Table of Contents

Thank you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Quick Start Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

First Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Using TEDDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Writing TEDDS Calculations - Stage 1 . . . . . . . . . . 25

Running Library Calculations in TEDDS for Word . . . . . . . 35

Writing TEDDS Calculations - Stage 2 . . . . . . . . . . 41

Enhancing Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

AS
Thank you
Thank you for purchasing this copy of TEDDS. We know that you have made the right decision, and look
forward to building a close relationship with you in the future.
We want to ease your use of this powerful product and ensure that you get maximum benefit in minimum
time. That is what this Quick Start guide is all about. Using this guide you should be able to use TEDDS to
run pro-forma calculations, and to create your own calculations in around 1 hour.
After that longer calculations may be to some extent just a matter of repetition. However, you will probably
want to use some of TEDDS’ advanced features in your own calculations. The best way to do this is to use the
calculations which are provided with TEDDS as “templates” on which to base your own calculations. Look at
the calculations we supply, take time to understand how they work, then go ahead and create your own. You
will also find further information in the TEDDS Help system and the detailed manuals supplied in electronic
(. PDF ) format.
Finally, we will always welcome your comments and ideas about TEDDS. Your input is very important to us.
It enables us to ensure that our continuing development of TEDDS meets your requirements. Many of
TEDDS’ current features and calculations come from interaction with existing customers. We are committed
to maintaining and updating TEDDS and your contributions are vital to this.
So, thank you again, both for purchasing TEDDS, and for the future input we anticipate you will provide.

The TEDDS team

Installation and licensing

For instructions on installing and licensing TEDDS please read the Software Installation and Licensing
Guide.pdf located in the root folder of the TEDDS installation CD.

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Page 4 of 48
 Quick Start Guide
Introduction
First of all, congratulations on your choice of TEDDS and welcome to the TEDDS Quick Start Guide. TEDDS
is a tool that will dramatically increase your productivity, and which will become as indispensable to you as
your calculator, so much so that you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it. Thousands of engineers
worldwide have already realised the benefits TEDDS offers and so can you.

We are sure that, at the moment, you will have many questions about TEDDS but probably at the forefront of
your mind are:
• What is TEDDS?
• Why TEDDS and TEDDS for Word?
• How do I use it?
That’s where this guide comes in. The best way to answer these questions is to show you, so this guide
includes examples for you to do (not just to read), and thereby learn about TEDDS, and how to use it, in the
most effective manner possible - by doing.
First we will show you that you can be confident and productive in using TEDDS in a matter of minutes.
Then we will move on to show you how to realise its full potential, and how a little investment in time and
effort now means that you can reap huge rewards in the future. We know that your time is precious, so let’s
get started.

What is TEDDS?
First of all, and most importantly, TEDDS – The Calculation Pad for the Professional Engineer - is an
application written by Structural Engineers for Structural Engineers, not just a number cruncher written
with accountants and scientists in mind. Furthermore, TEDDS is a proven system that has been in use and
development for more than 10 years. You can choose from a L ib ra r y of pro-forma calculations written by
our experienced in-house engineers covering a wide range of common engineering tasks, you can create and
edit your own calculations, or you can mix both of these approaches.

Library of Pro-forma calculations

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In our L i bra r y, you will find calculations for determining loading…

…for the Analysis and Design of many types of elements and constructions…

…and much more. Each pro-forma is essentially a sophisticated design program in its own right. Every
calculation you perform can be saved discretely, and re-calculated any number of times, in a matter of
moments, to refine your design, or to cater for changes. But that’s not all…

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TEDDS Engineering Utilities

Along with the pro-formas you also get all these great features and utilities:
• Data Lists make masses of engineering data easily and instantly accessible,

• TEDDS unique interactive Data Tables which feature Automatic Interpolation and Search functions,

• These intuitive tools are integrated with all our calculations, so you have the information you need at
your fingertips as you use the calculation. What's more, you can integrate Data Lists and Data Tables
into your own calculations.
• TEDDS has all the Engineering Values, Math and Logic functions you need, and it automatically handles
Units (Metric and Imperial). You can consign your conversion factor tables to the bin - TEDDS takes care
of them automatically. This means that writing your own powerful pro-forma calculations is very easy,
15.5mm × 1.25in × ρ S5950 + 8kg ⁄ 1.4cm = 575.3 kg/m

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• What else do you need? How about a Section Properties Tool that automatically determines the properties
of sections composed of a huge variety of shapes and materials? With TEDDS you’ve got it…

• …and a multi-span Continuous Beam Analysis Tool,

• So, as you can see, TEDDS is an indispensable toolbox for the practising engineer. In fact, we believe it’s
what you’ve been looking for all this time!

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TEDDS and TEDDS for Word – What is the difference?
You can run TEDDS in two modes. One - which we call just TEDDS - is very simple, very powerful,
completely self-contained and requires no knowledge of any other package. This mode gives you access to all
the major pro-formas and utilities, and is the best place to start using TEDDS. We will look at this mode first
below.
The other mode - TEDDS for Word - is even more powerful and is entirely integrated with Microsoft® Word -
in fact it operates in Word. So, of course, you need Word (and it helps to have a little knowledge of it). In this
mode you can run all the TEDDS pro-formas and utilities and also have all the editing features of Word at
your disposal to create really complete and professional looking reports. In this mode you can also write your
own pro-forma calculations.

How do I use TEDDS?

Now, you probably started off asking of TEDDS - What does it do? Well, we have shown you that TEDDS can
do so much, that a better question is:
• What do you want to do?

Take a look at the task-list below - we guess that you have needed or wanted to do most of these things some
time:
• Check that a rectangular hollow section, subject to compression and bending, is OK and produce a
smart, finished calculation to show this.
• Create a pro-forma calculation to speed up and take the tedium out of some repetitive calculations.
• Create calculations in a Word document ready to include in a report.
• Determine the load chase down and wind loads on a building and include these calculations in a
final report.
• Create a sophisticated pro-forma calculation suitable for others to use.
If you could have done with some help with these, you have it now with TEDDS.
The examples below will show you how easy this is in TEDDS: simply do them. The examples build on one
another, and so are best attempted in the order that they appear. We give you the rough time that each
example will take, so you know that you have time to finish it.

Watch out for key points highlighted like this in the guide. All the information in this guide is
useful and important, but this information is especially so.
For more help and tips on using TEDDS don't forget to read the
comprehensive help system available in both TEDDS and TEDDS for Word.

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Page 10 of 48
 First Steps
If you haven’t installed TEDDS, then insert the CD into your computer’s CD/DVD drive, and follow the on-
screen instructions to install it.
Once TEDDS is installed, you will find its icon (shown below) on your desktop:

1. Double-click the icon to launch the program.

2. If this is the first time you are starting TEDDS, or if you are updating from a previous version of
TEDDS, then you will see the TEDDS Setup Wizard which allows you to configure TEDDS with your
company details and so on. Work through the various pages of the Wizard and when you reach the end
click Finish.
3. The TEDDS Start Wizard will display.

