets to specify which connection to use for specific conditions within the model.

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING Steel Detailing

Each rule set can include several single rules to filter the cases.

The name of the rule set is just descriptive name that is displayed in the tree structure. The actual filtering is done according to criteria set in the rules.

Connections
Under each rule set you can select the connection to apply if the rule set criteria is met. It is also possible to select that in this case no connection is created.
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The order of the rules in the tree is important. Tekla Structures uses the first rule that matches the conditions within the model, so you should place the most limiting rule highest in the tree, and the most generic, lowest.

You can change the priority of a rule set by right-clicking the rule set and selecting Move Up or Move Down.

1.3 Study the Connections Created

We will now study two beam to beam web connections created by default rule group Basic.

End Plate
Check rule set used

1.

Double click one of the straight beam to beam web connections around the silos. It appears to be End plate (144).

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2.

From the Beam to beam web framing condition in the AutoConnection setup check the names of the rule sets. No other rule set name (Round tube, RHS, CHS, Bracing) seems to match with the conditions in the model but the Default.

3.

Right click the Default rule set and select Edit rule set... to open the AutoConnection Rules dialog box.

TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING Steel Detailing

You can see there are no rules defined in the right pane under Rules in
rule set. web

Since Default rule set do not have any rules defined all the Beam to beam framing conditions that don't match with any other rule sets will match with the Default rule set.

This is also the case with our example.

Tube Gusset
Check rule set used

1.

Double click one of the horizontal brazing connections in the grid line 1.

It appears to be Tube gusset (20) connection. 2. From the Beam to beam web framing condition in the AutoConnection setup check the names of the rule sets. From the tree we can see the first rule set name that could match with our example condition is RHS.
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3.

Right click the RHS rule set and Select Edit rule set...

The only rule it includes is the Secondary 1 profile type = 8 (square pipe, see the table below). So the rules match and the connection Tube gusset (20) is created.

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4.

Close the AutoConnection Rules dialog box. We will also study the next rule set that could have matched with the condition.

5.

Right click the Bracing rule set and select Edit rule set...

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We can see the only rule is Secondary 1 Part name = BRAC*. So also Bracing rule set matches with the condition in our example. However since the RHS rule set is before Bracing rule set it is used and connection 20 created instead of connection 11.
Study some connection more Delete the connections

Study some more connections from the model. Finally delete all the connections from the model.

1.4 Create a New AutoConnection Rule Group

We will now create a new AutoConnection rule group for this project. We will create a rule group that automatically creates the connections created manually in Lesson 2 added with some connections needed for the Model2. In this exercise we will create following rules for framing conditions:

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Framing condition Beam to beam web

Rule set name Purlin Bracing Default

Rules in rule set Secondary1 part name = PURLIN Secondary1 profile type = 8 No rule Number of secondaries = 2 Secondary1 part name = BEAM Secondary2 part name = BEAM Secondary1 profile type = 8 No rule Secondary1 profile = IPE450 No rule

Connection Cold rolled overlap, page13 Tube gusset (20), page 4 Shear plate simple (146), page 1 Two sided end plate (142), page 1

Beam to column web

Two sided

Bracing Default Beam to column flange Crane support Default

Tube gusset (20), page 4 End plate (144), page 1 Welded Column with stiffeners (128), page 3 End plate (144), page 1

We will define rule sets for framing conditions

Beam to beam flange Beam splices Column splices

since we do not have those connections in our model.

Create Rule Group Industrial Building Connections

Create new rule group

1. 2.

Click Setup >AutoConnection to open AutoConnection setup dialog box. Right click the Basic rule group and select New rule group.

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A new rule group named New appears. 3. Select the New rule group, press F2 key and edit the name to Industrial building connections.

Beam to Beam Web

We will start creating rule sets for Beam to beam web framing condition. By default the framing conditions do not have any rule sets defined, only connection type No connection.
Create Default connection

1. Right-click a connection No connection in the AutoConnection setup

tree. 2.
Select connection type... to open the Connection Browser dialog box.

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3.

Select Shear plate simple (146) connection and click OK to update the tree.

The tree is updated.

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Rule for purlin connections

We will now create additional rule sets to Beam to beam web framing.
1. Right click Beam to beam web framing condition and select Create additional rule sets. Two rule sets, New and Default appear. The connection we chose appears now under both rule sets New and Default.

2.

Right-click the rule set New and select Edit rule set...

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The AutoConnection Rules dialog box opens. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Select a rule Secondary 1 part name from the Available rules list. Click the right arrow button to move the selected rule into the list of Rules in rule set. Edit PURLIN as the Exact value for the rule. Edit Purlin as the name for the rule set. Click OK and the tree is updated.

8.

Select Cold rolled overlap connection for the Purlin rule set.

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Rule for Bracing connections

1. 2. 3.

Create an additional rule set to Beam to beam web framing. Right click the New rule set created and select Edit rule set Add the rule for Secondary profile type to be 8 and name the rule as Bracing, click OK.

4.

Select connection Tube gusset (20) for Bracing rule.

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5.
Test the rules

Click Apply in the AutoConnection setup dialog box to save the editing so far.

We will now do a simple test to make sure our new rule group works.
1. Select the parts of each conditions we have defined rules for (by using
Ctrl).

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2. 3. 4. 5.

Click Detailing > AutoConnection Select the Industrial building connections rule group. Select Industrial building rules for connection parameters (the AutoDefaults file we created in lesson 2). Click Create connections.

6.

Check that a correct connection was created to each condition.

Beam to Column Web

Default connection

Set End plate (144) as the default connection for Beam to column web framing condition.

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Two sided End plate

1.

Right click Beam column web framing condition and select Create additional rule sets.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Right click the New Rule set and select Edit rule set... Edit the rule set to have the following rules: Number of secondaries: 2 Secondary 1 part name: BEAM Secondary 2 part name: BEAM Name the rule set to Two-sided and click OK.

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8.

Select Two sided end plate (142) as the connection for rule two sided.

Bracing

Instead of creating a new rule for Bracing we will now copy the existing Bracing rule from Beam to beam web framing condition.
1. Copy the rule Bracing from Beam to beam web framing.

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2.

Right click the first rule (Two sided) in Beam to column web framing condition and select Paste rule set.

Beam to Column Flange

Default connection

Set End plate (144) as the default connection for Beam to column flange framing condition.

Crane support

1.

Create additional rule sets.

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2. 3. 4.

Right click the New rule set and select Edit rule set. Edit the rule set to have the rules Secondary 1 profile = IPE450. Select Welded column with stiffener (128) from connection toolbar 3 as the connection for rule Crane girder.

5.

Click OK in the AutoConnection setup dialog box.

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1.5 Run AutoConnection

Create connections

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Select the whole model. Click Detailing > AutoConnection Select the Industrial building connections rule group. Select Industrial building rules for connection parameters (the AutoDefaults file we created in lesson 2). Click Create connections.

6.

Check that a correct connection was created to each condition.

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TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING Steel Detailing