STAADPro BridgeApplicationsInclSTAADbeava TRN014310 1 0003 Ershie Clemente 1374871

DO NOT DISTRIBUTE - Printing for Student Use is Permitted
Student: Ershie Clemente
Company: Infrasys, Inc.
Class Date: 19-Aug-2015
STAAD.Pro - Bridge Applications

including STAAD.beava
STAAD.Pro V8i
Bentley Institute Course Guide
TRN014310-1/0003
Trademark Notice
AccuDraw, MDL, MicroStation, and SmartLine are registered trademarks; PopSet and
Raster Manager are trademarks.
AutoCAD is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc.
Copyright Notice
Copyright 2011, Bentley Systems, Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.
Bentley and the "B" Bentley logo are either registered or unregistered trademarks or
service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated. All other marks are the property of their
respective owners.
STAAD.Pro - Bridge Applications including STAAD.beava

Copyright 2011 Bentley Systems, Incorporated
Apr-11
Table of Contents
Course Overview ____________________________________ 5
Course Description ____________________________________ 5

Target Audience_______________________________________ 5
Course Objectives _____________________________________ 6
Course Prerequisites ___________________________________ 6
Software Prerequisites _________________________________ 6
Modules Included _____________________________________ 6
Modeling Bridge Structures in STAAD.Pro ________________ 7
Module Overview _____________________________________ 7

Module Prerequisites __________________________________ 7
Module Objectives_____________________________________ 7
Introductory Knowledge ________________________________ 8
Questions ________________________________________ 8
Answers__________________________________________ 9
Bridge Modeling ______________________________________ 10
Modeling the Bridge ________________________________ 10
Initiating the Analysis and Reviewing Results ____________ 23
Module Review _______________________________________ 25
Questions ________________________________________ 25
Answers__________________________________________ 26
Loading Bridge Structures in STAAD.Pro/STAAD.beava _____ 27

Module Overview _____________________________________ 27
Questions ________________________________________ 28
Answers__________________________________________ 29
Bridge Loading ________________________________________ 30
STAAD.beava _________________________________________ 30
Influence Surfaces__________________________________ 32
Defining a Roadway ________________________________ 40
Vehicle Definitions _________________________________ 49
Load Generator ____________________________________ 51
STAAD.beava / STAAD.Pro Integration _____________________ 59
Apr-11

Table of Contents
Custom Load Combination Table ______________________ 61

Repeat Load Combinations ___________________________ 63
Module Review _______________________________________ 64
Questions ________________________________________ 64
Answers__________________________________________ 65
Designing Bridge Structures in STAAD.Pro _______________ 67

Module Overview _____________________________________ 67
Questions ________________________________________ 68
Answers__________________________________________ 69
Load List _____________________________________________ 70
STAAD.Pro Steel Design_________________________________ 71
Steel Design Code __________________________________ 72
Steel Design Parameters _____________________________ 73
Code Checking_____________________________________ 78
Reviewing the STAAD Analysis messages ________________ 79
Review the Output _________________________________ 81
Member Selection__________________________________ 84
Finalizing the Design ________________________________ 93
Additional Steel Design Commands ____________________ 99
STAAD.Pro Concrete Design _____________________________ 100
Reinforced Concrete Slab Design ______________________ 100
Reinforced Concrete Beam Design _____________________ 105
Reinforced Concrete Column Design ___________________ 112
Reinforced Concrete Take Off Command________________ 116
Module Review _______________________________________ 117
Questions ________________________________________ 117
Answers__________________________________________ 118
Course Summary ____________________________________ 119

Course Summary ______________________________________ 119
Course Review ________________________________________ 120
Questions ________________________________________ 120
Answers__________________________________________ 121

Apr-11
Course Description
In this course, you will develop skills specific to modeling, analyzing, and
designing bridge structures in STAAD.Pro. You will also learn to apply STAAD.beava
to create loading conditions that maximize structural responses of interest.
Note: STAAD.beava (Bridge Engineering Automated Vehicle Application) works hand-
in-hand with STAAD.Pro. Its purpose is to minimize the effort associated with
the load application process while complying with national code requirements.
STAAD.beava helps to eliminate the trial and error approach (as well as the
possible errors arising from inaccuracies associated with it), by determining
loading positions required to maximize structural responses of interest.
Target Audience
Course Overview
This course is recommended for the following audience(s):
Apr-11
Structural Engineers engaged in bridge design, evaluation or rehabilitation

projects
5
Course Overview
Course Objectives
Course Objectives
After completing this course, you will be able to:
Proficiently model bridge structures in STAAD.Pro
Use STAAD.beava to define bridge lane geometry, select a design vehicle,

identify structural responses of interest, create loading conditions and send
the loading back to the STAAD.Pro model
Create custom Load Combination tables in STAAD.Pro, and use them to

automatically generate Load Combinations
Set design parameters and issue design commands to perform code checks or
to optimize steel members according to the requirements of AASHTO code for
steel members and ACI code for concrete members.
Course Prerequisites
Basic understanding of Structural Engineering Principles, including a

familiarity with AASHTO and ACI design criteria
General familiarity with STAAD.Pro Fundamentals
Software Prerequisites
This manual was created using the following software versions:
STAAD.Pro V8i (SELECTseries 2), 20.07.07.32
Note: Earlier or later versions of STAAD.Pro may be used with this training manual,
but you may encounter slight differences in the user interface and/or exercises.
Modules Included
The following modules are included in this course:
Modeling Bridge Structures in STAAD.Pro
Loading Bridge Structures in STAAD.Pro/STAAD.beava
Designing Bridge Structures in STAAD.Pro
Course Overview
Apr-11
Module Overview
This module presents the process of modeling a bridge using the Graphical User
Interface of STAAD.Pro. It demonstrates the addition of a Dead Load case to
consider the effects of self weight, shows how to add the analysis command, and
concludes by performing a visual check the deflected shape due to self weight to
detect any potential modeling errors. When you have completed the exercises in
this module, your model will be ready for STAAD.beava.
Modeling Bridge Structures in

STAAD.Pro
Module Prerequisites
Basic understanding of Structural Engineering Principles
Module Objectives
After completing this module, you will be able to:
Apr-11
Make efficient use of the STAAD.Pro Graphical User Interface to generate a

typical bridge model
Prepare the model for the application of STAAD.beava
Introductory Knowledge
Questions
1
STAAD.Pro defaults to a Cartesian coordinate system with the global Y-axis

oriented upwards; i.e. gravity pulls in the -Y direction.
True
False
Grids can be used to provide dimensional control when constructing a

model.
True
False
STAAD.Pro will automatically insert a node at any location where two

members cross each other.
True
False
Before you begin this module, let's define what you already know.
Apr-11
Answers
1
STAAD.Pro defaults to a Cartesian coordinate system with the global Y-axis

oriented upwards; i.e. gravity pulls in the -Y direction.
True
And although it is possible to choose the variation called Set Z Up, it will
prohibit the use of certain features within the program. So, good practice
dictates using the program with this default orientation.
2
Grids can be used to provide dimensional control when constructing a

model.
True
Grids are a very effective way of adding members precisely and accurately.
3
STAAD.Pro will automatically insert a node at any location where two

members cross each other.
False
Nodes are NOT automatically created where members cross. The

implication is that crossing members are not automatically connected to
each other. There are tools within the program to automatically search for
and connect crossing members.
Apr-11

Bridge Modeling
Bridge Modeling
The following images illustrate the model that will be created in the exercises
below:
Modeling the Bridge

The following exercises demonstrate one potential method of using the
STAAD.Pro Graphical User Interface to create the model.
Exercise: Create the Beams, Girders and Columns

1
Open STAAD.Pro. Start a new project and specify the following

parameters:
Structure Type: Space
File Name: My Bridge
Length Units: Foot
Force Units: KiloPound
In the New dialog, click the Next button.

2
In the Where do you Want to Go? dialog, select the Add Beam checkbox
and then click Finish.
10
Apr-11
Bridge Modeling
Edit the Default Grid (Linear) to work in the X-Z plane. Create two X grid
lines on the Right at 80 ft spacing. Create four Z grid lines on the Right at
10 ft spacing.
Apr-11
11

Bridge Modeling

In the Snap Node/Beam dialog, click the Snap Node/Beam button. Model
the five 160 foot long beams as full-length members in the X-direction.
Then, model the three 40 foot girders as full-length members in the Zdirection.
Hint: Remember that the Control (CTRL) key makes it possible to reset
(relocate) the hotspot without adding a member.
At this time, the beams and girders cross each other but do not intersect
(connect) properly. We know this, because the girders at both ends of the
bridge are still full-length members that do not intersect the end nodes of
the beams, and because there are no nodes visible at the location shown
in the figure below:
Note: STAAD.Pro does permit this as a valid framing condition, but it is not the
intent in this situation. Here, we expect a structural connection
between members at all crossing points. Perform the following steps to
detect and correct these connectivity issues.
5
In the menu bar, select Geometry > Intersect Selected Members >
Highlight. In the Intersect Members dialog, click OK to accept the default
tolerance of zero.
Note: STAAD.Pro highlights all of the beams that cross each other with no
common nodes.
12
Apr-11
Bridge Modeling
To break these beams and create a joint at each intersection point, click
Geometry > Intersect Selected Members > Intersect in the menu bar. In
the Intersect Members dialog, click OK to accept the default tolerance of
zero. In the STAAD.Pro dialog, click OK to acknowledge that some new
beams have been created.
New Nodes Created
Beams Segmented
Note: This completes the generation of the beams and girders. The next steps
create the columns.
7
In the Snap Node/Beam dialog, click Close.
In the View Window, select the three nodes indicated in the figure below.
Note: Node numbers are not an effective reference, because the node
numbers may vary depending upon the order in which the beams and
girders were modeled.
Apr-11
13

Bridge Modeling
In the menu bar, select Geometry > Translational Repeat... or select the
Translational Repeat icon in the Generate toolbar.
10 In the Translational Repeat dialog, enter the following parameters:
Global Direction: Y
No of Steps: 1
Default Step Spacing: -25 ft
Link Steps: (checked)
Click OK.
14
Apr-11
Bridge Modeling
Exercise: Create the Deck

1
Continue with the model from the previous exercise or open Bridge 1.std.
Note: In this exercise, we will generate the finite element mesh to represent
the concrete bridge deck. In this case, the spacing of the beams and
girders is regular, which makes it convenient to use the Generate
Surface Meshing Tool. In a situation where the framing layout is not
regular, the Parametric Meshing Mode might be a more useful method
of generating the deck mesh.
In the menu bar, select View > Options... In the Options dialog, select the
Tolerance item and ensure that the Split member if checkbox is
checked. Click OK.
Note: This ensures that the meshing process will split the existing beams and
girders and connect the plates to them at locations where generated
mesh nodes coordinate with existing framing members.
3
In the menu bar, select Geometry > Generate Surface Mesh or select the
Generate Surface Meshing icon in the Geometry toolbar.
In the View Window, click the node indicated in the figure below:
Click
Moving in counter-clockwise order, click the other three nodes that define
the corners of the overall bridge deck. Complete the command by clicking
back on the first node.
5
Apr-11
In the Choose Meshing Type dialog, select the Quadrilateral Meshing

radio button and then click OK.
15

Bridge Modeling
In the Select Meshing Parameters dialog, edit the Division fields to 80

divisions on each of the 160 foot sides and 20 divisions on each of the 40
foot sides. Click the Apply button.
Note: This has the effect of specifying 2 foot square plates.
Note: Use the Beams Cursor to verify that the beams and girders are now
segmented into smaller members as a result of the Split member if
checkbox setting. Each small beam or girder segment is now connected
to nodes in the plate mesh.
Note: In reality, the steel beams are physically attached to the deck, but the
concrete girders parallel to the Z-axis are set some distance below the
deck as shown in the figure below:
To model this framing configuration correctly, the girders should not be

attached to the deck in the model. Use the following steps to
accomplish this.
7
In the menu bar, click Select > Beams Parallel To > Z.
In the menu bar, click Geometry > Merge Selected Members.
16
Apr-11
Bridge Modeling
In the Merge Selected Beams dialog, click the first line of data and then
click the Merge button. Confirm by clicking Yes.
Repeat for the remaining two lines of data, and then close the Merge
Selected Beams dialog.
Note: By merging the girder segments, connectivity was lost at the locations
where the concrete girders are supposed to connect to the concrete
columns and to the steel beams.
10 In the menu bar, click Geometry > Intersect Selected Members >
Highlight. Click OK to accept the default tolerance value of zero. This

highlights the locations where we intend to restore connectivity as shown
in the figure below:
11 In the menu bar, click Geometry > Intersect Selected Members >
Intersect. Click OK to accept the default tolerance value of zero, and then
click OK to acknowledge the pop-up dialog indicating that some new
beams have been created.
Hint: Use the Beams Cursor to verify that the girders are now segmented only
in the locations where they connect to the steel beams or the concrete
column.
The next exercises complete the model generation process and prepare the
model for use in STAAD.beava.
Apr-11
17

Bridge Modeling
Exercise: Assign Properties

1
In the Page Control Area, click the General tab. The Property sub-tab is
active by default.
In the Properties dialog, click the Section Database button.
In the Section Profile Tables dialog, select a W24x103 and add it to the
Project as a single section from the table (ST). Click Close.
In the Properties dialog, click the Define... button.
Note: The Circle option is active by default.

6
In the Property dialog, add a 4 ft diameter concrete section to the Project.
In the Property dialog, click the Rectangle option. Add a 4 ft wide by 4 ft

deep concrete section to the Project.
Click Close to dismiss the Property dialog.
In the Properties dialog, click the Thickness... button.
10 In the Plate Element/Surface Property dialog, enter a thickness of 1 ft in
the Node 1 field. The remaining fields will adopt the same value by
default. Leave the Material checkbox checked, and leave the Material
drop down list box set to Concrete.
11 Click Add followed by Close.
12 In the Properties dialog, highlight the W24X103 item.
13 In the menu bar, click Select > Beams Parallel To > X.
14 In the Properties dialog, verify that the Assignment Method is set to
Assign to Selected Beams and then click the Assign button. Confirm by
clicking Yes.
15 In the Properties dialog, highlight the Cir 48.00 item.
16 In the menu bar, click Select > Beams Parallel To > Y.
clicking Yes.
18 In the Properties dialog, highlight the Rect 48.00x48.00 item.
19 In the menu bar, click Select > Beams Parallel To > Z.
clicking Yes.
18
Apr-11
Bridge Modeling
21 In the Properties dialog, highlight the Plate Thickness item.

