Once you have set up the structure and its design properties, you can check it for compliance with the code rules.

To check a member or group of members

Ø  Select the required members in the Frame window

Ø  Choose Check… from the Design menu

ASD, AIJ

AS4100, NZS3404

Ø  Check the boxes of the design rules to be checked

Ø  Shift or Ctrl Click on the load case names in the list to include or remove them from the check

Ø  If you want a summary report in the Report window, check the Brief, Detailed or Full report radio buttons

Ø  Click OK

Steel Designer will work through the selected members checking the stresses for the load cases you have chosen for compliance with the design rules you specified. The result of the check for the current load case will be displayed in the Design Efficiency table in the Result window. Each column in this table shows the member's strength as a percentage of the allowable strength according to the code. For example, an efficiency of 95% means that the member is being stressed to 95% of its allowable value. An efficiency greater than 100% indicates that the member is being stressed to a higher level than that permitted by the code. The Overall column shows the highest value of all of the design checks for the member for the current load case. The subsequent columns show the result for the individual checks, which have been carried out.

You can display the results for different load cases by choosing the appropriate item from the Case menu.

The check will be much slower if you choose to have a summary report generated, however the report will contain detailed information about all of the design checks carried out. You will probably find it best to do an overall check on the areas of interest without the report on and then check a few key members using the full report option.

As well as displaying the table of member efficiency in the Result window, you can view these values graphically in the Plot window.

To view the member efficiency

Ø  Choose the required item from the Efficiency sub-menu under the Display menu

The members will be drawn in the Plot window with a colour code indicating the efficiencies of the members. The scale shown in the legend may be used to determine the relative values of the colours. Members, which exceed the allowable capacity, will have an efficiency greater than acceptance ratio for the member (typically 100%) and will be drawn in orange or red.

If you turn on the display of Plot Values in the Symbols dialog under the Display menu, the values of the efficiencies will be displayed on the members.

Values and colours will only be drawn for members, which have been checked. You can also use the clipping and masking commands to restrict which members have their efficiency values displayed.

The governing load case associated with the overall design of a member is recorded when designing or checking a member. The governing load case associated with each member is displayed in the Efficiency table in the Result Window.

The load cases governing the design of each of the individual design checks are also recorded when designing or checking a member. The governing load case for a specific design check can be displayed in two ways: as a cell tool tip in the Efficiency table or as a member tool tip in the Plot Window when plotting the efficiency of the particular design check.