KADUNA POLYTECHNIC

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERIG

CEC 312

COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN

PREPARED FOR HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA (HND) -1

IN

CIVIL ENGINEERING

JANUARY, 2021

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COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN:

Role of computers

In modern design offices the use of computer software is an accepted and intrinsic part of the

design process and there are, indeed, many sophisticated packages and spreadsheet systems that

are used to rapidly explore conceptual design options and to finalise the detailed design. Such

software is often linked to 2- and 3-dimensional modelling packages that aid visualisation and

allow the electronic production of accurate construction and reinforcement detailing drawings.

Through common database systems they can also facilitate the sharing of information between

all parties involved in the design and this may include engineers, architects and planners working

in different offices in different parts of the world that can access, check and share each other‘s

work.

When using any form of computerised design system a competent designer will therefore look

for and check the following to ensure that reliable results are achieved:

 Suitability of software to provide the required results for the particular problem must be

established, including the effects of torsion and structural form. There must be

compliance with appropriate Codes of Practice and any assumptions relating to the

detailed design procedures must be identified and approved. It may also be necessary to

check the relevance of stiffness values to ultimate or serviceability limit states.

 Input data must be accurate including dimensions, materials properties, applied.

loadings and member restraints.

 Verification of output involving qualitative judgements such as:

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� are load paths sensible?

� is the deflected shape sensible?

� is there symmetry of output (e.g. reactions and moments) where there should be?

� based on experience, does the quantity and distribution of reinforcement, the size

of members and so on seem sensible?

This will be supported by simple quantitative hand calculation checks as discussed in manual

reinforced concrete analysis and design.

 Quality Systems that ensure calculations and designs are third-party checked and that all

parties who have access to the design data-base are aware of the consequences of any

design changes that have been made by any party.

What is Structural Design?

It is a method or tool by which we find out safe and economical specifications of a structure or a

member of the structure sufficient to carry the load.

In other words finding out cross-sectional dimension, grade of material, amount of reinforcement

etc. necessary to withstand the internal forces that we have gotten from structural analysis.

Computer Aided Design and its Advantages.

It is the use of computer systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization

of a design. CAD software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the

quality of design, improve communications through documentation, and to create a database for

manufacturing. CAD output is often in the form of electronic files for print, machining, or other

manufacturing operations.

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CIVIL ENGINEERING DESIGN SOFTWARES.

Civil engineering design software are tools that allow users to draft complex 3D designs of

municipal buildings and structures. These include those with functionality for building structural

design, railway modeling, road and highway design, and mapping tools—essentially helping

with anything pertaining to the city‘s infrastructure. These tools have the functionality to help in

every stage of the design and construction process, including drafting, designing, visualizing,

analyzing, and more. for example, the 3D integrated structural design and analysis software are

widely common among structural designers. These structural analysis and design

software boost productivity and are user-friendly. They make structural modeling and load

analyzing more seamless and efficient, thus reducing the time and effort required for finite

element analysis.

Many of these design/analysis software even include features like analysis of diversified profile

of structural elements, modeling structure of various materials, outputting analysis and graphical

files, and checking for geometrical errors.

Software Useful For Civil Engineers

There are many software available which are used in Civil Engineering. Due to the

Technological Revolution, the number of software serving Civil Engineering needs are

increasing manifold. So, to list out all these software will be an obtuse thing to do. Here is a list

of SOFTWARE which are exorbitantly used by many Civil Engineers all around the world.

Although, there are various sub disciplines like Transportation Engineering, Structural Design,

Surveying, Geo-tech Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Construction planning, we have

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provided a list of comprehensive list software which are used in general. Links to Software of

specific sub disciplines are provided at the end of this article.

1) AUTOCAD for Drafting

AUTOCAD is one of the basic software for drafting and documentation of the construction

projects which is developed by Autodesk as shown in fig.1 below . One can notice this software

usage in almost all structural design consultancies and firms. AUTOCAD 3D version is also

available for 3D Modeling.

Fig.1 AutoCAD software showing a sample modeling.