22 In the Properties dialog, set the Assignment Method to Assign to View
and then click the Assign button. Confirm by clicking Yes.
Exercise: Assign Specifications

1
Continue with the model from the previous exercise.
In the menu bar, click Tools > Set Current Input Unit. Change the Length
unit to Inch, and then click OK.
Note: The offsets specification can be used to apply rigid offsets at the ends of
members. In the next steps, we will offset the beams and girders by an
appropriate amount to establish the proper elevation relationships.
3
In the Page Control area, click the Specification sub-tab of the General tab.
Hint: In the View Window, hover the Beams Cursor over each of the columns
to establish that the top of the column displays the green Beam Ends
color, indicating that the top is the Starting end.
4
In the Specifications dialog, click the Beam... button. In the Member

Specification dialog, click the Offset tab.
Note: See the following notes regarding the geometry of this bridge structure:
Apr-11
The W24x103 has a depth of 24.530 inches. In order to position it so

that the top of the top flange is flush with the underside of the 12 inch
thick deck, it must be offset downward by (12/2 + 24.530/2) = 18.265
inches.
The concrete girder has a depth of 48 inches. In order to position it so

that the top of the girder is flush with the underside of the steel beam,
it must be offset downward by (12/2 + 24.530 + 48/2) = 54.53 inches.
In order to position the top of the column it so that it is flush with the
underside of the concrete girder, it must be offset downward by (12/2
+ 24.530 + 48) = 78.53 inches.
19

Bridge Modeling
In the Member Specification dialog, add the following offset specifications:
Start Global Y -18.265 in
End Global Y -18.265 in
End Global Y -54.53 in
In the Specifications dialog, click the offset specification corresponding to

START 0 -18.265 0.
In the menu bar, click Select > Beams Parallel To > X.
In the Specifications dialog, verify that the Assignment Method is set to

clicking Yes.
Repeat this process to assign the offset specification END 0 -18.265 0 to

the beams parallel to the global X axis.
10 Deselect all currently selected members.

11 In the Specifications dialog, click the offset specification corresponding to
START 0 -54.53 0.
12 In the menu bar, click Select > Beams Parallel To > Z.
13 In the Specifications dialog, verify that the Assignment Method is set to
clicking Yes.
14 Repeat this process to assign the offset specification END 0 -54.53 0 to the
beams parallel to the global Z axis.

15 Deselect all currently selected members.
16 In the Specifications dialog, click the offset specification corresponding to
START 0 -78.53 0.
17 In the menu bar, click Select > Beams Parallel To > Y.
18 In the Specifications dialog, verify that the Assignment Method is set to
clicking Yes.
20
Apr-11
Bridge Modeling
Exercise: Assign Supports

1
In the Page Control area, click the Support sub-tab of the General tab.
In the Supports dialog, click the Create button. The Fixed tab will be active
by default.
In the Create Support dialog, click the Add button.
In the Supports dialog, click the line that refers to S2 Support 2.
In the Supports dialog, click the Use Cursor to Assign option in the
Assignment Method, and then click the Assign button.
In the View Window, click once at the base of each of the three columns,
and then toggle the Assigning button off.
Apr-11
21

Bridge Modeling
Exercise: Assign Loads

1
Continue with the model in the previous exercise.
In the Page Control area, click the Load & Definition sub-tab of the
General tab.
In the Load & Definition dialog, highlight the Load Cases Details item. Click
the Add... button.
Note: The Primary option is selected by default in the Add New: Load Cases
dialog.
4
In the Add New: Load Cases dialog, enter the following parameters:
Number: 1
Loading Type: Dead
Title: Dead Load
Click the Add button, followed by Close.

5
In the Load & Definition dialog, highlight the 1: Dead Load item. Click the
Add... button.
Note: The Self weight Load item is selected by default.

6
In the Add New: Load Items dialog, enter the following parameters:
Direction: Y
Factor: -1

7
In the Load & Definition dialog, highlight the SELFWEIGHT Y -1 item. Select
the Assign to View radio button in the Assignment Methods and then click
Assign. Confirm with Yes.
22
Apr-11
Bridge Modeling
Initiating the Analysis and Reviewing Results
The next exercises demonstrate how to initiate an analysis, and how to review
analysis results in the post processor.
Exercise: Issue the Analysis Command

1
In the Page Control area, click the Analysis/Print tab.
In the Analysis/Print Commands dialog, click the Add button followed by

Close.
Note: The model is now fully constructed, and it includes a Dead Load case
and a command to perform a linear elastic analysis.
Exercise: Perform Analysis and Review Deflected Shape

1
In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis...
Note: The STAAD Analysis and Design dialog provides information about the
analysis as it progresses.
3
In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, review the final messages to
ensure that it indicates 0 errors and 0 warnings. Then, click the Go to Post
Processing Mode radio button and then click Done.
In the Results Setup dialog, click OK to accept the one and only load case in
this model.
Note: The displacement diagram is displayed by default. It is based on Load

Case 1, which is the Dead Load case that represents self weight only.
Apr-11
23

Bridge Modeling
In the menu bar, click Results > Scale In the Diagrams dialog, select the
Scales tab and set the Displacement input field to a value of 0.005 in per
in. Click OK.
Note: The exaggerated deflection of the deck appears uniform and wellbehaved. The deflected beams follow the shape of the deflected deck.
Some deflection is apparent at the free end of the girders as compared
to their points of connection to the columns. The deflected shape is as
expected.
6
In the Node Displacements table, click the Summary tab to review the
extreme deflections.
Note: The Min Y deflection (largest downward deflection) is on the order of 1

inch. The magnitude of the deflection is reasonable.
7
In the Page Control area, click the Reactions sub-tab of the Node tab.
Note: The Difference line in the Statics Check Results table shows all zeros.
This indicates that there is no loss of load. The full magnitude of the
applied load is finding its way to the supports through a valid load path.
Based on the observations of the behavior of the model, it is in good working
order to apply STAAD.beava for the purpose of optimizing load positions.
24
Apr-11
Module Review
Module Review
Now that you have completed this module, lets measure what you have learned.
Questions
True
False
Plates modeled in STAAD.Pro have a top and a bottom.
True
False
Member Specifications have an effect on the way individual members

behave during an analysis.
True
False
Proper use of the Split member if option can greatly assist in creating
proper connectivity.
Apr-11
25

Module Review
Answers
Proper use of the Split member if option can greatly assist in creating
proper connectivity.
True
When activated, the Split member if option will ensure that a member
is split and connected if a new node is added on that member.
2
Plates modeled in STAAD.Pro have a top and a bottom.

True
The top and the bottom of a plate are dictated by the order in which
the plate's nodes were created. Top and bottom have meaning when it
comes to interpreting stresses in the plate.
Member Specifications have an effect on the way individual members

behave during an analysis.
True
Examples of member specifications include releases, offsets, and the
tension/compression-only specification.
26
Apr-11
Module Overview
This module introduces STAAD.beava and demonstrates its application on a
typical bridge structure in STAAD.Pro model. It demonstrates how to set up
roadways, lanes, and vehicles, and to identify design parameters where the
maximum response is of interest in design. The exercises demonstrate how to
identify these design parameters of interest, how to run STAAD.beava to
determine the load positions to maximize each of the design parameters of
interest, and how to create the necessary load cases and export them back to the
STAAD.Pro model. The module concludes with a demonstration of customizing a
Load Combination table and automatically generating Load Combinations in
STAAD.Pro.
Loading Bridge Structures in

STAAD.Pro/STAAD.beava
Apr-11
Familiarity with AASHTO loading criteria
Completion of the module addressing Modeling of Bridge Structures
Activation of the STAAD.beava (Bridge Codes) license
27
Module Objectives
Module Objectives
Develop a familiarity with STAAD.beavas use and functionality
Identify critical loading conditions to maximize selected structural responses
Use the results of STAAD.beavas analysis to automatically create the critical

loading conditions as Load Items in the STAAD.Pro model
Create a custom Load Combination table in STAAD.Pro, and use it to

Questions
1
Influence surfaces describe the variation in a single structural response as

a function of the position of a unit load.
True
False
The AASHTO HL-93 load describes a lane loading requirement in addition

to the wheel loads from an HS20-44 vehicle.
True
False
Repeat Loads are an instruction to STAAD.Pro to consider the constituent

load cases as though they act concurrently, rather than summing the
results of the individual loads acting independently.
True
False
28

Apr-11
Answers
1
Influence surfaces describe the variation in a single structural response as

a function of the position of a unit load.
True
At any location x on an influence surface diagram for structural response y,
the ordinate value represents the value of structural response y when a
unit load is located at location x.
2
The AASHTO HL-93 load describes a lane loading requirement in addition

to the wheel loads from the design vehicle.
True
STAAD.beava automatically incorporates these requirements and creates
the lane load components as well as the wheel load components.
Repeat Loads are an instruction to STAAD.Pro to consider the constituent

load cases as though they act concurrently, rather than summing the
results of the individual loads acting independently.
True
It is particularly important to use Repeat Loads to combine loads any time

there are non-linearities such as tension-only members, compression-only
supports, etc. It is also important to use Repeat Load combinations any
time a P-Delta analysis is performed.
Apr-11
29

Bridge Loading
Bridge Loading
The process of load application for bridge design can be complex due to the
nature of the moving loads. Maximizing any particular structural response of
interest (shear, moment, axial load, and deflection) may be dependent on the
exact placement of multiple vehicles on multiple lanes. Modern codes and design
standards may also introduce additional complicating factors such as loaded
length on a lane, lane factors and load intensity.
To obtain the maximum design effects, engineers may resort to a combination of
engineering judgment and a trial and error methodology. This leads to the
generation of many loading conditions and a large volume of output data to sift
through.
STAAD.beava
In view of the complexities associated with bridge loading, STAAD.beava (Bridge
Engineering Automated Vehicle Application) works hand-in-hand with STAAD.Pro.
Its purpose is to minimize the effort associated with the load application process
while complying with national code requirements.
STAAD.beava helps to eliminate the trial and error approach (as well as the
possible errors arising from inaccuracies associated with it), by determining
loading positions required to maximize structural responses of interest.
The approach is based on the use of influence surfaces. An influence surface for a
given effect on a bridge deck relates its value to the movement of a unit load over
the area of interest. The influence surface is a three-dimensional form of an
influence line for a single member.
Influence surfaces can be generated for effects such as bending moments in plate
elements, deflection in all the degrees of freedom of nodes and support
reactions, and axial forces, shears and moments in beam members.
With input from the engineer, STAAD.beava uses the relevant influence surfaces
and takes code requirements into consideration to optimize load positions to
obtain the maximum desired effects.
Note: The use of STAAD.beava requires the activation of the STAAD.beava (Bridge
Codes) license.
30

Apr-11
STAAD.beava
The following series of exercises demonstrates the application of STAAD.beava to

the bridge model created in the previous module.
Exercise: Create a Deck in STAAD.beava
Open Bridge4.std in STAAD.Pro.
Note: It is important to open the new dataset file in this case, because the
mesh has been modified as compared to the previous model. As always,

use engineering judgment when selecting a mesh density. In this model,
the deck has been re-meshed more coarsely to reduce processing times
in the learning environment.
2
In the menu bar, click Mode > Bridge Deck Preprocessor or select the
BEAVA icon in the Mode toolbar to activate STAAD.beava.
In the View Window, use the Plates Cursor to select all of the plates in the
model.
In the menu bar, click Deck > Create Deck.
In the Save Deck As dialog, enter the name Plates_Only and then click OK.
Deselect all currently selected elements.
In the View Window, use the Beams Cursor to select all of the beams in
the model.
In the menu bar, click Deck > Create Deck.
In the Save Deck As dialog, enter the name Beams_Only and then click OK.
Note: When creating decks, use them to your best advantage. By including
plates in one deck and members in another, it makes it possible to

separately view Influence surface information on subsets of the overall
structure. But regardless of how the decks are formed, the entire
structure will always be considered when the Influence Surfaces are
generated.
Apr-11
31

STAAD.beava
Before we move into defining the roadway and the vehicle, we will initiate the
generation of Influence Surfaces, observe the Influence Surfaces associated with
the following structural responses, and discuss the physical meaning of each:
Extreme Y-direction Node Displacement of Node 153
Node 153
Extreme Y-direction Support Reaction at Node 18
Influence Surfaces
Node 18
32

Apr-11
STAAD.beava
Extreme Starting End Mz for Beam 452
Beam 452
Extreme Mx for Plate 205
Plate 205
Exercise: Generate and Observe the Influence Surfaces

1
Continue with the model from the previous exercise, or open Bridge 5.std
in STAAD.Pro and click Mode > Bridge Deck Preprocessor.
In the menu bar, click Loading > Influence Surface Generator.
Note: This initiates an analysis of the model for the purpose of generating the
influence surface data. The STAAD Analysis and Design window opens
and reports progress as the model runs. The window closes
automatically when the analysis is complete.
3
Apr-11
In the View toolbar, set the Active Deck drop down list box to
1: Plates_Only.
33

STAAD.beava
Note: The Influence Surface Generator automatically collects the data
necessary to produce Influence Surfaces on all Decks, no matter how

many Decks there may be in the model.
In the menu bar, click Loading > Influence Diagram... In the Diagrams
dialog, enter the following parameters on the Influence tab:
Diagram Type: Node Displacement
Node Displacement: Y
Node: 153
Influence Shown: Active Deck
Scale for Influence Draw on Beams: 0.2
Click OK and observe the resulting color-coded Influence Diagram:
The color codes indicate, on a relative basis, how much effect a unit load
would have on the Y-direction displacement of Node 153, if the unit load
was placed in all different areas of the structure.
Notice that the concentric rings radiate outward from Node 153. This
indicates that a unit load has a greater and greater effect on the Ydirection displacement of Node 153, the closer it is placed to Node 153.
Notice also that the color coding indicates high negative influence
numbers in the vicinity of Node 153. This is because the unit load is
assumed to be in the downward direction (representative of gravity loads),
so the unit load actually causes a deflection in the negative Y-direction.
34

