The following bullet items describe each of the areas in the SD Section Data form:
Section name: Specify or modify the name of the frame section.
Base Material: Specify or modify a defined material property. Depending on the design type of the material property selected, various options in the Section Type area may or may not be available.
If the design type of the specified material property is Steel, the General Steel Section and Other (not designed) options are available.
If the design type of the specified material property is Concrete, the Concrete Column and Other (not designed) options are available.
If the design type of the specified material property is None, only the Other (not designed) option is available.
The base material serves two purposes. First, it determines what design postprocessing options are available for the section. Second, the section properties are calculated by converting the area of each shape that makes up the section into an equivalent area of the base material. Thus, while a section can be made up of various shapes with different material properties, the reported section properties are based on an equivalent area of the base material.
See also: Show Section Properties
Design Type: Specify the section type. If the section type is General Steel Section, any frame section assigned this property is designed by the Steel Frame Design postprocessor as a general section. If the section type is Concrete Column, any frame section assigned this property is designed by the Concrete Frame Design postprocessor. If the section type is No Check/Design (not designed), any frame section assigned this property is not designed by any postprocessor.
Concrete Column Check/Design: This area is only active if the Concrete Column option is selected in the Design Type area. Specify whether the concrete column is to have its specified reinforcing checked or new longitudinal reinforcing designed when it is run through the Concrete Frame Design postprocessor.
Define/Edit/Show Section: After you have appropriately specified items in the rest of the form, click the Section Designer button in this area to go to the Section Designer utility and draw the section. When you exit the Section Designer utility you return to the SD Section Data form. You can then click the OK button twice to complete the definition of the frame section property.