The latest build STAAD(X) Tower V8i was released last month. This release includes several new features and enhancements for the modeling of communication structures, with an emphasis on self-supporting tower structures.

Some of the key new features include:

• A wider variety of mounts as discrete appurtenances are now available for all communication structures, such as: T-Arms, T-Frames, Sector Frames, Side Arms, and Ice Shields.
• A wide variety of antennas as discrete appurtenances can now be placed on various supporting mounts. These appurtenances include: Dipole, Dish, Omni, Panel, and Yagi antennas where dish antennas may be grid, HP dish, Parabola with or with radome, or Para Reflector. Panel antennas from both RFS and Swedcom catalogs are included for selection. Custom antenna sizes and weights can be included.
• The weight of components and ice on components is now considered. These loads can be managed using a wind-only load factor a new weight of ice load group.
• Component objects are now organized in the Tower Model Navigator pane to reflect their physical connectivity to the structure.
• Redundant member types are also reorganized and classified in the Tower Model Navigator.
• Monopole sections pipe sections up to 48 inches in diameter can now be added with the inclusion of the API sections in the latest Structural Property Catalog.

Some of the features specific to self-supporting towers:

• The Self-Supporting Tower Wizard has also been enhanced to allow you to specify the design code and member profiles for general section types in the wizard
• Hip bracing members can now be added using the Add Hip Member tool found on the Tools ribbon tab
• Reports for self-supporting towers have been completely updated for both standards, provided concise reports which are easier to manage

Additionally, the concept of tower sections has been added for the modeling and management of Self-Supporting towers. A tower section is a superset of tower panel (or, bays) all with similar geometry. In larger towers—which can have panels in the 100s—it can be cumbersome to manipulate each tower panel individual and they are generally considered as groups. Sections conforms to this and allows you to manage each section either in the Properties panel or in a Sections table (similar to the Panels table).

For a list of features which were included in the previous release, please refer to this post or the What's New section of the product help.

Many of our staff members here at Bentley are engineers who participate in standards writing organizations. Rakesh Pathakm, PhD is a Software Research Engineer with the RAM Structural System team and also serves on the Emerging Analysis Methods in Earthquake Engineering Subcommittee of the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute (SEI). This SEI subcommittee is currently hoping to gauge the difficulties practicing structural engineers have in performing and interpreting a nonlinear analysis.

The following is from Dr. Kevin Mackie, Assistant Professor of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at the Univ. of Central Florida and chair of this subcommittee:

Advances in computational tools for earthquake engineering analysis continue to improve the structural engineer’s ability to conduct performance-based simulations, evaluate ductility, and make decisions on performance criteria that involve deformations of a structure beyond the elastic limit. However, with the advent of these tools, the industry has also seen a proliferation of codes and guidelines, as well as options and parameters that must be understood to perform nonlinear analyses.

The Emerging Analysis Methods in Earthquake Engineering Subcommittee is interested in identifying some of the perceptions and challenges that exist when one needs to perform, or interpret the results of, a nonlinear analysis. To this end, the committee requests all current and potential users of nonlinear tools for earthquake engineering analysis to fill out the survey located at the following URL:

http://kwiksurveys.com?u=emergingmethods

The results of the survey will help guide committee activities on formulating online and/or published material to address the principle concerns and barriers identified. It is expected that several future ASCE Structures Congress sessions will be organized around themes from this survey. Input is solicited from all engineers (including from industry, academia, and consultants) who focus on all structural systems (buildings, bridges, and non-building structures).

The deadline for completing the survey is November 15, 2011. For any further information about the survey or the activities of the committee, please contact Kevin Mackie, Subcommittee Chair, at Kevin.Mackie@ucf.edu.

Though this is not a Bentley-sponsored survey, we felt that may be of interest to many of our users to have their voice heard on nonlinear analysis, as so many of you routinely perform these as part of your work.

I am pleased to announce the release of the latest SELECT series version of STAAD.Pro V8i

ISM

Along with the usual collection of minor fixes and enhancements (all of which are documented in the Release Report), this release is the first that adds the ISM functionality that is becoming a central part of the structural applications in the Bentley portfolio.  ISM is designed around models defined by physical entities rather than the analytical entities that are the basis of a STAAD.Pro model.  However, using the StrucLink technology developed for the integration to ProSteel, this difference in modelling has been addressed for the segmental members in STAAD.Pro so that they can be associated to the equivalent single physical entities required in a typical modelling or detailing environment.

Foundation Design

In the last release, STAAD.Foundation was added to the installation and a specific STAAD.Foundation mode added.  It has had such a growth in popularity that we have now provided in this release, the most common foundation types from STAAD.Foundation (pad foundations, strip foundations and pile caps) which can be designed directly with the STAAD.Pro license. 

For those want or need a more comprehensive foundation solution, then I suggest getting the new STAAD Foundation Advanced application.

