STAAD.etc is a comprehensive toolkit for the structural engineer. Everything from the analysis and design of a structure to designing the slabs, base plates and footings for its foundation can be done without ever having to leave the STAAD.etc environment. Schematic drawings of the output, step-by-step hand calculations (with clauses, formulae, and intermediate steps), interactive graphics and multiple international design codes make STAAD.etc a MUST in every designer’s office!

Overview

• Integrates seamlessly with STAAD.Pro
• Step-by-step hand calculations providing all intermediate calculations, formulae, references, and procedures for every job.
• Export all schematic drawings to DXF with layers intact.
• Dockable/Customizable Windows and Toolbars.
• Wizards to run you through all the modules. All Wizards follow the same format.
• Interactive graphics that dynamically resize to depict the correct dimensions.
• Double clicking on a dimension line takes you to the appropriate input page and row, and vice versa.
• Help Box to explain all data input.
• Customizable units – you can standardize global units or specify INDIVIDUAL units for each data item. For example, the length can be in feet while the thickness is in millimeters.
• Section property database that is compatible with MS Excel or Access and can be edited or modified.
• Users may specify their own shapes based on standard templates and do a natural design. For example, if you have a special W or Channel shape, you can add it to our database and it will do a design as if it were a normal W or Channel. It will not treat it as a prismatic shape!
• Error Trapper will list all errors in the input or calculation stage with full explanations. Double clicking on the error message will take you to the input page and row where the error occurred.
• Move, enlarge and decrease the output drawings and legends to your liking.
• Active X / Com technology used. OLE allows embedding of pictures in MS Word or Excel. Changes in the design will automatically update your documents.
• Internal linking between modules allows the user to link design jobs together. For example, drop a column design into a rectangular footing and have the footing module suck in all relevant data. After the design takes place, any changes in the original column design will automatically change all modules (in this case footing) that are linked to it.
• Explorer-like Back and Next to surf the design project tree. View your design jobs one after another like they were WEB pages!
• Templates allow the user to standardize the input for a certain design module. Any new jobs will be initialized with the template data.
• Global settings for data used across several modules. For example, Fc, Fy of steel, min/max rebars for primary and secondary reinforcing, etc.
• ONLINE HELP.
• Direct access to web pages for downloading new modules, bug fixes, FAQ, etc.
• Push technology incorporated to automatically update new files from the Research Engineers website if the user is connected to the internet.
• Unlimited Undo and Redo.
• Support for international design codes (British, Indian).
• Can intermix rebars and section properties from one country into another country’s design code.

Concrete

1. Circular Column
2. Rectangular Column
3. T, L & Rectangular Concrete Beam Design
4. One-way Slab Design

Circular Column

• Full column design as per ACI 318-99.
• Column can be circular, rectangular or square in shape.
• Apply moment magnification factors in both directions.
• Column is designed for axial load with uniaxial or biaxial moments.
• Shear force or torsion moment can be applied additionally on the column. 
• Rectangular column reinforcement is placed equally on all four sides or only on either two sides of the column.
• Rebars may be chosen from any country. Specify the range of the bar size to be used in the design.
• Column interaction diagrams are drawn for both axes.
• Circular column can be designed with spiral or circular stirrups.

Rectangular Column

T, L & Rectangular Concrete Beam Design

• Design based on ACI 318-99.
• Design is done for flexure, shear and torsion. 
• If the section dimensions are found to be adequate, the reinforcement arrangement is determined.
• Flexural design is presently available for singly reinforced sections only. 
• For shear and torsion, reinforcement in the form of rectangular loops is provided. 
• Metric as well as FPS units are supported.

One-way Slab Design

• Analyzes and designs continuous concrete slab.
• Loading may consist of any number of uniformly distributed or line loading and any number of concentrated loading on any span.
• Computes the slab self-weight automatically.
• Slab moments and shears are computed.
• Design is performed in accordance with ACI 318-99.
• Flexural reinforcement is calculated for positive and negative moments.
• Bar layout is calculated and displayed.
• Rebars may be chosen from any country.

Foundation

1. Combined Footing
2. Rectangular Footing
3. Retaining Wall

Combined Footing

• Considers Rectangular, Trapezoid and Strip-Shaped Footings.
• Columns can be Rectangular or Circular.
• Determines footing dimensions (length, width and thickness).
• Calculates the Bending Moment and Shear (one way action).
• Calculates the punching strength of concrete footing (two way action).
• Calculates the required longitudinal and transverse reinforcements.
• Loads can be live or dead, axial, shear and moment.

Rectangular Footing

• Biaxial analysis using modified finite element approach.
• Load Case input includes option of wind reversal.
• Create custom design load cases with user-defined load factors.
• Specify an increase in allowable bearing pressure.
• Plotting of pressure, moment, and shear diagrams.
• Design of bottom and top reinforcement in transverse and longitudinal directions.
• Full pedestal design as a short column. Ties, stirrups and dowels are all calculated and sketched.
• Rebars may be chosen from any country. For example, design a footing with ACI 318-99 but choose British rebars for reinforcement.
• Individual units for each data item. For example, length may be specified in feet while thickness is in millimeters.