2) STAAD PRO for Design and Analysis

STAAD.Pro is used for Design and Analysis in the Consultancies and firms. STAAD.Pro it is

the structural engineering professional‘s choice for steel, concrete, timber, aluminum, and cold-

formed steel design of virtually any structure including culverts, petrochemical plants, tunnels,

bridges, piles, and much more through its flexible modeling environment, advanced features, and

fluent data collaboration. It is shown in fig. 2 below:

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Fig.2 STAAD PRO for Design and Analysis

3) SAFE

This software is mostly used in designing foundation slab systems and concrete floors. SAFE is a

comprehensive package that combines all the aspects of engineering design process – from

creating layout to detail drawing production in a single, intuitive environment. It enables highly

advanced local assessment of foundation systems within larger structures and imports files from

CAD, ETABS, and SAP2000. Some of the other benefits it offers are:

 Wide-ranging templates to quickly initiate a model

 Post-tensioning

 Support conditions and loadings

4) PRIMAVERA for Construction Management

Primavera is a construction Planning and Scheduling software. It is opted by almost greater than

70 percent of all Planning and scheduling professionals. MS Office also offering similar

software by name MS PROJECT.

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5) REVIT Structure for Building Information Modelling

Building Information Modelling can be termed as one of the 21st century‘s greatest innovation

helping big infrastructure projects. BIM (Building Information Modeling) is an intelligent 3D

model-based process that gives architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) professionals

the insight and tools to more efficiently plan, design, construct, and manage buildings and

infrastructure.

Revit software is specifically built for Building Information Modeling (BIM), empowering

design and construction professionals to bring ideas from concept to construction with a

coordinated and consistent model-based approach. It includes the functionality of all of the Revit

disciplines (architecture, MEP, and structure) in one unified interface.

Fig.3 REVIT Structure: Parametric modeling

Parametric components are the basis for designing building components in Revit. Express design

intent for elementary parts as well as detailed assemblies.

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6) ETABS for Design and Analysis

ETABS is the ultimate integrated software package for the structural analysis and design of

buildings. Incorporating 40 years of continuous research and development, this latest ETABS

offers unmatched 3D object based modeling and visualization tools, blazingly fast linear and

nonlinear analytical power, sophisticated and comprehensive design capabilities for a wide-range

of materials, and insightful graphic displays, reports, and schematic drawings that allow users to

quickly and easily decipher and understand analysis and design results.

7) SAP2000

SAP2000 is another software available for design and analysis of structures. It is also used in

many structural firms. SAP2000 has a wide selection of templates for quickly starting a new

model. SAP2000 includes parametric templates for the following types of structures: Simple

Beams, 3D Trusses, 3D Frames, Storage Vessels, Staircases, Dam Structures, and Pipes.

View and manipulate analytical and physical models with great precision. Easily define custom

views and developed elevations to view and manipulate complex geometry with ease.

Fig.4 SAP2000
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SAP2000 automatically create joints at structural object intersections or internal joints when

meshing structural objects. Joint coordinates and information may be displayed on screen in the

model window or in tabular format

8) MS EXCEL

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet developed by Microsoft. It features calculation, graphing tools,

pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications. It has

been a very widely applied spreadsheet for these platforms, especially since version 5 in 1993.It

is widely used in Civil Engineering for Data collection, Surveys, Analysis and Design.

Fig.5 MS Excel

9) MS Project

MS Project is another software developed by Microsoft for Construction Management and

Planning.

10) MATHCAD for Calculations

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Mathcad is greatly useful in mathematical calculations, distributions, flow analysis etc. Mathcad

by PTC®, the product development company, is the industry standard software for engineering

calculations. It‘s easy-to-use live mathematical notation, powerful capabilities and open

architecture allow engineers and organizations to streamline critical design processes.

Mathcad presents calculations, text and images in an understandable format, enabling knowledge

capture, reuse and design verification which results in improved product quality with faster time-

to-market.

Mathcad lets you solve, analyze, document and share your calculations easily.

11) ARCGIS for Surveying

ArcGIS is a software used in Geographical Information System. It is helpful in creating

Thematic Maps. ArcGIS for Desktop is the key to realizing the advantage of location awareness.