 Offshore

Many STAAD.Pro models are built to assist engineers design structures to the meet the specific requirements of the offshore environment.  STAAD.Pro has provided some rudimentary tools such as STAAD.Offshore, but the recent addition of the SACS product range to the Bentley Portfolio has given the offshore engineers a fully comprehensive set of tools to deal with the demands of this challenging environment.  Where an initial design in STAAD.Pro needs to be moved to SACS for the fuller design, then that is now possible without requiring a complete rebuild of the model thus saving time and effort.

 Wind Loading

The wind loading module has been updated to meet the specific requirements of the 2010 version of the ASCE 07 code.

IS 800:2007

The steel design module of IS 800:2007 used extensively in India, originally built to meet the general limit state requirements, has been enhanced to provide engineers to design to the alternative working stress design method.

Eurocode

The growing adoption of the Eurocodes both in Europe and other locations means that the complexities of all the combinations of loading that need to be considered by more and more engineers.  A new macro tool added in this version of the program allows the categorisation of primary load cases to be used to classify permanent and variable actions and combine them to according to a chosen rule to quickly create 10s if not 100s of combinations at the click of a button.

More Eurocode 3 National Annexes have been added along with an option to see the basic bar requirements in a concrete slab to Eurocode 2 in the Concrete Design mode.  For a complete design for slabs to Eurocode 2, RAM Concept (which can have slabs extracted directly from the STAAD.Pro model) should be your tool of choice.

There are plenty of other new features and enhancements, so I recommend that you download and start using this newest version of the world’s number 1 structural analysis and design application.

Hello

The enclosed converter could be useful to them who frequently use Sap2000 and Staadpro.

The ability to model, analyze and design hanging columns has been added to the RAM Structural System V8i Release 14.04. Hanging columns can be wide flange shapes, HSS, double and single angles, channels, round bars or flat bar shapes. The same functionality that is available for columns such as modeling, designing, viewing, etc., is also available for hanging columns. Just like regular columns, hanging columns can be sloped.

See it in action on YouTube. View a brief video demonstration of hanging columns.

Have updated to STAAd Offshore Version 3.0.0.9 and the Base Units are set to Imperial. On the old version i just changed the base units to Metric as seen below, but in this version the file "STAADlib.cfg" doesnt seem to exist.

Version 2.0.6.1

Open the OpenSTAAD configuration file in TextPad or NotePad:-

C:\Program Files\Common Files\BentleyShared\IEG\OpenSTAADBentley\Data\STAADlib.cfg

Change the BaseUnits command to:

[BaseUnits]

BaseUnit=Metric

Several significant enhancements and features have been implemented in RAM Structural System V8i SELECTseries 5 Release 14.05. This version is now available. Several of the enhancements in this version are listed below.

Enhanced Graphics and User Interface in RAM Frame

The user interface and graphics in RAM Frame have been completely updated. This includes enhanced graphics and commands for displaying, rotating, zooming and viewing the model and design results.

Offset Beams and Columns

Beams and columns can be modeled such that the centerlines are offset. This allows, for example, modeling a beam so that its face aligns with the face of the column, or modeling a smaller column stacking down on a larger column such that sides align (which means the centerlines don’t align). These offsets are treated as rigid links, and the resulting moments and torques are automatically applied to the members in the calculation of design forces.

Code Updates:

Several code updates have been implemented, incorporating the latest requirements.

• AISC 341-10 and AISC 358-10 Seismic Provision

In addition to the code updates, the seismic requirements have been implemented more exhaustively and the design reports enhanced. The column required strengths for SCBF columns per Sections F2.3(i) and F2.3(ii) (in which the braces are assumed to be loaded to their expected strengths and expected post-buckling strengths) and for BRBF columns per Section F4.3 are now calculated. Also, the unbalanced load on beams in mega-X braces (whereby the braces above the beam form a chevron and the braces below the beam form an inverted V) caused by braces buckling in compression is calculated and reported.

• ASCE 7-10 and IBC 2012 Wind, Seismic and Dynamic response spectra load generation and combinations.

• ACI 318-11 Requirements for Structural Concrete
• AISC 360-10 for CMC Smartbeam design
• Eurocode load combinations

Thumbnails

Thumbnails of the model are now visible in the File commands to preview models before opening, saving or deleting. They are also visible in Windows Explorer.

Automatic Backup

An automatic backup file is created when the program crashes. The file name includes the current time stamp and is given the extension of .ssr; it remains available if subsequent investigation reveals the necessity of returning to that version of the database.

Modeler Enhancements

• Labels on Decks and Loads:

When decks or surface loads are shown, their labels are also displayed.

• Shape-dependent Default Fy (fy, py):

When steel beams or columns are added, the value of the yield strength (Fy, fy, py) defaults to the value associated with the shape of the section to be added. The default values associate with each shape can be specified by the user (whereas previously only a single default value could be specified and was used as the default regardless of the shape being added).

• Options to draw User-sized beams, columns and walls to scale:

Options are now available to draw members to scale in plan view. Beams are represented by a rectangle representing the beam width. This is particularly useful for concrete structures. Only members that have been assigned a size will be drawn to scale; unsized columns will be drawn the default size and unsized beams will be drawn as a single line.

