The following are the salient points of the design process.

1. Only a code check operation is permitted on members with web openings. The MEMBER SELECTION process will not be performed if a web opening is specified for the member.

2. The CODE CHECK operation is performed at the following locations along the member span:

   1. The 13 equally spaced points along the member span customary with the BEAM 1 parameter

      or

      The section locations specified using the SECTION command, if the BEAM parameter is set to 0.0

      or

      The 2 member ends if BEAM parameter is set to 0, and the SECTION command is not specified.

   2. At the web openings locations defined using the RHOLE and CHOLE parameters (Refer to Table 2.18-1 below).

   If any of the locations defined under (a) above happen to coincide with those in (b), such locations are designed as places where openings are located, and not as an unperforated section location.

   The utilization ratio (U.R.) is determined for all the locations in (a) above, as well as all the locations in (b) above. The highest value among these locations is deemed critical from the design standpoint.

   The design output consists of the critical value obtained from checking the locations under (a), and each of the locations under (b).

   The critical location among those in (b) is not displayed in the post-processing pages of the program such as the Beam-Unit Check page, or the Member Query-Steel Design tab.

Members declared as TRUSS (trusses) or TENSION (tension-only) are not designed for web openings.