STAAD.Pro Help

TR.49.1 Member Selection Specification

This command may be used to perform the MEMBER SELECTION operation.

This command instructs STAAD.Pro to select specified members based on the parameter value restrictions and specified code. The selection is done using the results from the most recent analysis and iterating on sections until a least weight size is obtained. Refer to D. Steel Design for more details.

The section selected will be of the same type section as originally designated for the member being designed. A wide flange will be selected to replace a wide flange, etc. Several parameters are available to guide this selection. If the PROFILE parameter is provided, the search for the lightest section is restricted to that profile. Up to three (3) profiles may be provided for any member with a section being selected from each one. Member selection can also be constrained by the parameters DMAX and DMIN which limit the maximum and minimum depth of the members. If the PROFILE parameter is provided for specified members, DMAX or DMIN parameters will be ignored by the program in selecting these members.

Member selection can be performed with all the types of steel sections listed in D1.A.4 Built-in Steel Section Library. Note that for beams with cover plates, the sizes of the cover plate are kept constant while the beam section is iterated.

Selection of members, whose properties are originally input from a user created table, will be limited to sections in that table.

Member selection cannot be performed on members whose section properties are input as prismatic.

General Format

SELECT { MEMBER memb-listALL | member-group-namedeck-name | PMEMB pmember-list }

It is important that the keywords MEMBER, ALL, or PMEMB be provided. Thus, the keyword SELECT by itself is not sufficient.

Example

SELECT MEMB 22 TO 35
SELECT PMEMB 1 3
SELECT _COLUMNS
SELECT ALL
SELECT PMEMB ALL

Notes

  1. The output of this command may be controlled using the TRACK parameter. Various codes support various levels of details. Refer to the appropriate section of the documentation, as explained in the table in TR.48.1 Parameter Specifications for more information on the TRACK parameter.
  2. Member selection can be done only after an analysis has been performed. Consequently, the command to perform the analysis has to be specified before the SELECT MEMBER command can be specified. 
  3. This command does not cause the program to re-analyze for results based on the selected member sizes. However, to maintain compatibility of analysis results with the final member sizes, you should enter a subsequent PERFORM ANALYSIS command. Otherwise the post processor will display the prior results with the revised member sizes.  
  4. Member group names and deck names are explained in TR.16 Entities as Single Objects and TR.20.7 Composite Decks respectively.
  5. The PMEMB list is explained in TR.16.2 Physical Members.