RAM Frame

In addition to the updated interface and the implementation of the updated codes, several enhancements were implemented.

• Improved Eigen analysis:

The eigen analysis has been improved. It is more robust, with better convergence. Also, the vertical diaphragm modes, that are irrelevant for flat floors and roofs, have been removed from the reported list of modes.

• P-Delta factors for Roof and Snow:

The P-Delta feature has been enhanced to explicitly allow factors to be specified on the Roof and Snow loads, rather than assuming the same factor as was specified for Live Loads.

• ASCE 7 Stability Coefficient factors for Dead, Live, Roof and Snow:

The calculation of the ASCE 7 Stability Coefficient has been enhanced to allow factors to be specified for the loads used in the calculation of Px, rather than assuming factors of 1.0 on all loads.

RAM Concrete

In addition to the implementation of ACI 318-11 some enhancements to the Shearwall module were incorporated.

• Diagonal Reinforcement in Coupling Beams:

Diagonal reinforcement can now be specified and designed per the ACI 318 requirements in shear wall coupling beams.

• Coupling Beam Design Report:

The coupling beam design report lists more reinforcing checks.

• Copy:

The Copy command can now be used on Coupling Beams in addition to Wall Panels.

• Wall Stresses:

Wall stress contours can now be displayed without the necessity of selecting a section cut.

• Manual Reinforcement:

Manual (user-specified) reinforcement no longer gets deleted if the design code is changed.

• Section Cut Design Report:

Ag, Imaj, and Imin have been added to the Section Cut Design report.

Launch Concept

RAM Concept can now be launched directly from the RAM Structural System. The link between the two programs is managed by the RAM Manager. The RAM Concept design files that are linked this way are saved as part of the RAM Structural System database.

ISM

The ability to create, import and export ISM repositories has been significantly enhanced. These capabilities provide interoperability with ISM-enabled programs such as STAAD, ProStructures, AECOsim Building Designer and Autodesk Revit. With the implementation of ISM 3.0, the ISM capabilities available in the RAM Structural System provide a link with Autodesk Revit that in nearly every respect is comparable to or exceeds the capabilities of the direct RAM – Revit link, while additionally providing a powerful change management capability.

• Reinforcement:

Concrete beam, column and wall reinforcement can be exported from the RAM Structural System to ISM.

• Web Openings:

Web openings can be imported into the RAM Structural System where they can be designed. The openings and the required stiffeners, if any, can be exported out to ISM.

• Offset Beams and Columns

Offset beams and columns can be imported and exported.

• Subdividing of Walls on Import:

Where a column bisects a wall, or where a wall frames into another (forming a T-shape), the wall is automatically subdivided into two panels, when imported in from ISM, as required by the RAM Structural System. When the model is subsequently exported back out to ISM the walls are reconstituted back into the single panel, thereby preserving the original model configuration.

• Import of Slabs, Drop Caps and Slab Openings:

Slabs and drop caps are now imported, and slab openings are included.

• Export of beam reactions:

Reactions of gravity beams are now exported, making them available for inclusion in programs using the ISM model to create the structural drawings.

• GUI changes for mappings:

The interface for mapping entities between ISM and the RAM Structural System has been improved. 

 View the full Release Notes.

HI all

Shall I get detail report (like hand calculation)  for steel member design as per IS800-2007 LS code.

I am excited to announce the latest new release of the STAAD.Pro V8i SELECTseries 3 published on the Bentley SELECT server and is now available for
download.  The new release has undergone not only the stringent quality assurance programme that all STAAD.Pro releases go
through, but also additional QA processes required for applications that are to be used on nuclear projects, notably the specific 10CFR21 reporting
requirements*.  This has resulted in a large number of updates/fixes reported in the Revision History documentation.

New Design Code

The range of nuclear codes supported by the STAAD.Pro Nuclear license has been enhanced with the ASME NF 3000:2001 design code.  Additionally the specific service design
level can be specified to all ASME NF design codes now which are used to identify the loading condition and thus the stress level factors.

TATA Structura

The range of standard profiles has been enhanced with a new database of the hollow section profiles manufactured by TATA Structura in India.

Minor updates and bug
fixes.

86 Issues addressed:-

• in the Analysis/Design Engine (38)
• in the Pre-Processing Mode (12)
• in the Post-Processing Mode (05)
• in the RAM Connection Mode (03)
• in the Piping Mode (01)
• in the Editor, Viewer and other modules (02)
• in OpenSTAAD (02)
• with Printing / Documentation (22)
• with Licensing / Security / Installation (01)

* Contact your Bentley account manager/sales centre if you want to purchase licenses to the STAAD QA&R Programme to get the 10CFR21 QA report documents.

