Define Materials

Forms: Define Materials, Add Material Property, Material Property Data

Code-specified and other pre-defined material properties are defined in the installed files “CSiMaterialLibrary*.xml” located in the subfolder “Property Libraries” under the SAP2000 installation folder. Additional material property libraries that use the “CSiMaterialLibrary.xsd” schema may also be added by the user to this subfolder and/or to the subfolder “Property Libraries” under the user settings folder where the “SAP2000 v18.ini” file is located.

These files are first read in alphabetical order from the installation subfolder, then from the user settings subfolder. Any duplicated properties will use the values in the definition read last. Within each file, properties are grouped under user-defined Regions (e.g., China, Europe, or USA). Within regions, properties are grouped under user-defined Standards (e.g., ASTM A572). Within Standards, individual materials are defined to be of a certain type (concrete, steel, aluminum, cold-formed, rebar, tendon, or other) and identified by a user-defined label called Grade. The set (Region, Standard, type, Grad) uniquely identifies a material and determines whether or not it is duplicated within a file or in multiple files.

Use the Define menu > Materials command to add, modify, or delete a material property definition. The material property definitions are then used in defining the structural objects (frame sections, cable sections, tendon sections, area sections, solid properties).

TIP: The forms described in this topic also can be accessed by clicking the + (plus) symbol that may appear next to a drop-down list of available materials, such as the Material drop-down list on the Shell Section Data form, or the {Frame Section Type} Data forms.

Click the Define menu > Materials command to access the Define Materials form.
Click the appropriate button to complete the required action:
- Add New Material button. Click this button to access the Add Material Property form. Use this form to select the region, material type, standard, and grade that are pre-defined in the CSiMaterialLibrary*.xml mentioned above.
- 1. Select a Region from the drop-down list.
  2. Select the Material Type from the drop-down list.
  3. Select a Standard from the drop-down list.
  4. Select a Grade from the drop-down list.
  5. Click the OK button to close the Add Material Property form and return to the Define Materials form. The newly defined material property will be highlighted in the Materials list box.
  6. Highlight the newly defined definition and click the Modify/Show Material button to display the Material Property Data form and review, and where appropriate, modify the specifications for the definition.

A built-in Region, Standard, and Grade called "User" are also available for each material type. The corresponding properties can be directly edited by the user and do not make use of the pre-defined materials in the property libraries. The name "User" is reserved and should not be used in the material property file libraries.

Note: The Modify/Show Notes button on the Material Property Data form can be used to access the Material Notes form. Use the form to add Material Notes to the model file.

- Add Copy of Material button. Highlight the name of a previously defined material in the Materials area of the form and click this button to create a copy of the selected material that can be further modified.
- 1. Click the Add Copy of Material button to access the Material Property Data form with a copy of the previously selected material property. Use the options on the form to modify the material property as desired.
  1. - Material Name and Display Color. The program will suggest a name and display color for the material definition. Use the suggestions, or type a name in the Material Name edit box, or click the Color box to access the Color form and choose a new display color.
    - Material Type. Choose a material type from this drop-down list. The selection made here determines the other parameters to be specified for the definition. This field is often fixed based on the material type selected when adding the initial material property.
    - Modify/Show Notes button. Click this button to access the Material Notes form.
    - Weight and Mass, Isotropic Property Data and Other Properties for {Steel, Concrete, Aluminum, Cold Formed, Rebar, Tendon} Materials areas. Reviews the parameters specified in these areas of the form, and where necessary, type revised values in the edit boxes. The Units drop-down list can be used to change the units on this form to facilitate data entry for the various parameters.
    - Switch to Advanced Property Display check box. Check this check box to access the Material Property Options form. Use the form to specify advanced materials properties and to access additional forms related to nonlinear material data, damping properties and thermal properties.

- 1. Click the OK button to close the Material Property Data form and return to the Define Materials form. The newly named material property will be listed in the Materials list box. After the property has been defined, use the commands on the Assign menu to assign the property to an area(s), frame section(s), cable(s), tendon(s) or solid(s).
- Modify/Show Material button.
1. 1. Highlight the name of the previously defined material in the Materials area of the form.
  2. Click the Modify/Show Material button to access the Material Property Data form.
  3. Use that form to change the appropriate entries.
  4. Click the OK button to close the form and return to the Define Materials form.
- Delete Material button.
- 1. Highlight the name of the previously defined material in the Materials area of the form.
  2. Click the Delete Material button to delete the selected definition.
- Show Advanced Properties check box. Check this check box and then click the Add New Material button to access the Material Property Options form. Use that form to specify advanced materials properties and to access additional forms related to nonlinear material data, damping properties, time dependent properties (concrete and tendon material properties only), and thermal properties (heat transfer).

Example: Definition of materials is demonstrated in Problem A, Problem B, Problem C, Problem D and others.