S-Frame

Defining Section Properties

We shall need to define the properties of the sections of our frame. We can do this at any stage, but if we do so now, then we can use the appropriate properties as we define the members of our model.

1. Left click the Section Properties Tool to select it.

2. Now right click on the tool to display its dialog.

Note: As an alternative to right clicking you can click Edit / Tool... or click the Edit Section Properties icon ( ) in the Views and Grids toolbar.

If you had a book of steel section data to hand you could look up the details for the section you want to use and enter those details directly. However, S-Frame comes with an encyclopedia of the sections that are available in many countries. This is a far faster way of setting up the details and much less prone to human error.

3. Click Dbase... which activates a dialog which allows you to retrieve section properties from S-Frame's databases.

Note: When you see this dialog the initial settings may be different to those above. This is because S-Frame remembers the settings that were made the last time the dialog was used.

4. Choose the Steel Table CISC, and the I section shape icon ( ). The dialog will now look like that shown above.

5. Click in the Section Name box, type W310x52 and then click Find. S-Frame shows the properties of the section.

Note: If you only type in partial information, for example W310, then S-Frame will show the first section which matches with the partial details you have entered.

6. Click Add to => which adds the W310x52 section to the List of sections to add to local database.

Note: If you only wanted to add a single section to your local database, then you could simply click OK here.

7. Find and add the W250x39 section to the List of sections to add to local database.

8. Now click OK to add these sections to your local database and return to the Section Properties Tool dialog which will show these two sections. If you click on one of the section names you can see the details that have been returned from the database.

Note: At this stage the units of the section properties are converted to your chosen scheme automatically. S-Frame only needs the Stress Point entries after analysis to perform stress calculations for the members. If you enter a Shear Area, then S-Frame automatically includes the additional deflections due to shear when performing the analysis.

Note: You can also enter the section properties directly into the Sections page of the Spreadsheet.

9. Click Close to shut the Section Properties Tool dialog. You will see the name of the section you clicked in the Views and Grids toolbar.

Softek Web site Softek Offices

This help system is best viewed using the Verdana and Comic Sans fonts which are available from the Microsoft Typography Web site