foundations
“Structural Software Engineering” usually 5. Code checking → IS/ACI/Eurocode/other
refers to the software and computational design standards
tools used for structural engineering 6. Detailing & documentation → drawings,
analysis and design. schedules and reports
Common Structural Engineering
Software ETABS — Structural Analysis
& Design Software
Software Main Use
ETABS stands for Extended
[Link] Structural analysis and desig Three-Dimensional Analysis of Building
buildings, bridges, frames, et Systems. It is a structural engineering
software used mainly for analysis and design
of building structures, especially
ETABS Analysis and design of multi-
multi-storey buildings.
buildings
1. Main applications
SAP2000 General structural analysis a
● Analysis of multi-storey buildings
SAFE Slab and foundation analysis ● Design of beams and columns
● Design of reinforced concrete slabs
ANSYS Finite Element Analysis (FEA ● Analysis of shear walls
and deformation analysis ● Seismic analysis of buildings
● Wind-load analysis
ABAQUS Advanced nonlinear and finit ● Calculation of storey drift and
analysis displacement
● Foundation/load reactions for further
foundation design
Tekla Structures 3D structural modelling and ● Generation of structural design
reports
Autodesk Revit BIM and structural modelling
2. Basic ETABS workflow
RISA-3D Structural analysis and desig
Define model → Define materials → Define
MATLAB Numerical methods, structur sections → Draw structural elements →
dynamics and engineering ca Define loads → Apply load combinations →
Run analysis → Check results → Design →
Review
Typical workflow
1. Structural modelling → geometry, 3. Important structural elements
materials, supports, members
Element Purpose
2. Loading → dead load, live load, wind,
seismic, etc.
3. Analysis → reactions, member forces,
stresses, displacements
4. Design → beams, columns, slabs,
Beam Carries transverse loads and ● Storey drift
transfers them to columns ● Modal periods and frequencies
● Base shear
● Member design results
Column Transfers vertical and lateral load
toward the foundation 6. Example
For a G+10 reinforced-concrete building,
Slab Transfers floor loads to you would generally:
beams/columns/walls
1. Set units and grid.
2. Define concrete and steel materials.
Shear wall Resists major lateral loads from w
3. Define beam, column and slab
and earthquakes
sections.
4. Create storeys.
Diaphragm Distributes horizontal loads throu 5. Draw beams, columns, slabs and
the floor system shear walls.
6. Define dead and live loads.
7. Define seismic/wind loading as
Joint Represents structural required.
connection/node locations 8. Create load combinations according
to the applicable design code.
9. Run the analysis.
4. Important ETABS analyses 10.Check drift, reactions, forces and
stability.
Static analysis: Used for gravity loads and 11.Perform concrete/steel design.
other static loading. 12.Review reinforcement and design
warnings.
Response Spectrum Analysis: Used
extensively for seismic analysis of buildings.
ETABS Learning — Step 1:
Time History Analysis: Determines
structural response under a specified Create the Building Model
earthquake/time-varying loading.
Example building
Modal Analysis: Determines natural
frequencies, periods and mode shapes. We'll assume:
5. Important results ● 4 storeys (G+3)
● Floor height = 3 m
After analysis, ETABS can provide: ● 4 bays in X direction
● 3 bays in Y direction
● Support reactions ● Bay spacing = 4 m
● Axial force ● RCC frame with slabs
● Shear force ● Concrete and reinforcement steel
● Bending moment ● Later we'll add gravity and
● Torsion earthquake loads.
● Storey displacement
Step 1 — Start a new model Step 4 — Define materials
Open ETABS: Go to:
File → New Model Define → Material Properties
Select appropriate units, for example: Create/select:
kN – m – C Concrete: M25
Reinforcement steel: Fe500
Then define the grid.
The exact grades should ultimately follow the
Step 2 — Define grid project/design code being used.
For our example: Step 5 — Define column section
X direction: 5 grid lines Go to:
Spacing = 4 m
Define → Section Properties → Frame
Y direction: 4 grid lines Sections
Spacing = 4 m
Create an RCC rectangular column, for
So the plan dimensions are: example:
16 m × 12 m 450 mm × 450 mm
Step 3 — Define storeys Then assign it to the columns.