Collect and manage data, create professional maps, perform traditional and advanced spatial

analysis, and solve real problems. Make a difference and add tangible value for your

organization, your community, and the world.

Fig.6 ARCGIS for Surveying

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12) 3DS Max - Modelling

3DS Max is an animation software which is used to generate visuals. It is modelling and

rendering software which is mainly used for interior design and visual graphics. This software is

developed by Autodesk.

13) MX Road - Road design and Analysis

MX Road is a software developed by Bentley Systems which is used in Road design. MXROAD

combines 3D modelling technology with traditional workflows to improve design quality.

14) VISSIM

For Traffic Planning, PTV Vissim is a great simulation software one can opt for PTV Vissim is a

software tool which is widely used to analyse the traffic. PTV Vissim is rounded off with

comprehensive analysis options, creating a powerful tool for the evaluation and planning of

urban and extra-urban transport infrastructure. For example, the simulation software may be used

to create detailed computational results or impressive 3D animations for different scenarios. It is

the perfect way to present convincing and comprehensible planned infrastructure measures to

decision-makers and the public.

Fig.7 VISSIM

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15) RISA 3D

Fast, Accurate, Productive just a few ways engineers describe RISA-3D. Easily the most

popular general 3D analysis/design software available, our intuitive interface and familiar

spreadsheets help you solve your next problem in minutes, not hours.

Packed with the most current steel, concrete, cold-formed steel, masonry, aluminum and timber

design codes, RISA-3D gives you the tools to tackle multi-material projects with confidence.

RISA-3D also integrates seamlessly with RISAFloor and RISAFoundation, including links to

top detailing, drafting, and BIM packages for a complete building design solution.

FIG.7 RISA 3D

16) PROTA STRUCTURES is used for modeling analysis and design.

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FIG.7 PROTA STRUCTURES

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DETAILED EXPLANATION OF RISA-3D AND ITS FEATURE

For the purpose of this class, we are going to concentrate on RISA -3D as one of the above

mentioned software(s) which is to be treated with you deeply. RISA-3D is a general-purpose

3-dimensional analysis and design program. This program has been developed to make the

definition, solution and modification of 3D structural models as fast and easy as

possible. Analysis, up to and including calculation of maximum deflections and stresses, may be

done on structures constructed of any material or combination of materials. Complete steel and

wood designs are also included in the program.

FEATURES OF RISA-3D

The features that are available to you in RISA-3D may be accessed through the main menu,

shortcut menus, toolbars and shortcut keystrokes. You may use any or all of these vehicles to

interact with the software.

a.) The main menu has the advantage of containing all of the options and may initially be

simplest to use, letting you learn just one system.

b.) The toolbars contain more common options and invoke with one click. The shortcut menus

present options relevant to the task at hand.

c.) The shortcut keys provide a fast way to access features should you use the program often

enough to make them familiar to you.

All of these features are discussed in the sections below. There are many ways to access

features and the method that you will use will simply be a matter of personal preference.

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The title bar: is the bar along the top of the screen it contains the name of the file that is

currently open. The three buttons on the far right side of the title bar are used to

control the main window. The left button will shrink the main application window to a button

on the taskbar. The middle button will shrink or maximize the window on your screen. The

right button will close the window, prompting you to save changes if necessary. You will also

see these buttons in other windows and they have basically the same functions there as well.

d.) workspace: is the main area on the screen where the actual work is taking place. When

you open a model view, a spreadsheet or a dialog it will be opened in the workspace and

listed in the Window menu. You may have as many windows open as you like.

A.) MAIN MENU AND ITS FEATURES

All of the features may be accessed through the main menu system at the top of the screen

beginning with File on the far left and ending with Help or Director on the far right. Clicking on

each of these menus (listed below) will display sub-menus that contain options that you may

choose from. You may also select the main menus by using the ALT key along with the

underlined letter in the menu you wish to choose. You may then continue to use the keyboard to

choose from the menu options. In addition, some of the menu options will have hot- key

combinations listed to the right of the option. These hot- keys allow you to use the keyboard to

access features without using the menu system.