4. Choose the version of TEDDS you wish to run (to start with we shall use TEDDS rather than TEDDS
for Word) so click TEDDS and then click the Start button.
Alternatively, you can click the Start button on the Windows task bar, select Programs/ TEDDS/ Start
TEDDS.
You can also launch the Electronic Manual and the Quick Start Guide in the above manner (from the
Start TEDDS group).

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Page 12 of 48
 Using TEDDS

Exercise 1: Design of steel section.

In this exercise we will show you how to use any of the pro-forma calculations in the extensive TEDDS
Library.

Allow about 15 minutes to complete this exercise.

We wish to check the following RHS steel beam:

Design Information:
Design Code; = BS 5950 F = 40 kN
Dimensions; Length; = 5.0 m S = 60 kN
Effective length factors; = 0.85 M = 135 kNm
Design Forces; Moment; = 135 kNm
Shear; = 60.0 kN 5.0 m
Axial compression; = 40.0 kN
Proposed section; RHS preferred

Running TEDDS and Locating Calculations

1. We need to find an appropriate pro-forma calculation, run it and enter the design information. We will
see just how easy this is.

2. Launch TEDDS from the icon on your desktop

3. If this is the first time you are starting TEDDS, or if you are updating from a previous version of
TEDDS, then you will see The TEDDS Setup Wizard which allows you to configure TEDDS with your
company details and so on. Work through the various pages of the Setup Wizard and when you reach
the end click Finish.
4. From the TEDDS Start Wizard click the version of TEDDS to run.

Choose
TEDDS...

Then click the

Start button

5. Again if this is the first time you have run TEDDS, or if you are updating from a previous version you
will see a security screen. If you want to use the email option (recommended) it’s a good idea to do so
now. When you are ready to proceed click Close to shut the security screen and run TEDDS (you have
a two day period during which you can use TEDDS without entering the unlock code).

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6. Now you will see the Calc Wizard:

The Information box will give you notes which relate to each calculation as you click on it.
7. All the instructions about using TEDDS are there on the right of the Wizard.
8. Now to find the calculation – simply click on a folder in the list to open it, and click a heading to select
a calculation. Select the calculation shown below from the Steel folder.

9. Now click the Calculate button at the bottom right of the wizard: three things will happen:
• A new calculation document will open – you will see this in the background.
• The Interface for the chosen automated calculation will be displayed at the first page.
• Another window, titled the Progress Log will also be displayed – we will explain this shortly.

Entering Data in the Automated Calculation Interface

Interface is simply the name we give the dialog box where you enter the design information for the
calculation. The format is very intuitive and is pretty much the same for all our calculations. You choose the
design options you wish, and type in your design values for dimensions, loading and such like which are all
clearly explained. See the bottom of page 16 for more notes on the interface.

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1. On the first page of this interface we simply choose the section, loading and geometry details.

Note that you can choose many things including the Section type and Applied axial force using drop-
lists. You will find lots of help like this in our automated calculations.
Just take a moment here to review the “Design Information:” on page 13. - and check to understand
why you are entering the information shown above.
2. Click the Next button to move to the next page of the interface.

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3. On the next page we set some options which control the calculations. You can see that there are many
of these. Also note that all the items have default values which we have chosen based on our years of
experience as those most commonly used. Leave all the settings at these default values and click Next
again to proceed with the calculation.

The General Automated Calculation Interface Explained

An ‘i’ symbol ( ) to the left of a variable description shows that there is more information available about it. The yellow information area at the
top of the dialog displays this information (if there is any). You can also see this information if you hover the cursor over the ‘i’ symbol.

On the left hand column Enter

are: information in
the right hand
Notes – which display column. Where
notes on the calculations appropriate,
being performed, variables may
have
Sketches – which display validation and
an appropriate sketch for prevent invalid
the calculations, information
being entered
Variables – this lists all the
current variables, values can A button will
be selected from here to allow you to
enter into the current enter more
interface, information or
select a
Feedback – this allows you particular item
to send feedback to the when clicked.
TEDDS development team.

Support – tells you how to

obtain support on TEDDS
in your particular locale.

At the bottom of the interface you can select Next or Back to continue, or return to a page, or
Cancel to stop calculating.

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4. On this page we specify the span of the beam and the details of the restraints at its ends, Set the Span to
5000 mm and leave the restraint details at their default values. When you have done this click Next to
proceed.

5. Now we can define the loading that the beam has to carry. Enter the details below and click Next.

6. You can now choose the level of output you require:

Automated Calculations and Library items

You have probably realized by now that this pro-forma calculation caters for all kinds of steel sections,
dimensions and loading. For each possibility and check, we have an item in the Library - in fact this
calculation has over 150 items. When you use a calculation like this, TEDDS automatically chooses the
appropriate items for your options and input, and puts them together to make up the complete design. The
final pro-forma page (above) allows you to choose detailed or summary results for each item which the
calculation includes.
7. We will accept the default and continue. Note that the interface has finished and we now have a Finish
button to click:

Page 17 of 48
8. Now we need to choose a section to check, but we don’t need to go off and find a list of section
properties, since one is displayed for us! In this case a Data List for steel sections.

Data Lists
You are now looking at a Data List: a tool that allows you to choose a section and see its properties at the click
of a button.

Choose the shape

you want...
... and the size

Details button

In this case, both a 300x200x6 RHS and a 250x150x8 RHS will prove adequate but which is the lighter?
1. Click the Rectangular Hollow Section section type - this is known as the Data List page you require.
2. Next select the size and thickness you require.
3. Now click on the Details button to see all the properties of the selected section – (note that the details
window updates instantaneously when you click on another section).

4. Check the properties of both sections. The 300x200x6.0 RHS section is lighter and may be preferred –
choose this section and click the Select button to continue with the calculation using this section size.

You will find Data Lists for all kinds of engineering data throughout TEDDS calculations; there
are data lists for bolts, reinforcing bars, timber sections and much more. However, they all work
in just the same simple and intuitive way.

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Using TEDDS Data Tables
Data tables are designed to look like tables from printed references, so that you immediately feel at home
with them. Indeed we hope you will find yourself recognising them.

Click to select
this option

1. When the first table displays, no selection is made. This means that you must pick the appropriate
condition from the table in order to proceed. Click as indicated above.
2. When you are ready to continue the calculation, exit the table by clicking the Copy to calcs button or
hitting Enter on your keyboard.
3. DO NOT close the table using either of the buttons to the top right of the window - this will abort
the calculation!
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 for the next table which appears – this is the same table as shown above, but in this
case you are setting the restraint condition details for the other end of the beam.
5. When the next table displays, note that a column and row, and hence an output value are already
selected for you. TEDDS has done this automatically from the details which you entered in the
interface.
6. Click the Copy to calcs button or hitting Enter on your keyboard to finish the calculation. You will see
an overview of the results of all the checks in the Progress Log window.

