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CIVL 7111 - SAP2000 Tutorial for Analyzing Trusses
he following is a step-by-step procedure for analysis a two-dimensional truss structure using SAP2000. The order of some of these
steps is not critical; however, all step should be completed before execution of the the analysis. If you have any questions, or you
you find any of these instructions unclear or inaccurate, please contact Dr. Charles Camp.
To help students become familiar with some of the numerous aspects and features of SAP2000, the following tutorial will focus on
determining the forces in each member of the roof truss shown below. Assume all members are pin connected.
When you start SAP2000 Educational Version 7.4 you should see the following interface window:
Step 1: Set Problem Dimensions- On thebottom on the interface window, set the desired units
for the problem using the pull-down menu. In this
example, the units are feetand kips.
Step 2: Grid Spacing- Determine the appropriate number of grid line and grid spacing to locate the joints of the truss. Thegrid spacing is set by defining a new problem. To create a new problem, select New Modelunder the Filemenu.
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When you select New Modelon the menu, the CoordinateSystem Definitionwindow will appear (see the figure on the
right).
Remember, that SAP2000 assumes that your two-dimensional
structure resides in the x-z plane.
Define your grid system by entering data on the Coordinate
System Definitionwindow. For the truss shown above, the the
grid spacing in the x and z-directions is 20 feet. The number of
grid spaces in the x and z-directions are 4 and 1, respectively. No
y-direction grid line are necessary for this problem.
When you click OK, SAP2000 generates the grids line you have
just defined and shows you the grid system in the SAP2000
interface window.
By default SAP2000 show two views of your problem, typically a
3-D view and an x-y plane view. To adjust the views, select anwindow and click on the appropriate view button located along the
top edge of the interface window.
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Step 3: Locate Truss Joints -To define the joint locations, select the Draw Special Jointbutton on the lower toolbar. Click on grid intersection lines to define joints. For this problem the joint locations are shown below:
Step 4: Draw Frame Elements- To define each frame element, select the Draw Frame Elementbutton on the lowertool bar. To define an element, click on a joint at the beginning of the element and than on the joint at the end of the element. To
end a series of element definitions, simply double-click on the final joint. For this truss problem, the frame elements are shown
below:
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Step 5: Define Structural Supports -To define the location and type of structural support, select the support location byclicking on the joint with the pointer. A y ellow "X" should appear at the joint to indicate that it is currently selected. Next click on
the Joint Restraintbutton on the bottom tool bar.
The Joint Restraintsmenu will appear as shown on the right. In most
cases, the directions 1, 2, and 3listed on the menu correspond to the x, y,
and z directions. When working on two-dimensional structures, the Fast
Restraintsbutton may be used for most problems. If the support conditions
for your problem are not listed in the Fast Restraintssection of the menu,
you should select the appropriate combination of restraints.
In the truss example, select the lower-left hand joint with the pointer (an "X"
should appear at the joint) and then click on the Fast Restraints
button. On the Fast Restraintsmenu select the pinbutton and click
OK.
Next, select the lower right-hand joint with the pointer and click on the
Fast Restraints button. On the Fast Restraintsmenu select the roller
button and click OK.
After the supports have been defined the truss problem should appear in the SAP2000 interface window as follows:
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Step 8: Define Material Properties -SAP2000 assumes the loads acting on a structure include the weight of eachweight. In our truss analysis, we assume that each element is weightless. To define the properties of a material , select the Define
menu located along the top the SAP2000 interface window and then click on Materials.The Define Materials window will appear
as shown below:
On this menu you can change the properties of materials.
In this example, select the OTHERmaterial and click on
the Modify/Show Materialbutton.
The Material Property Datawindow will appear.
Change the value in the Weight per unit Volumeinput field to zero. Click OKto return to the Define Materialswindow and than
click OKagain. Now we have a material named OTHERthat has no weight per volume. For this example problem, the default
values for the Mass per unit Volume, Modulus of elasticity, Poisson's ratio, and the Coeff of thermal expansion can be used. For
most linear elastic statically loaded structures only values for Weight per unit Volume and Modulus of elasticity are required.
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Step 9: Define Frame Sections -To define the cross-section properties of a structural element click on the Definemenulocated along the top the SAP2000 interface window and then click on Frame Sections.The Define Frame Sectionswindow will
appear as shown below:
The default Frame Section label is FSEC1. To change the properties of the frame section click on the on the Modify/Show
Materialbutton. The Rectangular Sectionwindow will appear.
To the material of this frame section click on the Materialpull-down menu and select our weightless material OTHER. Click OKto
return to the Define Frame Sectionswindow and than click OKagain. If you are interested in computing deflections in the truss,
then you must define the Depth (t3) and Width (t2) of the cross-section. In this example, we are interested only in the axial forces
in a determinate truss, so the value of the cross-sectional areas are not important.
Step 10: Assign Frame Sections -To assign the cross-section properties of a s tructural element, select the element withthe pointer and click on the Assignmenu located along the top the SAP2000 interface window and then click on Frame Sections.
You can assign the same section properties multiple elements by selecting all the elements that share the same properties. The
Frame Section name will appear next to each element selected. After the frame sections have been assigned the SAP2000
interface window will appear as follows:
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Step 11: Set Analysis Options and Run Analysis -In this example, the truss structure is modeled in the x-z plane.To limit analysis to variables in the x-z plane click on the Analyzemenu located along the top the SAP2000 interface window and
then click on Set Options.The Analysis Optionsmenu will appear as follows:
To restrict SAP2000 to variables in the x- plane, select the Plane Framebutton and click OK. The truss structure is now ready for
analysis. To analyze the model press the Run Analysisbutton .
If the analysis is successful, the Analysis Completewindow will appear and report the the analysis is complete. Click OKand
the SAP2000 interface window will display an exaggerated deflected shape of the modeled structure.
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To print the results to a file click on the Filemenu and select Print Output Tablesand click the Print to File box. There is an
option forSpreadsheet Format if desired. The default location for the file is the same directory as the problem files. A different
location can be specified by click ing File Nameand choosing the desired file location and name.
In order to correlation the results printed in the output file to frame elements in the structure, the frame labels turned on and printed
out. To display the frame element labels click on the Show Undeformed Shape button on the main interface. Next, click on
the Set Elementsbutton and under the Framesection of the menu click on Labels.
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The frame element numbers, or any other information displayed in the main SAP2000 interface, can be printed by clicking on the
Filemenu and selecting Print Graphics(the image will be sent to the default printer).
The results of the truss analysis presented in the output file are listed by frame element number.
Note that SAP2000 list the variation of the internal forces and moments along the element. For truss analysis there are no bending
moments and shear forces. The values listed in the "P" column are the axial forces in the truss members.
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This web site was originally developed by Charles Campfor CIVL 7111.
This site is maintained by the Department of Civil Engineeringat the University of Memphis.
Your comments and questionsare welcomed.
Contact Department Civil Engineering| 104 Engineering Science Bldg |Memphis, TN 38152 | Phone: 901/678-2746 | Fax: 901/678-3026 | Last updated: 01/17/2013
Text Only| Print| Contact UM| Memphis, TN 38152 | 901/678-2000 | Copyright 2013 University of Memphis| Important Notice
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