Apr-11
STAAD.beava
2: Beams_Only. The structure diagram updates to display the influence
colors on the members that are defined as being part of the Deck named
Beams_Only.
The interpretation of the color distribution is the same as described

above.
In the menu bar, click Loading > Influence Diagram
Apr-11
35

STAAD.beava
In the Diagrams dialog, choose the option named All Decks in the
Influence Shown category, and then click Apply. The structure diagram
now shows the influence colors for entities that belong to any defined
Deck in the model as shown below:
In the Diagrams dialog, enter the following parameters on the Influence

tab to study the Influence Diagram for the extreme Y-direction Support
Reaction at Node 18:
Diagram Type: Support Reaction
Support Reaction: FY
Node: 18
Influence Shown: All Decks
Click Apply and observe the resulting color-coded Influence Diagram:
36

Apr-11
STAAD.beava
This diagram indicates that load should be placed close to the girder that
connects to the center column, to have the greatest influence on the
Support Reaction at Node 18. Notice that in this case, the color
distribution consists predominantly of positive values. This implies that
any load placed in those areas will produce some reaction at Node 18 that
is in the positive Y direction.
Apr-11
37

STAAD.beava
In the Diagrams dialog, enter the following parameters on the Influence

tab to study the Influence Diagram for the extreme Starting End Mz for
Beam 452:
Diagram Type: Beam End Forces
Beam End Forces: End A: MZ
Beam: 452
This diagram indicates that load should be placed as close as possible to

the free end of the central girder, to have the greatest influence on the
moment about the local z-axis of Member 452.
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Apr-11
STAAD.beava
10 In the Diagrams dialog, enter the following parameters on the Influence
tab to study the Influence Diagram for the extreme Mx for Plate 205:
Diagram Type: Plate Stress
Plate Stress: MX (local)
Plate: 205
This diagram indicates that load should be placed as close as possible to

Plate 205, to have the greatest influence on the moment on the local xface of that plate.
Bear in mind that the work we have just done with Influence Surfaces has
been completely without regard to any roadway geometry or any
particular vehicle definition. It has simply been the product of working
with the Influence Surfaces for the structure.
Apr-11
39

STAAD.beava
The following exercise demonstrates how to specify the geometric information

that delineates where traffic can actually travel on the structure, and where traffic
is not permitted because of curbs, median barriers, etc., through the definition of
a roadway.
Exercise: Define a Roadway

1
Ensure that current input units are set to foot.
Note: The definition of a Roadway is specific to a particular Deck. When a
Roadway is defined, it will only be Active for the Deck that is selected
at the time the Roadway is defined. A Roadway will appear as Inactive
on any other Decks.
3
1: Plates_Only.
Note: From this point forward, we will only concentrate our efforts on this one
Deck.
4
In the menu bar, click Deck > Define Roadway
In the Roadways dialog, click the New button.
Defining a Roadway
40

Apr-11
STAAD.beava
Note: The Define Roadway dialog contains three tabs: Straight, Curved, and
Custom.
The Straight tab provides a simple way to define two outer curbs, and
let STAAD.beava calculate the lane widths automatically as shown
below:
Curb A
Curb B
Apr-11
41

STAAD.beava
The Curved tab provides a way to define two circular outer curbs, and
let STAAD.beava calculate the lane widths automatically as shown
below:
42

Apr-11
STAAD.beava
The Curved tab also provides angle input fields that can be used to
limit the extent of the load application to a sector defined by an angle.
This might be necessary if a ramping condition existed such that some
portion of the bridge structure was not subject to direct vehicular
loads as shown in the figure below:
The Curved tab can even be used on structures that are not circular in
shape.
Apr-11
The Custom tab provides a way to explicitly define the individual lane
layout in any combination of straight sections, circular sections, and/or
sections of irregular geometry (such as spiral curves, or any other
geometry that can be digitized into X-Z data pairs).
43

STAAD.beava
In the Define Roadway dialog, click the Custom tab and then enter the
following parameters:
Lane category:
Active Lane: 1 of 1
Origin X: 0 ft
Origin Z: 5.5 ft
Width: 9 ft
Section category:

Active Section: 1 of 1
Curb on Left: (checked)
Curb on Right: (unchecked)
Orientation: 0
Length: 160 ft
Section Type: Straight
Note: The zero-degree Orientation of this lane implies that loads are
positioned along a horizontal line. It does NOT imply that the load
patterns will only be considered as though the vehicle is driving from
left to right. In fact, STAAD.beava considers the wheel loads as though
they are driving in both directions, and identifies whichever case
creates the maximum response.
7
Click Apply.
The first lane is now defined and the Define Roadway dialog appears as
shown below:
44

Apr-11
STAAD.beava
Click the Add Lane Right button and enter the following parameters:
Lane category:
Active Lane: 2 of 2
Origin X: 0 ft
Origin Z: 14.5 ft
Width: 9 ft
Section category:
Curb on Left: (unchecked)
Curb on Right: (checked)
Orientation: 0
Length: 160 ft
Click Apply.
The first and second lanes are now defined, and the Define Roadway
dialog appears as shown below:
Apr-11
45

STAAD.beava
10 Click the Add Lane Right button and enter the following parameters:
Lane category:
Active Lane: 3 of 3
Origin X: 0 ft
Origin Z: 25.5 ft
Width: 9 ft
Note: The lane origin locations used for the second and third lanes establishes
a 2-foot wide median divider.

Section category:
Curb on Left: (checked)
Curb on Right: (unchecked)
Orientation: 0
Length: 160 ft
11 Click Apply.
Warning: STAAD.beava has some built-in intelligence that attempts to establish
curb settings automatically based on the adjacent defined lanes.

This behavior causes the curb on the right to be removed from Lane
2 at this time. Since this example incorporates a median divider,
that curb should now be reset manually for Lane 2.
46

Apr-11
STAAD.beava
The first, second, and third lanes are now defined, and after resetting the
curb on the right for Lane 2, the Define Roadway dialog appears as shown
below:
12 Click the Add Lane Right button and enter the following parameters:
Lane category:
Active Lane: 4 of 4
Origin X: 0 ft
Origin Z: 34.5 ft
Width: 9 ft
Section category:
Curb on Left: (unchecked)
Curb on Right: (checked)
Orientation: 0
Length: 160 ft
13 Click Apply.
Apr-11
47

STAAD.beava
All four lanes are now defined, and the Define Roadway dialog appears as
shown below:
14 In the Define Roadway dialog, click OK.

Note: The Roadways dialog appears as shown below, indicating the presence
of one, Custom 4-lane Roadway.
Hint: The CW nomenclature is a carryover from the term Carriageway that
was previously used in place of Roadway.

Warning: Remember that this Roadway will only apply to the Deck named 1:
Plates_Only.
15 In the Roadways dialog, click the Close button.
48

Apr-11
STAAD.beava
Vehicle Definitions
The next exercise discusses the parameters used to define a Vehicle.
Exercise: Observe a Vehicle Definition

1
Note: The dataset file named Bridge 7.std contains no Deck or Roadway
information, as neither is required to observe Vehicle Definitions.
In the menu bar, click Vehicle > Database
Note: The Vehicle Database dialog displays the list of defined vehicles and
shows details including vehicle dimensions, axle spacing, and wheel

loads. Custom vehicles can be created as necessary.
3
In the Vehicle Database dialog, click HS20-44 in the Vehicles list to observe
a representative vehicle definition.
Ensure that the Details of Axle drop down list box is set to 1.
The graphic below clarifies that Axle 1 consists of one wheel load of 4000
lb located 3 ft from the vehicle centerline, and another wheel load of 4000
lb located 3 ft on the other side of the vehicle centerline. Axle 1 is defined
as being at a Fixed Position of 0 ft from the start of the vehicle.
Axle 3
Axle 2
Axle 1
Wheel 1: 4000 lbs

3 ft from CL
3 ft from CL
CL
Wheel 2: 4000 lbs

Axle 1: Position 0
Apr-11
49

STAAD.beava
Set the Details of Axle drop down list box to axle 2.
The Position field indicates that Axle 2 is located at a Fixed Position 14 ft

behind the front axle. The wheel loads are still 6 feet apart, spaced
symmetrically about the centerline, but each wheel load is now 16000 lb.
6
The wheel loads are still 6 feet apart, spaced symmetrically about the
centerline, and each wheel load is still 16000 lb. But the Position field
indicates that Axle 3 is located at a Variable Position that ranges from a
minimum of 14 ft, to a maximum of 30 ft from the second axle. So in this
case, axle 3 is studied in many different positions, and it is moved in 0.5 ft
increments, as indicated by the value in the Increment field.

Set the Details of Axle drop down list box to axle 3.
Review the Clearance and Width values in the Vehicle Database dialog.
They are used to limit how close one vehicle's pattern of wheel loads can
be placed with respect to each other if the vehicle is specified as being a
Convoy. The values can be interpreted as shown in the following graphic:
10 ft Width
Front
50 ft Clearance
50 ft Clearance
8
In the Vehicle Database dialog, click Cancel.
50

Apr-11
STAAD.beava
Load Generator
The next exercise demonstrates how to use the Load Generator to position a
particular vehicle so as to maximize specific structural responses of interest. For
continuity, the exercise focuses on the same four structural responses identified
previously, namely:
Extreme Y-direction Node Displacement of Node 153
Extreme Y-direction Support Reaction at Node 18
Extreme Starting End Mz for Beam 452
Extreme Mx for Plate 205
Exercise: Run the Load Generator

1
Note: In this version of the model, the Deck named Beams_Only has been
removed, and the Roadway has been modified for simplicity.

2
Ensure that the current length input units are set to foot.
In the menu bar, click Loading > Influence Surface Generator to instruct
the program to generate the influence surface data for this model.
In the menu bar, click Loading > Run Load Generator after the influence
surface generation is complete.
In the Load Generator Parameters dialog, General tab, set the Design Code
to AASHTO LRFD.
Note: When LRFD is chosen, STAAD.beava applies AASHTO HL-93 design
loading.
6
Apr-11
Click the Decks tab and observe that the Deck named Plates_Only is
selected by default.
51

STAAD.beava
Click the AASHTO tab and note that when the AASHTO LRFD Design Code
is selected, Load Factors are provided as optional multipliers for the
various components of load.
Design Tandem: 1
Design Truck (HS): 1.33
Note: Article 3.6.1.2.2 of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications
requires that a dynamic load allowance shall be applied to wheel loads.

Note: Article 3.6.1.2.4 indicates that the dynamic load allowance shall not be
applied to lane loads.

Note: Article 3.6.2.1 provides table of dynamic load factors. We will use 33% in
this exercise.
Set the factors on the AASHTO tab as follows:
Note: Live Load generation in BEAVA as per AASHTO LRFD considers Section
3.6.1.1.2 Multiple Presence Factor (Table 3.6.1.1.2-1). A table has been

provided in the code specific page of the Load Generation Parameters
dialog. The table takes the entry as in the Table 3.6.1.1.2-1 of AASHTO
LRFD (1998).
52

Apr-11
STAAD.beava
Click the Node Displacements tab and set the parameters in row 1 as
follows:
Node: 153
Displacement: Y
Over Pier: No
To Curb: 19 ft
Effect: -ve
Click the Support Reactions tab and set the parameters in row 1 as
follows:
Node: 18
Over Pier: Yes
To Curb: 19 ft
Effect: +ve
10 Remain on the Support Reactions tab and set the parameters in row 2 as
follows:
Node: 18
Over Pier: No
To Curb: 19 ft
Effect: +ve
Note: This will allow us to see the effect of the Over Pier setting.
11 Click the Plate Center Stress tab and set the parameters in row 1 as
follows:
Apr-11
Plate: 205
Stress: MX (local)
Over Pier: No
To Curb: 16.5 ft (measured from center of plate)
Effect: -ve (tension on the bottom)
53

STAAD.beava
12 Click the Beam End Forces tab and set the parameters in row 1 as follows:
Beam: 452
Force: End A: MZ
Over Pier: Yes
To Curb: 19 ft
Effect: +ve
13 Remain on the Beam End Forces tab and set the parameters in row 2 as
follows
Beam: 452
Force: End A: MZ
Over Pier: No
To Curb: 19 ft
Effect: +ve
Note: Again, this will provide us with important information regarding the
Over Pier setting.

14 In the Load Generator Parameters dialog, click OK.
15 Observe the resulting Vehicular Load Patterns Producing Extreme Values
of Structural Responses dialog.
The Response drop down list box provides a way to select from among
the responses that have been defined for consideration.
The Roadway No. drop down list box provides a way to select from
among the different Roadways that exist in the model.
The Lane No. drop down list box provides a way to select from among
the various Lanes that vehicles can travel in.
Note: When defining a Roadway, if the Straight or Curved options are used,
STAAD.beava will use the defined geometry to automatically determine

the number of Lanes that could exist on the structure.
Beneath the drop down list boxes are four other data areas as shown
below.
54

Apr-11
STAAD.beava
Note: Some of these data areas may not apply in all situations, as is the case
with the Concentrated Load section in the figure below.
Apr-11
55

STAAD.beava
Area 1 confirms the Design Specification, the Loading Designation, the

Design Method, the Units, the Roadway Type, Orientation and Width,
the Lane Width and Length, and the Loading Type that has been
applied, such as Truck loading, Tandem loading, Lane loading, and
Concentrated loading.
Area 2 provides locations and magnitudes of wheel loads, on a vehicleby-vehicle basis, for whichever Lane is selected in the Lane No. drop
down list box.
Area 3 indicates information about the Lane loading (if it applies). The
magnitude, width, length, and center location are provided.
Area 4 indicates information about the Concentrated loading (if it

applies). The magnitude, width, and center location are provided.
Note: This is a modeless dialog, meaning that it can be left open while other
tasks are performed on the screen.

16 Keep the dialog open, but slide it out of the way, so the structure can be
viewed in the View Window.

17 In the menu bar, click View > Structure Diagrams
18 In the Diagrams dialog, click the Deck tab and enter the following
parameters:
Loads: (checked)
Vehicles: (checked)
Click OK.
19 In the View toolbar, ensure that the Surface Group drop down list box is
set to 1: N153: Disp Y -ve as shown below:
56

Apr-11
STAAD.beava
Lane 1
The Main Window shows a display of the structure with a depiction of the
Vehicle and Lane loads positioned to maximize the downward deflection
of Node 153 as shown below:
Lane 3
A closer view of the loaded portion of the bridge is shown below:
Note: The vehicles in all three lanes have smaller magnitudes of wheel loads
on the right-hand end of the image, implying that their front ends are
aimed to the right.
Apr-11
57

STAAD.beava
20 Bring the Vehicular Load Patterns Producing Extreme Values of Structural
Responses dialog back into view.