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The Progress Log
As the calculation proceeds, you will see a summary of the checks and other important and helpful
information in the progress log.

Once reviewed
click to close

7. Examine the log – is anything failing? You should see the results shown above.
8. In the log you can see at a glance if your chosen section is adequate, and if not, how it is failing. Always
keep an eye on the progress log when running calculations.

Examining Finished Calculations

OK, but how is our chosen section performing? How close is it to failure? How economic is it. The answers to
all these questions are in the output of the calculation. This is displayed in the output document.
9. Close the Progress Log – once you have reviewed it at the end of a calculation it has served its purpose.
10. Examine the output in your document – you will see that the output for each check gives you the
capacity of the section and it is a simple matter to assess its performance.
11. Scroll through the calculation and examine the Compression resistance - strut buckling about x-axis
check:

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12. There’s another really important point to note about the calculations displayed – they don’t just show
you results, but how those results have been arrived at.

TEDDS is not a ‘black box’ where all you can see is the result, and all you can do is accept it. In
TEDDS you can see exactly what’s going on. You can see what checks TEDDS does? What design
method does it use? From where did that number come? The answers to all these questions are
right there in front of you! This is a major reason why TEDDS is so popular with engineers the world
over.
Furthermore, if you need an example of how to write your own calculations, then look no further. That's
exactly what you are looking at - every pro-forma is an example of how to write your own. How do I
write a math expression in TEDDS? How do I use logic or a math function in TEDDS? Look again at the
check shown above and you will see the answers to these questions. We will look more closely at how to
write your own calculations beginning with “Writing TEDDS Calculations - Stage 1” on page 25.

Re-Calculating
Changes are a fact of life for engineers, they always have been, and they always will be! We need to be able to
take account of any changes, update our calculations, and always quickly. With TEDDS this is no problem.
Say that our beam needs to be 0.1 m longer since the beam which supports it needs to be moved, to avoid a
clash. Is our section still OK?

1. Click the Re-calculate button on the toolbar at the top of the output (highlighted above).
2. The calculation will run again, but this time all the information you entered last time is remembered.
It’s a simple matter to change the required data – move to the required page and edit the Span to 5100
mm.
3. Continue clicking Next until the interface is complete.
4. In the Data List, simply click Select to confirm your previous section - your choice is retained from the
previous run.
5. Once you have exited the Data List, check the results appearing in the Progress Log – you should find
that the section is still OK.
6. How close are we to failure this time? Check the output on the page to see.
7. So we have shown that updating calculations is nothing to worry about. TEDDS makes it easy – simply
re-calculate and you have updated results in moments.

Hidden Text
You may have noticed the following message at the end of the Progress Log text:
“Note: some calculations may be in hidden text”
We have said that all the calculations performed by TEDDS are available in the output and in general so they
are – but at times we hide some intermediate calculations to reduce the amount of output. It is a simple
matter to view these and to include them in our printout.

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8. Examine the check for Lateral Torsional Buckling.

9. Now select View/ Hidden Text from the menus at the top of the window, and examine the check again.
You will see all the hidden calculations, underlined with dashed lines.

10. These show exactly how the lateral torsional buckling result is derived. These lines will print out if you
do a print while you can see them.
11. Select View/ Hidden Text again to re-hide the intermediate calculations. Now let us consider getting
printed calculations.

The Header & Printing

Obviously we want professional looking printed output. You will see that you have a header region at the top
of the calculations, but how do you set its details?

1. Click the Header button highlighted above – this takes you into a dialog where you can enter the
information you want. Enter the project details shown below, or something similar, for your header.

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2. Over on the Company page you can define your own company details. Do this now, if you want to. If
you don’t, then remember to do so before you print your first “proper” set of calculations.
3. On the Template Header page you will see the TEDDS template which your calculations will use and
the logo file which TEDDS will add to the template. You can change the template and logo if necessary
– click this tab and check that its details are correct.

4. Maybe you would like to try a different style of template, there are a number of standard templates to
choose. Click the Select… button to see these. Choose the template you want to use and you will see a
preview of what calculations produced with that template will look like. When you have found the
template you want to use click OK to use it.
5. If you have a copy of your company logo in electronic format, and the template style you select
supports a logo, then you can add your logo to the template. Make sure that the logo is available from
your machine, Browse to find the it, and then click OK to add it to the template.
6. Click OK to exit the Header Properties dialog and check out your finished calculation.
7. Select File/ Print Preview to see how it will look printed. If necessary reaccess the Header Properties
dialog and change the Scale of the logo to make it fit the template correctly. Once the template and logo
are correctly matched Print the calculation and examine your hard copy.
8. Congratulations, you have produced your first piece of work with TEDDS!
To finish this example let’s look at a few points about saving and outputting your results.

Saving and Output Options

This is very straightforward. You can save every TEDDS calculation to a unique file that you can recall and
edit any time in the future. The file extent .t ed is unique to TEDDS.

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1. Save your file and give it a name - it’s a good idea to save all the examples you will produce in the
course of completing the guide, for future reference.
2. The output you see in the output document can be printed direct to a printer, but you have other
options.
3. Click the drop-down button adjacent to Send To on the toolbar to view these.
4. Choose the highlighted option of sending the output to Word and experiment with the other options if
you wish. Once your output is in a Word document, you can edit it as much as you wish.

Performing a New Calculation

1. So, how do we carry out a new calculation in TEDDS?

2. Just click the New Calc button; the Calc Wizard will run again and you can select and run a new
calculation in a new calculation file.

What Next?
Congratulations! You have completed the first exercise and now know all you really need to make use of the
wide range of calculations available in the TEDDS Library and to begin using TEDDS productively. Take a
look through the index and try some more. How about:
• carrying out a wind load calculation?
• designing a retaining wall?
• designing an RC footing?
• analysing and designing a timber rafter, beam or post…
The choice is yours, and all these calculations work in the same straightforward, intuitive way. You will also
find that some calculations include a Preview of the results, right there in the interface. You can see at a glance
whether a particular calculation passes or fails, and you can use the Back and Next button to make changes
and view the Preview until you are completely satisfied with your design, once you are, simply click Finish to
close the interface and return the calculations into TEDDS ready for you to print.

What can you do if the Library does not contain the exact calculation for which you are looking? You need to
perform a number of calculations, and could do with a pro-forma to help you out with these. First of all,
TELL US:
• if you are running a calculation, then you will see a Feedback button to the left-hand-side of the
interface,
• if you are not running a calculation, then you can choose the Feedback… option from the Help menu.
We are constantly working to expand our calculation Library and your input helps us do this!
But you don’t have to wait until we produce these for you – you can write them yourself. We will look at this
in the next example.

