Webinar Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional

20/05/2015
RC Design: workflows for beams, columns and
foundations for columns reinforcement design

Artur Kosakowski
Rafał Gawęda

© 2013 Autodesk
 Welcome to Autodesk Help Webinar Series!

Where do we announce?
 www.autodesk.com/help-webinars
 Autodesk RSA Forum
 BIM Toolbox

© 2013 Autodesk
 What are « Webinars » and how they are
intended to work

 What: Focusing on one or several topics in

order to give solutions for problems frequently
submitted to the support team

 How : The webinars will be the combinations

of slide presentations and live use of the
program followed by Q & A sessions

These webinars are not supposed to be extended training sessions.

© 2013 Autodesk 3
 Topics covered in this “Webinar” and what we plan for the
next one:

 This Webinar :
 How to create a model
 How to define loads and load combinations
 How to export elements such as beams, columns and
supports from a model to RC design modules
 How to define RC design parameters
 How to manage the results
 Tips and common errors

 Next Webinar : RC Design - workflows for

slabs, walls and wall foundations
reinforcement design
© 2013 Autodesk 4
 How to create a model
 Define bar elements with section types supported in RC design
modules. Do not use an RC Beam section for or an RC Column
or RC Column one for RC Beam when you want to design its
reinforcement.

Mind that they can be used (as well as steel section types with
assigned concrete material) for static calculation of a model
© 2013 Autodesk 5
 How to create a model
 You can create multi span beams as a single bar or chain of smaller
elements among supports (columns) or as a one bar between the
outer supports when you design them in the RC Beam Design
module but define spans of beams as separate bars when you
intend to calculate required area of reinforcement in the RC
Member Required reinforcement module

© 2013 Autodesk 6
 How to create a model
 I shape RC Beams can only be designed in the RC Member
Required reinforcement module

© 2013 Autodesk 7
 How to create a model
 RC Columns should be defined as a single bar elements
between levels of beams or floors rather than a chain of short
elements beteen stories or a single element running through
all the height of a model. In case of a column divided into
calculation elements by generated mesh of a wall you should
ignore the warning about nodes defined along its length.

© 2013 Autodesk 8
 How to create a model
 It is not recommended to use vertical offsets for RC Beams you
want to design reinforcement for as they influence values of
internal forces causing large increase of the axial force (tension)
and significant reduction of the bending moment

© 2013 Autodesk 9
 How to create a model
 To design a T shape beam under a slab (panel) without using the
offsets (for the reasons explained above) you may follow these
steps:
 define a beam with a rectangular cross section that represents T
shape “web” with no offset
 increase its IY moment of inertia so that it is the same as the T
shape it “replaces”

© 2013 Autodesk 10
 How to create a model
 replace the rectangular section with the “original’ T one after
exporting a beam from a model to the RC Beam Design module

© 2013 Autodesk 11
 How to create a model
 In order to model curved RC beams you need to approximate
them with number of smaller straight elements. Then you can
calculate required area of reinforcement in the RC Member
Required reinforcement module.

© 2013 Autodesk 12
 How to define loads and load combinations
 In case you need pattern loading define live load on each span
as separate load case

 Pattern loading is done automatically for beams defined in the

RC Beam design module itself (stand alone)

© 2013 Autodesk 13
 How to define loads and load combinations
 Define all required types of combinations

© 2013 Autodesk 14
 How to export elements from a model to RC design
modules

 To export a beam from a model to RC Beam Provided

Reinforcement module you need to select a bar or bars which
define the beam and press the indicated button

© 2013 Autodesk 15
 How to export elements from a model to RC design
modules

 In addition to the decision about loads you want to import mind

to check the supports tab to see if the automatic detection of
supporting element has been done correctly. Adjust their
positions and sizes if needed.

© 2013 Autodesk 16
 How to export elements from a model to RC design
modules
 In order to correctly export a bar element which represents a
strap footing to the RC Continuous Footing (rather than to RC
Beam) design module you should:
 define elastic soil as its attribute
 set it Structure object as Bar
 in case of a T shape cross section assign it 180° (Gamma)
rotation angle

© 2013 Autodesk 17
 How to export elements from a model to RC design
modules

 RC columns are exported from a model in the same way as

beams but it is possible to calculate identical reinforcement for
RC columns which have the same geometry

© 2013 Autodesk 18
 How to export elements from a model to RC design
modules

 Design of a spread footing is based on reactions imported from

selected support nodes. It is important to match the directions
of the support with the direction of the local coordinate system
of a column.