Fig. 1 RISA Toolbar

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  File Menu and its components

New will close the current file, prompting for saving if necessary, and will open a new file.

Open will close the current file, prompting for saving if necessary, and will open an existing file.

Save will save the current file, prompting for a name if necessary.

Save As will save the current file, prompting for a name.

Append will insert another RISA-3D model into the current model.

Import will close the current file, prompting for saving if necessary, and will open an existing

RISA-2D (R2D), DXF, or STD file.

Export will export the current file to a DXF file.

Print will access RISA-3D printing options.

Page Setup will present page setup options for printing.

Recent Files The five most recent files will be listed at the bottom of the menu. Selecting one of

these files will close the current file, prompting for saving if necessary, and will open the

selected file.

Exit will close RISA-3D, prompting for saving if necessary.

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  Edit Menu and its components

Undo will undo the last edit that was applied to the model whether it was made graphically or in

the spreadsheets. You may continue to apply Undo to remove up to 100 model edits.

Redo will reverse the last undo that was applied to the model. You may continue to apply Redo

to remove up to 100 undo operations.

Copy will copy the selected spreadsheet cells or model view from the active window to the

clipboard.

Paste will paste data from the clipboard to the spreadsheet cells.

Insert Line will insert a new line in the spreadsheet beneath the current line.

Delete Line will delete the current spreadsheet line.

Repeat Line will insert a new line in the spreadsheet beneath the current line and copy the data

from the current line.

Mark All Lines will select all of the lines in the spreadsheet.

Unmark Lines will unmark any currently marked lines.

Delete Marked Lines will delete the marked lines in the spreadsheet.

Find will locate an item on the spreadsheet by its label.

Sort will sort the column containing the active cell.

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Block Fill will fill the marked block of cells with a valid entry.

Block Math allows you to add, subtract, multiply or divide the values in the marked block of

cells.

 Global

Global opens the Global Parameters for the model.

 Units: Units opens the Units settings.

 View Menu: New View will open a new model view window.

Save or Recall Views allows you to save a view or recall a view that has previously been saved.

Clone View makes a copy of the current view so you can modify one and maintain the other.

Refresh All will refresh all of the windows that are open in the workspace.

Select provides graphic select options that are also provided on the Selection Toolbar.

Unselect provides graphic unselect options that are also provided on the Selection Toolbar.

Save or Recall Selection allows you to save a selection or recall a selection that has previously

been saved.

Zoom provides options for zooming in and out of the current model view.

Rotate provides options to snap the model view to global planes or an isometric view.

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Plot Options opens the Plot Options.

Render will render the current model view.

Grid will display the Drawing Grid.

Axes will display the global axes in the model view.

Boundaries displays the boundary conditions.

Loads will display the model loads.

Joint Labels will display the joint labels.

Member Labels will display the member labels.

 Insert Menu

The insert menu will help you insert new items into the model. Most of the options will provide

a graphical method but some will open spreadsheets where appropriate. See Graphic Editing for

specific information.

 Modify Menu

The modify menu will help you modify existing items in the menu. Most of the options will

provide a graphical method but some will open spreadsheets where appropriate. See Graphic

Editing for specific information.

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 Spreadsheets Menu

You may open any of the input spreadsheets from this menu. See Spreadsheet Operations to

learn how to work within the spreadsheets.

 Solve Menu

Presents the solution options. See Solution for more information.

Results Menu

You may open any of the result spreadsheets from this menu. See Results Spreadsheets for more

information.

 Tools Menu

Relabel Joints assigns new labels to the joints in their current order in the Joint Coordinates

spreadsheet.

Relabel Members assigns new labels to the members in their current order in the Members

spreadsheet.

Relabel Plates assigns new labels to the plates in their current order in the Plates spreadsheet.

Full Model Merge will merge the entire model. See Model Merge on page 223 for more

information.

Round off joint coordinates will round off the coordinates.

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Switch Vertical Axes allows you to switch your vertical axis while maintaining consistent

member orientation.

