The following sequence describes a typical concrete frame design process for a new building. Note that the sequence of steps taken in any particular design may vary but the basic process will probably be essentially the same.
Note: This procedure uses the menu commands. The same functions can be accessed using the Model Explorer.
Use the Design menu > Concrete Frame Design > View/Revise Preferences command to choose the concrete frame design code. In addition, this command allows review of and changes to other concrete frame design preferences. ETABS provides default values for all concrete frame design preferences so this command can be used to review the values and to make changes when necessary.
Run the building analysis using the Analyze menu > Run Analysis command.
The following two commands can be used to tailor the design process to meet specific requirements, although their use is not mandatory to complete a design.
If needed, assign concrete frame overwrites by first selecting the beam(s) to be assigned overwrites and then using the Design menu > Concrete Frame Design > View/Revise Overwrites command. Note that ETABS provides default values for all concrete frame design overwrites so this command can be used to review the values and to make changes only when necessary for selected beams.
If needed, use design load combinations other than the defaults created by ETABS for concrete frame design by clicking the Design menu > Concrete Frame Design > Select Design Combinations command. Note that at least one design combo must have been created using the Define menu > Load Combinations command before the Select Design Combinations command can be used.
Click the Design menu > Concrete Frame Design > Start Design/Check command to run the concrete frame design.
Review the concrete frame design results using one of the following methods:
Click the Design menu > Concrete Frame Design > Display Design Info command to display design input and output information on the model.
Right click on a frame element while the design results are displayed on it to enter the interactive design mode and interactively design the frame element. Note that while the Interactive mode is active, overwrites can be revised and the results of the new design can be reviewed immediately. If design results are not currently displayed (and the design has been run), click the Design menu > Concrete Frame Design > Interactive Design command and then right click a frame element to enter the interactive design mode for that element.
Use the Model Explorer > Tables command to select design data for on-screen display in tabular format.
Use the File menu > Create Report command to print concrete frame design data. If a beam(s) is selected before this command is used, data is printed for the selected beam(s) only.
Use the Design menu > Concrete Frame Design > Change Design Section command to change the design section properties for selected frame elements.
Click the Design menu > Concrete Frame Design > Start Design/Check command to rerun the concrete frame design with the new section properties. Review the results using the procedures described in Item 6.
Rerun the building analysis using the Analyze menu > Run Analysis command. Note that the section properties used for the analysis are the last specified design section properties.
Click the Design menu > Concrete Frame Design > Start Design/Check command to rerun the concrete frame design with the new analysis results and new section properties. Review the results using the procedures described above.
Again use the Design menu > Concrete Frame Design > Change Design Section command to change the design section properties for selected frame elements, if necessary.
Repeat the processes in steps 10, 11 and 12 as many times as necessary.
Rerun the building analysis using the Analyze menu > Run Analysis command. Note that the section properties used for the analysis are the last specified design section properties.
Click the Design menu > Concrete Frame Design > Start Design/Check command to rerun the concrete frame design with the new section properties. Review the results using the procedures described in Item 7.
Click the Design menu > Concrete Frame Design > Verify Analysis vs Design Section command to verify that all of the final design sections are the same as the last used analysis sections.
Use the File menu > Create Report command and select Add New User Report to specify the data to be included in the printed report.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Design is an iterative process. The sections used in the original analysis are not typically the same as those obtained at the end of the design process. Use the Design menu > Concrete Frame Design > Verify Analysis vs Design Section command to verify that the design sections are the same as the analysis sections. Always run the building analysis using the final frame section sizes and then run a design check using the forces obtained from that analysis to ensure that the analysis results reflect the design.