System Components

for Steel

Tekla Structures 13.0 Basic Training

April 17, 2007

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation

Contents

2 Creating System Components for Steel ....................................................................3

2.1 About System Components.......................................................................................................3
2.2 Column Base Plates ..................................................................................................................5
2.3 Beam to Beam Web ..................................................................................................................8
2.4 Beam to Column Web .............................................................................................................11
2.5 Beam to Column Flange..........................................................................................................16
2.6 Create AutoDefaults Rules ......................................................................................................18
2.7 Use AutoDefaults Rules ..........................................................................................................25

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING i

Contents
Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING ii
Contents
 2 Creating System
Components for Steel

In this lesson This lesson introduces the basics of creating system connections in Tekla Structures.
You will learn how to:
• Create connections
• Work with connection properties
• Save the properties for later use
• Work with AutoDefaults, i.e. create rules to apply pre-defined connection properties
automatically

2.1 About System Components

You can model connections quickly with Tekla Structures system components.
The greatest benefits of using system components are:
• The connection properties can be saved with a particular name so that they can be used
later. These properties can then be used for all projects.
• When you modify a main object's profile in the model all of the connections to the
object are automatically modified at the same time.
• If you select options such as edit, copy, or mirror, all connections are automatically
included. The connections that are copied or mirrored are exactly the same as the
originals. The same applies to plates and bolts.
• With AutoDefaults you can create rules defining when to use different connection
properties.
All available system components are located in the component catalog, which can be opened
using Ctrl+F or by clicking the binocular icon on the component toolbar.

When applying a connection that you are unfamiliar with, accept the default properties and
create the connection. Then look to see what needs to be modified. This is usually quicker
than trying to set the values for the connection before seeing what the connection actually
creates.
Help: Detailing > Getting started > Using components > Creating components
Help: Detailing > Getting started > Basics > Component concepts

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 3

Creating System Components for Steel
 Help: Detailing > Getting started > Basics > Picking order
Help: Detailing > Getting started > Basics > Up direction

Check clashing of steel structures

In Chapter 1 we created a model of a small industrial structure. To complete the model we
will need to connect the parts. Before creating the connections usually all of the members in
the model collide with other members.
By using the Clash check command we can check which parts in the model collide. We will
run a clash check now and then again after the connections have been applied.
Help: Modeling > Settings and tools > Querying objects > Clash check
Check clashing 1. Select all of the parts of the model by dragging an area select around the whole model.
2. Right-click and select Clash check.
Tekla Structures highlights the colliding parts in yellow and displays the clash check log in
the List dialog box. You can see that all of the parts in the model collide.

Select any clashing parts from the list and Tekla Structures highlights them in the model.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 4

Creating System Components for Steel
2.2 Column Base Plates
The first system connections that we will add are the column base plate details.
First we will create a base plate using the default values. We will then modify the properties
of the base plate and finally create the rest of the base plates with the new properties.
Create base plate 1. Open the component catalog by clicking on the binocular icon or by typing Ctrl+F.
to one column

2. To see pictures of the connection, check that the Thumbnails icon is active, see below.
3. Type "base plate" into the upper field and click on the Search button. In the Component
catalog, double-click on the Base plate (1004) icon.

4. The following dialog appears:

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 5

Creating System Components for Steel
5. Click OK to accept the default values.
6. Pick any column.
7. When prompted, pick the bottom endpoint of the column as the position and the base
plate will be created.

8. Use the shortcut Ctrl+2 to set the parts displayed in shaded wire frame.
You can see that the anchor bolts were created just as ordinary bolts.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 6

Creating System Components for Steel
Add anchor rods We will change the bolts in the base plate to anchor rods by modifying the connection
to base plates properties.
1. Double-click on the green connection symbol, and the Base plate dialog box will
reopen.
2. Select the Anchor rods tab page in the dialog box.
3. Edit the values in the fields shown highlighted in the figure below.