Load Generator Results.
21 In the Vehicular Load Patterns Producing Extreme Values of Structural
Responses dialog, ensure the following parameters are specified:
Response: 1: Node 153: Displacement (Y)
Roadway No.: 1
Lane No.: 1
The dialog shows that Axle No. 1 (the front axle) for the vehicle in Lane No.
1 is positioned at an X coordinate of approximately 58 feet, and Axle No. 2
is positioned at an X coordinate of approximately 44 feet. This represents
an axle spacing of 14 feet, which coordinates with the values we saw
above, when we observed the HS20-44 vehicle definition, and it is
coordinated with the graphic depiction shown in the Main Window.
Note: If the dialog was closed, it can be recalled by clicking Loading > Browse
There are times where it may be useful to have such explicit information
regarding the vehicle position. However the next steps demonstrate one
of the most convenient features of STAAD.beava, which is the ability to
transfer the loading information (magnitudes and locations) back to the
STAAD.Pro input file, for incorporation into the analysis.
22 In the Vehicular Load Patterns Producing Extreme Values of Structural
Responses dialog, click Close.

23 In the menu bar, click Loading > Create Loading in STAAD Model, and then
click OK in the pop-up dialog announcing that load generation is complete.
58

Apr-11
STAAD.beava / STAAD.Pro Integration
The next exercise explores the loading data that is passed from STAAD.beava into
the STAAD.Pro input file.
Exercise: Review the loading in STAAD.Pro

1
Open the saved dataset file named Bridge 9.std.
Ensure that the current input units are set to foot and KiloPound.
In the menu bar, click View > Options...
In the Options dialog, click the Force Units item and modify the following
parameter:
Stress: psf
In the Page Control area, click the General tab and then click the Load &
Definition sub-tab.
In the Load & Definition dialog, expand the Load Cases Details item and
note that Load Cases 2 through 7 are the new cases that have been
populated into the input file from STAAD.beava.
Click OK.
Note: The load case details are automatically named with descriptive terms
that indicate the Design Code on which they are based, and the
structural response they are intended to maximize or minimize.
In the Load & Definition dialog, expand Load Case 2.
Note: The individual Load Items consist of Partial Plate Pressure Loads and
Pressure on Full Plate loads. Even the vehicle wheel loads are created in
the form of Partial Plate Pressure Loads distributed over a small area.
8
In the menu bar, click View > Structure Diagrams
In the Diagrams dialog, click the Scales tab and modify the following
parameter:
Pressure: 90000 psf per ft or 3 psf per ft
Click OK.
Hint: 90000 psf per ft and 3 psf per ft are comfortable viewing scales to
visualize the wheel loads and the distributed lane loads, respectively.
10 In the Load & Definition dialog, click on some of the Load Items and notice
that the corresponding load becomes highlighted in the View Window.
Apr-11
59

Exercise: Evaluate Over Pier versus Not Over Pier

1
Continue in the model from the previous exercise.
Note: In this exercise, we will study the effect of the Over Pier setting.
2
In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis... and then click Save in the
pop-up dialog.
In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, choose the Go to Post Processing
Mode radio button and then click Done.
In the Results Setup dialog, select Load Cases 6 and 7 only (moving all
other load cases from the Selected window to the Available window).
Note: Load Case 6 contains the loads to maximize the extreme positive
support reaction at node 18 by choosing Yes for the Over Pier setting.
Load Case 7 contains the loads to maximize the extreme positive
support reaction at node 18 by choosing No for the Over Pier setting.
5
In the Results Setup dialog, click the Range tab and click the Ranges radio
button. Enter node number 18 in the Nodes field.
Click OK.
In the Page Control area, click the Reactions sub-tab.
In the Support Reactions table, observe the Fy vertical reactions in the and
note that Load Case 6 produces a greater reaction than Load Case 7.
In the menu bar, click View > Structure Diagrams...
In the Diagrams dialog, click the Loads and Results tab. In the Loads
category, activate the Loads checkbox and then click OK.
10 In the View toolbar, use the Active Load drop down list box to toggle
between Load Case 6 and 7.

We can now see that Load Case 6 (the one that was created by choosing
Yes in the Over Pier setting) places vehicles on either side of the pier. This
is an effective way to maximize the hogging moment in the girders over
the center pier. Load Case 7 places vehicles directly over the central pier.
Given the current geometry, it turns out that Load Case 6 produces a
greater reaction at node 18.
The same process could be used to compare the effects of Load Case 4 and
Load Case 5, which were established to maximize the End A moment
about the local z-axis for member 452 assuming Over Pier and Not Over
Pier respectively. The result of the comparison would show that the
extreme effect is created by Load Case 4
60

Apr-11
Custom Load Combination Table
In this previous section, we used a model that contained the critical loading
conditions. The next exercise demonstrates how to develop a load combination
table.
Exercise: Develop a Custom Load Combination Table

1
Note: Based on the comparative study just performed in the previous exercise,
the loading data in this file has been modified by eliminating the noncontrolling load conditions, and the remaining Load Cases have been
renumbered for simplicity.
2
In the menu bar, click Commands > Loading > Edit Auto Load Rules.
In the Edit Loading Rules for Auto Load Combination Generation dialog,
use the Select Code drop down list box to view the available codes.
Note: AASHTO code load combination rules must be created manually as
custom tables. If no AASHTO option appears in the list of available

codes, follow the steps in the remainder of this exercise.
Apr-11
Click the New Code button, enter AASHTO as the new Code Name, and
click OK.
Click the Select Category drop down list box, which will be empty,
indicating that no Load Combination tables have been created yet.
61

Click the New Category button and enter the following parameters:
Category Name: TRAINING
No. of Rules: 4
Click OK.
Edit the parameters in the TRAINING table as shown below:
Dead
Traffic
Include Notional
Load
(unchecked)
(unchecked)
Combination
Rule
Combine all Cases

Together
Separate Combination
for Each Case
0.9
1.25
0.9
1.75
1.25
1.75
Rules
Note: The load combinations created for this exercise are for example
purposes only. For simplicity, they incorporate a value of 1.0 for the load
modifier, i, relating to ductility, redundancy, and operational
importance, as specified in Article 1.3.2.1 of AASHTO LRFD Bridge
Design Specifications.
8
Click the Update Table button and then click the Close button. This custom
Load Combination table is now available for use in the next exercise.
62

Apr-11
Repeat Load Combinations
The next exercise illustrates the process of applying our custom Load Combination
table to automatically generate Load Combinations in the form of Repeat Loads. It
is important that they be created as Repeat Loads, rather than results
combinations, any time a P-Delta analysis will be performed.
Exercise: Create Repeat Load Combinations

1
In the Page Control Area, click the General tab and then the Load &
Definition sub-tab.
In the Load & Definition dialog, edit each of the four generated loading
conditions to set the Loading Type to Traffic.
In the Load & Definition dialog, click Load Cases Details item and then
click the Add button.
In the Add New: Load Cases dialog, click the Auto Load Combination item
and then enter the following parameters:
Select Load Combination Code: AASHTO
Select Load Combination Category: TRAINING
Click the Generate Loads button and then activate the Create Repeat Load
Cases checkbox.
In the Add New: Load Cases dialog, click Add followed by Close.
Note: Note that ten combinations are generated in the form of Repeat Loads.
They take into consideration the two different possible factors for the
Dead Load component, and they generate all of the different
permutations of the four Traffic Load conditions in combination with
Dead Load.
This completes the process of loading the bridge structure.
Apr-11
63

Module Review
Module Review
Questions
1
Beava stands for Bridge Engineering Automated Vehicle Application.
True
False
STAAD.beava separates the load items that represent the wheel loads
from the load items that represent the lane loads, so they can be factored
separately.
True
False
The LOAD LIST command can be exported directly from STAAD.beava into
True
False
64

Apr-11
Module Review
Answers
1
Beava stands for Bridge Engineering Automated Vehicle Application.
True
2
STAAD.beava separates the load items that represent the wheel loads
from the load items that represent the lane loads, so they can be factored
separately.
False
This separation was done manually during the preparation of the dataset
files. By default, STAAD.beava lumps all load items for a single structural
response into one Load Case.
3
The LOAD LIST command can be exported directly from STAAD.beava into
False
STAAD.beava can export the loading conditions directly into a STAAD.Pro

input file, but a LOAD LIST command is inserted into the input file through
the GUI or from the STAAD Editor.
Apr-11
65

Module Review

66
Apr-11
Module Overview
This module discusses the application of design parameters and the assignment of
design commands to perform code checks, to optimize designs, and to make
designs uniform. Steel members are designed according to the AASHTO LRFD
code, and concrete members are designed according to the ACI code.
Designing Bridge Structures in

STAAD.Pro
Familiarity with AASHTO and ACI design criteria
Module Objectives
Apr-11
Apply steel design parameters
Perform code checking of steel members according to AASHTO LRFD Code
Observe the results of a code check based on the loading conditions

generated by STAAD.beava
Optimize and unify designs of steel members
Observe critical deflections of steel members
Apply concrete design parameters
Initiate the batch mode design of reinforced concrete slabs, beams, and
columns
Interpret concrete design output results
67
Questions
1
With regard to steel design, STAAD.Pro has the ability to perform code
checking or member selection (optimization) processes.
True
False
The use of STAAD.beava makes it unnecessary to reanalyze a model after

any stiffnesses have changed in the structure.
True
False
Concrete design commands will trigger a change in the member section

properties if a rational reinforcing pattern cannot be determined.
True
False
68
Apr-11
Answers
1
With regard to steel design, STAAD.Pro has the ability to perform code
checking or member selection (optimization) processes.
True
When the Code Checking function is used, the program will return a Pass/
Fail status and a utilization ratio. If the member fails the code check, it is
the user's responsibility to address the issue. If the member is oversized,
the program makes no attempt to economize. By contrast, when the
Member Selection function is used, the program will return the lightest
weight section within that family of sections, which meets the code
requirements while satisfying all of the design parameters.
2
The use of STAAD.beava makes it unnecessary to reanalyze a model after

any stiffnesses have changed in the structure.
False
Regardless of whether STAAD.beava has been used to generate the

loading conditions or not, when a stiffness analysis is performed, it is
always good practice to reanalyze the model after making any significant
changes. This is important for two reasons: first, to capture the effects of
the revised stiffnesses when the load is distributed, and second, to
incorporate the effects of any changes in self weight.
Concrete design commands will trigger a change in the member section

properties if a rational reinforcing pattern cannot be determined.
False
Concrete design commands will only result in reinforcing patterns for the
assigned section size. If a rational reinforcing pattern cannot be
determined, the program will indicate this in the output, but will not
attempt to revise the section size.
Apr-11
69

Load List
Load List
The Load List command is used to activate the load cases listed in this command
and deactivate all other load cases.
Exercise: Specify a Load List

1
Note: This model contains the following load cases/combinations:
Load Case 1: Dead Load (self-weight of the bridge structure)
Load Cases 2 - 5: AASHTO Vehicle Loads generated in STAAD.beava
Load Cases 6 - 13: Repeat Load Combinations generated in STAAD.Pro
Note: When performing member design or code checking operations, it is
common to consider only load combinations, and to exclude the

primary load cases. In this example, we use the Load List command to
instruct STAAD.Pro to consider only Load Cases 6 through 13 when
performing the design and code check operations.
2
In the menu bar, click Commands > Loading > Load List...
In the Load List dialog, select Load Cases 6 through 13 in the Load Cases
window. Move these loads to the Load List window by clicking the single
right arrow button.
Click OK.
Note: Load Cases 6 through 13 are now the only load cases considered for any
commands that are issued hereafter, until another Load List command
is issued.
Note: This load list does not include the traffic load-only condition, which is
the likely one to use for evaluating deflections. We will check deflection
in a subsequent step.
Now that loading has been properly established, the next step is to apply design
parameters and commands.
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STAAD.Pro Steel Design
Steel design in STAAD.Pro involves two basic kinds of activities:
Code Checking
Member Selection
Check Code is a request to determine if the member properties that the user has
provided are adequate to carry the forces that are applied to the members. You
use Check Code when you have provided member properties that you believe to
be close to what they should be. If the Code Check finds members that are
inadequate, you will be responsible for finding a new set of members to replace
the inadequate ones.
By contrast, Member Selection is a request to have STAAD.Pro indicate the

minimum weight cross section that is sufficient to carry the design loads safely. In
a Member Selection, STAAD.Pro finds the lightest acceptable section while
incorporating any specified constraints, such as minimum depth or sections of a
particular size category. This means that if, for example, STAAD.Pro is restricted to
choose from among W12 sections, it will not look for any W8 sections that might
be sufficient. Additionally, STAAD.Pro only considers sections that have the same
cross sectional shape as the initial member. For example, if a member is initially
specified as an angle, only other angle shapes are considered when the selection
routine is run. The optimization process is as follows:
The actual optimization process starts with the lightest possible section within
the specified constraints, and verifies whether or not that section is adequate.
If it is not adequate, the program checks the next heavier section and keeps
going until it finds the first one that satisfies the code requirements within any
specified constraints.
If it is unable to find any section that satisfies both the specified constraints
and the code requirements, the program reports the last section tried, and
the results of that check, including why that section fails the code check.
The sequence of commands for performing a Check Code and those for
performing a Member Selection are similar.
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71

Note: The model used in the following exercises is based on the model used in the
previous modules (with some minor modeling revisions). For the next series of
exercises, we will assume that the intent is to investigate the design of the
central longitudinal girder. For this purpose, STAAD.beava has been applied, to
determine loading patterns that maximize:
hogging moment at interior support
shear at interior support
sagging moment in the left span, and
downward deflection in left span
The next dataset file incorporates these loading patterns, with the dynamic
loading factor applied to the wheel loads.
Steel Design Code

The following exercise illustrates how to identify the design code to be used for
evaluating steel members.
Exercise: Specify the Design Code

1
Continue with the model from the previous exercise or open Bridge 13.std
in STAAD.Pro.
In the Page Control area, click the Design tab and Steel sub-tab.
In the Steel Design dialog, click the Current Code list to view the available
codes for steel design.
Note: STAAD.Pro offers the choice of designing using many different codes
from numerous countries, some of which require specific licenses.