SSDD 64位中文版程序已经发行，可以到Bentley的SELECT服务器上下载。这个64位版本只能运行在64的Windows操作系统上，可以读取超大模型和数以千计的荷载及组合，同时也增加了保存/读取设计参数模板等功能。

SSDD 20.07.09.0x 新的更新主要包括：

Steel design code (GB50017)

  设计荷载选择方式

  构件额外属性指定

  双工字钢格构构件

  单独指定构件检验条目

  规范设计参数模板

GUI

  更新右击3D旋转功能

  工字钢3D显示

SSDD 配置

  更新了SSDD配置文件

  增强报告功能

  支持64位 AutoCAD 2010

注意，64位的SSDD兼容32位的Staad.Pro版本，但是必须安装64位的Bentley Select License才能正常启动 SSDD x64.

I am excited to announce the latest new release of the STAAD.Pro V8i. This new SELECTseries 4 (version 20.07.09.11) has published on the Bentley SELECT server and is now available for download.  The range of enhancements included addresses a wide range of aspects from analysis and design to improving facilities with section profiles.

Analysis and Design Engine

• Steel Design per AISC 360-10 (*)

• The design of steel sections per ANSI/AISC 360-10 Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (AISC 360-10) is now available in STAAD.Pro

• Concrete Design per ACI 318-08 (*)

• The design of concrete members per the ACI code in STAAD.Pro has been updated to the 2008 edition of the code.

• IS 800:2007 Steel design (**)

• The design of "star" angle arrangements per IS 800:2007 have been implemented in STAAD.Pro to for members subjected to axial force only. Angles in this arrangement are often used for the legs of transmission or communication towers and as bracing members in industrial buildings.

• Eurocode 3 steel design, EN 1993-1-1:2005 (***)

• The Eurocode 3 design EN1993-1-1 has been supplemented with the Malaysian National Annex “MS EN 1993-1-1:2005”.

Pre Processing

• Center of Rigidity

• The PRINT DIAPHRAGM CR command may be used to obtain a print-out of the center of rigidity and center of mass at each rigid diaphragm in the model.

• Horizontal Torsion for Rigid Diaphragms

• A new feature has been added to include horizontal torsion for rigid floor diaphragms in the equivalent static seismic analysis.

• Check for Soft Story

• The CHECK SOFT STORY option may added to a FLOOR DIAPHRAGM command set to check for soft stories per either IS1893:2002 or ASCE7-95 codes.

• Check Story Drift

• The PRINT SOFT DRIFT command can now be used to check the story drift against a code-specified maximum drift ratio.

General Developments

• I-Section with Different Flange Shapes

• User Provided steel table Wide Flange sections can now have different flange sizes on top and bottom. Previously, the sections were required to be doubly symmetric. Now, you can specify a different bottom flange size.

• I-Section with Flange Plates or Composite Slab

• User Provided steel table Wide Flange sections can now have an additional bottom flange plate or composite concrete on the top flange. The additional flange plates or composite slab data is then used along with the base section properties.

• ISM Integration

• STAAD.Pro is now capable of transferring data to and from v3 of Bentley's Integrated Structural Modeling technology by means of the StructLink utility.

For more information on new features, see "STAAD.Pro" >
"Release Report" in the online help document. To open the help
document in STAAD.Pro choose Help > Contents.

Additional update information can be found in the Revision History
document.

Additional licenses required:-

(*) 'STAAD US Design Codes'

(**) 'STAAD Indian Design Codes'

(***) 'STAAD Eurocodes'

The latest version of STAAD(X) V8i has been released and available to download.

This latest version comes with a whole heap of great enhancements.  Its general analysis functionality is relevant for use around the world, but the design aspects are focused on the requirements of the Australian engineers, principally working in the plant industry.

The enhancements can be categorised into the following sections:-

• Structural Entities
• Loading
• Analysis
• Results
• Design
• Reporting

Structural Entities

Based on physical entities, means that the engineer is free to work on the main structural components and let STAAD(X) decompose the physical model down to analytical components.  The engineer defines the surface and the STAAD(X) crteates the finite elements.  To ensure that adjacent surfaces and members are properly connected, surfaces are collated into Surface Groups which can be used to control a number of key properties such as the element type to use.

Panels have been introduced to allow loading to be applied to areas away from the main frame, but then resolve the loading back onto the structure.

Tables of material and section properties have been added along with an ever increasing range of standard profiles.  Tapered wide flange shapes can be created and used, typically to model haunches.  Reusable user defined tables of prismatic profiles can be created. 

Concrete beam and column design often needs to consider multiple spans, thus design of beams and columns is based on continuous members which are automatically created or can be manually created as required.

Loading

A large rearrangement of the loading has taken place with load groups now characterised as either basic or special, but also categorised so that they can be quickly used to create load groups.

Load combinations have been enhanced with 2 generators, a basic rule based generator similar to that found in STAAD.Pro, but also a managed combination generator which uses the classification of the load cases to ensure that combinations according to the rules in AS 1170 are followed.

The new panel entities are used to create non structural wind loading surfaces or floor loading.

Analysis

The analysis solver has been further streamlined and more structured user information is provided during the analysis process.  Major enhancements have taken place in the modal dynamics including the linear time history and response spectrum analysis and allowing simple eigen solutions to be created on the basis of a defined mass model which can either be from defined mass tables or load groups.

