Note: Click the Add button to begin the process of defining the stages.
Use the drop-down lists and edit boxes in the spreadsheet area to specify the type of operation and loading for each stage of construction. Select the stage by clicking on it in the spreadsheet area of the form.
Operation drop-down list. Choose the operation for the selected stage of construction (Add Structure, Load Objects, Load Objects If Added, Remove Structure). The Change Modifiers, Change Releases and Change Section options allow the user to easily review/compare results for alternative property modifiers and frame sections. Use the Type and Name drop-down lists to specify the type of member (frame, cable, area) and the previously defined modifiers to be used for the various stages of construction.
Add Structure -The operation activates the specified Group, Point, Frame, Cable, Tendon, Area, Solid, or Link objects in the model.
Change Modifiers - Applies modifiers to the specified Group, Frame, Cable, or Area objects based on a previously defined Named Property Set.
Change Releases - Applies frame releases to the specified Group or Frame objects based on a previously defined Named Property Set.
Change Section - Assigns a new specified section property to the Group, Frame, Cable, Tendon, Area, or Link object.
Load Objects - Supplies the specified Load Pattern or Acceleration to the Group, Point, Frame, Cable, Tendon, Area, Solid, or Link object. The Load Pattern/Acceleration must be assigned to the object and the object must be active at the end of the Stage in order to receive the load.
Load Objects If Added - Applies the specified Load Pattern or Acceleration to the Group objects. The Load Pattern/Acceleration must be assigned to the object and the object must be activated in the same Stage in order to receive the load.
Remove Structure - Removes the specified object from the model. All loads applied to the Group, Point, Frame, Cable, Tendon, Area, Solid, or Link object also are removed.
Object Type drop-down list. Select the group, point or frame to be included in the stage.
Object Name drop-down list. Select the name of the object to be included in the stage from this list.
Age at Add edit box. This edit box is available when the Operation selected is Add Structure. Enter a value for the age of the structure when it is/was added.
Type drop-down list.
If the Operation is Change Section, select the object type to be changed from the Type drop-down list and then select a revised section property from the Name drop-down list.
If the Operation is Load Objects or Load Objects If Added, choose the type of load from the Type drop-down list (load pattern or an acceleration) and then select the load from the Name drop-down list, and as required, specify a Scale Factor to be applied to the load in the edit box.
Add Copy button. Click on existing data and click this button to make add a duplicate of the selected data, which can then be modified as necessary.
Delete button. Click on existing data and click this button to delete a load definition.
Arrow buttons, Stage Name drop-down list, Stage edit box. Use these items to move through the rows of data in the spreadsheet area.
Show Stage Tree button. Click this button to display the Stage Construction Tree form, which shows the various stages and the operations assigned to those stages.
Access the Stage Data form as follows:
Click the Define menu > Load Cases command to display the Load Cases form.
Click the Add New Load Case button, or highlight a previously defined load case and click the Add Copy of Load Case or the Modify/Show Load Case button, to display the Load Case Data form.
Select Nonlinear Staged Construction for the Load Case Type, which then displays options on the form to create a nonlinear staged construction load case.
Click the Add button to begin defining a stage.
Click the Stage Operations button to display the Stage Data form.