STAAD.Pro Help

T.3 Specifying Element Properties

Just as properties are assigned to members, properties must be assigned to plate elements too. The property required for plates is the plate thickness (or the thickness at each node of elements if the slab has a varying thickness).

The STAAD input file commands generated are:

ELEMENT PROPERTY
1 TO 6 THICKNESS 30
  1. To select all plates, either:

    click-and-drag a window around all three plates using the Plates Cursor tool

    or

    press <Ctrl+A>

    or

    on the Geometry ribbon tab, select the Plates Cursor > All Plates tool in the Selection group.

  2. On the Specification ribbon tab, select the Plate Thickness tool in the Plate Profiles group.

    The Properties - Whole Structure and the Plate Element/ Surface Property dialogs open.

  3. Specify the material and thickness:
    1. Type 30 cm for the Plate Element Thickness at each corner.
      Tip: Typing a value in the first field will automatically populate the remaining fields as a uniform thickness is typical.
    2. Ensure that Material option is checked and that CONCRETE is selected.

      This instructs the program to assign the material properties of Concrete (E, Poisson, Density, Alpha, etc.) will be assigned along with the plate thickness.

      Tip: The material property values so assigned will be the program defaults. You can review those values by clicking Materials in the Properties - Whole Structure dialog.
    3. Click Assign.
    4. Click Close.

    The plate property is added to the Properties - Whole Structure dialog list and is assigned to the plate elements..

  4. Click anywhere in the drawing area to deselect the selected entities.
    Tip: This is a best practice to follow when using the assignment feature. When an entity is highlighted, clicking on any Assign option is liable to cause an undesired attribute to be assigned to that entity.