4
In the Current Code list, select the AASHTO (LRFD) code. Keep this model
open for use in the next section.
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Apr-11
Steel Design Parameters
In the lower portion of the Steel Design dialog, note the three buttons labeled
Select Parameters, Define Parameters and Commands. Clicking the Define
Parameters button opens the Design Parameters dialog. The category window on
the left side of this dialog lists all of the available design parameters from which to
choose.
This dialog is used to specify values for the different design parameters. The
parameters listed are those that are referenced in the various sections of the
currently selected design code.
All of the parameters are initially set to default values. In the absence of any other
instruction, STAAD.Pro will use the default values shown.
Grade of Steel
One common example of the use of parameters is to correctly set the grade of
steel for the different members in the model. The next exercise demonstrates this
procedure.
Slenderness checking
Some other commonly used parameters are the ones that affect slenderness
checking; that is the Kl/r ratio. In the Kl/r ratio, the definitions are as follows:
The effective length factor, K, addresses the end conditions of the columns.
The unsupported length, l, represents the distance between two points at

which the member is braced against lateral buckling.
The radius of gyration, r, is a property of the cross section, expressed as the

square root of the moment of inertia divided by the area.
r =
I
---A
Since r is a function of the member cross section, it is available to STAAD.Pro from

the section database, and, thus is not a user-input value. However, you do have
influence over the values used for K and l.
For buckling about the Y-axis, the parameter names are Ky and Ly; for buckling
about the Z-axis, they are called Kz and Lz.
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73

In the absence of any user input, the K values are assigned a default value of 1.0
and the l values are assigned to be equal to the node-to-node member length. It is
up to you to assign the correct K and l values to the members.
It is important that you understand the system of bracing in the model. For
example, a member that is braced at a point against buckling in one plane may
not necessarily be braced for buckling in the orthogonal plane at that point.
Under these conditions, it may be necessary to modify the default value of 1.0 for
K in one of the directions.
Unbraced Length for Bending

Under normal conditions, when a beam bends, one flange is in tension, the other
in compression. Compression flanges can buckle, either local buckling or lateral
torsional buckling, between points of bracing. Two parameters called UNT and
UNB are used to define these unbraced lengths for bending. UNT is the unbraced
length for the top flange of the beam, and UNB is the unbraced length for the
bottom flange.
Top flange and bottom flange are defined with reference to the orientation of
the member's local axis system. The flange in the positive local-y direction is the
top flange; the flange in the negative direction is the bottom flange.
Local Y-axis
Top Flange
Major Axis
There may be instances where the top flange of a wide flange beam is braced by a
deck, precluding any kind of buckling of the top flange; whereas, the bottom
flange may be supported at discrete distances.
Under this condition, the unsupported length for the top flange will be one value,
and the unsupported length for the bottom flange will be another value.
These parameters require the application of engineering judgment.
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Apr-11
Deflection Checking
Parameters can also be applied to assist with deflection checking. Deflections are
not automatically investigated when the Check Code or Member Selection
commands are used. To specifically instruct STAAD.Pro to perform deflection
checking, the variables DFF, DJ1 and DJ2 can be specified.
In the case of the current bridge example, STAAD.Pro would need input from the
user as to what to consider as the length of the longitudinal steel beam, if a
deflection check is to be performed. It can't determine the length automatically,
because those structural elements are represented by a series of individual
member segments connected at nodes.
The details of all of these parameters are explained in Chapter 2 of the Technical
Reference manual. There are also several examples in the Examples manual that
illustrate the use of parameters to control the design.
Exercise: Select, Define, and Assign Parameters for Steel Design

1
In the menu bar, click Tools > Set Current Input Units, and set the current
input units to Inch and KiloPound. Click OK.
In the Steel Design dialog, click the Define Parameters.. button.
Note: On the left of the Design Parameters dialog is a list of all of the
parameters that are available for the selected design code. On the right
side of the dialog is a description of the currently selected parameter, as
well as a field to enter the desired value for that parameter. (The field
displays the default value for each parameter unless it is modified by
the user.)
Hint: To reduce the number of parameters listed in the Design Parameters
dialog, the Select Parameters button can be used to remove any

parameters that will not be used in the current model. Only parameters
that are in the Selected Parameters list will be listed in the Design
Parameters dialog and will be accessible for use in the model.
4
In the Design Parameters dialog, click the Grade item and then select the
(3) Grade 50W radio button. Click the Add button.
Note: This adds some new lines in the input file and in the Command Tree in
the Steel Design dialog. The new lines include the units change to UNIT
INCHES KIP, the reference to the selected AASHTO LRFD code, and a line
referring to GRADE 3 with a question mark icon.
Apr-11
75

Note: The question mark icon indicates that this particular parameter has not
yet been assigned to any members. We will define the remaining

parameters, and then assign them to the appropriate members.
In the Design Parameters dialog, click the TRACK item and then Click the
radio button for 0 = Print the design output at the minimum detail level.
Click the Add button.
Note: The track parameter is used to specify the desired level of detail in the
output. TRACK is an example of a parameter that controls program

behavior as opposed to setting design values.
6
In the Design Parameters dialog, click the UNB item and then enter 240 in.
Click the Add button.
Note: The UNB parameter specifies the unbraced length of the bottom flange
of the beam members to which it is assigned. We have assumed that

there will actually be cross-bracing at 20'-0 intervals along the length
of the bridge, and that it will be stiff enough to brace the bottom flange.
7
In the Design Parameters dialog, click the UNT item and then enter 12 in.
Note: The UNT parameter specifies the unbraced length of the top flange of
the beam members to which it is assigned. We have assumed that the

top flange of the longitudinal steel beams will be continuously braced
by the concrete deck. Continuous bracing might be interpreted as an
unbraced length of zero. But, as is the case with many instances in
STAAD.Pro, a value of zero for the UNT parameter implies the default
condition, and the default is to assume that the unbraced length is the
member length. So, the most effective way to achieve the effect of
continuous bracing is to specify a small nonzero value for UNT.
Note: Note that all of these new lines have been added to the end of the input
file and Command Tree by default.
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Apr-11
Hint: If there is a need to insert a parameter at a location other than the
default end-of-file location, you can do this using the After Current
checkbox as described in the commentary below.
First, click on the line in the Command Tree that immediately precedes
the desired insertion point of the new command.
Next, use the Design Parameters dialog to select the new parameter
and set its value.
Finally, click the After Current checkbox in the Design Parameters

dialog and click Add or Assign. The newly added parameter will appear
in the Command Tree immediately after the currently selected
command.
In the Steel Design dialog, click on the line in the Command Tree that says
GRADE 3 and then click the Select Group/Deck button.
In the Select Group/Deck dialog, click on _CENTRAL-GIRDER and then click

OK.
Note: This automatically selects the option to Assign to Edit List in the Steel
Design dialog, and it populates the edit list with the name of the group
that contains all of the members in the central longitudinal girder.
10 In the Steel Design dialog, click the Assign button. The members in the
central longitudinal girder become highlighted to indicate that they have

received the specification assignment.
11 Repeat the same assignment procedure to assign TRACK 0, UNB 240, and
UNT 12 to all of the members in the central longitudinal girder.
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Code Checking
Now that design parameters have been assigned to the model, the Check Code
command can be used to determine if the members are adequate to carry the
applied forces.
Warning: Remember that if the Code Check finds members that are inadequate, it will
report that condition, but will not make any attempt to modify member
sizes. It is the user's responsibility to interpret the design results and
modify framing conditions or member sizes if necessary.
Exercise: Using the Check Code command

1
Continue working in the current model, or open the saved dataset file
named Bridge 14.std and click the Design tab in the Page Control area.
Note: For this exercise, we will assume the intent is to do a code check for all
of the members in the central longitudinal girder.

2
In the menu bar, click Select > By Group Name
In the Select Groups dialog, click on the name _CENTRAL-GIRDER and then
click Close.
In the Steel Design dialog, click the Commands button.
Note: In the Design Commands dialog, the Assign button is available, because
members are currently selected in the View Window. The Assign button
is convenient because it adds the currently selected command to the
Command Tree, while simultaneously assigning it to all of the currently
selected members.
5
In the Design Commands dialog, select the Code Check item and then click
the Assign button. Click the Close button.
In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis In the Warning dialog, click
Save.
Note: The STAAD Analysis and Design dialog opens and reports on the process
of the current analysis. When the analysis concludes, leave this dialog
open for the next section.
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Apr-11
Reviewing the STAAD Analysis messages
There are now some messages in the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog indicating
additional operations that were performed, like Performing Steel Design, Finished
Design, Creating Design Information File (DGN), and so forth.
The indications that the run was successful are:
The message **Output Written to File.
The presence of an option to Go to Post Processing Mode.
The absence of any error messages at the bottom of the STAAD Analysis and
Design dialog.
If the program is ever unsuccessful in analyzing the input file and generating
results, the Post Processing mode will not be available, as shown below.
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79

If this ever occurs, open the output file and look for error and/or warning
messages that will help to locate the problem.
The program may also display a message such as ERROR in Analysis, check
Output (ANL) File if the analysis concludes prematurely, without generating any
results.
The STAAD Output Viewer has two panes. If there is any kind of problem in the
file, the left pane will display horizontal bars labeled Error or Warning. There may
also be a Results bar if the program was able to proceed through the analysis far
enough to generate some results.
Note: An error message indicates a condition which must be corrected in order for a
successful analysis to be performed. A Warning message indicates that the

program encountered an unexpected or abnormal condition, but it was still
able to perform an analysis while warning that the output results should be
checked carefully.
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Apr-11
Review the Output

When the analysis concludes, note that some warnings are indicated.
Exercise: Review the Output

1
In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, choose View Output File radio
button and then click Done.
In the STAAD Output Viewer, click the Warning bar at the bottom left. Click
on any of the warnings to jump directly to that location in the output file.
The warning states EITHER FLANGE WIDTH-THICKNESS RATIO OR WEB
HEIGHT-THICKNESS RATIO IS MORE THAN THE LIMITING RATIO SPECIFIED
BY CODE, CLAUSE 6.9.4.2, THE MEMBER CAN NOT BE DESIGNED FOR AXIAL
COMPRESSION.
Note: A member size of W24x146 satisfies the flange width-thickness and web
height-thickness requirements.
4
In the menu bar, click File > Exit to close the STAAD Output Viewer.
In the Page Control area, click the General tab and the Property sub-tab.
In the Properties dialog, select the W24x103 in the section list. Click the
Edit... button.
In the American Steel Table dialog, select the W24X146 section and then
click the Change button. Confirm by clicking Yes and then click Close.
Warning: Bear in mind that as soon as any changes are made to the stiffness of
the structure, the results of the previous STAAD.beava analysis

immediately become suspect. Engineering judgment must be
exercised under these conditions, to decide when a change is
significant enough to warrant re-running the STAAD.beava analysis
to take the revised stiffness into consideration. For the purposes of
these training exercises, we will continue to work with the same
loading conditions determined in the previous STAAD.beava
analysis.
Apr-11
Save. When the analysis concludes, note that no warnings are indicated.
In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, click the View Output File radio
81

10 In the STAAD Output Viewer, click on STEEL DESIGN in the left margin. This
is a quick link to jump right to the location in the output file where the
steel design results begin.
Review the Steel Design Results and note the following:
CODE: The first line in the results says STAAD.Pro CODE CHECKING (AASHTO - LRFD) which confirms the selected design code.
UNITS: The next line indicates the units that are being used to report
the results.
The results of the code check are reported for each member that is
checked. The level of detail shown in the results is a function of the Track
parameter, which was set to a value of 0 in this exercise. Each of the
columns in the CODE CHECKING results, other than MEMBER or TABLE,
reports two pieces of data. The column headings provide the key to
determining what the data represents.
From left to right, the columns and results for Member 3 are as described
below.
MEMBER: Displays the member number. The ST notation indicates that

it is a single section from the table, as opposed to a double section,
cover-plated section, etc.
TABLE: Lists the name of the section (W24X146 in the case of Member
3).
RESULT: Provides the overall design result for the member in PASS/FAIL
format. In this case, Member 3 passes the code check.
CRITICAL COND: indicates the structural function that produces the

highest ratio for the member. In this example, the Critical Condition for
Member 3 is created by Bending about its local z axis.
RATIO: Provides the controlling utilization (demand/capacity) ratio for

the member.
LOADING: Indicates the Load Case that produced the controlling ratio.
FX (directly beneath RESULT): Indicates the axial force in the member

under the controlling Load Case. In this case, Member 3 has no axial
force. But in general, if the axial force is tensile, it is indicated with the
letter T after the force magnitude, and if the axial force is
compressive, it is indicated with the letter C. Note that this is not
necessarily the largest axial force. It is just the axial force associated
with the load case indicated in the LOADING column.
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Apr-11
MY and MZ: Indicate the bending moments about the local y and local
z axes, respectively, that are associated with the load case indicated in
the LOADING column.
LOCATION: Provides the location along the beam where the RATIO is
the highest. In this case the value is 60.00, indicating that the critical
loading occurs 60 inches from the starting end of Member 3.
11 Scroll down through the steel design results and note that some members
fail the code check. These members are indicated by FAIL in the Result
column. They are also flagged graphically with an asterisk in the extreme
left column.
This model will obviously require some modifications to address the failing
members. But before we address those issues, let's use this model to
demonstrate some other methods that are available to check a model for
failing members.
Hint: In lieu of scanning through output file line by line, there are other
Searching the Output file for Failed members
Observing Design Results on the Post Processor Unity Check page
Searching for Failed members with the Select By Specification

Command
facilities available for checking steel design results:
Observing Design Results using the member query feature
Apr-11
83

Member Selection
STAAD.Pro has the ability to design steel members (i.e. select lightest weight
members), as opposed to just performing a code check on pre-assigned member
sizes. These features are discussed and illustrated in the following exercises.
Optimizing Steel Members

Previously, we demonstrated how to perform a Code Check on members of the
model. Remember that in code checking, the user is responsible for selecting an
appropriate section size and re-assigning it to any member that fails the Code
Check.
It may be more beneficial in many cases to have STAAD.Pro select the appropriate
member size for us. STAAD.Pro has the ability to select the most economical
section in terms of weight that will satisfy the code requirements.
Note: Even though we are asking STAAD.Pro to select members for us, we still must
assign an initial size to all members of the model. This is required in order for
STAAD.Pro to be able to assemble the stiffness matrix that is necessary for
analyzing the structure.
Exercise: Optimizing Steel Members with the Select Command

1
In the Page Control area, click the Design tab. The Steel sub-tab is active by
default.
Note: In this dataset file, the Check Code command is no longer appropriate
since we will be instructing STAAD.Pro to select members that satisfy

the code requirements, rather than to just check the adequacy of the
assigned sizes. Therefore, the Code Check command has been deleted
from the input file.
3
In the View Window, select all members in the central longitudinal steel
girder.
Hint: Remember that Select By Group Name is a useful option if the members
are not already selected.

