Instructions for the use of SAP 2000 N computer code

version 12. for an elastic first order analysis on plane frame.

1) Click on SAP icon and open the programme
2) Look at the screen bottm, right side, where there is a little window for the anlysis
employed units, with the inscription “Kip,in,F”. Click on that window and change
the units to “N,m,C” meaning that the forces will furtheron be expressed in
“Newton” and the dimensions in “meter”. The operator should always remember
that in further analysis. Change of units using the same window is always
possible during analysis, but in order to avoid mistakes, it is wiser to keep it as
declared at the beginning.
3) To begin the analysis click on the icon “File” /”New model”/ “2D frames”
4) A new window will open, called “2D frames” where the geometric characteristics
of the transversal frame (the same for the longitudinal frame!) of each student will
be introduced: “Portal Frame dimensions” / “Number of Stories” = 4/ “Story
height” = 4 (m) / “Number of Bays” = 3 / “Bay Width” = 6 (m).

OBSERVATION: each student will introduce his/her own dimensions (in meter) for
story height and bay width !

5) Click on the OK icon of the window.

6) Click on the “Define” icon then on “Materials”. A window called “Define
Materials” will appear. Click on “Add New Material”. A window called “Material
Property Data” will appear. In the window “Material Name and display Colour”
write “S235” (name of the employed steel grade in our application – in other
applications, other steel grades might be used). In the window called “Minimum
Yield stress, Fy” type the value “2.35E+08” (meaning that the adopted yield
stress value for S235 steel is 2,3 x 10^8 N/m2 – Remember that all units should be
Newton and meter!). In the window “Minimum Tensile Stress, Fu” type the value
“3.7E+08” (ultimate stress for S235 steel). Click on the OK icon of the window to
finish. The window “Define Materials” will reappear where S235 is visible on the
list. The employed material has been defined for SAP. Click again on the OK
icon to close window.
7) On the screen, the plane frame of the application will appear. With the mouse
click on the yellow lines representing the lateral columns (left and right) to select
these columns. The selection is done column by column, story by story.
8) After the lateral columns are selected (from continuous line they switch to dashed
lines in “selected” situation) click on the “Assign” upper icon, then “Frame” then
“Frame section”. A new window called “Frame Properties” will appear. Click on
the “Import New Property” icon. A new window called “Import Frame Section
Property” will appear. In this window click on the icon “I / Wide Flange”. A new
window will appear called “Section Property File”. Select “Euro.Pro” on the list
and click on the “Open” icon. A new window will open where in the little
window “Materials” select “S235” on the list which appears. Then in the big
white window called “Select Sections to Import” move down the list of profiles
using the black arrow () until you see “HE100A, HE100B,…etc”. On that list
click on “HE180A” then on icon OK. A new window will appear called “I/Wide
Flange Sections”. On this window, click on icon OK. A new window called
“Frame Properties” will appear: click on OK icon. The screen image will appear
with the transverse frame, where on the lateral frames it is written “HE180A”.
This means that for the lateral columns, SAP will work with the profile HE180A.
The section of the lateral columns (in a first approximation) has been defined.
9) On the frame scheme, click on all column member from the two central lines of
columns to select them.
10) After selection of all central columns on all story, repeat the procedure described
in point 8) imposing for the central column the profile HE240A from the profile
list of the program. Thus the profiles for the central columns (in a first
approximation) have been chosen in SAP.
11) After finishing the profile selection for columns, select all beams of the
transverse frame by clicking on the horizontal yellow beam lines of the frame
drawing on the screen. Then repeat the procedure at point 8) with the difference
that the profile list should be scrolled down long enough until the list “IPE100,
IPE 120,…etc” appears in the window. On that list select “IPE 360”. The rest of
the procedure is identical. At the end, the profiles for beams (in a first
approximation) have been defined for SAP. At this point, the structure of the
plane transverse frame has been defined for the program SAP as far as geometry,
materials and member profiles are concerned.
12) The next step concerns the load name (the load values not yet!) definition for the
program. Click on the icon “Define” then on “Load Patterns”. A new window will
appear called “Define Load Patterns”. In the column “Load Pattern Name” write
“LIVE” .Then go to column “Type” and click on the black arrow (). On the list
which appears select “Live” then click the icon “Add New Load Pattern”. The
load list in the table will increase with a new line, containing the live load name.
Go back to column “Load Pattern Name” and write “WIND” then go to the next
 column called “Type” click on the black arrow and select on the list “Wind”.
Click on the icon “Add New Load Pattern” and the list of load names will
increase with a new line containing the wind load. Go back to the column “Load
Pattern Name” and write “SWAY” then go to column “Type” and select “Other”
and click on icon “Add New Load Pattern”. The list of load names will increase
with the load called SWAY. In the end click on icon OK of the window. The
names of the loads have been defined for SAP.
13) Calculate the uniformly distributed load (q1) on the beams using the formula of
Homework 1: (q1=q x T). The result should be in N/m !
14) Calculate the values of the horizontal equivalent forces to global sway
imperfection (Fx) using the procedure described in Application 1. The results
should be in Newton!
15) Adopt the values for the uniformly distributed load given by wind lateral
pressure / suction given in Homework 2, i.e. w1=5250 N/m and w2=3000 N/m.
16) Select all beams by clicking on the yellow horizontal members on the screen.
Click on the icon “Assign” then “Frame loads” then “Distributed” A new window
will appear called “Frame distributed Loads” Go to the small window called
“Load” and write the obtained value q1 in Newton per meter (order of
thousands). Then click on OK icon. The image of the transverse frame will appear
on the screen with distributed load on every beam.
17) Select with the mouse all points of intersection between columns and beams on
the left line of columns. Click then on icon “Assign” then “Joint loads” then
“Forces”. A new window will appear called “Joint Forces”. In the window where
the word DEAD is written, show the list of loads using the black arrow and select
on this list (by clicking), the word “SWAY”. This means that in the next
operation, we will define the values of the concentrated forces equivalent to
global sway imperfection. Then click in the window near “Force Global X” and
write the calculated value of force Fx in Newton and click icon OK. The screen
will appear, with the transverse frame having horizontal concentrated forces
applied in the selected points. The horizontal equivalent forces to global sway
imperfection have been thus defined for SAP.
18) Select all the lateral columns from left. Click on the icon “Assign” then “Frame
loads” then “Distributed” A new window will appear called “Frame distributed
Loads” Go to the window “Load Pattern Name” and click the black arrow to view
load list. When the list appears select “Wind” then go to the window called
“Direction” and click the black arrow to see the list of possible load directions
and select “X”. This means that the uniformly distributed load is acting on the
direction of global axis X. Go to the small window called “Load” and write the
obtained value w1=5250 Newton per meter (order of thousands). Then click on
OK icon. The image of the transverse frame will appear on the screen with
distributed load on every column lateral left.
19) Select all the lateral columns from right. Click on the icon “Assign” then “Frame
loads” then “Distributed” A new window will appear called “Frame distributed
Loads” Go to the window “Load Pattern Name” and click the black arrow to view
load list. When the list appears select “Wind” then go to the window called
“Direction” and click the black arrow to see the list of possible load directions
and select “X”. This means that the uniformly distributed load is acting on the
direction of global axis X. Go to the small window called “Load” and write the
obtained value w2=3000 Newton per meter (order of thousands). Then click on
OK icon. The image of the transverse frame will appear on the screen with
distributed load on both lateral columns.