4. Click Modify and the bolts become anchor bars.

5. Click OK to accept the properties for use later.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 7

Creating System Components for Steel
Create base 1. Press the Enter key to start the base plate command again.
plates to rest of
the columns To repeat the last command, do one of the following:
• Click Edit -> Repeat last command
Press Enter

2. Create the rest of the base plates by picking each column and then the position for the
base plate.

2.3 Beam to Beam Web

Shear plates
We will use the Shear plate simple (146) connection to make the beam to beam web
connections. The shear plate will be welded to the primary beam web and bolted to the
secondary beam web. We will use the connection both when the secondary beam is
perpendicular to the main member or at a skewed angle to the main member.
Create one shear 1. Open the component dialog (Ctrl+F or binocular icon), find the Shear plate simple
plate connection (146) connection, and double-click on its icon.

The following dialog appears:

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 8

Creating System Components for Steel
2. Pick the beam on gridline 1 as the main part of the connection.
3. Pick the beam perpendicular to the main part to be the secondary part and the connection
will be created.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 9

Creating System Components for Steel
Check the connection
To make it easier to check the connection you created you can create views from different
sides of a selected connection. In the view the work area is closely fitted around the
connection.
Create connection To create component basic views:
basic views
1. Select the connection symbol.
2. Right-click and select Create view > Component basic views, and four basic views
(front, top end and perspective) appear.

3. Keep the Component front view open and close the other component basic views.
Check bolt We will now check the bolt location distances and bolt edge distances between bolts and the
dimensions shear plate.
Help: Modeling > Settings and tools > Querying objects > Measure
1. Click Tools > Measure > Bolt measure.
2. Pick the bolt group.
3. Pick the shear plate and the temporary dimensions are shown in the view.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 10

Creating System Components for Steel
 Now we will accept the created connection with the default properties.
Create the rest of With the connection’s applied properties, create shear plate connections to all the other beam
the shear plates to beam conditions.

2.4 Beam to Column Web

We will use the End plate (144) connection to make the beam to column web connections.
For the double sided beam to column web connections we will use the Two sided end plate
(142) connection. That connection uses only one bolt group to go through all three parts.
We will then make the wall brace to column connections with Tube gusset (20). The
connection uses a gusset plate to connect the beam to the column. Connection plates welded
to the end of the braces will be bolted to the gusset plate.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 11

Creating System Components for Steel
End plate
We will now use the End plate (144) connection to make all beam to column web
connections using the default connection properties. We will modify the properties later with
AutoDefaults.
Create end plates 1. In the component catalog, find the End plate (144) connection.

2. Make an end plate connection at every beam to column web condition where there is
only one secondary beam coming to the column web. The column is the main part in the
connection, so when prompted, pick the column as the main part.

Two-sided end plate

Create the two sided end plate connection to all double sided beam to column web conditions
to connect beams to both sides of the column web:
Create two-sided 1. Find the Two sided end plate (142) connection.
end plates

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 12

Creating System Components for Steel
 2. When prompted, pick the column as the main part.
3. Pick each beam as a secondary part.
4. Click the middle mouse button to complete the connection.

When there are multiple secondaries you need to click the middle mouse button
to complete the selection.
Help: Detailing > Getting started > Basics > Picking order

Wall bracing – tube gusset

We will connect all the wall braces to columns using Tube gusset (20) connections and after
that modify their properties all at once.
Create tube 1. Find the Tube gusset (20) connection.
gusset to
intersection of
braces

2. Pick the column on grid intersection A-3 as the main part.

3. Pick the four braces, one by one, as secondaries.
4. Click the middle mouse button to create the connection.
Now we can see that the connection created has only one gusset plate which goes through the
column.

We could also have created a separate gusset plate at each side of the column
by creating two separate connections.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 13

Creating System Components for Steel
Create the rest of While still in the command, create the connections to the other ends of the braces by doing
the tube gussets the following:
1. Pick the column.
2. Pick the brace.
3. Click the middle mouse button to create the connection.

Modify the connection

Edit the number 1. On the Brace bolts 1, Brace bolts 2 and Brace bolts 3 tab pages, edit the number of
of bolt rows horizontal and vertical bolt rows as shown in the figures below.