Detach RISA3D from RISAFloor allows you to take a 3D model that is linked to RISAFloor

and ―detach‖ it so that you can open / edit it without first going through RISAFloor.

Preferences contain settings that let you customize the program. See Preferences for more

information.

Window Menu

In order to help you work with the model and the results you are provided with many window

arrangements to choose from. You may access them from the Window menu. The best way to

understand just what these tilings do is to try them. Remember that once you choose a tiling you

may adjust any of the windows as you wish. You may also use the Tile button on the

RISA Toolbar to access a list of tilings.

Help Menu

Help Topics opens the help file so that you may search the contents and the index. See Help

Options to learn about getting help.

About provides version and hardware key information.

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(B.) TOOLBAR AND ITS COMPONENTS

 RISA Toolbar : The first horizontal toolbar located just below the pull-down menus is

called the RISA Toolbar as shown in fig.2. The buttons on this bar facilitate file and window

access. You may use these buttons to open files and windows and also to analyze the model.

Fig. 2 RISA Toolbar

 Window Toolbar: The Window Toolbar is the second horizontal toolbar. It gets its name

because the buttons change as you move from window to window in order to help you with

what you are currently doing as shown in fig 3. When you are working in a model view the

buttons provide viewing tools, such as Rotate and Zoom, to assist you with that view. Other

model view windows that are open will not be affected so that each may show different

information. When you are working in a spreadsheet, editing tools are provided that are

appropriate to that particular spreadsheet. Note that not all tools are available with all

spreadsheets.

Fig. 3 Window Toolbar

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 Selection Toolbar: The vertical toolbar on the left side of the screen is the Selection

Toolbar. This toolbar will only be available when the active window is a model view. The

buttons on this toolbar help you select and unselect items in the model in order to help you

build and modify the model or view results. See Graphic Selection for more information

Fig. 4 Selection Toolbar

 Drawing Toolbar: Another toolbar that is available is the Drawing Toolbar as shown in

fig.5 below. Unlike those mentioned above this toolbar is located in the model view

windows rather than in the main application window. This way the drawing tools stay close

to where you are working. This toolbar controls modeling features that help you draw, load

and modify your model graphically. You may have more than one view open and a Drawing

Toolbar for each view. This way you can simultaneously draw plates in one window and

members in another.

Fig. 5 Drawing Toolbar

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 The Data Entry Toolbar and the Results Toolbar

The Data Entry Toolbar is the vertical toolbar on the right side of the application window. It

contains buttons that facilitate data entry through the spreadsheets. The buttons on this toolbar

provide quick access to the spreadsheets that are also listed in the Spreadsheets menu. You may

open and close the toolbar by clicking the button on the RISA Toolbar.

 The Results Toolbar is the vertical toolbar on the right side of the application window that is

placed over the Data Entry Toolbar after the model has been solved. The buttons on this

toolbar provide quick access to the results spreadsheets that are also listed in the Results

menu. You may open and close the toolbar by clicking the button on the RISA

Toolbar.

Fig. 6 The Data Entry and the Results Toolbars

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(C.) SHORTCUT MENUS

The shortcut menu is also referred to as the Right-Click menu. This is because to access the

shortcut menu you simply click the RIGHT mouse button where you are working to see options

that are relevant to what you are doing. For example if you are working in a model view the

right click menu will provide options to help you modify the view and edit the model

graphically. If you are working in a spreadsheet the menu will provide editing tools for that

spreadsheet.

This menu is located wherever you RIGHT click the mouse. This way you do not need to move

away from where you are working to select the features you want to use.

 SHORTCUT KEYS AND HOT KEYS

Shortcut keys and hot keys allow you to use the keyboard to quickly access features. The

difference between the two is simply that the shortcut keys are related to a specific window and

will only work in that window while the hot keys will perform at most any tim

i) General Hot Keys

Key Combination Function

F1 Help on the active window

Ctrl-F1 Main Help topics
Ctrl-F2 Create New view
F7, Ctrl-F7 Opens solution choices
Ctrl-Alt-F7 Replace shapes with suggested shapes
and re-solve the model
Ctrl-C Copy to the clipboard
Ctrl-V Paste from clipboard
Ctrl-N Start a new file
Ctrl-O Open an existing file

