SCE5322 Design of Structures 2

ETABS Workshop 1

1
Objectives
• Build structural models (with beams, columns and shear
walls) in ETABS.

• Define rigid floor diaphragm.

• Define wind load, dead load and imposed load.

• Determine the top drift of structure.

• Obtain shear and moment diagrams.

2
Model
• 5-storey RC Wall-Frame Structure

• Total height of 17.5 m with storey height of 3.5 m

• C40 concrete (Ec = 25.1 kN/mm2) and Grade 500 steel

• Column: 500 x 500 mm square

• Wall: 300 mm thick

• Beam (b x h): 300 x 500 mm

• Slab thickness: 150 mm

• Loading
 Total imposed load = 4 kPa
 Total super-imposed dead load = 1 kPa
 HK Wind Code (consider y-direction)

3
 Storey height = 3.5 m
Framing Plan Only consider primary members
along y-direction.

5m 5m 5m 5m 5m

column
5m beam
wall

5m

y-wind

5m
y

x Mainly consider y-wind in this example

4
Results
• Determine the top drift of the building due to wind load

• Display the moment diagrams (or shear force / axial

diagrams)

• Output tables

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 ETABS - Interface
Display tools
- Show displacements, forces, …

Drawing tools
- Assign beams, columns, …

Important
1. ONE Story – draw members on Selected story level
2. ALL Stories – draw members on ALL stories
3. Similar Stories – draw members on Similar Stories
(Need to define which levels are “similar”) 6
Procedures
1. Build and edit grids
2. Define materials
3. Define cross-sections
4. Assign columns and beams (and others)
5. Define restraints and floor diaphragm
6. Define load cases and modify loads
7. Set analysis options
8. Run analysis
9. Display results

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New Model

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New Model

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Model Initialization

SI units

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 Roughly define the
(1) Story dimensions and

Quick Templates (2) Grid dimensions (Plan)

Remark: can modify later

Grid only 11
Basic Gridline System

Assign members later

according to the gridlines

Select appropriate option here

(one story, all stories or similar stories) 12
Edit Gridlines and Story
Data

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 Modify the story data / gridline data
if necessary

Gridlines
Edit > Edit Stories and Grid Systems…

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2

Can add / delete / edit x or y

1
gridlines here (in plan)

Nothing change in this

example

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 Define master story and similar story. This feature is useful if
2 properties change with height. For example, thicker walls at the
bottom region and thinner walls at the upper region)

Now all levels are similar to story 5, i.e. they are in the same
“group”. For example, when members are assigned at story 5,
they will also be assigned at story 1 to 4 automatically.

However, this feature is not applied in this example since all

member’s properties are the same, i.e. All Stories will be applied
rather than Similar Stories.
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Define Materials

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 Define Concrete, Steel, ……

Material
Define > Material Properties…

Add New Material

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Elastic modules from RC code

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Define Member’s
Properties
Beams, Columns, Floor Slabs, Shear
Walls, ……

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 Define the properties of RC
beam/column, steel sections,
composite elements, walls,
Define Members etc. here

Define > Section Properties > …

Beam/Column (Frame)
Slabs (Area element)
Walls (Area element)

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 Reference

Element Types
6 DOFs (3 translation
Frame element + 3 rotational)

Area element

In-plane deformations In-plane + out-of-plane

deformations 22
Define Beams/Columns

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For example, beam 300x500

Material

Dimensions

Similar procedures for columns

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Define Walls

Shell element: Take both

in-plane and out-of-plane
bending

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Define Slabs

Membrane element: Ignore out-

of-plane bending

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Assign Members

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Assign Members
• Assign members at suitable locations according to
the given layout.
 Beams
 Columns
 Walls
 Slabs
• Ensure that all adjacent members
should be met at the same common
node.

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 Assign Column

Quick Draw Columns (Plan, 3D)

1 (Or similar story)

All Stories

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 Draw on XY plan

4
Left click at gridline’s
intersections

3
Select appropriate properties

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31
Assign Beam
Method 1: Draw the beams from one point to another
point.

Quick Draw Beams/Columns (Plan, Elev. 3D)

Method 2: Draw the beams based on the gridline’s
2 arrangement.