20) Click on the icon “Define” then on “Load Combinations”. A new window will
appear, called “Define Load Combinations”. Here, click on the icon “Add New
Combo” A new window will appear called “Load Combination Data”. Click on
icon “Add” which will put the load called “Dead” on the list together with load
coefficient “1” which appears in the right column. Go back to the column called
“Load Case Name” and view the list of loads using the black arrow (). On this
list select “SWAY” then click on “Add” icon. The horizontal loads equivalent to
global sway imperfection have been added to the combination multiplied with
load factor “1” (right column). Click on icon OK. Go back to the column called
“Load Case Name” and view the list of loads using the black arrow (). On this
list select “Wind” then click on “Add” icon. The horizontal loads equivalent to
global sway imperfection have been added to the combination multiplied with
load factor “1” (right column). Click on icon OK. The “Define Load
Combination” window appears. Click on icon OK again. One single load
combination has been defined with partial factor =1,0 for each load (which in
reality is not correct for a proper design). At this level, it is enough to perform an
elastic first order analysis.
21) Click on upper icon “Design” then “Steel Frame Design” then “View /Revise
Preferences” A New window will appear called “Steel Frame Design
Preferences”. In the column called “Value” click on the case where “AISC LRFD
93” is written, then click on the black arrow to scroll the list of international
design codes presented here. Select on the list by clicking “Eurocode 3-1993”,
then click icon OK. The design code by which SAP will further on calculate has
been selected (the program is able to calculate by all presented codes on the list).
22) Click again on icons “Design” then “Steel Frame Design” then “Select Design
Combos”. A new window will appear called “Design Load Combination
Selection” In this window look at the column called “List of Load Combinations”
and click on “COMB1” to select the combination defined before at point 17).
Click on icon “Add”. The load combination to run the program has been selected.
 Do not forget to disable by clicking the function called “Automatically Generate
Code-Based Design Load combination” and then click on OK.
23) On the upper side of the screen, look for the black triangular arrow and

