Structural Components Selectors

The following SELEC questions are those which you are likely to use when defining SPECs for structural components:

SType

Defines the Specific Type of the component; particularly applicable to the general generic types PROF, JOIN and FITT. Examples of STYPE answers which might be applied to structural components to cover European, American and British standards include:

STYPE Meaning

C Channel section or American standard C–shapes (tapered flanges)

CHS Circular hollow section

CRSJ Castellated rolled steel joists

CUB Castellated universal beams

CUC Castellated universal columns

CZB Castellated Z–beams

EAI Imperial equal angles

EAM Metric equal angles

HD European columns (wide flanges)

HE European beams (wide flanges)

HL/HX European beams (very wide flanges)

HP Bearing piles (wide flanges)

IPE European beams (parallel faced flanges)

IPN European standard beams (tapered flanges)

LST Long stalk tee–bars

M/W American I–shapes (wide flanges)

RHS Rectangular hollow section

RSJ Rolled steel joists

S American standard I–shapes (tapered flanges)

T Tee bars

TUB Tees cut from universal beams

TUC Tees cut from universal columns

U European small channels

UB Universal beams

UBP Universal bearing piles

UC Universal columns

UEAI Imperial unequal angles

UEAM Metric unequal angles

UPN European standard channels

PLAT Plate girders

DEPth

The depth (height) of a structural section; e.g. 100 mm.

WIDth

The width of a structural section; e.g. 100 mm.

WEIGht

The weight per unit length; e.g. 100 kg/m.

DIMEnsion integer

Any dimension. The qualifying integer is optional; suggested conventions are:

DIME1
Depth or long leg

DIME2
Width or short leg

CTYPE integer

A connection type. The qualifying integer is optional; suggested conventions are:

CTYPE1
Start connection

CTYPE2
End connection

CTYPE3
Attached connection

CTYPE4
Owning connection
with the possible answers RIVET, BOLT, WELD, GLUE, etc.

CTYStart

Start connection (equivalent to CTYPE1).

CTYEnd

End connection (equivalent to CTYPE2).

CTYAttached

Attached connection (equivalent to CTYPE3).

CTYOwning

Owning connection (equivalent to CTYPE4).

INERtia integer

Moment of inertia about a specified axis; e.g. 280 cm$. (It is usually convenient to use cm rather than mm here to avoid having to list large values.) The qualifying integer is optional; suggested conventions are:

INER1
Inertia about x-x

INER2
Inertia about y-y

INER3
Inertia about u-u

INER4
Inertia about v-v

THICkness integer

Plate thickness within a section; e.g. 10 mm. The qualifying integer is optional; suggested conventions are:

THIC1
Web thickness

THIC2
Flange thickness

FIXty

Joint fixity; e.g. FIXED, PINNED, PLASTIC, HINGED, RIGID, etc.

GRADe

Material grade for fire-resistant insulation; e.g. 43. (See Structural Insulation.)

FIREsistance

Degree of fire resistance for insulation; e.g. 2 hr. (See Structural Insulation.)

ITHIckness

Insulation thickness; e.g. 50 mm. (See Structural Insulation.)

AREA

Area of a section; e.g. 100 cm².

As for piping component specifications, you may also use any word, with or without a numeric qualifier, to define your own questions. See Piping Component Selectors.