Create: Step 6 — Define beam section
Storey Height Create an RCC beam, for example:
300 mm × 450 mm
Ground 0m
Assign it to the beams.
1st Floor 3m Step 7 — Define slab
Go to:
2nd Floor 3m
Define → Section Properties → Slab
3rd Floor 3m Sections
For example:
Roof 3m
RCC slab thickness = 150 mm
Total structural height ≈ 12 m.
Then draw/assign the slab to the floor areas.
ETABS automatically calculates the
self-weight of structural elements when the
Self Weight Multiplier = 1.
ETABS Step 2 — For the other load patterns, keep it 0 so
structural self-weight isn't counted
Applying Loads repeatedly.
Now we will add the main loads to our G+3
RCC building.
Important: The values below are for learning
2. Dead Load
the ETABS workflow. A real building must
Dead load includes the permanent weight of
use the applicable Indian Standard, project structural and non-structural components.
drawings, actual material densities, wall
dimensions, and site-specific seismic/wind Examples:
parameters.
● Beam weight
● Column weight
1. Define Load Patterns ● Slab weight
● Floor finishes
Go to:
● Waterproofing
● Permanent partitions
Define → Load Patterns
Because we already set:
Create:
DEAD → Self Weight Multiplier = 1
Load Pattern Type Self Weight Mul
ETABS automatically calculates the
structural self-weight.
DEAD Dead 1
LIVE Live 0
3. Floor Finish Load
WALL Super Dead 0
Suppose we use a learning value of:
EQX Quake 0 1.0 kN/m²
Select the slab area and go to:
EQY Quake 0
Assign → Shell Loads → Uniform
Why is DEAD = 1? Select:
Load Pattern = DEAD
Enter: Choose:
1.0 kN/m² WALL
This applies the floor-finish load to the slab. and enter the calculated load.
Example
Suppose:
4. Live Load
● Wall thickness = 0.15 m
Live load represents movable/imposed loads ● Wall height = 3 m
from occupants, furniture, etc. ● Masonry unit weight = 20 kN/m³
For example, if the applicable design Then:
requirement gives:
\[ w = 0.15\times3\times20 \] \[
LIVE = 2.0 kN/m² \boxed{w=9\;kN/m} \]
Select the slab: This is only an illustrative calculation;
openings, finishes and actual wall
Assign → Shell Loads → Uniform
construction should be considered in a real
design.
Choose:
Load Pattern = LIVE
Enter the required live-load value.
The actual value must come from the
6. Define Mass
relevant occupancy/design standard.
Source
This is very important for earthquake
analysis.
5. Wall Load
Go to:
If masonry walls are supported by beams,
their load can be applied as a line load on the Define → Mass Source
beam.
The seismic mass generally includes
For example: appropriate portions of:
Wall load = wall unit weight × wall thickness ● Dead load
× wall height ● Permanent loads
● Applicable portion of imposed/live
Then select the relevant beam and use: load
Assign → Frame Loads → Distributed
The exact combination should follow the ● Structural system
seismic design standard being used.
Do not simply copy numerical values from a
tutorial into a real project—the correct
values depend on the building and site.
7. Define Diaphragm
For a typical RCC floor, we commonly model
the floor as a diaphragm. 9. Load
Go to: Combinations
Define → Diaphragms After defining loads, create appropriate
combinations through:
Create:
Define → Load Combinations
D1 → Rigid
Typical combinations involve combinations
For buildings where diaphragm flexibility is of:
important, a semi-rigid model may be more
appropriate. \[ DL,\quad LL,\quad EQX,\quad EQY \]
Assign the diaphragm to the floor slabs. For example, a gravity combination
conceptually looks like:
\[ DL+LL \]
8. Earthquake Load and seismic combinations combine gravity
loads with earthquake effects according to
the applicable design code.
For seismic analysis, we can define
earthquake loading in the X and Y directions.
ETABS workflow so far
Go to:
Create Grid
Define → Load Patterns → EQX / EQY ↓
Select the appropriate seismic code and Create Storeys
parameters.