Page 24 of 48
 Writing TEDDS Calculations - Stage 1
Having looked at using calculations from the TEDDS Library we can move on to look at one of the most
exciting and powerful features of TEDDS - the ability to create your own pro-forma calculations. This is
where an initial investment of time can give you huge returns later. Once you have invested time writing a
pro-forma, you can use it over and over again, you can also update calculations using this pro-forma in an
instant, making further great savings. You can also customise and extend the Library of TEDDS calculations
to match the calculations that you use most frequently in your office.

Exercise 2: Writing TEDDS Calculations

In this exercise we will see that writing TEDDS calculations simply uses the math and logic conventions with
which you are already conversant. We start by looking briefly at very simple examples introducing the basics
of calculating with TEDDS for Word. We then create a “real-world” example, covering the main features of
writing effective calculations in depth.

Allow about 30 minutes to complete this exercise.

Running TEDDS for Word

To write calculations you need to use TEDDS for Word and so we need to run it.

1. Launch TEDDS from the icon on your desktop

2. Choose the option to run TEDDS for Word then click Start.
3. Again if you have not yet licensed TEDDS you will see the Security dialog – Select Close to continue.
4. Click OK - Microsoft Word will now open with TEDDS integrated. If this is the first time you've run
TEDDS for Word with this profile, a Release Notes document and the Library Access System will open
too.

It is important to realize that you are looking at Microsoft® Word with the TEDDS capabilities
added. We only add to the functionality of Word, so you can do anything you would normally do
in Word. Treat a TEDDS Calculation Document just like you would any ordinary Word document.
You can type reports, import files and text, embed spreadsheet and so on. And of course you can add
calculations to your reports; either straight out of the TEDDS Library, just as you did in the previous
exercise, or create your own.

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Main Toolbars and Components in TEDDS for Word
Some of the main features we add to Word are highlighted below.

The TEDDS Format toolbar

Calc Sheet Header helps with editing the document
and writing calculations

The TEDDS Calc Sheet - a Word

document with added functionality

The TEDDS Calcs toolbar

controls all the Calculating
functionality in TEDDS for Word

The Library Access

System is the
equivalent of the Calc
Wizard in TEDDS.
Here the Index is
displayed

5. Close the Library Access System for the time being.

6. You will find a Word Document open, which looks very similar to the TEDDS output document. We call
this a Calc Sheet as distinct from an ordinary blank Word document.
7. The document Header can be edited in a similar manner to that in TEDDS by clicking the Calc Sheet
Header button on the TEDDS Format toolbar - this button is highlighted above.
8. Now we are ready to begin writing our first calculation in TEDDS.

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The Basics
Writing calculations in TEDDS for Word is easy. TEDDS follows standard mathematical rules and uses
standard mathematical operators. For example 1 + 2 would add 1 to 2. To write an equation use the = sign,
and to specify where you want to see the answer use the ? symbol. For example:
1+2=?
1. Type the above anywhere in your document. When you calculate this equation the ? will be replaced
with the answer.

Evaluating Calculations in TEDDS for Word

To calculate equations in TEDDS you can use one of several icons on the TEDDS Calcs toolbar:
Calculate all - this will calculate the whole document.

Calculate section - this will calculate the section your cursor is in.

Calculate highlight - this will calculate only equations you have highlighted

2. Click the Calculate all button to calculate your equation:

1 + 2 = 3.000
3. You should find the answer displayed in your document as shown above. If you have an error, turn to
“Errors and Troubleshooting” on page 32.

Units in TEDDS
TEDDS automatically takes units into account, so you don’t need to apply conversion factors to get the right
answer. TEDDS will also check that the units you are using are dimensionally correct and warn you if they
aren’t.
4. Type the following in your document using the same case as you see here:
890 mm + 1 ft + 8.5 in = ? m
5. Click the Calculate all button to calculate this equation:
890 mm + 1 ft + 8.5 in = 1.411 m
6. You should find the answer displayed in your document as shown above. If you have an error, turn to
the section “Errors and Troubleshooting” on page 32.

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Defining and Using Input Variables in TEDDS
Defining variables is the key to writing effective TEDDS calculations. We will use the following calculations
to demonstrate this. Do not type this yet - we will show you how to enter the calculation below (in stages)
in the following couple of pages.

7. Close the current document and open a new blank one for this calculation by selecting
File/ New Default Calc Sheet. Type in the following two lines.

The first line is just a title for our calculation. The second line is a standard Variable Definition which
uses a superscript in its units.
8. To type the unit N/mm2 , first type N/mm, then click the Superscript button:

Superscript

9. Now type 2, then click the button again to return to normal text. Once you have finished typing, read
the notes at the bottom of page 29 for an explanation of a standard variable definition, and to check
you have typed it correctly.
10. Now enter the following line which uses this variable:

11. Use the Multiply Symbol button on the TEDDS Format toolbar to enter the × mathematical operator -
do not use a lower-case x.

Multiply symbol

12. Check the notes at the bottom of page 30 for a detailed explanation of the components of this line.
13. Now click the Calculate all button to calculate your calculation.

14. Your expression has been calculated and the result has replaced the ? as before. If you have an error,
turn to “Errors and Troubleshooting” on page 32.
15. Here are the next two lines of the calculation. The first line is a standard variable definition, while the
second uses both Tf and Fa to determine the minimum section area and creates a variable AMIN with
this value.

Page 28 of 48
16. Type the first line, then follow the steps below to enter the second.
17. The second line contains examples of the use of subscript (often used for name suffixes) and
superscript (used for powers).
18. To type the variable name AMIN , first type the A, then click the Subscript button on the Format
toolbar:

Superscript Subscript

19. Now type MIN, then click the button again to return to normal text.
20. To type the unit cm2 , first type cm, then click the Superscript button:
21. Now type 2, then click the button again to return to normal text.
22. Click Calculate all to calculate these expressions once you have entered them.

23. You should find the result displayed in the document - if you have an error, turn to “Errors and
Troubleshooting” on page 32.
24. Here are the final three lines of the calculation. Follow the steps below to create these.

25. Here we define two new variables to be used in the expression on the final line.
26. Type the first line, entering the subscript for the name Le as you did before.
27. Follow the steps below to enter the second line.

