17A.

2 Design Parameters Page 1 of 6

ANSI/AISC N690-1994 Code

23A.2 Design Parameters

The program contains a large number of parameter names which are required to perform design and
code checks. These parameter names, with their default values, are listed in the following table.

The default parameter values have been selected such that they are frequently used numbers for
conventional design. Depending on the particular design requirements for an analysis, some or all of
these parameter values may have to be changed to exactly model the physical structure

Table 23A.1-Design Parameters for ANSI/AISC N690-1994

Parameter Default Description
Name Value
CODE - Must be specified as AISC N690

Design Code to follow.

See section 5.48.1 of the Technical

Reference Manual.
BEAM 1 Beam parameter

0. Perform design at ends and

those locations in the
SECTION command.
1. Perform design at ends and at
1/12th section locations along
the member length.
CAN 0 Used for Deflection Check only
(i.e., when DFF is specified).

0. Deflection check based on

the principle that maximum
deflection occurs within the
span between DJ1 and DJ2.
1. Deflection check based on
the principle that maximum
deflection is of the cantilever
type
CB 1.0 Bending coefficient dependent
upon moment gradient, as
specified in Chapter F of AISC ASD.

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0.0 = CB is calculated itself

Any other user-defined value is

accepted.
CMY 0.85 for Cm value in local y & z axes
sidesway and
CMZ calculated for
no sidesway
COMPOSITE 0 Composite action with connectors
(CMP)

0. No composite action
1. Composite action
2. Ignore positive moments
during design
CONDIA 0.625 in Diameter of shear connectors
(DIA), in current units.
CONHEIGHT 2.5 in Height of shear connectors after
welding (HGT), in current units.
CYCLES 500,000 Cycles of maximum stress to which
the shear connector is
subject (CYC).
DFF None "Deflection Length" / Maximum
(Mandatory allowable local deflection
for deflection
check)
DJ1 Start Joint Joint No. denoting starting point
of member for calculation of "Deflection
Length"
DJ2 End Joint of Joint No. denoting end point for
member calculation of "Deflection Length"
DLR2 0.4 Ratio of moment due to dead load
applied after the concrete hardens
to the total moment (DR2).
DLRATIO 0.4 Ratio of moment due to dead load
applied before the concrete
hardens to the total moment (DR1).
DMAX 45 inch Maximum allowable depth

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DMIN 0.0 inch Minimum allowable depth

EFFWIDTH 1/4 Member Effective width of concrete slab
Length (WID).
FYLD 36 KSI Yield strength of steel in current
units.
FPC 3 KSI Compressive strength of concrete
at 28 days, in current units.
FSS 1 Full section shear for welding.

0. False
1. True
FU 60 KSI Ultimate tensile strength of steel,
in current units.
FYLD 46 KSI Yield strength of steel, in current
units.
KX 1.0 Effective length factor for flexural
torsional buckling.
KY 1.0 Effective Length Factor for
Compression in local y-axis.
Usually, this is minor axis.
KZ 1.0 Effective Length Factor for
Compression in local z-axis.
Usually, this is major axis.
LX Member Length for flexural torsional
Length buckling.
LY Member Length to calculate slenderness
Length ratio (KL/r) for buckling about
local Y axis.
LZ Member Same as above except in z-axis
Length (major).
MAIN 0.0 Design for slenderness:

0. check for slenderness

1. suppress slenderness check
NSF 1.0 Net section Factor for tension
members

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OVR 1.0 Factor by which all allowable

stresses/capacities should be
multiplied. Default of 1.0 indicates
that no overstressing is allowed.
PLTHICK 0 Thickness of the cover plate welded
to the bottom flange of the
composite beam (PLT), in current
units.
PLTWIDTH 0 Width of the cover plate welded to
the bottom flange of the composite
beam (PLT), in current units.
PROFILE None Used to search for the lightest
section for the profile(s) specified
for member selection. See Section
5.48.1 of the Technical Reference
Manual for details.
RATIO 1.0 Permissible ratio of the actual to
allowable stresses.
RIBHEIGHT 0 Height of ribs of form steel deck
(RBH), in current units.
RIBWIDTH 0 Width of ribs of form steel deck
(RBW), in current units.
SFC 1.0 Stress limit coefficient for
compression (SLC) as found in
Table Q 1.5.7.1.
SFT 1.0 Stress limit coefficient for tension
(SLC) as found in Table Q 1.5.7.1.
SHE 0 Shear stress calculation option

0. Computes the actual shear

stress using VQ/It
1. Computes the actual shear
stress using V(Ay or Az)
SHORING 0 Temporary shoring during
construction

0. Without shoring
1. With shoring
SLABTHICK 4 in Thickness of concrete slab or

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thickness of concrete slab above

the form steel deck (THK), in
current units.
SMY 1.0 Stress limit coefficient for minor
axis bending (SLC) as found in
Table Q 1.5.7.1.
SMZ 1.0 Stress limit coefficient for major
axis bending (SLC) as found in
Table Q 1.5.7.1.
SSY 0 Design for sidesway in the local y
axis.

0. Sidesway
1. No sidesway
SSZ 0 Design for sidesway in the local z
axis.

0. Sidesway
1. No sidesway
STIFF Member Spacing of stiffeners for plate girder
length or design, in current units.
depth
whichever is
greater
STYPE 0.0 Type of steel material

0. Normal Steel
1. Austenitic Stainless Steel
TAPER 1 Design for tapered member.

0. Design for tapered I-section

based on rules in Chapter F
and Appendix B.
1. Design for tapered section
based on Appendix F.
TMAIN 240 for main Slenderness limit under tension
member

300 for
Truss

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member
TORSION 0 Design for torsion.

0. Do not design for torsion.

1. Design for torsion.
TRACK 0.0 Controls the levels of detail to
which results are reported.

0. Minimum detail
1. Intermediate detail level
2. Maximum detail
UNB Member Unsupported length of the bottom*
Length flange for calculating allowable
bending compressive stress. Will be
used only if flexural compression
on the bottom flange.
UNT Member Unsupported length of the top*
Length flange for calculating allowable
bending compressive stress. Will be
used only if flexural compression
on the top flange.
WELD 1 Design for weld.

0. Closed sections.
1. Open sections.
WMAX 1 in Maximum weld thickness, in
current units.
WMIN 0.625 in Minimum weld thickness, in
current units.
WSTR 0.4Fyld Allowable welding stress, in current
units.

23A.2.1 Notes

1. All values are entered in the current units

2. parameters DMAX and DMIN are only used with the MEMBER SELECTION command

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