Following is a typical aluminum frame design process. Note that the sequence of steps taken in any particular design may vary but the basic process will probably be essentially the same.
Use the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design> View/Revise Preferences command to choose the aluminum frame design code and to review other aluminum frame design preferences and revise them if necessary. Note that default values are provided for all aluminum frame design preferences so it is not actually necessary to define any preferences. However, review the preferences, and if necessary change them, to ensure they are acceptable.
Create the model. See Modeling Process for more information.
Run the analysis using the Analyze menu > Run Analysis command. If desired, animate the deformed shapes and mode shapes in 3-D perspective by clicking the Start Animation button in the status bar at the bottom of the screen. Animate shell structures displaying stress contours with the corresponding deformed shapes in full 3-D perspective. While displaying mode shapes, the mode being displayed can be instantaneously changed with the buttons that will appear at the bottom of the screen. Use the Options menu > Sound command to turn the sound associated with the animation off or on.
Assign aluminum frame overwrites, if needed, using the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design > View/Revise Overwrites command. Note that frame objects must be selected before using this command. Also note that default values are provided for all aluminum frame design overwrites so it is not actually necessary to define overwrites; however, use this command to review the default values, and if necessary, change them.
Designate design groups, if desired, using the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design > Select Design Groups command. Note that some groups must already have been created by selecting objects and clicking the Assign menu > Assign to Groups command.
To use any design load combinations other than the defaults created by SAP2000 for the aluminum frame design, click the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design > Select Design Combos command. Note that user defined design combos must already have been created using the Define menu > Combinations command.
Click the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design > Start Design/Check of Structure command to run the aluminum frame design.
Review the aluminum frame design results using one of the following methods:
Click the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design > Display Design Info command to display design information on the model.
Right click on a frame object while the design results are displayed on it to enter the interactive design mode and interactively design the frame object. Note that while in this mode, overwrites can be viewed and revised and the results of the new design displayed immediately.
If design results are not currently displayed, click the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design > Interactive Aluminum Frame Design command and then right click a frame object to enter the interactive design mode for that object.
Use the File menu > Print Tables command to print aluminum frame design data. If frame objects are selected before using this command, data is printed for only the selected objects.
Use the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design > Change Design Section command to change the design section properties for selected frame objects.
Click the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design > Start Design/Check of Structure command to rerun the aluminum frame design with the new section properties. Review the results using the procedures described above.
Rerun the analysis using the Analyze menu > Run Analysis command. Note that the section properties used for the analysis are the last specified design section properties.
Compare the lateral displacements with the lateral displacement targets.
Click the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design > Start Design/Check of Structure command to rerun the aluminum frame design with the new analysis results and new section properties. Review the results using the procedures described above.
Again use the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design > Change Design Section command to change the design section properties for selected frame objects, if necessary.
Repeat the process in steps 12, 13, 14 and 15 as many times as necessary until the design criteria are satisfied, i.e., stresses and displacements are within allowable limits, and the analysis and design sections are the same.
Verify that the lateral displacement are within acceptable limits.
Click the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design > Verify all Members Passed command to verify that all of the final design sections passed the stress check.
Click the Design menu > Aluminum 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.
Select all frame objects and click the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design > Make Auto Select Section Null command. This removes any auto select section assignments from the selected frame objects (if they have the Aluminum Frame design procedure).
Use the File menu > Print Tables command to print selected aluminum frame design results if desired. In addition, view time history displacements in real time video using the SAP2000 video creation options.
Note: Design is an iterative process. The sections used to run the original analysis are not typically the same sections that are used at the end of the design process. Always run an analysis using the final frame section sizes and then run a design check based on the forces obtained from that analysis. Use the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design > Verify Analysis vs Design Section command to ensure that the design sections are the same as the analysis sections.