Retaining Wall

• Retaining Wall can be designed with a shear key.
• The heel length or toe length can be iterated on to find the optimum length. 
• Water level on the uphill and downhill side can be specified.
• Any number of surcharge loads can be specified over the back fill.
• Specify relative distances and eccentricities of surcharge along with additional live load specification. 
• Load Inputs include option of axial, shear and moment on the top of the stem.
• Passive force can be either included or excluded in the analysis. 
• Retaining wall is checked against the sliding force and overturning moment.
• Base depth and stem bottom width is checked against the shear and moment.
• Reinforcement area is computed on the toe, heel and stem.
• Rebars may be chosen from any country.
• Individual units for each data item. For example, length may be specified in feet while thickness is in millimeters.

Steel

1. Steel Design
2. Base Plate Analysis
3. Moment Connections
4. Bolt Group Analysis

Steel Design

• Design wide-flange, angles, channels, tubes and pipes as per AISC ASD 9th Edition.
• Input parameters such as sidesway, unbraced length of top/bottom compression flanges, slenderness factors, etc.
• Automatic link from analysis engine calculates critical load case and section.
• Verify simple problems by inputting maximum forces and reactions yourself if you are not using the analysis engine.
• Output includes complete code check, member selection, allowable and actual stresses, critical section and governing clause, etc.

Base Plate Analysis

• Apply axial loads, biaxial bending and shear loads in two directions.
• Considers Loading due to erection and Loading due to Anchor Bolt Prestress as required by code and construction considering the creep and shrinkage of concrete that will reduce the prestress effect.
• Designs for uplifting loads.
• Considers W, S, M, HP, tube, pipe and user-defined column cross sections.
• Designs base plate with clip angles, stiffeners and brackets.
• Analysis can be done assuming a rigid plate or using Finite Element Analysis Method (FEM), considering the actual oversize holes and square washers for anchor bolts and the actual connection between column and base-plate.
• Calculates the capacity and buckling for stiffener plates and angles and the connection among column, stiffener and base-plate.
• Full anchor bolt design performed including:

Checks the requirements for minimum embedded length and minimum embedded edge distance.

Checks the requirements for clear spacing between column and bolts and between stiffener and bolts.

Calculates the pulling capacity of anchor bolts.

• Checks the Shear Loading and Designs for Shear Lugs if require.

Moment Connections

• This module is based on AISC ASD code that includes three types of moment connections, Type 1 (Rigid-Frame), Type 2 (Simple), and End Plate connections. 
• Specify moments and end reactions at beams framed into the column due to gravity and live load or link them from a previous analysis.
• Specify column story shear (web shear), beam and column dimensions and the load type to specify whether the live load is due to wind or earthquake.
• Applicable plate dimensions (optional).
• Specify bolt size (optional), bolt type, connection type, hole type, weld material and weld type.
• Checks for beam flange net area, beam web bearing, shear plate bearing and shear and plate dimensions (top/bottom/flange/shear/end plate) when applicable.
• Calculates bolt size, number of bolts and weld size for fillet weld when applicable.
• Calculates column stiffeners dimensions and column doubler plate dimensions if required.

Bolt Group Analsysis

• Analysis through Elastic or Modified Elastic methods.
• Supply vertical and horizontal shear loads with eccentricities.
• Supply any number of bolts in the horizontal or vertical direction.
• Position the bolts in any manner!
• Calculates centroid of bolt configuration.
• Calculates all eccentric moments along with total vertical and horizontal loads.
• Direct and Torsional shear in the vertical and horizontal directions are reported on each bolt along with a resultant shear.

Miscellaneous

1. Pile Group Analysis
2. ASCE 7-95 Wind Load Generator

Pile Group Analysis

• Input any pile layout scheme!
• Calculates distribution of vertical concentrated load and moment at each pile.
• Input different axial stiffness of individual piles.
• Calculates center of gravity of the pile group.
• Input moment of inertia of the pile group about both horizontal axes. 
• Calculates eccentricity of load and moment from center of gravity of the pile group.

ASCE 7-95 Wind Load Generator

Handles main wind-force resisting systems including the wind loading for main wind-force resisting system, components and cladding of buildings and other structures.

• Low-rise buildings.
• Buildings of all heights.
• Calculates wind loading at every floor level for multi-story buildings and wind pressure combination for full and partial loading of building with mean roof height h greater than 60 ft.
• Open buildings and other structures.
• Chimneys, Tanks and Similar Structures.
• Solid Signs and Open Signs.
• Lattice Frameworks.
• Trussed Towers.
• Calculates Topographic Factor Kzt for building at ridge, escarpmen and axisymmetrical hill.
• Calculates Internal Pressure Coefficients for Buildings.

Considers Building Components and Cladding

• Considers wall components and cladding for enclosed or partially enclosed buildings based on effective wind area and location
• Considers roof components and cladding for enclosed or partially enclosed buildings with the following roof types based on effective area and location:
  • Gabled roof
  • Hipped roof
  • Stepped roof
  • Multispan gabled roof
  • Monoslope roof
  • Sawtooth roof with two or more spans

Considers Flexible Buildings and Other Structures (f < 1 Hz)

• Calculates the Gust Effect Factor based on building dimensions, basic wind speed at reference height, type of exposure, building natural frequency and damping ratio.