2. Click Modify and then Apply.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 14

Creating System Components for Steel
 The Brace bolts 1 tab affects the first picked brace, Brace bolts 2 tab the second
pick and Brace bolts 3 picks 3-10.

Check the Check that the number of bolt rows was changed and that the clearance is correct.
changes
To check the clearance:
1. Click the Create X measure icon.

2. Pick the starting and end points as shown:

3. Pick a point to locate the dimension.

4. Repeat for the other dimensions you want to check.

Now we will also modify the other tube gusset connections with the new properties we
applied.
Modify all the tube We can easily modify only connections of the same type shown in the connection dialog by
gusset selecting Ignore other types in the connection dialog box.
connections at
once 1. Check that Ignore other types is selected in the connection dialog box.
Help: Modifying connections

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 15

Creating System Components for Steel
 2. Select all the connections in the model by using the Select connections select switch
shown below and dragging a window around the whole model.

3. Click Modify.
We will now save the edited properties for later use.

By saving the properties with a descriptive name you can easily use them later.
You can also get AutoDefaults to automatically use the saved properties in
desired cases by setting up AutoDefaults rules.

Save the 4. Type Wall bracings in the Save as field in the dialog box.
properties
5. Click the Save as button.

2.5 Beam to Column Flange

We will now create End plate (144) connections to all the beam to column flange conditions
by using the default properties.
Then we will edit one of the connection’s properties. Instead of modifying the rest of the
connections with the new properties, in the next section, we will create AutoDefaults rules to
define when certain properties will be used.

End plate
Create end plates 1. Find the End plate (144) connection.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 16

Creating System Components for Steel
 2. Create connections at all the beam to column flange framing conditions.

Change the number of bolt rows and save the properties

We will now change the number of bolt rows to eight when the secondary beam is IPE600.
We will then save the new properties with a specific name so that we will be able to use them
in AutoDefaults.
We will also save properties with seven bolt rows for later use with IPE500 beams.
8 bolt rows to 1. Double-click one of the connections we just created to open the connection dialog box.
IPE600
2. On the Bolts tab input 8 as the number of bolt rows.

3. Click Modify.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 17

Creating System Components for Steel
 4. Type 8_bolt_rows in the Save as field in the dialog box and click Save as.

7 bolt rows to 5. On the Bolts page input 7 as the number of bolt rows.
IPE500
6. Use Save as to save the properties as 7_bolt_rows.

2.6 Create AutoDefaults Rules

With AutoDefaults you can create rules defining when to use different pre-defined
connection properties. When the connections need to be modified (for example changing the
beam size), Tekla Structures automatically redefines the connection properties using
AutoDefaults rules defined by you.

New rule group: Industrial building rules

We will now create a new AutoDefaults rule group named Industrial building rules.
This rule group could include all the rules needed to define when to use certain pre-defined
connection properties for the entire project.
Help: System > AutoConnection > AutoDefaults setup > AutoDefaults setup
We will first select connection parameters to be always used for Tube gusset (20)
connection. We will then define two simple rules for the End plate (144) connection.
1. When the secondary is an IPE500, the end plate connection will have 7 bolt rows.
2. When secondary is an IPE600, the end plate connection will have 8 bolt rows.
When the secondary is neither of the above (IPE500 or IPE600) the default rule will be met
and the standard properties will be used.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 18

Creating System Components for Steel
Create new rule 1. Click Setup > AutoDefaults… to open the AutoDefaults setup dialog box.
group: Industrial
building rules 2. Right-click in the dialog and select New rule group, and a rule group named New
appears.