The Standard Variable Definition Explained

Delimiter Variable Name Equality Value
Unit – always
Min. yield strength ; Fy = 275 N/mm2 use if the
variable has
Explanation (optional) Expression dimensions
Note the following:
• The expression defines the variable's uni qu e n a me, current va lu e and uni t s .
• Variable names are case sensitive, cannot contain spaces or be function names (like sin for
example). Other than that you can use pretty much anything you like as you can see, including
Greek text and Subscripts.
• The semi-colon is important. It is a delimiter that separates an expression from text, or another
expression on the same line. If you omit delimiters in either of these cases, then you will get an error
when you evaluate your calculations.
• The equality sign '=' defines an expression. Without it no calculation will be performed.
• Spaces are not significant in this, or any other, expression. Use as many or as few as you wish to
make your calculations look presentable and easy to read.
• We will look at Units in more detail shortly but, for now, note that they are also case sensitive and
have a correct syntax, that you must use (as shown above).

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28. Use the Greek Text button on the Format toolbar to enter the name λ L

Greek Text

29. First click the button indicated, then type the Roman equivalent of the Greek letter – (l in this case for
lambda).
30. Now click the button again to return to normal text, then enter the subscript suffix as you did above
using the Subscript button.

A much easier way of entering Greek characters and more complex units is to use the TEDDS
Greek Characters, TEDDS Metric Units and TEDDS Imperial Units toolbars. Simply pick TEDDS/
Toolbars… menu option and tick the appropriate options.

31. Use Copy and Paste to enter this name in the final expression.
32. Now click Calculate all to calculate these final expressions:

33. You should find the result displayed in the document - if you have an error, turn to “Errors and
Troubleshooting” on page 32.

Storing Variables in TEDDS

1. Click the Variables button on the TEDDS Calcs toolbar.

Mathematical Expressions Explained

Delimiter Output Variable Name Equality Result locator
2
Design strength ; Fa = 0.6 ´ Fy = ? N/mm
Explanation (optional) Equality Expression
• The same observations as before apply to delimiters, explanations, spaces and units.
• You cannot omit math operators in expressions: TEDDS cannot calculate 0.6Fy, we must type the
expression as shown above, including the ×.
• We use the result field ? to position the result on the page - the result will replace the ? when the
expression is calculated.
• The value of the result will be in the result unit you specify. Ensure this has the correct form and
dimensions. Do not omit this.
• The expression contains a variable (Fy) that is defined in the calculations before (that is above) the
point where it is used. Expressions should not contain variables that are not so defined.
• The line contains two equalities and performs two functions:
• calculates and displays the value we wish to know - the result.
• assigns this result to a variable named - Fa
• It is not obligatory to always do this. You can write a valid expression to perform just one of these
functions by either omitting the variable name and the first equality, or the second equality and
the ? and unit.

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2. The Variables dialog will open, displaying the stored values.

3. You will note that we do not just store the variable name and value, but also the dimensions. This is
how TEDDS handles all the unit conversions for you.
Note that you can Delete variables from this list if you wish:
4. Cancel from this dialog, and edit one of the values on the page - say the tie force
to Tf = 600 kN. Now check back in the stored variables and you will note the stored value has not
changed.
5. Re-calculate the document and check back in the list of variables - the new value has now been stored.

An important observation — the stored value of a variable only changes when you re-calculate
the definition, not when you just edit it on the page. If you edit the value of a variable you must
re-calculate the variable definition, and any calculations that use it to update them.

More About Units in TEDDS

6. Change the tie force back to its original value Tf = 450 kN. Calculate again to store this new value.
7. Look again at the values displayed in the Variables dialog. You will note that many of these values are
not those displayed in the document.
8. The values in the dialog are in the Base U nit s in which TEDDS performs all calculations and from
which all the other units are derived. The base units are shown in the following table:

TEDDS Base Units

Metric
Length m
Mass kg
Time s
Temp °C

9. Note that our calculation does not include any conversion factors.

TEDDS’ unit handling is a massive help – TEDDS comes with a huge number of defined units
and you can add more easily if needed.
Dimensional Checking - TEDDS checks all dimensions in your calculation and will inform
you if these are incorrect. This is why you should use units consistently throughout your calculations. Do
so, and you can have total confidence that your calculations are dimensionally correct.

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10. Save the document and give it a name - call it “Exe rc ise 2 .do c ” - as we wish to build on it later
in the guide.

What Next?
Congratulations! You have completed your first TEDDS calculation. You can now begin writing effective
pro-forma calculations in TEDDS for Word. There are some more great features that make such calculations
even more powerful, and we will show you these later.
Right now we will take a brief look at handling errors in calculations.

Errors and Troubleshooting

The problem with a lot of guides is they only show you the right way to do things, and then you have no idea
what to do when something goes wrong! Let's look at a couple of errors and how to fix them.
1. If you have an error in your calculations, TEDDS will inform you when you calculate your document
and the error is encountered. The first thing you should do is Interrupt the calculation process.
2. If you have jumped to this section because you have encountered an error previously, then click the
Interrupt button in the dialog you see (see step 9 below), review the details from step 10 onwards and
then return to fix the error in your calculations and continue with the exercise.
3. If your previous calculations were error free, then you will have had no need to look at this section. We
shall therefore create some calculations which do have errors so that we can see how to handle them.
Open a new blank Calc sheet for this example by selecting File/ New Default Calc Sheet.
4. Click the Options button on the TEDDS Calcs toolbar.
5. The Options dialog will open, displaying the current settings.

6. Make sure that the options above are checked and then click OK. We can now proceed to create some
calculations with errors.
7. Enter the following 2 lines as they appear here - see if you can spot any errors as you do, but don’t fix
them yet!

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8. Now click the Calculate All button to calculate the calculations - you should see the Expression Error
dialog:

This is the
specific error
This line is the one that TEDDS cannot
evaluate, so look here to spot the problem.

This is an explanation of
This is the button the error, together with
you should some typical causes.
generally click.

9. TEDDS flags the first error, and gives you some help in fixing it.
10. When you are ready, click the Interrupt button. TEDDS highlights the error for you in the document as
shown below:

Once we fix the problem and re-calculate this error messages will automatically disappear.
11. Check the rule about delimiters (see “The Standard Variable Definition Explained” on page 29.). There
should be a semi-colon between the expressions to separate them. Add this in and re-calculate the
entire document.

12. Now we will get the next error – the variable WD is not defined. We have typed WD instead of wD and
variable names are case-sensitive.
13. Click the Interrupt button to stop the calculation.
14. Correct the variable name on the page to wD and re-calculate. The calculations should now complete
with no problems. TEDDS automatically deletes all error messages from the page.

What Now?
When you have successfully completed this section, you can move onto the next topic. Now we are going to
look at running calculations from the Library of pro-formas in TEDDS for Word.

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Page 34 of 48
 Running Library Calculations in TEDDS for Word
Why use pro-formas in TEDDS for Word?
We have shown that you can write your own calculations in TEDDS for Word, but you can also run our
pro-formas in this mode too. The advantage of this is that you can add additional text to your output easily,
because it is already in a Word document. You can also combine more than one calculation in a document,
add pictures and tables - anything you need to create a polished report. And if you need to update the
calculations you can do it directly in the document.
Sometimes, of course, you just need an answer right now and the polishing can wait. That's why we have
TEDDS too. With the two modes, you have both bases covered.

