Use the Panel Zone Data form to specify the properties of the panel zone, the connectivity at the panel zone, and the local axes orientation for the panel zone.
Property Name edit box. Use the default or specify another name for the panel zone property definition.
Property Notes Modify/Show button. Click this button to access the Panel Zone Property Notes form and record or review notes about Panel Zone Properties.
Properties options. When panel zone properties are specified, the stiffness of the springs used to model the panel zone are actually being specified.
Elastic Properties from Column option. With this option, only rotational properties for bending about the major axis (local 3-axis) and minor axis (local 2-axis) are taken from the column. Those rotational properties are assigned to the panel zone spring that connects the two ETABS-created internal joints at the panel zone. For all other degrees of freedom, the internal joints at the panel zone are assumed to be rigidly connected. When this option is selected, the only active option for Connectivity is Beam-Column and the only active option for the Local 2-Axis is From Column.
Elastic Properties from Column and Doubler Plate option. When using this option, the thickness of a doubler plate is specified. ETABS then changes the web thickness (local 2-axis direction) of the column to be equal to the original web thickness plus the specified doubler plate thickness and calculates the properties of this modified section. The rotational properties for bending about the major axis (local 3-axis) and minor axis (local 2-axis) are taken from the modified column section. These rotational properties are assigned to the panel zone spring that connects the two ETABS-created internal joints at the panel zone. For all other degrees of freedom, the internal joints at the panel zone are assumed to be rigidly connected. When this property option is selected, the only active option for Connectivity is Beam-Column and the only active option for the Local 2-Axis is From Column.
Specified Spring Properties option. With this option, specify rotational spring stiffnesses for major axis bending (about the local 3-axis of the column and panel zone) and minor axis bending (about the local 2-axis of the column and panel zone). These two rotational spring properties are assigned to the panel zone spring that connects the two ETABS-created internal joints at the panel zone. For all other degrees of freedom, the internal joints at the panel zone are assumed to be rigidly connected. When this property option is selected, the only active option for Connectivity is Beam-Column and the only active option for the Local 2-Axis is From Column.
Specified Link Property option. With this option, specify a link element property for the panel zone. The link element properties are assigned to the spring that connects the two ETABS-created internal joints at the panel zone. In that case, the spring may have properties for all six degrees of freedom if nonzero link properties are defined for all six degrees of freedom. If the link element property has zero properties for a particular degree of freedom, ETABS assumes that that degree of freedom is rigidly connected. Therefore, if for some reason one of the degrees of freedom of the panel zone has essentially zero stiffness, specify a small stiffness for that degree of freedom in the link properties. If nonlinear static properties are defined for the link property, those properties are considered when a static nonlinear (pushover) analysis is run. Similarly, if nonlinear dynamic properties are defined for the link property, those properties are considered when a nonlinear time history analysis is run. Thus when the panel zone properties are based on a specified link property, nonlinear behavior in the panel zone can be modeled. When this property option is selected, all three options are available and active in the Connectivity area and both options are available and active in the Local 2-Axis area.
Connectivity options. If the Specified Link Property option is chosen in the Properties area, choose from the following three options. Otherwise, beam-column is the only active panel zone connectivity option.
Beam-Column option. For beam-column connectivity, ETABS creates two separate joints to model the panel zone. All beam members are connected to one of the joints and all column members are connected to the other joint. The two joints are connected by a spring that has the properties specified for the panel zone. Consider Figure a below, which shows a beam-column joint. Figure b shows the effect of assigning a panel zone with beam-column connectivity to this joint. ETABS creates joints 1 and 2 internally. They both actually occur at the same location as the joint object that is at the beam-column intersection. They are shown in different locations in the figure for graphical explanation purposes only. The column members are connected to joint 1. The beam members are connected to joint 2.
Joints 1 and 2 are connected by zero-length springs whose properties are based on the panel zone assignment. Note that the relative movement in the panel zone is between the column elements and the beam elements. No relative movement exists between individual column elements or individual beam elements.
Beam-Brace option. For beam-brace connectivity, ETABS creates two separate joints to model the panel zone. All beam members are connected to one of the joints and all brace members are connected to the other joint. The two joints are connected by a spring that has the properties specified for the panel zone. See the description of Beam-Column connectivity for additional information.
Brace-Column option. For brace-column connectivity, ETABS creates two separate joints to model the panel zone. All brace members are connected to one of the joints and all column members are connected to the other joint. The two joints are connected by a spring that has the properties specified for the panel zone. See the description of Beam-Column connectivity for additional information.
Local Axis options. If the Specified Link Property option is chosen in the Properties area, choose from the following two options. Otherwise, From Column is the only active local axis option. The positive local 1-axis is in the same direction as the positive global Z-axis (upward), always. The direction of the positive local 3-axis is determined from the directions of the local 1 and 2 axes as described herein using the right-hand rule. Specify the positive direction of the local 2-axis as one of the following.
From Column option. The positive local 2-axis of the panel zone is in the same direction as the positive local 2-axis of the column connected to the panel zone. If columns are connected to the panel zone from both above and below, and they have different local axis orientations, the positive local 2-axis of the panel zone is in the same direction as the positive local 2-axis of the column below (and connected to) the panel zone. If the local 2 axis is specified to be based on a column and no column exists at the panel zone location, the positive local 2-axis is oriented in the same direction as the positive global X-axis.
Angle option. The direction of the positive local 2-axis of the panel zone is specified by an angle measured in degrees from the positive global X-axis. A positive angle appears counterclockwise as you look down on it from above. An angle of 0 degrees means the positive local 2-axis is in the same direction as the positive global X-axis. An angle of 90 degrees means the positive local 2-axis is in the same direction as the positive global Y-axis. See the sketch below.
Access the Panel Zone Data form as follows:
Click the Define menu > Section Properties > Panel Zone command to display the Panel Zone Properties form.
Note that the Panel Zone Properties form also displays when the Modify/Show Definitions button is clicked on the Joint Assignment - Panel Zone Property form.
Click the Add New Property button, or highlight an existing panel zone definition and click the Add Copy of Property or Modify/Show Property button to display the Panel Zone Data form.