4
In the Steel Design dialog, click the Commands... button.
In the Design Commands dialog, click the SELECT item and then click the
Assign button. Click Close.
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Apr-11
Save.
In the STAAD.Pro dialog, click Yes to the warning and to proceed with the
analysis.
Note: This message is a reminder that our model contains commands that are
button, and then click Done.
In the STAAD Output Viewer, click the RESULTS bar in the left window, and
then click the words STEEL DESIGN. This is a link to go straight to the steel
design pages in the output file.
likely to change the stiffness of some members of the model, but that
we have not issued another command to trigger a re-analysis after
those stiffness changes. Therefore, the analysis results will not be
technically correct based on the commands that currently exist in this
model. We will address this and adjust the commands to correct the
issue in the upcoming exercises.
10 Scroll through the steel design results, and note the following:
Every member has passed.
Nearly every member now has a unique cross section, because no

control was provided for the program as it optimized individual
members.
Note: A more sophisticated optimization technique will be presented in an
upcoming section titled Finalizing the Design, where we will see how
to bring consistency to the selected member sizes.
11 In the menu bar, click File > Exit in the STAAD Output Viewer.
Apr-11
85

12 In the Steel Design dialog, note that the MEMBER PROPERTY AMERICAN
folder icon has been expanded in the Command Tree.
Note: The new entries in the list (the ones with the question marks) represent
the sections that were determined to be the optimized sizes by the

SELECT command. The question mark icon is used to indicate that they
have not yet been assigned to the model.
13 In the menu bar, click Select > By Group Name
14 In the Select Groups dialog, click the group name _CENTRAL-GIRDER and
then click Close.

15 In the menu bar, click View > View Selected Objects Only.
16 On your keyboard, press the hotkey Shift + X to display member sections
in the View Window.

Note: All girder segments are still display W24X146, the original size that wa
assigned to the members.

17 In the menu bar, click Mode > Post Processing or select the Post
Processing icon in the Mode toolbar to activate the Post Processor.
18 If the Results Setup dialog appears, click OK to select all load cases.
Note: The structure diagram still displays member sections, but in the Post
Processing mode, it displays the sections that were found to be the

optimum for each individual member.
19 In the Page Control area, click the Beam tab and the Unity Check sub-tab.
Note: In the Design Results table, in the Data Area, notice the following
results:
The Analysis Property column indicates the cross sections that were
used in the analysis to obtain the member forces. These are the
member sections that we initially assigned to the members of the
model.
This Design Property column indicates the member sizes that were
determined using the SELECT command.
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Apr-11
Note: There is a command in the Post Processor menu bar that can be used
when appropriate to overwrite the original member sections in the

STAAD input file with the sections that were determined using the
SELECT command. We won't apply that command at this time, but be
aware of the fact that it does exist. It is Results > Update Properties.
The Actual Ratio column indicates the Unity Check ratio for each
member that was chosen by the Select command.
The Actual Ratio values are all less than (but very close to) 1.0. This is
an indication of the efficiency of the selection process. If many
members had a ratio far below 1.0, it would not be considered to be an
efficient, economical design.
Note: Occasionally, a Select command will result in some members with very
low ratios. This may happen with lightly loaded members, where the
selected size is either the smallest section in the database, or when the
selected member size is required in order to meet a minimum
slenderness ratio, Kl/r.
Note: The AASHTO LRFD code provides a design parameter named MAIN that
can be used to designate certain members as secondary members, and

waive the slenderness check where appropriate.
Apr-11
87

Grouping the Member Selections

At present, the SELECT command has optimized member sizes individually, so
practically every member in the central longitudinal girder has a unique cross
section. It is obviously not practical to construct a real-world structure this way. To
make this design more realistic, we would like STAAD.Pro to identify one section
that satisfies the code requirements along the full length of the girder. This
process is demonstrated in the following exercise.
Exercise: Add Grouping Command

1
named Bridge 16.std.
In the Modeling Mode, click the Design tab in the Page Control area.
In the Select Groups dialog, click the group name _CENTRAL-GIRDER and
then click Close.
In the Steel Design dialog, click the SELECT command in the Command
Tree and then click the Commands button.
Note: This makes the SELECT command the current location in the
Command Tree, and facilitates inserting the grouping command in the

right location.
6
In the Design Commands dialog, toggle on the After Current checkbox.
Hint: The use of After Current ensures that the next command will be added
immediately beneath currently selected command, instead of

defaulting to the position at the very end of the Command Tree.
7
In the Design Commands dialog, click the GROUP item and select Sz in the
Property Specification list.
Warning: This GROUP command should not be confused with other
commands to create groups, select by group, and so forth (see

Section 5.16 in the Technical Reference manual). The steel design
GROUP command tells the program to use the same cross section
for a given set of members.
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Apr-11
Note: The Property Specification list specifies the property that will be used to
identify the controlling member. Options include:
Ax, Sy or Sz: cross sectional area or section modulus.
None: Selecting None is the same as selecting Ax as the controlling

parameter.
Same as Beam #: If this option is used, the section determined for the
selected beam will be used as the section for all members to which this
Group command is assigned.
In the Design Commands dialog, click the Assign button and then click
Close.
Evaluate all of the individual optimized sizes for all of the members of
the central longitudinal girder,
Identify the section with the largest value of section modulus about
the local z-axis, and
Assign that section to all of the members in the central longitudinal

girder.
Note: The GROUP SZ MEMB command instructs the program to:
Apr-11
89

Issuing the Reanalysis Instruction

The other issue we have to address is the consistency (or lack thereof) between
the analysis results and the member section properties. Based on the discussion
in the previous section, once the program has selected members of a uniform
size, the model should be re-analyzed. The forces found in the first analysis will
not be valid anymore because of the differences in stiffness and self-weight
associated with the member size changes. A second analysis will determine the
distribution of the forces in the new members.
Exercise: Add Re-analysis and Check Code Commands

1
Either continue working in the current model, or open the saved dataset
file named Bridge 17.std.
In the Page Control area, click the Analysis/Print tab.
Note: The Analysis/Print Commands dialog opens, with the Perform Analysis
tab active.
3
In the Analysis/Print Commands dialog, click Add and then Close.
Note: This adds a second PERFORM ANALYSIS command in the Command Tree
of the Analysis dialog.

4
In the Page Control area, click the Design tab.
In the Select Groups dialog, click the group name _CENTRAL-GIRDER and
then click Close.
In the Steel Design dialog, click the Commands... button.
Note: The Design Commands dialog opens with the CHECK CODE command
selected.
8
In the Design Commands dialog, click Assign and then Close.
Note: It is not necessary to re-specify the design parameters. The parameters
that were specified previously will remain valid until they are respecified with different values.
Note: This CHECK CODE command instructs the program to conduct one more
code check with the new force values to confirm that the new member
sizes are able to safely support the forces within code limits.
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Apr-11
The previous exercises have developed a multiple-analysis procedure that

accomplishes the following:
Analyze the structure using the initial properties.
Perform a Member Selection to optimize the design based on the

forces from the first analysis.
Make the sizes uniform - the command to do this must always be

preceded by a member selection.
Re-analyze the structure with the revised member sizes.
Perform a Code Check.
Exercise: Run Model with Analyze, Select, Group, Re-Analyze, and Check
Code
1
In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis
Note: In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, notice that no errors and no
warnings are indicated.

3
In the STAAD Output Viewer, click the first STEEL DESIGN link in the left
pane. Scroll down through the results and note the following:
All members pass the code check.
There are many different section sizes indicated.
The Utilization Ratios are all very close to 1.0.
Continue scrolling past the first set of design results and note the GROUP
SZ MEMB _CENTRAL-GIRDER command. It indicates GROUPING BASED
ON MEMBER 458 (ST W27X194). In other words, of the members that
were just optimized, member 458 had the largest value of section
modulus about the local z-axis, so all members of the _CENTRAL-GIRDER
group are reassigned that section size.
Note: Before scrolling further, make note of the fact that the design result for
member 458 is displayed immediately above the GROUP SZ MEMB

_CENTRAL-GIRDER command, and it indicates a ratio of 0.999 based on
loading condition 11.
Apr-11
91

Scroll down through this second set of results (relating to the code check)
and note the following:
All members are now W27X194.
Some Utilization Ratios are relatively low, because the section is larger
than necessary for some members.
Two members now fail the code check, including member 458, which
now shows that a W27X194 has a ratio of 1.283 (still controlled by
loading condition 11).
This effect is due to the fact that the member selection process causes
changes in relative stiffness (as well as changes in self-weight). So, the
member forces are redistributed when the model is reanalyzed. The next
section demonstrates a refinement to the steel design process that
instructs the program to reserve some residual capacity in the members it
selects, so the structure is more tolerant of increases in self-weight as well
as the inevitable load redistribution effects that accompany changes in
stiffness.
Continue scrolling, and note that a reanalysis is performed and a code

check is conducted. Below the CHECK CODE MEMB _CENTRAL-GIRDER
command is another table of design results.
92
Apr-11
Finalizing the Design
What options are available in situations where some members have failed after
the Check Code command? One option is to perform additional design iterations:
reselect, regroup, and reanalyze. This process can be iterated over and over until
STAAD.Pro converges on a solution. In larger and more complex models, more
design iterations may be required in order to converge on a solution.
However, there is a quick way to reduce the number of iterations that may be
required by using a design parameter called RATIO.
Exercise: Setting the RATIO parameter

1
In the Page Control area, click the Design tab.
In the Steel Design dialog, click the + sign to the left of the Parameter 1
folder in the Command Tree. Click the TRACK 0 parameter to make it the
current location.
In the menu bar, click Select > By Group Name In the Select Groups
dialog, click the group name _CENTRAL-GIRDER and then click Close.
In the Steel Design dialog, click the Define Parameters.. button.
In the Design Parameters dialog, click the After Current checkbox, and
then click the RATIO parameter.
Note: The RATIO parameter can be used to specify an upper limit for the Unity
Check ratio of the section. Setting this value to something less than 1.0
directs STAAD.Pro to select members with some reserve capacity with
respect to the code design strength.
This builds in a margin of additional strength in the structure that allows
it to tolerate the inevitable redistribution of loads that occurs when
member stiffnesses change. The resulting design is less sensitive to
subtle shifts in load. In this way, an acceptable design may be found
with fewer design iterations.
Apr-11
In the Design Parameters dialog, enter a value of 0.4 in the Permissible

ratio of actual to allowable strength field. Click the Assign button and then
click Close.
In the Steel Design dialog, click the + sign to the left of the Parameter 2
folder in the Command Tree. Click the CODE AASHTO LRFD command to
make it the current location.
93

In the menu bar, click Select > By Group Name In the Select Groups
dialog, click the group name _CENTRAL-GIRDER and then click Close.
10 In the Steel Design dialog, click the Define Parameters.. button.
then click the RATIO parameter. The value in the input field defaults back
to 1. This time, leave it at its default value.
12 In the Design Parameters dialog, click the Assign button, and then Close.
Note: Now when an analysis is run, the SELECT command will use an upper
limit of 0.4 on the unity ratio when optimizing, but the CHECK CODE
command will use an upper limit of 1.0 on the unity ratio when
performing the final check. If any member still fails, the new member
sizes could be captured with Results > Update Properties, and then the
analysis could be run again to see if STAAD.Pro will correct the failure
based on the redistribution of forces, or the original sizes could be
retained and the RATIO parameter could be revised to a more
conservative value.
11 In the Design Parameters dialog, click the After Current checkbox, and
94
Apr-11
Exercise: Running the Final Analysis

1
named Bridge 20.std and click the Design tab in the Page Control.
In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis Then, click Save (if
prompted) to acknowledge that the model has changed.
In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, click the Go to Post Processing
Mode radio button and then click Done.
In the Results Setup dialog, click OK to select all load cases.
In the Page Control area, click the Beam tab and then click the Unity Check
sub-tab.
In the Design Results table, click the Actual Ratio column heading to sort
all members by their ratio values. Notice that the central girder member
has been optimized to W33x424.
Scroll down and note that the highest ratio is now greater than 0.4, but
still less than 1.0. The use of the RATIO parameter has addressed the stress
creep that was occurring.
It is interesting to note that not all of the members ended up with a ratio
less than 0.4, which was the limit used in the SELECT command. This is a
good demonstration of how stresses can creep after member sizes
change and forces redistribute.
It is also a good demonstration of wise use of the Ratio values of 0.4 to

select the members and then 1.0 to code check the members. This
eliminated the need to run multiple iterations.
Note: In this exercise, the design of this full length girder is being controlled by
the two segments closest to the central support. In a real-world

situation, it is likely that a more economical solution could be achieved
by considering cover plates, closer spacing of the bottom flange bracing
near the central support, or other approaches, rather than just allowing
the program to select a larger section.
Warning: Remember that this design is predicated on the first set of loading
conditions that we obtained from STAAD.beava, and that

technically, the STAAD.beava analysis should be rerun after
significant stiffness changes occur in the structural model.
Apr-11
95

Good practice is to use values between zero and 1.0 with the RATIO
parameter.
In addition to modifying the allowable stresses, RATIO has the effect of acting
as a multiplier on allowable KL/r slenderness ratios. This makes RATIO very
effective in building some conservatism into a design when it is used with
values less than 1.0, but makes it technically incorrect if used with values
greater than 1.
Resist the temptation to use RATIO to account for increases in allowable

stresses (such as for temporary or extreme loading conditions).
Use properly formed load combinations to account for increases in allowable

stresses.
Also note that RATIO acts on the DFF parameter when performing a deflection
check. An adjustment may need to be made to the allowable deflection limits
to account for this.
A few notes on the use of the RATIO parameter
96
Apr-11
Exercise: Viewing the Output of the Analysis