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 Ctrl-S Save the current file
Ctrl-P Print
Ctrl-Z Undo
Alt- Access the menus by combining the
Alt key with the underlined letter in
the menu

ii) Shortcut Keys available for Specific Windows

Key Combination Model View Window Spreadsheet

Ctrl-D Open last graphic editingDelete Marked Lines
dialog
Ctrl-G Toggle Drawing Toolbar
Ctrl-A Select All
Ctrl-U Unselect all
Ctrl-F Block Fill
Ctrl-M Block Math
Ctrl-I Invert Selection
Ctrl-L Toggle Lock unselected Unmark lines
Ctrl-Enter Press cell button
F2 Open Plot Options Start/Stop Cell Edit
F3 Insert line
F4 Delete Line
F5 Find
F8 Repeat Current Line
F9 Sort
+ Zoom In
- Zoom Out

iii) Spreadsheet Hot Keys that open spreadsheets

Key Combination Unsolved model Solved Model
Ctrl-Alt-B Basic Load cases
Ctrl-Alt-C Joint Coordinates Corner Forces
Ctrl-Alt-D Distributed Loads Joint Displacements
Ctrl-Alt-E Members – Primary Data Member Deflections
Ctrl-Alt-F Member Forces
Ctrl-Alt-G Global Parameters

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 Ctrl-Alt-H Model Generation Suggested Shapes
Ctrl-Alt-I Diaphragms Member Torsion
Ctrl-Alt-L Load Combinations Plate Forces
Ctrl-Alt-M Materials Material Take Off
Ctrl-Alt-N Joint Loads Concrete Reinforcing
Ctrl-Alt-O Boundary Conditions Mode Shapes
Ctrl-Alt-P Member Point Loads Plate Stresses
Ctrl-Alt-Q Frequencies
Ctrl-Alt-R Design Rules Reactions
Ctrl-Alt-S Section Sets Member Stresses
Ctrl-Alt-T Distributed Load Story Drift
Patterns
Ctrl-Alt-U Design Results
Ctrl-Alt-V Moving Loads
Ctrl-Alt-X Surface Loads
Ctrl-Alt-Y Dynamics Settings
Ctrl-Alt-Z Area Loads
Ctrl-Alt-4 Plates

(D.) STATUS BAR

The status bar passes useful information to you as you work. It is divided into four parts located

along the very bottom of the main application window, just beneath the workspace.

The left side of the status bar shows solution flag to indicate the solved state of the model as

follows:

To the right of the solution flags there are three message boxes.

The first and largest box lets you know what you are currently doing. If you are in a spreadsheet

this box will contain the explanation of the current cell. If you are working in a model view and

select a graphic editing option, look to this box for information on how to use the feature.

The second box is used to pass you units of the current spreadsheet cell.

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The third box indicates the coordinates of the mouse when a model view is active. The mouse

coordinates that are displayed are the coordinates of the grid point or joint that is nearest to the

mouse.

(E.) WINDOWS

Modeling the structure will take place within model views and spreadsheets, each in their own

window that may be moved around the workspace and sized as you wish. The ability to have

multiple model views and multiple spreadsheets open at one time is a powerful feature. The

options in the Window menu are provided to help you manage these windows.

These windows contain three buttons in the upper right corner to help you minimize,

maximize and close the window. There are also scroll boxes to help you view information that is

outside of the window viewing area. Click the scroll bar buttons or drag the scroll box to

advance the display in one direction or another.

Model View Windows

Model view windows show a graphic view of the model. Open a new view with the button.

You may open as many model view windows as you like. This is especially helpful when

working in close on large models. You might have one overall view and a few views zoomed in

and rotated to where you are currently working. You may also have different information plotted

in multiple views.

One thing to remember is that the toolbars that are displayed depends upon what window is

active. The active window is the one with the blue titlebar. For example, if you are looking for

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the zoom toolbar button and the active window is a spreadsheet you need to select a model view

first before you can access the zooming tools.