Exercise 3: Running Library Calculations in TEDDS for Word

In this exercise we will run the Flitch beam calculation to show you how to use any of the pro-forma
calculations in the extensive Library in TEDDS for Word.

Allow about 15 minutes to complete this exercise.

Design Information
Use the following information for the calculation.
Width of timber members = 50 mm
Depth of timber members = 200 mm
Number of timber members =2
Malaysian Timber Grade Stresses Strength Group A
Basic timber
Timber grade stresses = C24
(select from a list)

Width of steel members = 10 mm

Depth of steel members = 190 mm
Number of steel members =1
Steel design stress = 165 N/mm2

Bolt diameter = M12

Maximum bolt spacing = 500 mm
Length of bearing = 100 mm
Service class of timber =1
Duration of loading = Long term

Maximum moment for beam design = 14.5 kNm

Maximum shear force for beam design = 16.6 kN
Total load applied to beam = 33.3kN
Effective span of beam = 3500 mm
Deflection coefficient = 18.5 kN/m-3
Maximum allowable deflection = 10.5 mm

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Using Calculation Sections in TEDDS for Word
As stated, one of the reasons for running pro-formas in TEDDS for Word is so that you can combine a
number of calculations in a single document. In this case, each calculation should be placed in a separate
Ca l c ul at ion S ec t io n, so we will start off by introducing these. For more information on this topic see
“Calculation Sections Explained” on page 40.
1. Open a new document by selecting File/ New Default Calc Sheet.
2. Click the Add New Calc Section button on the TEDDS Calcs toolbar.
3. The following dialog will appear - enter a name for the section. This will form the title for the
calculation in the document.

4. Click OK and this will enter a Calculation Section Title in the document. We place a calculation below
this title and thus within the section. You should note that your cursor is now on the line below the
section title.

Retrieving and Running Calculations from the Library

All the pro-forma calculations are available in the Library Access System. To run a pro-forma we retrieve it
from the Library, place it in our document and calculate it.
1. If it is not open already, launch the Library Access System by clicking the launch button on the
TEDDS Calcs toolbar.

Index button
The index
options are
available here.

2. Click the Index button if the index is not displayed. To open a folder in the index simply double-click it.
Open the Beams folder and select (click on) the Flitch beam design (BS5268-2:2002) item.

Page 36 of 48
3. To place this calculation in the document, click the Execute button in the library. (You can also double-
click on the selected item to do this.) In both cases you will see the Insert Solution Item dialog.

4. This dialog allows you to control where the item will be added. Simply click OK and the item will be
pasted at the cursor position in the document.
5. You should now have the following in your document.

6. We can now close the Library - there is no need to have it open while a calculation is running.
7. Click the Calculate Calc Section button to start the calculation.

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8. The Interface for the calculation will now be displayed, along with the Progress Log. You are now in
familiar territory as everything from this point works exactly as you learned in the first exercise –
Using TEDDS (page 13).

Click the Notes button

and briefly look at these
before proceeding.

9. You will be comfortable with entering information in the interface by now, so we won't show every
page in the guide.
10. On the first page of the interface enter the options given under Design Information on page 35, when
you click Grade… you will see a sub-dialog click its Grade… button, and make the settings shown on
page 35 for the Malaysian Timber Grade Stresses. Once you have made and selected your settings pick
the C24 grade from the sub-dialog list and then click OK.
11. When you get to enter the Service Class of Timber on the third page of the interface, click the down
arrow at the side of the information pane (as shown below) to see all the help information available for
this input.

Click here to see

additional information.

12. When you are ready, click on the up arrow (to which the down arrow has changed) to reduce the
information pane, and continue on to the next page.
13. Enter the rest of the design information from page 35 here.
14. Note that information about a particular item will also appear adjacent to your cursor if you
hover over the information symbol associated with that item.
15. Take a look at the information that is provided for the final item in this way.

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16. Click Next to proceed to the next page of the interface and enter the rest of the design information
from page 35 to complete the input.
17. As you tab out of the Span field, the interface shows suggested values for the Deflection coefficient and
Maximum allowable deflection. These are the values we want, so there is no need to change them.
18. When you click Next you will see a message indicating that calculations are in progress.

19. When this calculation phase is complete you will see a preview of the results while you are still in
the interface.

20. It is now a simple matter to use the < Back button to change the input data to achieve a satisfactory
design. Click < Back three times now to return to the page where you defined the steel plate details.
Change the thickness of the plate to 12 mm and its depth to 200 mm. Now click the Next > button three
times to return to the calculations preview. You should now find that the flitch beam passes all the
checks so click Finish to close the interface and place the calculations into the document.
21. Close the Progress Log and examine the calculations - they are of the same form as the ones you saw in
TEDDS, and they show you exactly how the results have been determined.

Viewing Hidden Text in TEDDS for Word

Some calculations are hidden however. There is a slightly different way of viewing Hidden Text in TEDDS
for Word.
1. Click the Hide Unhide Calcs button, which you will find on the top toolbar to the right of the
italic button, to view these.
2. Click the button again to re-hide text.

Re-calculating in TEDDS for Word

This is accomplished in a similar manner to TEDDS.

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3. Click the Calculate Calc Section button on the TEDDS Calcs toolbar.
4. The calculation will now run again - try changing some of the input data in the interface.
5. DO NOT overtype values on the page prior to re-calculating - this is not the way to change
input data when using our pro-forma calculations (as distinct from ones you have written yourself in
the manner shown in the previous section of the guide) in TEDDS for Word.

Adding another calculation to the document

To start a new calculation in this document create a new Calculation Section.
6. Place your cursor below your existing calculations.
7. Click the Add New Calc Section button on the TEDDS Calcs toolbar.
8. Type in a name for the new section – this will form the title for your next calculation. Click OK to enter
the new section.
9. A new calculation should be placed below this title and thus within the section.
10. Retrieve another calculation from the library and place it within this section
11. To calculate just one section, we place our c ur s or within the section
and use the Calculate Calc Section button.

What Next?
Congratulations! You have completed the third exercise of the guide and learnt all you need to run
calculations from the Library in TEDDS for Word.
You can now save the document and re-use it as appropriate.
In the next section we will show you how you can make your own calculations even more powerful.

Calculation Sections Explained

Refer back to the section “Storing Variables in TEDDS” on page 30. You will note that here we
have just one list of saved variables, known as Document variables, as we have not used
Ca l c ul at ion S ec t io ns. When we use Calculation Sections, TEDDS for Word saves the variables for
each calculation in a separate list unique to each section. These are knows as Section variables. This
ensures that all your input values are retained separately from those for another calculation.
When you need to update a single calculation within a document that contains many calculations, simply
place your cursor within that section and use the Calculate Calc Section option. Place your cursor within
the first section in your document, and click the Variables button to view the unique list for this part of
the document.
TEDDS for Word also has commands which enable you to manipulate the calculation sections in your
document. You can delete a calculation section, copy it, paste it into a new location in your document
and change it’s name.