1
Continue working with the model from the previous exercise.
In the File toolbar, click the STAAD Output icon to view the output file.
In the STAAD Output Viewer, click the first STEEL DESIGN line under the
RESULTS bar to go straight to the section in the output file that reports the
results of the member selection process.
Note that the results listed in this section are of various sizes, because the
Grouping command has not yet been applied. Also, noticed that the ratios
in this section are all close to 0.4 because of the parameter we applied to
set an upper limit of 0.4 on the ratios during the selection process.
The pass/fail status in this section is actually based on a comparison of the

unity ratio to a value of 0.4. If the program was unable to find a wide
flange section that could satisfy the AASHTO LRFD code requirements with
a ratio of 0.4 or less, then it would indicate the last section it tried, along
with its design result, and a FAIL status in this section. However, just
because a member my indicate a FAIL result in this section of the results,
that does not necessarily mean that the member fails the final code check
where the allowable ratio is raised back up to 1.0. So in this exercise, there
is little value in studying the pass/fail status associated with the first STEEL
DESIGN result, because it is an intermediate step toward determining the
final result, which is accessible from the second STEEL DESIGN link.
Apr-11
In the STAAD Output Viewer, click the second STEEL DESIGN line under the
RESULTS bar to observe the results that are based on the reanalysis of the
girder with members of a uniform size and with the RATIO parameter reset
to 1.0.
In the menu bar, select File > Exit to close the STAAD Output Viewer.
97

Exercise: Review Traffic Load Deflection of Node 153

1
Continue working with the model from the previous exercise.
In the Post Processing mode menu bar, click Results > Select Load Case
In the Results Setup dialog, click the Loads tab and deselect all Load Cases.
Then, select Load Case 5 only.
Note: Load 5 is the Reference Load that consists only of unfactored lane loads
and wheel loads positioned to maximize the downward deflection of

the left span, which was determined to occur at node 153.
4
In the Results Setup dialog, click the Range tab. Click the Ranges radio
button, enter 153 in the Nodes field, and then click OK.
In the Page Control area, click the Node tab, Displacement sub-tab. The
Node Displacements table now clearly indicates a downward deflection of
1.064 inches in the global Y direction. This equates to a deflection-to-span
length ratio of approximately L/900.
Note: Beam/girder deflection was not considered in the optimization and
check that we just performed. However, STAAD.Pro can incorporate

deflection checks in addition to stress checks during an optimization by
assigning DFF, DJ1, and DJ2 parameters to the beams in question.
Because of the fact that deflection checks are based on different
loading conditions than stress checks, it requires an iterative process of
optimizing based on stress and then checking deflections, or optimizing
based on deflection criteria, and then checking the stresses.
98
Apr-11
Additional Steel Design Commands

In this section we will explore some of the additional design commands.
SELECT OPTIMIZED
The SELECT OPTIMIZED command instructs STAAD.Pro to perform additional

iterations of the member selection routine followed by another analysis. In this
case, optimized means that the program will automatically iterate twice,
without the need for the user to manually specify the repetitions with SELECT and
PERFORM ANALYSIS commands.
It is good to be aware that the command exists, as it may have an application
under special circumstances. However, good practice generally dictates manually
specifying an iterative analyze-design-reanalyze-check process as previously
described.
When the SELECT OPTIMIZED command is issued, the following steps are taken:
CHECK CODE ALL, then modify ratios, then SELECT ALL, then PERFORM ANALYSIS,
then SELECT ALL.
There are some limitations to the SELECT OPTIMIZED command:
In a file with difficult conditions such as Member Tension, Member Cable,

Multilinear springs, Tension-only springs, etc., STAAD.Pro may report that it is
unable to optimize the model.
The SELECT OPTIMIZED command executes only one additional iteration. It

does not cause the program to iterate endlessly, until it converges to a
solution to some nth degree of precision.
TAKE OFF and MEMBER TAKE OFF

The TAKE OFF and MEMBER TAKE OFF commands can be used to generate a Bill of
Materials for a model, showing the total weight of each section size that is used.
MEMBER TAKE OFF also includes a table showing the length and total weight of
each individual member.
FIXED GROUP
The FIXED GROUP command is used with the SELECT OPTIMIZED command, in the
same way that GROUP is used with the SELECT command. It creates a grouping
that is retained in memory so it can be used in subsequent member select
operations.
Apr-11
99

STAAD.Pro Concrete Design
STAAD.Pro has the ability to design beams, columns, and slabs (plates) in the
batch mode. In all cases, the result of these designs is a reinforcing requirement
for the specified beam size, column size, or slab thickness.
Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

The next step is to perform a reinforced concrete slab design. We will focus on
Plate 205 as shown in the figure below, assuming that we have identified its
design as being of critical importance.
Plate 205
Exercise: Perform a Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

1
Open Bridge 22.std in STAAD.Pro.
In the Page Control area, click the Design tab and the Concrete sub-tab.
In the menu bar, click Select > By List > Plates...
In the Select Plates dialog, enter the following parameters:
Selection Type: Select using typed list
Enter List: 205
Click the Select Listed Entities button and then click Close.
5
In the Concrete Design dialog, make sure that the Current Code is set to
ACI and then click the Define Parameters.. button.
Note: The CLB item is active by default. This parameter is used to specify the
clear cover for the outermost bottom reinforcement.
100
Apr-11
Note: The value of the CLB parameter is currently 1.5 inches. Since we are
seeing this parameter for the very first time, we know that we are
seeing the default value. All parameters have a default value. It is only
necessary to assign a parameter if there is a need to use something
other than the default value. Otherwise, STAAD.Pro just uses the default
value.
6
In the Design Parameters dialog, enter 0.75 in into the input field for the
CLB parameter, and then click the Assign button.
In the Design Parameters dialog, click the CLT parameter. Enter 0.75 in into
the input field for the CLT parameter, and then click the Assign button.
In the Design Parameters dialog, click the FC parameter, and note that the
default value is 4 kip/in2. The intent is to use this default value in the
design, so nothing needs to be done with this parameter.
Note: The yield strength parameters for main and secondary reinforcing were
not selected. In this exercise, the default value of 60 ksi is used for these
parameters.
9
In the Design Parameters dialog, click Close.
Note: This completes the assignment of Design Parameters. The next step is to
add the actual concrete design command.

10 In the Concrete Design dialog, click the Commands... button.
11 In the Design Commands dialog, click the DESIGN SLAB/ELEMENT item.
Click the Assign button, and then click Close.

Note: This adds the command for designing individual plate elements for two-
way flexural moments (Mx and My).

12 In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis... Click Save in the Warning
dialog.
13 In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, click View Output File radio

14 In the STAAD Output Viewer window, click the item in the left pane that
says CONCRETE DESIGN. This is a link that jumps directly to the location
where the concrete design results appear in the output file.
The next section provides an annotated interpretation of the slab design results.
Apr-11
101

Understanding Reinforced Concrete Slab Design Results

The Element Design Summary appears in the output file. See the numbered items
below for a description of the output items.
---------------------ELEMENT
LONG. REINF
MOM-X /LOAD
(SQ.IN/FT)
1:
FY:
60.000 KSI FC:
COVER (BOTTOM):
TRANS. REINF
(K-FT/FT)
(SQ.IN/FT)
4.000 KSI COVER (TOP):
0.750 IN TH:
MOM-Y /LOAD
(K-FT/FT)
0.750 IN
12.000 IN
205 TOP : Longitudinal direction - Only minimum steel required.

205 TOP : Transverse direction
- Only minimum steel required.
:2
205 TOP :
0.259
0.00 /
0.259
0.00 /
BOTT:
0.647
30.65 /
13
0.368
16.93 /
13
***************************END OF ELEMENT DESIGN***************************
Item 1: Material properties, clear cover, and thickness of the element

being designed.
Item 2: Indication that reinforcing steel ratios were controlled by codeminimum limits for both directions of the top.
ELEMENT DESIGN SUMMARY
102
Apr-11
Note: For element design, longitudinal refers to the direction parallel to a
plate's local x axis, and transverse refers to the direction parallel to a

plate's local y axis.
Item 3: Design results for the top reinforcing. The headings on the table
provide the key to the columns of data, which are presented in the
following order:
Longitudinal reinforcing requirements in units of reinforcing area per

unit width of slab.
Mx moment in units of moment per unit width of slab. (This is the

moment on the x face of the element.)
Load condition that generated the controlling Mx design moment.
Transverse reinforcing requirements in units of reinforcing area per

unit width of slab.
My moment in units of moment per unit width of slab. (This is the

moment on the y face of the element.)
Load condition that generated the controlling My design moment.
Item 4: Design results for the bottom reinforcing with all of the same
information as described above.
Close the STAAD Output Viewer to prepare for the next exercise.
Apr-11
103

An understanding of STAAD.Pro's convention for orienting the axes of a plate

element is important, especially for interpreting analysis and design results. The
following is a brief refresher.
Hint: See also Section 1.6.1 of the STAAD.Pro Technical Reference manual.
Consider the plates as shown in the figure below:
Plate Orientation and Local Coordinate System
The nodes defining the quadrilateral plate were drawn in the order A - B - C - D.
The nodes defining the triangular plate were drawn in the order A - B - C. The
orientation of the local coordinate system for plates is determined as follows:
The local x-axis is defined to be parallel to the vector pointing from A to B.
The cross-product of vectors AB and AC defines a vector parallel to the local zaxis, i.e., z = AB x AC. The z-axis is always perpendicular to the plate surface.
The cross-product of vectors z and x defines a vector parallel to the local yaxis, i.e., y = z cross x. (Both the x and the y axes always lie in the plane of the
plate.)
The origin of the axes is at the center (average) of the 3 or 4 node locations
that define the plate.
Hint: The keyboard hotkey Shift + T toggles the display of Plate Orientation axes on
the structure diagram.

In STAAD.Pro, the side of the plate from which the positive z-axis points is
considered to be the top of the plate.
104
Apr-11
Reinforced Concrete Beam Design

Next, we explore the reinforced concrete beam design capabilities in STAAD.Pro.
It is possible to request designs of slabs, beams, and columns in a single

STAAD.Pro model. But for clarity, the slab design parameters and commands that
we entered in the previous exercise have been removed from the dataset file we
are about to open. In addition, the Loading Conditions in the following exercise
have been revised to represent extreme conditions for bending and shear forces
on the beam 463 shown highlighted in the figure below.
Beam 463
In the following exercise, it helps to note that node 307 is the node that connects
beam 463 to the column, as shown in the figure below.
Apr-11
105

Exercise: Perform a Reinforced Concrete Beam Design
Open the saved dataset file named Bridge 23.std. This is the same model
we have been working with, except:
All concrete element design parameters and commands have been

removed.
The Loading Conditions have been recreated using the methods we

have already seen in STAAD.beava, to optimize load positions for the
design of beam 463.
In the Page Control area, click the Design tab and then click the Concrete
sub-tab.
In the menu bar, click Select > By List > Beams...
In the Select Beams dialog, enter the following parameters:
Enter List: 463
5
In the Concrete Design dialog, click the Define Parameters.. button.
In the Design Parameters dialog, click the MAXMAIN item. Enter a value of
11 in the field to limit the maximum bar size to #11, and then click Assign.
Note: The maxmain parameter defines the maximum permissible rebar size
for main reinforcement.

7
In the Design Parameters dialog, click the TRACK item. Click the (2) radio
button corresponding to the highest level of output detail, and then click
Assign, followed by Close.
Note: The track parameter is used to select the level of detail to be provided in
the output.
8
In the Concrete Design dialog, click the Commands... button.
Note: The Design Beam item is active by default. The Design Beam item is used
to add the command for performing reinforcement calculations for

flexure, shear and torsion (Mz, Fy and Mx).
9
In the Design Commands dialog, click the Assign button followed by Close.
10 In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis. In the Warning dialog, click
Save.
106
Apr-11
11 In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, click View Output File radio

12 In the STAAD Output Viewer, click the CONCRETE DESIGN item in the left
pane.
The next section provides an annotated interpretation of the beam design results.
Understanding Reinforced Concrete Beam Design Results
Scroll down in the output file and locate the beginning of the design output for
BEAM NO. 463. The first line of data in the beam design output echoes the beam
dimensions and material properties.
BEAM
LEN -
NO.
10.00FT.
463 DESIGN RESULTS - FLEXURE PER CODE ACI 318-05

FY - 60000.
FC - 4000.
SIZE - 48.00 X 48.00 INCHES
The next section provides geometric information about the layer of rebar that
occurs near the bottom of the beam. See the descriptions corresponding to the
numbered items in the figure below.
LEVEL
HEIGHT
FT.
BAR INFO
IN.
FROM
FT.
TO
IN.
FT.
ANCHOR
IN.
STA
END
_____________________________________________________________________
Apr-11
0 + 2-5/8
10-NUM.9
3 +11-5/8
10 + 0-0/0
NO
YES
Item 1: Rebar Level number - starting with bottom layer first.
Item 2: Height from bottom of beam to centroid of rebar at this level.
Item 3: Number and size of rebar required at this level by design.
Item 4: Starting location of the rebar at this level, measured from the
starting node of the beam.
Item 5: Ending location of the rebar at this level, measured from the
starting node of the beam.
Item 6: Indication as to whether or not the rebar at this level is considered

to be fully-developed (as with a standard hook or full development length
projection) at the start (STA) and end (END) of the rebar.
107