Spreadsheet Windows

Spreadsheets are made up of rows and columns of data cells. If you wish to add or edit data in a

spreadsheet cell you click on the cell, making it the active cell, and then edit the cell. This active

cell is simply the green cell that moves around the spreadsheet as you hit the cursor keys (← ,

→), Page Up, Page Down, Home, End, etc. There is always one and only one active cell, which

is the cell that has the ―attention‖ of the keyboard.

You may also select blocks of data to work on. You can select a block of data by clicking and

holding the mouse button on the first cell in the block and then dragging the mouse to the

opposite corner of the block and releasing the mouse.

Dialog Windows

A dialog is a third type of window and is used to access a specific function within the

program. Another powerful feature is that most of the dialogs may be left open while you edit

the model, making it easy to make adjustments as you work. You will find that dialogs are very

easy to work with. There are Help buttons that will bring you directly to the relevant topic in the

help file. You may also click on the button in the titlebar, and then click on any item in the

dialog to get help for that item.

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Window Tiling

Standard window tilings help you set up your workspace. Select the Tile button and

then select a tiling or choose them from the Window Special Tiling menu.

The standard tilings include arrangements of spreadsheets and model view windows for creation

of models and viewing results. Each of these groups have arrangements for working with joints,

members and plates and also loads. The best way to learn what these tilings do is to try them.

MODES

While you are editing the model you may select items to edit. When you are finished selecting

you will be returned to editing. Likewise, while you are selecting items you can adjust the view

and then be returned to selecting. There are three basic modes (View, Select, and Edit) and a

mode hierarchy to allow you to move between them easily.

Different mouse cursors are used with each mode to make it clear what the current mode is.

View Mode is the upper level mode that allows you to adjust the view by zooming in and out,

rotating and setting plot options. This mode supersedes all other modes so that you may do these

things at any time, and then be returned to the previous mode. This mode does not cancel other

modes so that when you are finished adjusting the view you are returned to what you were

doing. See Graphic Display for more information.

Select Mode is the middle level mode that allows you to make a graphic selection of joints,

members and plates. This mode supersedes the Edit Mode but not the View Mode. This means

that you can make a selection while in the middle of editing the view and when you are finished

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you are returned to the editing feature that you were using. It also means that you may adjust the

view while remaining in the same Select Mode. See Graphic Selection for more information.

Edit Mode is the lower level moRRWWde that allows you to graphically edit the model. You

may make selections and adjust the view while in the edit mode such that when you are finished

selecting you will be returned to the Edit Mode. Some Edit Mode features have options on how

you apply the edit. See Graphic Editing for more information.

Note

 The default mode is the mode you are in if you are not in any other mode and is indicated

by the standard mouse cursor. The default mode is a selection mode where you can

select/unselect individual items by clicking on them. You may also double-click on an

item to view information about the item.

 You may use the ESC key or the right mouse button to cancel a mode.

UNITS SETTINGS.

You can work with imperial (Kips, inches, etc.) or metric (KN, meters, etc.) units, or any

combination of the two. The current units appropriate for each data item are shown at the tops of

the data columns and with the plot of values in the model view.

You may save any of the units as the default setting so that when you start a new model that

information is already there. To do this, simply enter the information that you want to save and

check the Save as Defaults box and click OK

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How to Change Units

1. Click unit icon on the RISA toolbar.

2. Specify the units you want for each item in the drop down lists.Standard units systems are

preset and may be specified by clicking the Standard Imperial and Standard Metric

buttons.

3. If you do not wish to convert values already entered then clear the check box for

Converting Existing Data.

Standard Imperial Units

This is the units system currently prevalent in the United States. Feet are used for location

entries such as joint coordinates and load locations, and inches are used for section set property

entries such as area and moment of inertia. Force and weight units are Kips, where 1 Kip = 1000

pounds. Stress units are Ksi (Kips per square inch).

Standard Metric Units

This units system uses meters for location entries and centimeters for property entries. Force

units are kN (kiloNewtons), where 1 KN = 1000 Newtons. Stress units are in MegaPascals

(MPa), where a MegaPascal is 1,000,000 Newtons per square meter. Weight units are kilograms

and thermal units are degrees centigrade.