click on it to start the design procedure of your transversal steel frame in SAP. A
window called “Set Load Cases to Run” will appear where click “Run Now”
icon. Then, a new window will appear, called “Save Model File As” Go to the
right folder in the white window. In the small window called “File Name” write
the name you want to give to your analysis (for example “Cadru Transv”) and
click on OK. Then, a first order elastic analysis of the frame will take place.
24) After the analysis has stopped, click on icon “Design” then “Steel Frame
Design” then “Start Design /Check of Structure”. The analysis will go on with
checking member resistance. At the end, the structural elements will appear to the
operator in different colors, depending of their level of solicitation. Click on
“Design” / “Steel Frame Design”/ “Display Design Info” in order to see the level
of solicitation in every member. This level of solicitation is represented by a
number, written by SAP near each column or beam. The value “1.0” represents
the maximum capacity of the member to carry load. If the number is greater than
1.0 this means that the maximum capacity is exceeded and the profile chosen for
the member is not capable to carry the required load. The analysis should be
repeated, replacing this profile with a larger one. If the number is smaller than 1.0
this means the profile has been chosen correctly and is capable to carry the
required loads. Values around 0.75…0.90 would be optimum and show the
profile “fits”. However, if the number is too low (i.e. 0.2…0.4) this shows that the
chosen profile is excessively strong (un-necessarily strong). In such cases, when
repeating the analysis, those profiles are diminished. It is normal for a designer to
repeat any analysis a number of times (depending also on the experience of the
operator) until an acceptable level of solicitation is reached in all the members
and the analysis is considered as finished. Anyway, one can never reach
perfection, i.e. it is very rare to succeed to obtain a constant level of solicitation
all over the structure . Usually, differences in the solicitation level from 0.5 to 0.9
may be accepted between members of the same type (for example columns)
located at different levels of the structure.
25) As an optimization after performing the operations presented at point 21) the
column profiles may be changed on the height of the building. This would mean
to work with stronger profiles at level 1 and 2 ad with smaller profiles at levels 3
and 4. This a very common procedure for multistory structures. The procedure of
changing the required column profiles is the same as previously described.
26) The results of the analysis, (after obtaining a satisfactory level for the
solicitation coefficient in each member) are the internal efforts M, T, N in the
 members and (for the type of analysis which is further on needed) the lateral
displacement at each level of the structure.
27) In order to view the labels adopted by SAP for each member (beam or column)
click on the icon V called “Set Display Options” A new window will open
called “Display Options for Active Window”. Here go to the column called
“Frames /Cables /Tendons” and click on the little window “Labels”. Then click
OK. The screen will appear, with numbers near each member of the structure.
These are the labels (names) of each member for SAP. Draw manually the frame
scheme and write the label near each member, as on the computer screen.
28) How to view internal efforts ? Click on “Display” icon then “Show Forces /
Stresses” then “Frames/Cables” A new window will appear called “Member
Force Diagrams for Frames” In this window click in the round window near
“Axial Force” and then click OK. The screen will appear with the diagram of
axial forces on each member. Put the mouse pointer on each member and a little
case will appear where a number is written: this is the value of the axial force in
the corresponding member, in Newton. Write these values on your manually
drawn frame with labels in order to have them for further analysis.
29) How to view lateral deflection (deformation) of the frame under loads ? Click on
the “Display” icon then on “Show Deformed Shape” The screen will appear with
the deformed shape of the frame under the effect of loading combination 1. Put
the mouse pointer on each beam to column connection point on the right side of
the frame. A white window will appear. From this window copy on the
corresponding point of your manually drawn frame the value called “U1”. This is
the value in [m] of the lateral deflection on the direction of the X axis of the
global system of axes. Do this for each point on the right lateral side of the frame
and copy the corresponding value on your manual drawing. All the values copied
on the manually drawn scheme are needed in further calculation of global
analysis.