Tutorial

Simple steel structure

2D
STAAD.PRO 2007

This tutorial was created to make a simple introduction to the STAAD.PRO 2007 program. The mission
is to enable the user to create a simple 2D model using the basic tools of the program.
Created for the course 11961 Structural Design
DTU, February 2009
Jeppe Jnsson
rur Rafn Bjarnason

This tutorial consist of steps

1-38 and comments as needed.

1. Open the STAAD.PRO program

2. Click New Project...

Enter File name
Specify the Location, were
the file will be saved
Select: Plane
Length Units: Meters
Force Units: KiloNewton
Click Next

New Project...
Button

We selected Plane as we are

only creating a 2D structure

3. Next we will add a Beam

Check: Add Beam
Click Finish

4. Edit the Grid system

Click Edit

5. Grid edit
Change the Construction
Lines
Set X and Y to 5
Click OK
At this time we do not need to
create a new grid line as our
structure is simple and only in
2D

5.

6. Adding Beams
The Snap Node/Beam window
is now open, just move the
window so that the grid lines
are visible

Snap Node/Beam
Button

If the Snap Node/Beam window is not open, just click the

Snap Node/Beam button to
enable the window

7. View in 2D
As we are only working with a
2D structure, we can change
the view.

View From +Z
Button

Click View From +Z

Then we have a plane Y-X

8. Add Beam
Note that the Snap Note/Beam
window has to be open, see
step 6
Click Snap Node/Beam, if it
is not already turned on
Move the cursor over the
Grid and click at the point
(0,0) as the starting point
for the beam
Next click the point (0,4) as
the finishing point for the
beam
Now we have created a
beam

Finish point
(0,4)

Starting point
(0,0)

9. Complete the structure

Complete step 8 for all the
5 beams and the structure
should look like the structure
here to the left
Beam 2

Beam 5

Beam 1

Beam 3

Beam 4

10. General option

Click General
Now we are ready to apply and
define property for the beams
General
option

11. Defining Property

Go to the Properties - Whole
structure window (in the bottom right corner)
Property
option

Click Section Database

Next we select the steel Profiles that we will be using

Select Steel
Select European
Select IPE Shape
Select IPE120 and click Add
Select IPE160 and click Add
Click Close

12. Assign Property to the beams

Next we will assign the selected steel profiles to the beams
Select IPE120
Select Cursor To Assign
Click Assign
Use the Cursor to assign to
IPE120 to beams 4 and 5
Repeat this for the IPE160 profile, assign to beams 1, 2 and 3

13. Structure with assigned Properties

After assigning the IPE120 and
IPE160 the structure should
look like the one to the left

14. Creating bracing

Click Spec
Select Beam 5 and Double
click
Select Change Releases At
Start...

Spec

15. Bracing - continued

Select Release
Under Release
Check FY
Check FZ
Check MX
Check MY
Check MZ
Click Add
Select Change Releases At
End...
Repeat as the releas as
done for the Releases At
Start...
7

16. Bracing - continued

After releasing the structure
should look like the one to the
left

17. Creating Supports

Click Support
Go to the Supports - Whole
structure window (in the bottom right corner)
Support
option

Click Create

18. Select support

Select Pinned and Add
We will only be using pinned
supports for this structure
The structure is statically indeterminate, see also the hand
calculations in appendix A

19. Assign Supports

Select the Pinned support
Select Cursor To Assign
Click Assign
Use the Cursor to assign to the
pinned supports to Node 1 and
Node 4
After having assigned the
pinned supports the structure
should look like the one to the
left
Node 1

Node 4

20. Defining Loads

Click Load

Load
option

21. Load Cases Details

Go to the Load window (to the
right)
Select Load Cases Details
Click Add...

22. Create Load Cases

Select Primary
Loading Type: Live
Title: Live
Click Add
Click Close

23. Load Items

Select 1 : Live
Click Add...

Select Nodal Load

Fx: 60
Click Add
Click Close

In this example we will neglect

self weight

24. Assign Load

Select FX 60 kN,m
Click Node 2
Select Assign To Selected
Nodes
Click Assign
Assign the load to Node 2

10

25. Defining Material

Click Material
We see we have already defined the Materials when we
selected the steel profiles for
the beams, when we defined
the Property. See step 11

Material
option

26. Define the Analysis/Print

Click Analysis/Print
The Analysis/Print window will
pop up

Analysis/Print
option

Select Preform Analysis

Select All
Click Add
Click Close

27. Check if Staad.pro will preform selected analysis

Take a look at the Analysis Whole structure window (to
the right)
We have successfully added
PREFORM ANALYSIS PRINT ALL

11

28. Analyze
Click Analyze
Click Run Analysis...
Or press Ctrl+F5
Now the analysis will run

29. Analysis completed

Now the result window will
pop up
Select Go to Post Processing Mode
Click Done

30. Result Setup

Select Loads
Move the Load Cases that are
available box to the Selected
box
Click OK

12

31. Postprocessing dialog

Now we get the Postprocessing
dialog
Here we can check the displacement, reactions, forces
acting on the beams, stresses,
look at graphs, animations and
create reports
We will start by checking the
displacements and reactions

32. Displacement in Nodes

Click Node
Click Displacement
We see that the Horizontal
(x-direction) displacement in
Node 2 is 2,159 mm

Node
Displacement
Node 2

This Horizontal (x-direction)

displacement in Node 2 is the
same as the hand calculations,
page 18, see Appendix A

33. Reactions
Click Reactions
Now we can see the reactions
in the supports

Node
Reactions

The reaction are the same as

the hand calculations

13

34. Forces in the Beams

Now we will take a look at the
beams
Click Beam
Click Forces

Beam
Forces

Now we can see all of the

forces that are acting on the
beams
If we focus on beam 1 we can
see that the axial force 42 kN
is as the hand calculations, and
the same is for all the other
beams
35. Stresses
Click Beam
Click Stresses
Select Beam 2
Beam
Stresses

Try out by clicking beams

We see that the beams 1 and 4
are in tension, beams 2, 3 and
5 are in compression. This was
also seen visible in step 34

36. Graphs
Click Beam
Click Graphs
Now we can see the all of the
beams graphs, Fy, Fx and Mz

Beam
Graphs

Try out by clicking beams

14

37. Beam Property

We can take a look at each
beam and see what properties
are associated with them
Double Click Beam 2
Click Property
Now we can see all of the
information about the beam,
such as material (steel), section
(IEP160) and so on

38. This ends this tutorial

Video tutorial and information are available from the Bentley web site:
1. Create a model of beams and finite element meshes, load, a 3D concrete
model and produce quality reports
2. Highlights of STAAD.Pro 2007

Appendix
A. Hand calculations
Here we apply virtual work to solve statically indeterminate structure, applying Kraftmetoden or the Force method
The hand calculations are used to compare with the results from Staad.
pro program

15

Appendix A

16

Appendix A

Supports in A

17

Appendix A

Horizontal (x-direction)
displacement

18

11961 Structural Design

DTU
February 2009