How do I model Tension-Only Bracing in ETABS?

faq802-11!
Posted: 17 Oct 05
The following instructions were created based on trial and error and discussions with staff at CSI as these features go
largely undocumented
1 Setu! model including braces and a!!lied lateral loads
" Select all braces that are to be tension#only braces and ma$e sure that they %O &OT ha'e any section
!ro!erties assigned to them
a (o to )SSI(&: *+),- .I&-: *+),- S-CTIO&: &O&-
b This is an im!ortant ste! because otherwise the !ro!erties of a sha!e would o'erride the non#
linear/ tension#only element and allow the brace to ta$e com!ression
0 %efine a non#linear 1&.I&23 element to act as the tension#only brace
a (o to %-*I&-: .I&2 P+OP-+TI-S
b Clic$ )%% &-4 P+OP-+T5
c Ty!e in a name 6 maybe 1TensionOnly13
d Select the ty!e as 7OO2 8this is the tension#only !ro!erty9
e The mass and weight section may ty!ically be left as 0s
f )cti'ate the :1 %irectional Pro!erty for an a;ial#only brace
g ,a$e sure that you ha'e the &onlinear bo; clic$ed O&
h Clic$ 1,odify<Show for :13 bo;
i -nter in =OT7 the effecti'e stiffness under linear !ro!erties )&% the stiffness under nonlinear
!ro!erties as $>)-<. of the member which the &.I&2 element is su!!osed to re!resent *or
e;am!le if your current units are $i!s and inches and you ha'e a 15? long 13 diameter round steel
rod as a tension element/ the stiffness 'alue would be@ A)>8!iB1C"<D9E B A->"F/000$siE G < A.> 15? B
1"in<ftE > 1"HD7 $<in
I %am!ing 'alues may be left as 0 if all you are loo$ing for are tension#only braces for an elastic ty!e
analysis
D +e!eat ste! 0 for as many different tension elements siJes that you ha'e
5 %efine &on#.inear .oad cases for analysis
a (o to %-*I&-: ST)TIC<&O&.I&-)+ P:S7OK-+ C)S-S
b Clic$ )%% &-4 C)S-
c &ame the new non#linear load case something easy to remember and that is associated with the
load case it re!resents *or instance if you are creating a non#linear load case based on 4L1/ I
would ty!ically name it 4L1&.
d :nder o!tions select 1.oad to .e'el %efined by Pattern3
AliE,ember unloading method should be 1:nload -ntire Structure3AliE
e The defaults are fine for all of the minimum ste!s etc
f Choose the load !attern that you want this non#lin case to be associated with 8eg choose a lateral
load case9
g The acti'e grou! should be )..
h Choose ty!e of (eometric &on#.inear -ffects 8Ty!ically &one or P#%elta9 that you would li$e to
include
i Clic$ O2 to enter the load case
H +e!eat ste! 5 for as many lateral load cases that you need to analyJe for tension#only members
7 +un a regular analysis
M +un a non#linear analysis by clic$ing on )&).5N-: +:& ST)TIC &O&.I&-)+ )&).5SIS
F To reco'er the 1tension#only3 forces in the &.I&2 elements clic$ on %ISP.)5: S7O4 ,-,=-+
*O+C-S<ST+-SS %I)(+),: .I&2 *O+C-S
a &ote that -T)=S will also as$ for the ste! number 6 ty!ically these ty!e analyses con'erge in only
a few ste!s )ll you would really be interested in is the last ste! so if you Iust enter in a high
number -T)=S will automatically dis!lay the last ste! that it sa'ed
&ote: -T)=S in 'ersion M5 has a feature under )SSI(&: *+),- .I&-: T-&SIO&<CO,P+-SSIO& .I,ITS This
feature is &OT acti'e in 'ersion M5 and does not do )&5T7I&( CSI has an annoying habit of including
undocumented or incom!lete features in their -T)=S builds and this is one of them It will su!!osedly be acti'ated in
'ersion F0 which is already well behind their intended release schedule