SAP2000 SAP2000 Web Tutorial 1

18. Place the mouse pointer on the joint labeled “A” in Figure C-5 and click on the left mouse
button.
19. Move the mouse pointer over to the center of the beam element at the point labeled “B” in
Figure C-5. When the Snap To feature text box appears saying “Midpoint” click the left
mouse button to input the brace element. Then press the Enter key on the keyboard.
20. Click the Snap to Midpoints and Ends button to deactivate this snapping option.
21. Click on the joint labeled “C” and then the joint labeled “B” in Figure C-5, and then press the
Enter key on the keyboard to draw the second chevron brace member.
22. Click the Quick Draw Frame Element button on the side toolbar. Then click in the
area labeled “D” in Figure C-5 to enter the X-braces.
23. Click the Pointer button to exit Draw Mode and enter Select Mode.
24. Click the roof beam at the top of the braced frame to select it. Also click the joint at the top
of the chevron brace (center of braced frame roof beam) to select it.
25. From the Edit menu select Divide Frames... to display the Divide Selected Frames dialog
box.
26. In this dialog box:
• Select the Break At Intersections With Selected Frames and Joints option.
• Click the OK button.
Note: This completes inputting of the frame element geometry. Now we will input shell
element geometry. We will use shell elements to model the roof diaphragm. We will
demonstrate three different options for inputting the shell elements.
27. Click the xy 2D View button on the main toolbar to change the view to a plan in the
XY plane. Note that the title of the window reads XY Plane @ Z=24.
28. Click the Quick Draw Rectangular Shell Element button on the side toolbar (or select
Quick Draw Rectangular Shell Element from the Draw menu).
29. Click in the area labeled “A” in Figure C-6 to input the first shell element. Note that a quick
Shell element is drawn by clicking in a grid space, bounded by four grid lines.
30. Note that just the outline of the shell element is shown. Sometimes when working with shell
elements it is easier if you can view the shell element filled in. Click the Set Elements
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