3. Select the New rule group, press the F2 key and type: Industrial building rules.

Select connection
parameters for
tube gusset (20) 1. Browse to Industrial building rules > Components 4 > Tube gusset (20).
2. Select the standard.j120 parameters, right-click and pick Select connection
parameters…

3. Select the Wall bracings and click OK

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 19

Creating System Components for Steel
 The Tube gusset (20) connection will now use Wall bracing parameters in all cases

Create new rule

sets for end plate 1. Browse to Industrial building rules > Components 1 > End plate (144).
2. Right-click the connection Endplate (144) and select Create additional rule sets.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 20

Creating System Components for Steel
 3. Two rule sets: New and Default appear in the tree. By default, both rule sets have
standard connection properties selected.

IPE 600 rule set

Add rule to rule 1. Right-click the rule set New and select Edit rule set... to open the AutoDefault Rules
set New dialog box.

2. Select the rule Secondary 1 profile from the Available rules list.
3. Click the right arrow button to move the selected rule into the list of rules in the rule set.
Enter name for 4. In the right pane under Exact value, fill in IPE600.
rule set
5. Enter a name for the rule set: Secondary IPE600.
6. Click OK.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 21

Creating System Components for Steel
 We have used the End plate (144) connection both in beam to column web and
beam to column flange cases so the rule will now be used in both cases.
We could make this rule to work only in beam to beam flange cases by setting
another rule: Secondary beam to beam flange TRUE.

Select connection 7. Select the standard.j144 parameters, right-click and pick Select connection
parameters parameters…

8. This opens Attribute file list in which all the saved properties for connection 144 are
listed.
9. Select the 8_bolt_rows properties and click OK.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 22

Creating System Components for Steel
IPE 500 rule set
We will now create another rule set for IPE500 taking advantage of the IPE600 rule set we
just created.
Copy and modify 1. Select the rules set Secondary IPE600, right-click and select Copy rule set.
rule set
2. While the rule set Secondary IPE600 is still selected, right-click again and select Paste
rule set.
We now have two identical rule sets.

3. Select the upper Secondary IPE600 rule set, right-click and select Edit rule set…
4. Modify the value in the rule to IPE500 and the Rule set name to Secondary IPE500
and click OK.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 23

Creating System Components for Steel
5. Select the properties 8_bolt_rows under the rule set Secondary IPE500, right-click and
pick Select connection parameters…
6. Select the parameters: 7_bolt_rows and click OK.

7. Finally click OK in the AutoDefaults setup dialog box.

Now the new AutoDefaults rules are ready for use.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 24

Creating System Components for Steel
2.7 Use AutoDefaults Rules
We will now use the Industrial building rules created to automatically apply the correct
properties to the existing End plate (144) connections.

Switch the AutoDefaults on in the end plate connections

1. Open the End plate (144) connection dialog box.
2. On the General tab select Industrial building rules.
3. Click the on/off button and tick only the Rule Group check box.
4. Check that the Ignore other types is selected.

5. Save as ipe600.
6. Select all of the connections in the model.
7. Click Modify.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 25

Creating System Components for Steel
 Since all the secondaries in our end plate connection are IPE600, they all pass the
Secondary IPE 600 rule and result in having the same properties, 8_bolt_rows.

Change profiles – AutoDefaults react

Let’s now assume that first and second floor beams on gridlines 4 and 7 don't have as much
load as others and we can change their profiles to IPE500.
Change the 1. Double-click one of the beams selected in the figure below to open the beam properties
profiles dialog box.
2. Change the profile to IPE500 and tick only the profile check box.

3. Select the four beams shown highlighted in the figure below and click Modify.
You can see that the connections in the modified beams were updated to have 7 rows of
bolts.

Inquire the 1. Select one of the connection symbols of the changed profiles.
properties used
2. Right-click and select Inquire.
From the inquire object dialog box you can check which rule group, particular rule and
connection attributes were used.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 26

Creating System Components for Steel
Check clashing again
Now that we have connected all the steel parts in our model we will run the clash check
again.
Check clashing 1. Select all of the parts by dragging an area select around the whole model.
2. Right-click and select Clash check.
To quickly locate and view colliding parts in the model, select a line containing the ID
numbers of colliding parts from the list. Tekla Structures highlights the parts in the model.

Copyright © 2007 Tekla Corporation TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING 27

Creating System Components for Steel