Results

The results tables in the Model Explorer have been restructured to allow quicker access to the information which is required and presented in tables which can be customised sorted, filtered in almost anyway imaginable.  Along with the new format of result graph provides clear accurate representation of the analysis results.

This version has seen the addition of animation of a selection of analysis results including the displaced shape, the mode shape or even the deformation of the model over the loading cycle of a time history.

The contour maps of the results of surfaces have been cleaned up and now are much clearer.

Design

The Australian AS4100:1998 steel design has been added along with some very nice additions.  The ability to automatically calculate the effective lengths of members based on defined restraint conditions at the ends, defined node points or any arbitrary position.The design automatically creates the output ready for inclusion in a report in the summary format, but can be expanded to an extremely detailed set of calculations. 

The beam and column concrete design to AS 3600-2009 runs through to create rebar using collections of available bars (Bar Stock) and can result in a fully rendered 3D layout including the development lengths/anchorages, then passed on through the design process as part of the physical model in an ISM repository.

Reporting

As the engineer has to often create various reports for different reasons, the enhancements made in this latest release allow for the additional flexibility often requested.  A report can now include external documents in RTF or TXT format or even simple images. 

There are many more changes that I wont go into here, but strongly recommend that you check out the installation that is now on the SELECT server.  Remember that to use STAAD(X) and a basic analysis, you simply need to have a STAAD.Pro license.  If you want to try out the design capabilities you will need to have a suitable STAAD design code license.  To use the advanced meshing options, you will need to have the STAAD Advanced License (if the STAAD License is available, STAAD(X) will automatically use the advanced solver during an analysis).

We are continuing development for the next version which will have some exciting features I will be announcing in due course. I am always looking for comments and suggestions, so feel free to contact me with your thoughts when you have tried this latest version of STAAD(X).  

Enjoy

Carlos Aguera

STAAD Product Manager 

Many STAAD.Pro users around the world are making use of language packs developed for specific versions of STAAD.Pro.  Some users who try to install the language pack on a computer running Windows 7 seems to fail to install unexpectedly.  The reason has been tracked down to virtualisation.  As I am sure you know by now, Windows 7 makes use of virtual folders meaning that individual users have copies of certain folders and settings.  A STAAD.Pro installation makes changes to files and settings which become virtualised in this way.  These files and folders are only virtualised when the application is used.  Thus it is important that STAAD.Pro is run by the user before trying to install any Langage Pack installation. Future versions of the Language Pack instalaltion will include a check to make sure that the relevant files and folders have been created before allowing the installation to be run.  

Hello Everyone,

Bentley is starting a new initiative to gather feedback directly from end users to form an overall “product report card”.

The results will help us improve the things that matter most to you in our products.

Please take a few moments to complete this survey to educate us on your experience with STAAD.Pro.  It’s a short survey, and anonymous.

While taking the survey, please note that your written comments are especially important.

I know it’s tempting to skip them, but they really help us understand the ratings.

Best regards,

Gino

Gino.Cortesi@Bentley.com  | Senior Product Designer 

The latest version of STAAD(X) Tower V8i was released last month.This release - SELECTseries 4 - includes several new features and enhancements for the modeling of
communication structures, with an emphasis on monopole and self-supporting tower structures.

Some of the new features are outlined below.

• The user interface has been updated to accomodate input in metric units for both tapered and stepped poles
• Round sections in metric sizes have been added

• The user interface has been updated to accomodate input in metric units
• The wizard interface and library have been updated for face, plan, and hip bracing types.
• Member property information input is updated to allow you to enter information easier

• Square Platforms for monopoles
  
• Linear appurtances outside of poles for monopoles
• Revised user interface for feedlines and ladders on self-supporting towers
  

• TIA-222-F wind loads on feedlines and ladders along the face of self-supporting towers
• TIA-222-G wind loads on square platforms on monopole structures, on appurtances outside of monopoles, and on feedlines & ladders along the face of self-supporting towers
• IS 875 wind pressure calculations on monopole structures, discrete & linear appurtances on monopoles, 3- & 4-sided self-supporting tower sturctures, and discreate & linear (inside/outside face) appurtances on self-supporting towers

TIA-222-G equivalent lateral force procedure loads are revised to include eigenvalue method to calculate the fundamental frequency of structure per the modal analysis procedure (method II per TIA-222-G)

Analysis

Analysis method include first-order analysis (static, linear), eigenvalue method (interally to evaluate the fundamental frequency of the structure), and p-delta analysis.

Design

TIA-222-G addendum 1 and 2 is used for both monopole structures and self-supporting towers.

• The calcuation of the force coefficient for feedlines outsite a monopole is revised.
• Self-supporiting tower design parameter user interface is updated. Both member and connection information are included. The calculation of effective slenderness ration has been revised.

TIA-222-F deisgns for self-supporting towers also have updated user interface for design parameters. Both member and connection information are included. The calculation of effective slenderness ration has been revised.

IS 875 wind pressures are used for monopoles, with the design of members as specified in TIA-222-G.