Below the line of geometric data pertaining to the first layer of rebar is a dashed
box. It contains the design information for the first layer of rebar including:
Magnitude and location of the critical (design) moment
The load condition that produces the critical moment
Area of rebar required by the design
Actual, maximum, and minimum reinforcing ratios
Maximum, minimum, and actual rebar spacing
Required development length
A single line of text below the dashed box reports the cracked moment of inertia
at the location of the design moment.
Subsequent levels of rebar are described in the same manner. In this beam, there
is a need for a top layer of rebar to resist negative moment for the full length of
the member, so the second level is indicated as shown in the figure below.
2
3 + 9-1/8
16-NUM.11
0 + 0-0/0
10 + 0-0/0
YES
YES
|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|
CRITICAL NEG MOMENT=
REQD STEEL= 24.72 IN2, RHO=0.0114, RHOMX=0.0214 RHOMN=0.0033 |
4532.45 KIP-FT
AT
0.00 FT, LOAD
8|
MAX/MIN/ACTUAL BAR SPACING= 10.00/ 2.82/ 2.84 INCH
REQD. DEVELOPMENT LENGTH = 99.64 INCH
|----------------------------------------------------------------|
Cracked Moment of Inertia Iz at above location =
237780.50 inch^4
The top layer of rebar consists of 16 - #11 bars being designed for the negative
moment of approximately 4534 kip-ft at the starting end. The anchorage labels
indicate that this rebar is assumed to be anchored (hooked or otherwise fully
developed) at both ends, so it would be important to detail these bars in such a
way as to validate this assumption.
108
Apr-11
A Required Reinforcing Steel Summary is provided to indicate reinforcing steel

requirements, design moments, and controlling load condition at increments
along the length of the beam.
REQUIRED REINF. STEEL SUMMARY :
------------------------------SECTION
(FEET)
REINF STEEL(+VE/-VE)
(SQ. INCH)
MOMENTS(+VE/-VE)
LOAD(+VE/-VE)
(KIP-FEET)
0.00
0.000/
24.619
0.00/
4532.45
0/
0.83
0.000/
21.319
0.00/
3983.09
0/
1.67
0.000/
18.132
0.00/
3435.54
0/
2.50
0.000/
15.050
0.00/
2889.84
0/
3.33
0.000/
12.062
0.00/
2346.03
0/
4.17
0.000/
9.163
0.00/
1804.15
0/
5.00
0.000/
6.346
0.00/
1264.23
0/
5.83
0.000/
3.605
0.00/
726.31
0/
6.67
0.000/
0.935
0.00/
190.43
0/
7.50
1.707/
0.000
346.70/
0.00
9/
8.33
4.372/
0.000
878.20/
0.00
9/
9.17
7.087/
0.000
1407.55/
0.00
9/
10.00
9.855/
0.000
1934.71/
0.00
9/
Note: There are likely to be subtle differences in the reinforcing steel areas reported
by the Design Results section and the Required Reinforcing Steel Summary due
to a difference in the way the required reinforcing steel areas are calculated in
the two locations.
In the Design Results section, the program iterates until the effective depth
used to calculate the area of steel required is the value based on the actual
bars being provided. For example, if the steel provided says 7 NUM 5 for the
midspan region, then the effective depth is based on the arrangement of
seven #5 bars.
In the Required Reinforcing Steel Summary, on the other hand, there is no

actual bar arrangement being calculated. The program assumes the effective
depth based on the clear cover, an assumed stirrup size and an assumed
longitudinal bar size. Based on the assumed effective depth, the program then
calculates the area of steel required.
Since the effective depth could be different in these two calculation methods,
this could lead to differences in the required areas of steel reported by the
two methods.
Apr-11
109

The next section of output presents the shear design for the starting end and the
ending end of beam 125.
B E A M
N O.
463 D E S I G N
Vc=
REINFORCEMENT IS REQUIRED FOR SHEAR.
645.85 KIP
Tu=
AT START SUPPORT - Vu=

1.88 KIP-FT
R E S U L T S - SHEAR
Tc= 177.91 KIP-FT
366.00 KIP
Ts=
Vs=
495.12 KIP
0.00 KIP-FT
LOAD
NO STIRRUPS ARE REQUIRED FOR TORSION.

REINFORCEMENT IS REQUIRED FOR SHEAR.
PROVIDE NUM. 7 2-LEGGED STIRRUPS AT
AT END
SUPPORT - Vu=
Tu=
1.88 KIP-FT
6.6 IN. C/C FOR
638.58 KIP
Vc=
Tc= 177.91 KIP-FT
653.94 KIP
Ts=
14. IN.
Vs=
197.50 KIP
0.00 KIP-FT
LOAD
NO STIRRUPS ARE REQUIRED FOR TORSION.

PROVIDE NUM. 5 2-LEGGED STIRRUPS AT
8.6 IN. C/C FOR
14. IN.
The shear designs incorporate the effects of both shear and torsion in beams, and
indicate any required stirrups and additional longitudinal reinforcing.Diagrams of
the elevation view and sections through the beam are provided next. The
diagrams schematically show the top and bottom longitudinal reinforcement and
the stirrups. See the itemized descriptions corresponding to the numbered items
in the figure below.
1
2 120.X 48.X 48_____________________
3 305J____
___ 307J____________________
||=========================================================================||
|16#11H
45.
0.TO
120.
|
|
4#7 C/C
7
3.
48.TO
120.
3#5 C/C
| |
| |
9
| |
| |
| |
10#9 H
=============================================||
|___________________________________________________________________________|
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
|OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO|
|OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO|
|OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO|
|OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO|
|10#9
|10#9
|_______________|
|_______________|
OOOOOOOOOO
|_______________|
110
10
OOOOOOOOOO
|
|
|_______________|
Apr-11
Item 1: Starting Joint number
Item 2: Beam length x width x height
Item 3: Ending Joint number
Item 4: Top longitudinal reinforcing
Note: The syntax is 16 - #11 Horizontal bars at approximately the 45-inch
height, running from 0 to 120 inches (full-length).

5
Item 5: Stirrups at the starting end
Note: The syntax is 4 - #7 stirrups at a center-to-center spacing of
approximately 7 inches.
6
Item 6: Stirrups at the ending end
Item 7: Bottom longitudinal reinforcing
Note: The syntax is 10 - #9 Horizontal bars at approximately the 3-inch height,
running from 48 to 120 inches.

8
Item 8: Top longitudinal reinforcing at the starting end shown in section
Item 9: Top longitudinal reinforcing at the ending end shown in section
10 Item 10: Bottom longitudinal reinforcing at the ending end shown in
section
Note: If we had requested reinforced concrete designs for three contiguous
segments of one of the girders, this batch mode of designing members

could potentially give a different design for each of the segments. Be
aware of this behavior, and consider using the RC Designer (which takes
physical members into consideration) for these kinds of conditions.
Close the STAAD Output Viewer to prepare for the next exercise.
Apr-11
111

Reinforced Concrete Column Design
The beam design parameters and commands that we entered in the previous
exercise have been removed from the dataset file we are about to open. In
addition, the Loading Conditions in the following exercise have been revised to
represent extreme conditions for axial and bending forces on member 462 shown
highlighted in the figure below.
Next we explore the reinforced concrete column design capabilities in STAAD.Pro.
Member 462
Exercise: Perform a Reinforced Concrete Column Design

1
Open the saved dataset file named Bridge 24.std. This is the same model
we have been working with, except:
All concrete beam design parameters and commands have been

removed.
The Loading Conditions have been recreated using the methods we

have already seen in STAAD.beava, to optimize load positions for the
design of column 462.
In the Page Control area, click the Design tab and the Concrete sub-tab.
In the menu bar, click Select > By List > Beams...
In the Select Beams dialog, enter the following parameters:
Enter List: 462
112
Apr-11
In the Concrete Design dialog, click the Define Parameters.. button.
In the Design Parameters dialog, select the Maxmain item and then enter
a value of 8 in the field to limit the maximum bar size to #8. Click Assign.
In the Design Parameters dialog, click the REINF item. Click the (1) radio
button to indicate a spirally reinforced column, and then click Assign.
Note: The REINF parameter is used to distinguish between Tied and Spiral
column reinforcing. The default is Tied, but we have assumed that

column 462 is spirally reinforced.
In the Design Parameters dialog, click the TRACK item. Click the (2) radio
button corresponding to the highest level of output detail, and then click
Assign, followed by Close.
Note: The TRACK parameter is used to select the level of detail to be provided
in the output.
9
In the Concrete Design dialog, click the Commands... button.
10 In the Design Commands dialog, click the DESIGN COLUMN item. Click the
Assign button, and then click Close.

Note: The Design Column command is used to add the command for designing
for biaxial bending moments and axial force (My, Mz and Fx).
11 In the menu bar, click Analyze > Run Analysis... In the Warning dialog,
click Save.
12 In the STAAD Analysis and Design dialog, click the View Output File radio

13 In the STAAD Output Viewer window, click the item in the left pane that
says CONCRETE DESIGN. This is a link that jumps directly to the location of
the concrete design results in the output file.
The next section provides an annotated interpretation of the column design
results.
Apr-11
113

Understanding Reinforced Concrete Column Design Results
COLUMN
FY - 60000
NO.
462
DESIGN PER ACI 318-05 - AXIAL + BENDING
FC - 4000 PSI,
CIRC SIZE
AREA OF STEEL REQUIRED =
48.00 INCHES DIAMETER
32.029
SPIR
SQ. IN.
This is followed by bar configuration details.

BAR CONFIGURATION
REINF PCT.
LOAD
LOCATION
PHI
---------------------------------------------------------41 - NUMBER
1.790
27
STA
0.700
(EQUALLY SPACED)
TIE BAR NUMBER
4 SPACING
2.00 IN
Note: If the suggested bar configuration is undesirable, one approach is to assign
values with the MINMAIN and MAXMAIN parameters to bracket the desired
reinforcing size for the column.
Scroll down in the output file and locate the beginning of the design output for
COLUMN NO. 462. Material and geometric properties are listed first.
114
Apr-11
Next is the data for the column interaction diagrams.

COLUMN INTERACTION: MOMENT ABOUT Z/Y -AXIS (KIP-FT)
-------------------------------------------------------P0
Pn max
7985.77
M0
P-bal.
6787.90
3097.14
P-tens.
2982.71
-1943.40
Des.Pn
1828.28
M-bal.
4438.96
Des.Mn
4238.25
e-bal.(inch)
17.20
e/h
0.00087
-------------------------------------------------------Pn
|
P0 |*
| *
Pn,max|__*
|
Pn
NOMINAL|
AXIAL|
*
*
Mn
Pn
Mn
6265.76
2367.98
3132.88
4427.19
5743.61
2905.15
2610.73
4497.10
5221.46
3347.44
2088.59
4427.21
4699.32
3711.95
1566.44
4243.59
4177.17
4004.13
1044.29
3935.27
3655.03
4238.74
522.15
3519.60
*
*
COMPRESSION|
Pb|-------*Mb
|
___________|____*_______
|
| *
P-tens|*
* M0
Mn,
BENDING
MOMENT
Close the STAAD Output Viewer to prepare for the next section.
Apr-11
115

Reinforced Concrete Take Off Command
The process of requesting a concrete take-off is essentially the same as the

processes we have already seen for issuing a beam design command or a column
design command, except that it requires the TAKE OFF command to be issued
from the Design Commands dialog as shown below:
The Take Off command is designed to summarize the quantity of concrete and
reinforcing steel in the designed beams and columns.
Some important items to be aware of:
The take off quantities consider beams and columns, but not plate elements.
The quantities only consider beams and columns that have actually been
designed.
The volume of concrete is adjusted by deducting the volume of the reinforcing

steel from the gross concrete volume.
The program is currently configured to report the results in English units

regardless of the current working unit system.
Note that the concrete volume is in units of cubic feet, not cubic yards.
116
Apr-11
Module Review
Module Review
When optimizing multi-segment steel members, the batch mode of steel

design is likely to select many different sections along the length of the
member as the design requirements vary. What command does STAAD.Pro
provide to address this issue and lend uniformity to the designs?
Under what conditions might it be important to re-run STAAD.beava after

an initial member selection?
Under what conditions might the RATIO parameter prove useful during
steel member selection?
Questions
Apr-11
117

Module Review
Answers
When optimizing multi-segment steel members, the batch mode of steel
design is likely to select many different sections along the length of the
member as the design requirements vary. What command does STAAD.Pro
provide to address this issue and lend uniformity to the designs?
The GROUP command can be used to evaluate a set of beams, identify
the one with the largest area or section modulus, and then reassign that
section property to all beams within the set.
2
Under what conditions might it be important to re-run STAAD.beava after

an initial member selection?
It would be good practice to re-run STAAD.beava if a design results in a
significant change in stiffness as compared to the model upon which the
STAAD.beava analysis was based.
Under what conditions might the RATIO parameter prove useful during
steel member selection?
The RATIO parameter can be used to reserve some capacity as the
program optimizes steel members. It can be particularly useful in
achieving an acceptable design more quickly under conditions where
changes in stiffness cause significant changes in load distribution, which
continue to overstress the members that have just been stiffened.
118
Apr-11
Course Summary
Now you will be able to:
Proficiently model bridge structures in STAAD.Pro
Use STAAD.beava to define bridge lane geometry, select a design vehicle,

identify structural responses of interest, create loading conditions that
maximize responses of interest, and send those loading conditions back to the
STAAD.Pro model
Create custom Load Combination tables in STAAD.Pro, and use them to

Set design parameters and issue design commands to perform code checks or
to optimize steel members according to the requirements of AASHTO code for
steel members and ACI code for concrete members.
Course Summary
Apr-11
119
Course Summary
Course Review
Course Review
Questions
1
Now that you have completed this course, lets measure what you have learned.
True
False
STAAD.beava is capable of identifying critical load positions as well as

critical members within a structure.
True
False
The steel design process in STAAD.Pro can evaluate deflections for a multisegment bridge girder.
True
False
Most of the modeling of a bridge structure in STAAD.Pro is typically done

by working within the text input file using the STAAD Editor.
Course Summary
120
Apr-11
Course Review
Answers
1
Most of the modeling of a bridge structure in STAAD.Pro is typically done

by working within the text input file using the STAAD Editor.
False
The ease and convenience of the Graphical User Interface is equally wellsuited for modeling structures of all types, including bridge structures. As
always, the text input file is still accessible for instances where it may be
easier to make an edit to the file directly.
STAAD.beava is capable of identifying critical load positions as well as

critical members within a structure.
False
Beava's power lies in its ability to locate loads to maximize or minimize the
response of selected structural functions. However, it remains the
engineer's task to select the members whose structural functions are to
be maximized or minimized.
3
The steel design process in STAAD.Pro can evaluate deflections for a multisegment bridge girder.
True
By using the DFF, DJ1 and DJ2 parameters, the steel design engine is
capable of correctly evaluating the deflections of a multi-span girder by
normalizing the deflections at the end nodes and then comparing the
critical deflection to the overall girder span.
Apr-11
121
Course Summary
Course Review
Course Summary
122
Apr-11

STAADPro BridgeApplicationsInclSTAADbeava TRN014310 1 0003 Ershie Clemente 1374871

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Student: Ershie Clemente

Company: Infrasys, Inc.

Class Date: 19-Aug-2015