Replacing the Default Steelwork Section Size

The Supports application is supplied with a default set of frameworks based on British Steelwork standards. The project can modify the steelwork sizes and the following example explains how the administrator makes the alternatives available. In the example, support type FT09 option 1, which uses 60x60x8 angle British Steel Standard is changed to 2x2x3/8 AISC Standard.

1. Enter the application with write access to the project MDS framework template database.

2. Enter the Design module and load the applicationware.

3. Navigate to the FT09 template structure /SUPPORT/FRAMES/BS/FT09/1. This is the first available size for the FT09 standard, by default, of four available.

4. Unlock the structure.

5. Set the limits of the structure and add it to the drawlist and look down. The following view should be displayed on the screen. Additional text and symbols have been added for clarification.

   

6. Open the Properties window. Navigate to each section in turn and modify the specification to /US-L2x2x3/8 (American Standard Profiles, Angle, L2x2x3/8) . After this has been completed the following view should be displayed on the screen.

   

7. Note that the sections now have gaps between each other and the back mark of the cross member /SUPPORT/FRAMES/BS/FT09/1-BAR-1 has moved off the origin of the structure. Move the cross bar so that the back mark returns to the structure origin.

8. Navigate to the cross bar /SUPPORT/FRAMES/BS/FT09/1-BAR-1 and slide the section so that the back mark returns to the structure origin. After this has been completed, the following view should be displayed on the screen.

   

9. Slide the two remaining vertical members so that they are flush with the cross member. Navigate to each vertical member in turn and type ‘MOVE S CLEAR 0 INF GENSEC 1’. GENSEC 1 in this case being the cross bar. After this has been completed, the following view should be displayed on the screen.

   

10. Slide the two vertical members and align them flush with each other and the intersection point at the origin of the structure. Navigate to vertical member /SUPPORT/FRAMES/BS/FT09/1-V1 and type the following two lines ‘PIN 1 AT STRU’ and ‘MOVE W CLEAR 0 INF PIN 1’. Navigate to the second vertical member /SUPPORT/FRAMES/BS/FT09/1-V2 and type the following two lines ‘MOVE E CLEAR 0 INF PIN 1’ and ‘PIN 1 OFF’. After this has been completed, the following view should be displayed on the screen.

    

11. Look east to make sure the cross bar has not moved in the vertical direction. The face of the section must be flush with the origin of the structure. If this is the case, the modification of the template is complete and it can be used on the project to create a framework using AISC steelwork.