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 Writing TEDDS Calculations - Stage 2
Exercise 4: Using Math and Data functions and Formatting Results
In this exercise we will build on the calculation we wrote in Exercise 2 to extend its capabilities and introduce
some more TEDDS features.

Allow about 30 minutes to complete this exercise.

1. Open the document you created in exercise 2 - “Ex er cis e 2 .d oc ”.

2. Here are the new calculations we will add to check the adequacy of an actual section:

Check section
Try a 152 x 89 x 24 Rolled Steel Channel
Section properties; A = 30.42 cm2; rxx = 6.20 cm; ryy = 2.66 cm
Design radius of gyration; rd = min (rxx, ryy) = ? cm
Actual stress; fa = Tf / A = ? N/mm2
Actual slenderness; λ = Le / rd = ?f1
3. Type the first two lines, which are just text, below the existing calculation.

4. Type the third line and note that here we are defining three input variables which are properties of the
section we are checking. Ensure you separate the text and all the expressions using delimiters (;) as
shown.

TEDDS Math Functions

5. Now type the fourth line. Note how the TEDDS math function mi n is used here.

A math function is always followed directly by its argument(s) in parentheses as shown here.
There are many more such functions available in TEDDS for Word.
For full details of this and other functions, consult the TEDDS Help system topic TEDDS
Mathematics/ Functions, or use the Calc Writing Aids set from the Library Access System, where all
functions are completely documented.

6. Now type the fifth line - this is a simple expression that determines and displays the actual stress in the
section and assigns the result to the variable fa .

Result Accuracy and Formats

It is sufficient to display the slenderness to one decimal place. To do this we use a for mat strin g to override
the default result setting of three decimal places.
7. Now type the last line of the new calculations as follows. Use the Greek text button as you did on page
30 for the variable name λ.

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8. The characters f1 following the ? are the format string. The format string must immediately follow the ?
with no space in between as shown. See below for a fuller explanation.
9. Once you have finished typing this last expression, check the new lines carefully. Have you included all
the delimiters? Have you used subscripts correctly? Have you used the correct case for variable names
and units?
10. When you are satisfied that everything is correct, click the Calculate all button.
11. If you have an Error, then Interrupt and see “Errors and Troubleshooting” on page 32. Fix any errors
until your calculation works fully.
12. Review your results and look at the last line to see how the format string we used has operated:

13. Click the Variables button to examine the list of saved variables and check the stored value for this
variable:

Result Format Strings Explained

You can override the default result setting, and reduce or increase the number of decimal places
for a displayed result, by using a result for mat stri ng after the ? result field. For example typing
?f2 will display the result to two decimal places. It is important that there is no space between the format
string and the ?. The format string characters signify the following:
f = fixed format, and 2 = result to be displayed to 2 decimal places (can be from 0-15)
Note that format strings only control the precision of the result displayed in the document, not any
result that is stored by TEDDS.
For full details of this and other result formats, consult the TEDDS Help system topic TEDDS Result
Formats/ Format Strings.

Using Data functions in calculations

The calculation as written is very useful, but we can enhance it further. One big improvement is to include a
Data List in the calculation, making the properties of a huge number of types and sizes of sections instantly
available.
1. First edit the two lines underneath the heading ‘Check Section;’ as follows:
2. Delete the following text for the section name - Try a 152 x 89 x 24 Rolled Steel Channel. Leave an empty
line here.
3. Next delete just the values for the properties of the section. Replace them with a ? result field. You
should end up with the following:

Place cursor here

4. Finally, place your cursor as shown at the very end of the heading.

Retrieving Data Lists from the Library

5. Click on the Expand button on the TEDDS Calcs Toolbar:
6. This will reveal some more buttons.
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7. Click the Engineering Data Tables Graphs button just below the Launch Library one.
8. This opens a special S et in the Library where all the Data Lists and Data Tables are accessed.
There is a lot of data in this set. We wish to find a Data Table that includes steel RSCs suitable
for a BS 5950 calculation.

9. We will use the Find facility to help us locate such a table.

10. First select the Group we want to search in - British standards. Select Edit/ Find in the library, and type
in RSC as shown.
11. Library Access System finds the item shown below, which is also highlighted above.
RSC data list
12. Now bring this item into your calculation by clicking the Execute… button. You should find
the following has been entered in your document.

13. This text inserted is a TEDDS Data List Field which launches the specified Data List (further details on
TEDDS Fields are given below),
14. Close the library once you have retrieved the TEDDS Data List Field.
15. Now click Calculate all to calculate the document again.
16. The Data List will now be displayed when the TEDDS Data List Field is encountered:

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17. Select the 152 x 89 x 24 channel section then click on the Details button to examine the variables
defined in the table.

Note that we have used exactly the same names for the properties in our calculation as those
defined by the Data List - A, rxx and ryy. This is the key to integrating all Data Functions with your
calculations. Remember that variable names are case-sensitive.

18. Click the Select button to return these variables to your calculations - you will see that the section's
properties from the Data List replace the ? fields in your document and the TEDDS Field displays the
choice you made in the Data List.

19. The Data List is now integrated with your calculation. Re-calculate a few times, each time changing
your selection of channel size in the Data List, to test this.
20. Click the Variables button and you will see that all the variables defined by the Data List are listed and
are thus available to be used in calculations.
21. Save the calculation at this stage, as we will build on it in the final exercise.
22. Data Tables can be integrated with your calculations in exactly the same way.

TEDDS Fields
23. Click the Binoculars icon on the TEDDS Format toolbar.
24. Look at the TEDDS Field in your document and you will see the following:

25. The command that runs the Data List is now revealed. Click the binoculars button again to return to
the normal view of the document.

TEDDS Fields Explained

The binoculars button enables you to see and thus edit the hidden commands which we
name TEDDS Fi eld s. These commands run special functions in TEDDS like the Data
Lists. We will see some more TEDDS Fields shortly. A TEDDS Field will run when it is calculated, like
any normal expression. We hide the TEDDS field, since you would not want it to appear in a printed
report. The binoculars button enables Field Viewing, and thus reveals the TEDDS Fields. TEDDS
Fields should be treated like expressions, and separated from text and other expressions on the same line
using semi-colons.