All Stories

Use Method 2 (based on gridline)

here. 1
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 Draw on XY plan

Left click at gridlines

Select appropriate properties

3
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34
 Assign Wall

Method 1: Draw the walls from one point to another

Quick Draw Walls (Plan)

2
Method 2: Draw the walls based
on the gridlines All Stories

Use Method 2 (based on gridline) 1

here.
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 Draw on XY plan

4
Left click at the gridlines
Remarks: Add extra gridlines
or reference points or other
methods to draw walls with
complex shape

Select appropriate properties

3
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37
Assign Slab Not always necessary in the computer model

• It is normally assumed that slabs will not contribute in

flexural rigidity to against lateral loads. They just
transmit the forces to vertical members via in-plane
actions.

• Hence, rigid floor diaphragm will be defined (as

constraints) to redistribute the wind loads to vertical
members. See the next section.

• However, you may still assign slab (as membrane

element) in the building model for gravity load
calculation (e.g. self-weight of slab and UDL on slab).
 Remark: Alternatively, the gravity loads can be assigned on
beams directly if slabs are not considered in the model.
 This can reduce computation effort since there will be fewer
elements (i.e. DOFs) in the model..

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We try to assign slab in this example for illustration purpose

Quick Draw Floor/Wall (Plan, Elev, 3D)

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 Left click at the region between
gridlines

Select appropriate properties

All Stories
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 Slab
Wall

Column

Beam

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Restraints (Support)
and Constraints
(Diaphragm)

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 Move up / move down to
other levels

Move to bottom level

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 Default pin supports at bottom in ETABS

Supports Normally use pin support for columns and

fixed support for walls

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Assign > Joint >
Restraints…
3 Select the nodes at bottom level

5 Assign slabs

2
Use One Story for assigning
supports 44
 Rigid floor diaphragm

Diaphragm
2. Assign > Joint > Diaphragms…

1. Select all nodes for the

whole buildings (may be
3. Assign Diaphragms (e.g. D1)
done using ALL Stories or
in 3D view)

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Define Loading
Dead load, imposed load and wind load

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Load Patterns Define wind load patterns
(dead and impose loads are default
patterns)
Define > Load Patterns…

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Load Patterns
1. Set the name, type and auto lateral load (to User Loads for
wind load cases), then click Add New Load.
2. After adding all loadings, choose a wind load pattern and click
Modify Lateral Load.

Remarks: Need to define Self-weight multiplier

1. Super-imposed dead load, - Consider self-weight of material if it
2. Wind_y (Wy), is set to 1.0; otherwise, set to zero.
3. Wind_x (Wx) and - Use load pattern “Dead” to consider
4. Wind_torsion (Wt) self-weight in this example.
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 Assign Wind Loads
• Assign storey forces (Fx & Fy) and
This load case is for Wind_y (Wy) only torsion Mz due to wind loads
according to the load cases.
• There are three separate wind load
cases here (Wy, Wx, Wt). Their values
will be combined later.

94
181.4
173.3
162.4
145.3

Example:
Storey Fx (kN) Fy (kN) Mz (kNm)
5 55.6 94.0 164.5 Note: Alternatively, you may combine all Fx,
Fy and Mz into the same load case (with
4 107.4 181.4 317.5 appropriate load factors).
3 102.6 173.3 303.2
2 96.1 162.4 284.2
1 86.0 145.3 254.3 Can copy and paste in excel 49
Assign Dead and Imposed
Loads 1. Select the slab elements
2. Assign > Shell Loads > Uniform

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Assign the UDL on slabs twice
for imposed load and super-
imposed dead load, separately.

Imposed load = 4 kPa

Super-imposed dead load = 1 kPa

Remarks: If there is no slab

in the model, gravity loads can
be assigned on beams directly.

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Load Combinations

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Load Combinations

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For wind loads:

Consider the lateral loads in the

two orthogonal directions and the
torsional load simultaneously.

WC1: +1.0𝑊𝑦 + 0.55𝑊𝑥 + 0.55𝑊𝑡

WC2: +0.55𝑊𝑦 + 1.0𝑊𝑥 + 0.55𝑊𝑡

and many ……
(Need to consider +/-)
Overall:

1.4𝐺𝑘 + 1.6𝑄𝑘

1.4𝐺𝑘 + 1.4𝑊𝑘

1.2𝐺𝑘 + 1.2𝑄𝑘 + 1.2𝑊𝑘

(Need to consider beneficial

effects)

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Wind Load Combination
Wind Load Combination (WC)

• Define WC 1, 2 and 3 according to the table.

• Note that this example only considers the
+/- directions first wind load combination (WC1).
WC1: +1.0𝑊𝑦 + 0.55𝑊𝑥 + 0.55𝑊𝑡
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Overall Load Combination

• Repeat for all possible combinations.

• Only the first and last combinations
(with WC1) are considered in this example.