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Consistent Units

This option means no unit considerations are made. It is the program user's responsibility to

insure that all the data is consistent in terms of forces, lengths, densities, etc. For example, if you

wish to use inches and pounds, all entries concerned with length units (joint coordinates, section

areas, etc.) would be entered in inches, and all force entries (joint forces, weight densities, etc.)

would be entered using pounds.

Fig. 7 unit selection dialog box

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DRAWING MEMBERS

RISA-3D uses a physical member that is automatically sub-meshed into general-purpose beam

elements. With the use of the member end releases you may define truss members or any other

end condition for that matter. Member data may be viewed and edited in three ways:

graphically, in the Information dialog or in the Members spreadsheet. See Members

Spreadsheet for descriptions of the member data. Design parameters for steel, wood or concrete

design are recorded on the material tabs of the Members spreadsheet and are discussed in the

Steel Design, Cold Formed Steel Design, Concrete Design and Wood Design sections.

Drawing Members

To create new members you can draw them using a drawing grid, project grid or draw ―dot to

dot‖ from existing joints. You can set all of the member properties up front or you can modify

these properties after you draw a member.

To draw members enter the member shape and end conditions, click OK and draw members

between existing joints or on a grid. As you draw, the coordinates of the nearest grid point or

joint are shown in the status bar in the lower right corner. The new members will be shown on

screen and will be recorded in the Members spreadsheet.

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Fig. 7 Drawing member dialog box and work space

Basic steps to draw a Member

1. If there is not a model view already open then click on the RISA Toolbar to open a

new view and click to turn on the Drawing Toolbar if it is not already displayed.

2. If you are not drawing between existing joints, you will need to create a drawing grid or

define joints on the Joint Coordinates spreadsheet.

3. Click the button and set the member properties.

4. Click OK to start drawing members by clicking on joints or grids with the left mouse

button. The coordinates of the closest joint or grid point to your cursor are displayed in

the lower right hand corner.

The first click will define the I-end of the first member. The second click and each click

thereafter will define the J-end of the first member and also the I-end of the next member

so that you may continue to draw as if your pencil is down. To ―pick up‖ the pencil, click

the right mouse button. You may then start drawing somewhere else with the left button.

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 5. To stop drawing, click the right mouse button, or press the Esc key.

RESULTS - 3D

You may work with the results of a solution by viewing and sorting data in the spreadsheets,

graphically plotting them with the model or by viewing detailed member reports. You may also

print the results in any of these forms.

Upon the completion of a static solution RISA opens the Reactions spreadsheet. You may

specify that other results be displayed automatically as well. You may then proceed to view any

results and make any changes for further analysis.

If you make any changes to the model that would void the results, such as moving joints or

adding members, the results will be purged and another solution will be required before the

results can be viewed again.

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ANALYSIS OF SIMPLY SUPPORTED BEAM USING RISA 3D

Procedures

1. Check the unit from the Main Menu and ensure that it is in standard metrics.

2. From the Drawing Toolbar, select ‗’Draw member’’ and draw a given member

according to its properties.

3. Select joint coordinate from the data entry tool bar and adjust the beam according to

its length.

4. From the Drawing Toolbar, select ‘’modify boundary condition’’ according to the

member given.( i.e either fixed, pinned, roller or free end support)

5. Select the type of load given to you from the Drawing Toolbar and apply accordingly.

6. From the RISA Toolbar, select Basic Load Case (BLC); on the spread sheet, typ any

alphabet of your choice and click outside the dialogue box.

7. select Load Case (LC) from the same RISA Toolbar, CLICK on the white box and typ

the same alphabet chosen at (6) under the heading ‗ description’ and under both BLC

and Factor headings also typ 1 and click outside the dialogue box.

8. Perform the analysis and design calculation by selecting equal sign from the tool bar.

9. From the tool bar, select ‗Bring up the plot options’ or press F2; from the dialogue box,

select member analysis result, outline the magnitude and press ok to see the result.

10. Details of the analysis results can be seen by selecting the icon-detail from the tool bar

and finally touching the point of interest.

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