IS 802 and 806 effective slenderness ratios and member deisgn calculations are now automated for self-supporting towers.

Graphs

• Deflection, tilt, and twist graphs are implemented for each load combination.
• Force graphs have been revised for self-supporting towers.

Reports

Tables have been revised.

Analytical output for monopole designs have been revised.

Optimization

Self-supporting tower design per TIA-222-F, TIA-222-G, and IS 802,806.

Integrated Structural Modeling (ISM)

Included support for lattice tower structures (self-supporting and guyed towers).

SSDD 32位中文版程序已经发行，可以到Bentley的SELECT服务器上下载。这个版本主要增加了保存/读取设计参数模板等功能。

SSDD 20.07.09.0x 新的更新主要包括：

Steel design code (GB50017)

  设计荷载选择方式

  构件额外属性指定

  双工字钢格构构件

  单独指定构件检验条目

  规范设计参数模板

GUI

  更新右击3D旋转功能

  工字钢3D显示

SSDD 配置

  更新了SSDD配置文件

  增强报告功能

A new build of STAAD.Offshore, the offshore loading module designed for STAAD.Pro, has been released.  This is to address a couple of issues reported with the wave and transportation modules, thus:-

Wave Module, Version 6.2.1

1) Forces due to wave loads on members with for shapes not addressed by STAAD.Offshore
   are set to zero. Previously these would cause the application to crash.

Transport Module, version 6.1.7

1) Member Load added to the TOT file for Member Concentrated Masses.  Caused a problem
   if file also included joint mases as was being interpreted as more JOINT LOAD.

Fatigue Module, version 3.0.2

(None)

Additionally the installation includes an updated version of the OpenSTAAD installation which does not afect any of the calculations, but addresses an issue of trying to install STAAD.Offshore when a newer version of OpenSTAAD is already installed.

Please note that the ReadMe document that is included in the installation folder includes details of the above fixes and all other changes that have ocuured in earlier releases.

In August this year, we released SELECTseries 4 of STAAD.Pro V8i. The
main enhancement included in this release was the introduction of the latest
AISC 360-10 steel design code. However, this did not include a few features
that were found to be required by many users that use the AISC code and has led
to production of a new patch release which is now available on the Bentley
SELECT servers. The key issues addressed include:-

1. Deflection Checks,
   Enhanced over other AISC deflection checks in that a design will only perform
   deflection checks on those load cases classified as SERVICABILITY.
2. Automatic profile selection.
3. Slenderness
   Optional checks added with the MAIN and TMAIN parameters
4. Single angle section
   Design about both principal and geometric axes.

The patch has additionally addressed issues in a number of other areas
and listed here and can be found in the ReadMe file installed with updates from
all other version:-

1. What's New in STAAD.Pro V8i SS4 patch, Build 20.07.09 ( 29 November
2012)

(A) Issues addressed in the Analysis/Design engine (36)

(B) Issues addressed in the Pre-Processing Mode (02)

(C) Issued Addressed in the Post-Processing Mode (02)

(D) Issues Addressed in the Steel Design Mode (00)

(E) Issues Addressed in the Concrete Design Mode (00)

(F) Issues Addressed in the RAM Connection Mode (00)

(G) Issues Addressed in the Advanced Slab Design Mode (00)

(H) Issues Addressed in the Piping Mode (00)

(I) Issues Addressed in the Editor, Viewer and other modules (00)

(J) Issues Addressed in OpenSTAAD (00)

(K) Issues Addressed with Printing and Documentation (06)

(L) Issues Addressed with licensing / security / installation (01)

(A) Issues addressed in the Analysis/Design engine (36)

A) 01 The deflection check has been introduced into the AISC 360-10 steel
design module using the parameters DFF, DJ1 and DJ2 as with previous codes, but
has been enhanced to allow deflection checks to be performed on different load
cases than the force checks, with the overall worst ratio being the governing criteria.
The load cases that are required for deflection checks should be included in a
load envelope that is defined as a ‘Serviceability’ case:-

. DEFINE ENVELOPE

. (load case and combination numbers) ENVELOPE (envelope number) TYPE
SERVICEABILITY

. END DEFINE ENVELOPE

If any of these load cases are then included in the AISC 360-10 design,
they will be used for deflection checks. All other load cases will be used for
force checks.

Note that if a deflection check is required, then the parameter DFF must
be set to the required value on the members that are to be checked for
deflection.

A) 02 The AISC 360-10 steel design code has been corrected to ensure
that if a SELECT command is included, then the design will run the select
process as outlined in the manual and implemented in all other design codes
including the previous versions of the AISC code.

A) 03 The ASIC 360-10 steel design module has been updated to address an
issue with sections that have been defined as welded using the parameter 'STP
2', these were not accounted for correctly and could cause the design to crash.

A) 04 The AISC 360-10 steel design module has been enhanced with the
reintroduction of the MAIN and TMAIN parameters. Setting either to 1.0 will
bypass any slenderness checks.