↓
For an Indian project, parameters generally Define Materials
come from IS 1893 and include items such as:
↓
● Seismic zone
● Soil/site condition Define Beam & Column Sections
● Importance factor ↓
● Response reduction factor
● Damping
Define Slab
Before running analysis, check:
↓
● Beams are properly connected to
Draw Structural Members
columns.
↓ ● Columns extend continuously
between floors.
Define Load Patterns ● Slabs are properly connected.
↓
● Supports are assigned at the
foundation level.
Apply Dead Load ● Diaphragm is assigned correctly.
● Load patterns are correct.
↓
● Load combinations are correctly
Apply Live Load defined.
● No unintended duplicate members
↓ exist.
Apply Wall Load
Use:
↓
Analyze → Check Model
Define Mass Source
Fix any connectivity or modelling warnings
↓
before proceeding.
Define Diaphragm
↓
2. Run Analysis
Define Earthquake Loads Go to:
↓ Analyze → Set Load Cases to Run
Define Load Combinations
Make sure the required load cases are
↓ selected.
RUN ANALYSIS Then:
Analyze → Run Analysis
ETABS Step 3 — Run ETABS will calculate the structural response.
Analysis &
3. Deformed Shape
Understand Results
After analysis:
Now that our G+3 model has geometry and
loads, we can perform the structural analysis. Display → Deformed Shape
Select the required load case/combinations.
1. Check the Model First
The model will show how the building This shows the shear force in the
deforms under loading. beam/column.
You should look for:
● Excessive lateral displacement
●
●
Unexpected deformation
Disconnected members 6. Axial Force
● Abnormal movement of floors
For columns, display:
Axial Force (P)
4. Bending Moment
This tells us the compression/tension force
For beams: carried by the member.
Display → Force/Stress Diagrams → Frames For a gravity-loaded RCC building, columns
generally carry significant compressive axial
Select: force.
Moment 3-3
You can see the bending-moment diagram
along the beams.
7. Storey
For a typical beam:
Displacement
● Positive moment generally occurs
near the span. For seismic analysis, storey displacement is
● Negative moment generally occurs very important.
near supports.
Go to:
The actual distribution depends on the
structural system and loading. Display → Story Response Plots
Select:
Displacement
5. Shear Force You can examine displacement in:
Again go to: ● X direction
● Y direction
Display → Force/Stress Diagrams → Frames
The displacement generally increases toward
Select: the upper storeys.
Shear 2-2 or the appropriate local-axis shear
component.
● Mode shapes
8. Storey Drift ● Modal mass participation
You can view these through the analysis
Storey drift is the relative lateral results/tables.
displacement between two consecutive
floors. Natural period
Conceptually: The natural period indicates how quickly the
building naturally oscillates.
Driftᵢ = Δᵢ - Δᵢ₋₁
A flexible/taller building generally has a
where: longer fundamental period than a
shorter/stiffer building.
● Δᵢ = displacement of current storey
● Δᵢ₋₁ = displacement of storey below
Drift is one of the most important checks for
earthquake-resistant building design.
11. What You Should
The allowable drift must be checked against
the applicable seismic design code. Check
9. Base Shear After analysis, don't immediately start
design. First check:
Base shear represents the total lateral
seismic force transferred to the foundation Check What to look for
level.
Model Connectivity and geometry
You can review it through the relevant:
Display → Story Response / Tables Reactions Reasonable support reactions
and examine the earthquake load case.
Deformed shape Unexpected deformation
Base shear is important for checking whether
the seismic response of the model is
reasonable. Bending moment Reasonable force distribution
Shear Critical beam/column regions
10. Modal Analysis
Axial force Column load path
For dynamic/seismic analysis, ETABS
calculates:
Displacement Excessive lateral movement
● Natural periods
● Frequencies
Drift Code compliance
Base shear Reasonable seismic response
Modal results Adequate mass participation
and sensible modes
Complete ETABS learning
sequence
✅
Step 1: Model creation
✅
✅
Step 2: Loads and load combinations
Step 3: Analysis and results
Step 4: RCC beam & column design
Step 5: Slab design
Step 6: Shear-wall design
Step 7: Foundation design/load extraction
Step 8: Seismic design checks
Step 9: Interpretation of ETABS design
warnings
Step 10: Final structural design report