What Next?
Congratulations! You have completed the fourth exercise and learnt everything you really need to write
powerful TEDDS pro-forma calculations. Maybe now would be the time to have a go at writing a calculation
of your own. It's a good idea to start with something simple and build on the complexity as you become more
familiar with TEDDS.
The next step in the guide is about making TEDDS calculations still easier to work with, and is especially
relevant if you envisage writing calculations for others to use. Even if your calculations are for your own use
you may find these further features beneficial so we recommend that you review them. You might like to
leave this step until you have had a go at writing a pro-forma of your own using what you have learnt so far.
Page 44 of 48
 Enhancing Calculations
There is even more functionality available for our calculations than we have seen so far. Whether you use
these enhancements depends both on the purpose of the calculation, and on the time you have available.
Certainly these features are very useful when you are writing calculations which others will use (as we do at
CSC). Hence the TEDDS library is packed with examples which use these features, and you have already seen
many of them when running our pro-forma calculations.

Exercise 5: Enhancing Calculations

In this exercise we will enhance the previous calculation and you will see what we are talking about.

Allow about 15 minutes to complete this exercise.

The Input TEDDS Field

The TEDDS Input Field speeds up the editing and often the creating of input variables. We will replace all the
existing variable definitions in the calculation:
1. Delete the entire definition for the Min. yield strength, Fy, from your page. Leave your cursor on the
empty line.
2. Click the TEDDS Field button on the TEDDS Calcs toolbar.
3. The following dialog will appear. Enter the details shown to define the input for this variable:

Prompt = Min. yield strength

Name = Fy
Units = N/mm2 (type the main
part of the unit, click the
superscript button ( ) and
then type 2)
Default value = 275
Format = Fixed
No. of decimal places = 0

4. Note that we do not put a value in this dialog - this is entered when the statement is calculated. Note
the following:
Prompt tells the user what the variable is and appears on the page
Name the unique name of the variable
Units if the property has dimensions then enter a unit here
Default value this value will be displayed initially for user to edit or accept
Format the format displayed on the page
No. of decimal places the number of decimal places displayed on the page

5. Accept the defaults for other options and click OK when you have everything entered.

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6. The following will appear on the line containing your cursor:

7. With View Fields (binoculars) on you will see the following TEDDS Input Field preceding the text on
the line.

8. Calculate your document to run it:

9. The Set Variable Value dialog appears, as shown above.

10. Because we already have a value defined for this variable it is displayed in the input. You can accept it,
or edit it as required. There is no need to find and edit the variable value on the page, as it is
automatically updated when you enter a value in the Set Variable Value dialog.
11. Delete and replace the 3 remaining variable definitions in the same manner – the table below shows
what you need to enter in the Insert TEDDS Field dialog for each of the three variables in order from left
to right. When you have done this, recalculate your document to ensure that your definitions are
correct.

Property
Input Tf Le λL
Prompt Tie force Tie effective length Slenderness limit
Name Tf Le λL
Units kN m
Default value 300
Format fixed fixed fixed
No. of decimal places 2 3 0

To enter Greek characters in the Insert TEDDS Field dialog for variable names like λ simply click
the Greek character button ( ) and then type in the equivalent Roman character, in this case
you need to type l to get λ.
To enter Subscript or Superscript characters simply click the Subscript or Superscript button ( )
and then continue and type in the subscript or superscript. Once you have reached its end click the
button again to switch back to typing normal text.
The Default value is entirely optional. If you enter one it will be displayed the first time a calculation is
run, otherwise the input box will be empty. Delete the stored variables and re-calculate to see the defaults
in operation.

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The Show Statement Function
The final thing we would like the calculation to do is automatically assess our section and report in the
document whether our chosen section is passing or failing and, if it is failing, why. We use a TEDD S Show
Fiel d to do this.
1. Enter the following two lines after your existing calculations:

2. These last two values help us assess the utilisation of the section for the two checks. Assigning them to
output variables will help us with creating TEDDS Show Fields. Calculate your document once you
have written them to ensure they are working properly before proceeding.
3. Place your cursor beneath these lines and click the Insert TEDDS Field button.
4. Select the Show tab. The Show Field we want to create will test whether the section is failing stress and
output a message to give the status of the check.
5. Select the Condition type option and input the following information:

6. The output of the TEDDS Show Field consists of two text messages known as output strings. Only one
output string is displayed in the document depending on the status of the condition.
7. Check your input carefully, then click OK to enter the TEDDS Show Field in the document.
8. When you have OK'd the input, click the View Fields (binoculars) button to view the resulting TEDDS
Show Field. It should be as shown below. If your TEDDS Show Field is incorrect, the best thing to do at
this stage is to delete it and run through the Insert TEDDS Field dialog again.

Using Logic In TEDDS

9. Take a close look at this TEDDS Show field, and you can see how we use a simple logic statement to
output one of two pieces of text using the if logical operator.
if(check_stress > 1, “Section fails stress!” , “Section OK for stress”)
The general form of this logic expression is as follows:
if(condition, true_output, false_output)

Note that you can use this kind of expression to define variables using a condition. The outputs
can be values, expressions or further logic expressions. For example:
a = if(b > c, 10, 20) = ?
Check the following topic in TEDDS Help for full details:
TEDDS Mathematics/ Functions/ Logical Functions

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10. Now calculate your document to calculate the TEDDS Show Field. You should find you have
something similar to the following in your Progress Log and you will also see the output text on the
page where you placed the TEDDS Show Field.

11. Change some of your input values and re-calculate a few times to test your full calculation and both the
pass and fail output of the TEDDS Show Field.

What Next?
Congratulations! You have completed the final exercise in the guide and are ready to begin using TEDDS to
its full potential.

Here are a few things you could try next:

• Create another TEDDS Show Field similar to that above for the slenderness check - following is the
logic statement you would use for this:
Condition check_slender > 1

• Create a TEDDS Show Field to give the overall status of the section, checking both slenderness and
stress. Try the following:
Condition and(check_stress <= 1, check_slender <= 1)
Yes PASS
No Section fails!

• Take a look at TEDD S Messag e Fi elds. The input for these is the same as TEDDS Show Fields but
their output is displayed in a Message box, rather than in the document. You will see examples of
their use in our Library Calculations, for example the RC Footing design pro-forma.
• Try creating Messages using the Value of Variable option to show the values of the minimum area
and radius of gyration in the Log before the Data List is displayed.
Of course there's much more for you to discover. We wish you an enjoyable and productive time in using the
program in your day-to-day work, and exploring its capabilities more fully.
If you would like to read up on further information about TEDDS, then we would recommend the TEDDS
Manual. You will find this in the D ocu me nta tio n folder within the folder to which you installed TEDDS.
The manual is in the electronic .p df format. The information in the manual is also available within the
TEDDS Help system, which you can access in the usual way.
Some TEDDS dialogs have context sensitive help. To see this simply click the Help button in the dialog.
We also run training courses in most locales, for further information on availability contact the TEDDS
support team for your particular locale, simply click the Support icon in any of TEDDS’ automated
calculations.

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