A) 05 The AISC 360-10 steel design module has been improved in the
design of single angle sections. The check of single angle profiles is now
reported in both geometric and principal axes and the most efficient design
used in the overall design.

A) 06 The AISC 360-10 steel design output has been corrected to reflect
the sign of axial force where a positive axial force is compression and
negative is tension. Note that this is only a report issue, tension and
compression forces were being used in their correct sense in the actual design.

A) 07 The AISC 360-10 steel design module has been improved to allow the
design of User Provided Table (UPT) tube profiles by calculating the design
torsion capacity which was previously returning zero and thus always failing
with utilization ratio of infinity.

A) 08 The AISC 360-05 design code has been updated to improve the web
shear coefficient Cv

A) 09 The AISC 360-05 steel design module has been improved for design
of pipes in User Provided Tables (UPT). These sections can include a definition
of shear area. However, previously the design would use a calculated shear area
rather than that specified in the user table. Now, if there is a value in the
user table, that value will be used.

A) 10 The AISC 360-05 steel design module has been improved with respect
to the section classification. Previously a worst classification would be
established and used throughout for each member design. Now, a classification
is established for each check as appropriate.

A) 11 The IS1893 seismic load generation has been updated to correct the
calculation of the static base shear used in VB/vb.

A) 12 The SOFT STOREY CHECK has been updated to ensure that the check is
performed correctly where the model is defined with exactly 4 storeys.

A) 13 The static seismic definitions such as UBC, IBC, etc. have been
updated to ensure that any factor assigned to a selfweight mass is correctly
accounted for.

A) 14 The AISC 360-05 steel design module has been improved in the
design of pipe sections. Which were being designed as slender under all
conditions even when they should be consider as compact or semi-compact, thus
resulting in potentially conservative designs.

A) 15 The one way option of the FLOOR LOAD command has been updated to
account for the inclusion of FLOOR DIAPHRAGM commands in the file.

A) 16 The AITC 1994 and Mexican LRFD steel design codes have been
updated to correctly handle the parameter CMB which was not being used.

A) 17 The automatic wind loading routine has been updated to ensure that
the loading on HSS round sections in the standard databases and cold formed
round sections are loaded correctly as outlined in the online help.

A) 18 An additional message has been added to the IS:800-1984 code when
designing double I sections. This warns that these sections will only be
designed for the provisions of the general I section and does not account for
lacing or batten design.

A) 19 The BS5950:1-2000 steel design module has been updated for the
design of user defined I sections. The LTB slenderness of a user defined I
sections, the equations being used were that for sections with equal flanges
(section B.2.3 of the code). This could give rise to inconsistencies for user
defined I sections with unequal flanges. The design of I sections with unequal flanges
has been updated so that the equivalent slenderness will be calculated as per
section B.2.4 of the code.

A) 20 The iterative analysis that utilises both the MEMBER TENSION
setting and includes a MEMBER REDUCTION in the axial direction has been improved
to ensure that each iterative step includes the specified reduction factor.
Previously this was not done on all steps and could result in the iterative
solution not being achieved.

A) 21 The IS:800-2007 code has been updated to calculate the slenderness
of tee section profiles so that they can be included in a design. It should be
noted that sections currently defined as tapered sections with a bottom flange
as zero is not a correct method for defining a tee section. To be correct,
these should be defined using the Tee User Provided Table.

A) 22 The CABLE ANALYSIS has been updated to address occurrences which
would cause the analysis to crash.

A) 23 The IS:800-2007 design module has been updated to ensure that the
spacing of transverse stiffeners when set with the TST setting the value
specified in TSP is used. Additionally the calculation of D/Tw has been
corrected to use the web thickness rather than the flange thickness.

A) 24 The NRC 2005 seismic output has been modified to correctly
reference "Design Spectral Acceleration" where previously it had
referenced "Sec. Seismic Response Factor".

A) 25 The basic analysis engine has been updated to handle models that
include the legacy method for defining a finite element mesh using the commands
DEFINE MESH and GENERATE ELEMENT which was causing the analysis to crash.

A) 26 The IS:456-2000 concrete design module has been updated to ensure
that if the parameter ENSH is set to 1 then it will ignore the enhanced shear
check.

A) 27 The AISC 360-10 steel design module has been updated such that a
slenderness check is no longer used as a critical member ratio check. If a
slenderness check is included and exceeds unity, then it may be reported as the
governing criteria. However, if it is less than unity, then it will be
reported, but not used as the governing ratio.

A) 28 The processing of GROUP commands has been improved since the
addition of the RIGID FLOOR command to STAAD.Pro which caused an error in the
correct processing of the GROUP command.

A) 29 Generally MASS reference load type is used for the purpose of
forming the mass model of the structure for any seismic/response/time history
loading. In absence of this ref load case, the previous method of mass
modelling should be followed. However when rigid floor diaphragm definitions
are present, the program accepts Gravity ref load types to form the mass model
in absence of Mass ref load type. In absence of both Mass and Gravity ref load
types, the program will combine all Dead and Live ref load types to form the
mass model.