© 2013 Autodesk 19
 How to export elements from a model to RC design
modules

 It is possible to group nodes with defined supports in order to

have identical foundations in these locations

© 2013 Autodesk 20
 How to export elements from a model to RC design
modules

 When two supported nodes are selected it is possible to design

a common foundation for both columns located in these nodes

It is important to match
the directions of local
coordinate systems of
the columns
© 2013 Autodesk 21
 How to define design parameters
 Remember to assign both Member type and Reinforcement
parameters to elements you want to calculate required
reinforcement for

© 2013 Autodesk 22
 How to define design parameters
 By default an RC beam is designed against the simple bending
with values checked in 11 points. These settings can be changed
in the Advanced (calculation) Options dialog:

Mind that for RC member required

reinforcement the default settings are
different:

© 2013 Autodesk 23
 How to define design parameters
 In addition it is possible to decide if you want to calculate
reinforcement for bending moment and shear force from
support’s face or its middle by selecting a support type (RC
Beam module) or span lenght (RC Member Required
reinforcemet module)

© 2013 Autodesk 24
 How to define design parameters
 The decision of support type influences the way of generation of
stirrups. In case you want to design a beam with concrete supports
for bending moments from its middle but you don’t want to have
any stirrups generated over supports you may need to change the
default settings

© 2013 Autodesk 25
 How to define design parameters
 To include constructional reinforcement in beam’s capacity you
need to set its steel grade as being the same as the one selected
for the longitudinal (main) one.

© 2013 Autodesk 26
 How to manage the results
 You can check for the reasons of design issues and find where the
beam capacity is too low by looking at diagrams

© 2013 Autodesk 27
 How to manage the results
 You can use diagrams to check the safety margin for generated
reinforcement and decide if it should be modified when it is
too high

© 2013 Autodesk 28
 How to define design parameters
 By default for RC Columns buckling parameters are taken from
the Member type label assigned to a column in a model.

© 2013 Autodesk 29
 How to define design parameters
 Depending on the selected design code RC columns may be
calculated for different sets of internal forces (e.g. axial force only
or axial force and bi-directional bending) therefore you should
check these settings to include required ones (e.g. shear and SLS
design) or exclude excessive ones (e.g. limit bending to one
direction only when
the other
direction bending
moment is small
enough to be
neglected or
a column is a ’part’
of a wall)

© 2013 Autodesk 30
 How to manage the results
 Interaction diagram and remaining column’s capacity

© 2013 Autodesk 31
 How to define design parameters
 For isolated foundations some design criteria should be set in
Geotechnical Options dialog

© 2013 Autodesk 32
 How to manage the results
 You can see the results for „geotechnical” combinations ....

by selecting the
ones without *

© 2013 Autodesk 33
 How to manage the results
 ...and the ones used for reinforcement design

by selecting
the * ones

© 2013 Autodesk 34
 Common errors
 Missing parameters for RC Members Required Reinforcement
module

 Too narrow beam for horizontal U shape anchor loops

© 2013 Autodesk 35
 Common errors
 Use of steel sections with concrete material

 Only ULS or SLS combinations defined

© 2013 Autodesk 36
 Useful tips
 You can open already designed
element by double clicking on its
name in the Reinforcement part
of the Inspector dialog

 You can update already designed

element with new set of internal
forces after calculating a model
with modified values of loads in
order to design new or verify
existing reinforcement

 You can update section of RC

element in a model after you
changed it in the RC design
module
© 2013 Autodesk 37
 Useful tips
 You can identify reinforcement bars that needs to be altered by
pressing select rebars button from the calculation errors dialog

© 2013 Autodesk 38
 Useful tips
 You can display detailed information about warnings and errors
received during calculations of required reinforcement of beams
and columns in the Remarks columns of the Required
Reinforcement table

© 2013 Autodesk 39
 Useful tips :
 You can select and edit properties of groups or single
reinforcement bars selecting them on the General or Detailed
tabs of reinforcement table or on beam’s view

© 2013 Autodesk 40
 Useful tips :
 You can change position, length, diameter and hooks of selected
reinforcement bars in the properties dialog

© 2013 Autodesk 41
 Useful tips :
 You can use reinforcement edition tools to modify arrangement of
generated reinforcement

© 2013 Autodesk 42
 Useful tips :
 You can change spacing of already generated stirrups either by
moving selected one (ones) horizontally or by entering
distances among them manually either in the stirrup spacing
dialog or in the reinforcement table

© 2013 Autodesk 43
 Useful tips :
 Remember to freeze reinforcement after editing it

 Remember to run verification of manually edited reinforcement

© 2013 Autodesk 44
 Useful tips:
 To add new reinforcement bar grade or diameter you select and edit
reinforcement bar database

© 2013 Autodesk 45
 Useful tips:
 In the same way it is possible to add or edit the list of wire fabrics
(meshes)

 The description tabs provide information about each of the columns

© 2013 Autodesk 46
 Useful tips:
 In case the tabs at the top of the screen that allow to navigate inside the RC
Beam module disappear you can restore them opening the layout from the
default template

© 2013 Autodesk 47
 http://knowledge.autodesk.com

Troubleshooting Articles – this is a new page focused around your most

common troubleshooting problems:
http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/robot-structural-analysis-products/tr
oubleshooting#?sort=score

© 2013 Autodesk
 Questions ?

Please feel free to ask questions using « GoToMeeting » Questions tab now
We may not be able to answer all questions during the webinar. Please post them on the
Robot forum after the presentation.
© 2013 Autodesk 49
 Next webinar session on 10/06/2015 for the following topic :

RC Design: workflows for slabs, walls and wall foundations

reinforcement design

Autodesk is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

© 2013 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.