1.4𝐺𝑘 + 1.6𝑄𝑘
1.2𝐺𝑘 + 1.2𝑄𝑘 + 1.2𝑊𝑘

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 Remarks about the model
Note that only primary elements
are considered in this model since
our goal is to check the top drift only.

Secondary elements, such as 2nd

beams, which are used to take
gravity loads only, are not included
in this model.

You may build another model mainly for gravity

load analysis
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Run Analysis and
Display Results

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Run Analysis
Run and wait

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Display Results
1. Top drift
2. Reaction
3. Moment diagram
4. Output tables

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1. Deformation and Top Drift
Display reactions
Shows undeformed shape

Display deformations

Display moment, shear, etc.

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 Show the current case

Select individual load case or load combination

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Consider deformation due to WC1 U – translation
1.0𝑊𝑦 + 0.55𝑊𝑥 + 0.55𝑊𝑡 R – rotation

Uz
Uy <= Results
Ux

Move the cursor

to a node

Coordinate

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Remarks: For asymmetric structure or structure with torsion, the
building will undergo both translation and rotation.
1.261 mm

Deform more on this side!!

0.25 mm

VS

𝐻
500

Undeformed line

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Story Response Plots

Useful for display responses

at each storey level

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Story Response Plots

Change quantity
(displacement, drift,
story shear, …)

Change load cases

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2. Reactions
Display reactions
Shows undeformed shape

Display deformations

Display moment, shear, etc.

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Arrows
Show arrows
or table
/ table

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3a. Moment and Shear in
Frame Members
Display reactions
Shows undeformed shape

Display deformations

Display moment, shear, etc.

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 Use right-hand rule to
define the moment based
on the arrow

Refer to local axes of member

2 (green)

1 (red)

3 (blue)
i.e. Moment 3-3 is the major bending moment in
beam (i.e. bending about axis 3) and Shear 2-2 is
the vertical shear force in beam.
Same for columns but it may under bi-axial
bending

How to see the member’s local axes??

Go to view > Set Display Options > Object
Assignments > Frame Assignments > Local
Axes
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May change to 2D view
(Plan or Elev.)

“Right click” the

member to see the
detail results
Activate this if you want
to see the values

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 3b. Moment and Shear in
Shear Walls

No wall moment on the picture

=> Need to define wall pier first

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 1. Select the target wall
e.g. total moment in the core wall

2. Assign > Shell > Pier Label

Select all storeis

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3. Give a name for the selected wall
e.g. P1 (may add more pier label, e.g.
P2, P3, …)

4. Display moment diagram again

and activate Piers

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Core wall takes most of the
moment in this example

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How to see the local axes of piers ?? Red = 1
Green = 2
Blue = 3

e.g. Moment 3-3 is the major in-plane

bending moment of wall (i.e. bending
about the blue axis).

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4. Outputs - Tables

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Select the results depending on
what you need

Select load
patterns / load
cases

Can only output

selected elements
(By default, all
elements will be
displayed in the
table)

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Can display others

Right click > Export to Excel

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Example: Beam Forces

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Remark: Check the member’s name via
• Set Display Options > Object Assignments > Frame Assignment > Unique Names
• Similar idea for names of joint or shell

Set Display Options

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Finished

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Reference1:

Transfer Plate

Transfer plate likes a slab

except that the modelling
type is “Shell Thick”
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Reference2:

Modal Analysis Display, modal periods,

mode shape, …

Note that it is a default analysis in ETABS

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 Modal period of vibration

Along y-direction

Check the vibration

direction !!

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 Sub-divide area element to smaller element to
Reference3: increase the accuracy (but increase computation
effort as well)

Meshing

Select area elements and click Wall

Auto Mesh Options
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 Remark: No need to mesh floor slab
(membrane element)
Reference3:
Consider a shear wall which is
modelled by six shell elements Accuracy vs Computation effort

Top drift
Mesh size
Modelling Top drift
[mm]
1 Shell, 1x1 0.214

2 Shell, 2x2 0.254

3 Shell, 4x4 0.282

4 Shell, 8x8 0.308

Converge to a number when mesh

size increase. 87
Reference4:

Have hogging moment at beam’s ends

How to change to simply supported condition?

=> Frame Release

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2. Assign > Frame > Release/Partial Fixity

1. Select beams

Release moment

3. Set Frame Releases

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Reference4:

After releasing moment

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 Reference5: Define composite sections
Define > Section Properties > Frame Sections > Add New Property > Section Designer

1
Drawing tools
3
Section Designer
Draw !!
(right click to change
properties or dimensions)

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