A) 30 The SOFT STORY CHECK has been updated to address when the master
joint on a rigid floor diaphragm is already defined as an analytical joint in
the model and thus no new joint is created as the master joint by the program,
then the program failed to calculate story stiffness correctly which is now
addressed.

A) 31 The one-way floor loading routine has been improved for
non-rectangular panels. This addresses he situation where the incidence of a
beam is reversed and a concentrated load was applied.

A) 32 The AIJ seismic loading has been updated to account for the
inclusion of the optional factor (f5) which is included in the addition of the
AIJ seismic definition in a load case.

A) 33 The NORSOK N004 steel design module has been updated to ensure that
when calculating the interaction ratio to Cl. 6.3.8.2 (Eq.6.27), the program
uses the applied axial load for the “NSd” term in the equation. The module was
previously using the axial capacity rather than the applied load for the
"NSd" term.

A) 34 The AIJ 2005 steel design module has been updated to ensure that
the calculation of the capacity uses the correct equation of either 5.12 or
5.14 when a value is specified in the CB parameter. Previously the choice of
equation was taken assuming the end moments to be zero and hence could produce
a lower capacity for the member and thus result in a conservative design.

A) 35 The IS800:2007 steel design has been updated to ensure that the
results of members that have been defined as double angle profiles are displayed
in the post-processing mode. The results of these members was previously only
shown in the output file.

A) 36 The automatic floor load command has been updated to ensure that
if the command SET FLOOR LOAD TOLERANCE has not been set, then a default tolerance
of 0.001 inches will be used.

(B) Issues addressed in the Pre-Processing Mode (03)

B) 01 The assignment of properties to an edit list has been updated to address
the occasional problem where if this is done on an existing list, the resulting
list would include a number of duplicate references.

B) 02 The GUI has been updated to ensure that if a LARGEDELTA parameter
is included in the PDELTA command, then it is retained when the file is saved
in the GUI.

(C) Issued Addressed in the Post-Processing Mode (01)

C) 01 The Post Processing of models creating large amounts of results data in
excess of 2 GB has been improved which would have previously reported an issue
of the form 'Unable to create mapping of the file c:\...\filename.ejt'

C) 02 The GUI has been updated to ensure that when the details of AISC
pipe sections are displayed in the member query and stresses displayed in the
post processing mode, unit conversions are applied correctly. A problem would
manifest itself if the base unit was not set to English or the current units
were not the default English units.

(K) Issues Addressed with Printing and Documentation (06)

K) 01 The analysis output has been enhanced with a summary of the number of
joints, members, plates, solids, surfaces and supports in the current model in
the Problem Statistics.

K) 02 Section 7C.5.4 of the International Codes Manual has been updated
to show the correct equation for structural hollow sections.

K) 03 Section 5.31.2.2 of the online help has been updated to clarify
the order in which weight definitions should occur in a seismic definition.

K) 04 The documentation of Example 21 in the Application Example manuals
has been updated to clarify the correct use of the MEMBER TENSION command.

K) 05 The OpenSTAAD documentation for the function Load.GetNodalLoads
has been updated to correct the type for the node number which should be a
long, rather than integer.

K) 06 The OpenSTAAD documentation has been updated to include details on
the function Output.GetIntermediateMemberForcesAtDistance with the syntax,
parameter list and example.

(L) Issues Addressed with licensing / security / installation (01)

L) 01 When a file is sent to be analysed any design blocks that are currently
not licensed with a suitable SELECT license (indicated with green dots on the
start page) are reported with a new message "Selected license set does not
support design code. The design will not be performed."

In August this year, we were excited to announce the release of STAAD.Pro SS4.  As with all releases and where we introduce new design codes, we put it through a series of tests to make sure that we achieved the goal of making the code available in time for the release, but unfortunately a number of issues slipped through which we addressed in a patch we posted a few weeks back.

However, since then it has come to light that there is an error in the calculation of the warping constant, Cw for the design of wide flange members.  The code specifies that for doubly symmetric I-shapes with rectangular flanges, it should be taken as ‘Iy/ho^2/4’.  This calculation refers to the inertia of the minor axis, however in STAAD.Pro this is being performed with the major axis inertia and giving a much larger value as displayed in a TRACK 2 output .  This increases the value for rts (Effective Radius of gyration) and thus also leads to an increased value of Lr (Limiting laterally unbraced length for the limit state of inelastic lateral-torsional buckling).  This will impact on the calculation of Mn (Nominal flexural strength) if it should be less than the plastic moment and will tend to overestimate the capacity.  Therefore calculations where lateral torsional buckling for wide flange members is significant, it is suggested that these should be manually checked until an update for STAAD.Pro is published.

I apologise that we did not catch the problem sooner and we will be posting an update to the STAAD.Pro installation very shortly and a notification will be posted on the STAAD.Pro RSS News Feed as soon as it is available for download.

Every two weeks you will find a fresh and informative post on the blog:

RAM Inside OUT by Ann Marie Garko-Hill, PE

The lastest post will show you how to leverage ISM in tracking revisions of your analysis model.