Microstran Structural Design with Microstation - AulaGEO

This lecture advances your skills in Microstran software by teaching you how to model a simple column. Building on previous knowledge from beam modeling, this lesson focuses on creating a column with defined length and pinned supports.

You will learn to set up a new project, define the structural frame type, and assign appropriate units for length and loads. The workflow includes drawing the column using coordinate input, assigning pinned support conditions on both ends, and specifying material and section properties.

The lecture also explains how to apply different types of loads: a dead load and a live load, and how to combine these loads for analysis. Finally, you will perform a linear static analysis to obtain support reactions and display results graphically within the software interface.

Key topics covered in this lecture:

• Creating a new project and naming conventions

• Defining geometry using coordinate input for a 15 ft column

• Applying pinned supports at both ends of the column

• Assigning material and section properties

• Applying dead and live loads with correct magnitudes and directions

• Defining load combinations for structural analysis

• Performing linear analysis and interpreting support reactions

Practical value for structural design:

• Modeling fundamental vertical structural elements (columns) efficiently

• Understanding load application and combination for design accuracy

• Analyzing column support reactions to verify structural behavior

• Using Microstran's tools to visualize member and node information

By completing this lecture, you will confidently model simple columns in Microstran, apply appropriate loads, and analyze the structural response for pinned supports, preparing you for more complex structural modeling challenges.

In this lecture, you will learn how to model a simple truss structure using Microstran software. Building on previous lessons where beams and columns were modeled with applied loads and support reactions analyzed, this session introduces the process for truss modeling, a fundamental structure widely used in engineering worldwide.

The tutorial starts with setting up a new truss file, selecting the appropriate plane truss frame type, and defining all five members with precise coordinates. The session continues by assigning supports—a pinned support at one node and a roller support at another—and describing how to input material and section properties for each member.

You will also see how to apply vertical and horizontal loads at a specific node, run the structural analysis quickly and efficiently, and interpret the results to identify member forces including tension and compression as well as support reactions.

Key topics covered in this lesson:

• Creating and naming a new truss model in Microstran

• Selecting the plane truss frame type for modeling

• Drawing truss members with precise geometry

• Assigning pinned and roller supports correctly

• Inputting section and material properties for members

• Applying vertical and horizontal loads at nodes

• Running linear analysis and querying member forces and support reactions

Practical value in structural design and analysis:

• Understand the step-by-step modeling workflow for trusses in Microstran

• Learn how to apply boundary conditions and loads realistically

• Evaluate member axial forces to distinguish tension and compression

• Access quick and reliable software analysis results for design validation

By completing this lecture, you will confidently model a basic truss structure, assign loads and supports, run an analysis, and interpret results within Microstran, preparing you for more complex structural modeling tasks in future lessons.

In this lecture, you will learn how to model a structural frame using Microstran software. A frame consists of beams and columns connected together, and this lesson walks you through creating a simple frame model step-by-step. The example used features a frame with three members, supported by two pinned supports and subjected to horizontal and vertical point loads.

The lesson covers the complete workflow of frame modeling, starting from defining the job and units, drawing members by inputting coordinates, and setting the node rigidity to pinned supports. You will also assign loads to specific members and specify material and section properties before analyzing the structure.

After building the model, the lecture demonstrates how to run a linear analysis, check support reactions, and examine member forces and displacements. You will also learn to use visualization options to display nodes and member identifiers for easier interpretation of structural behavior.

Key topics covered in this lecture:

• Frame definition and setup in Microstran

• Drawing frame members using coordinate input

• Assigning pinned support restraints to nodes

• Applying point loads to frame members

• Setting material and section properties

• Running linear structural analysis

• Reviewing results including support reactions, member forces, and displacements

Practical value of frame modeling in structural design:

• Understanding the fundamental process to create frame models

• Ability to assign loads and boundary conditions accurately

• Interpreting analysis output to verify structural behavior

• Using visualization tools for clear identification of structural elements

By the end of this lesson, you will confidently create and analyze a basic structural frame in Microstran, preparing you for more complex modeling tasks such as portal frames in upcoming lectures.

In this lecture, you will learn how to model a portal frame using Microstran software, focusing on a practical example with beams and columns connected to form a structural frame. The tutorial guides you step-by-step through the process of setting up the portal frame, defining member lengths and orientations, and assigning appropriate supports and load cases.

The session covers the use of built-in functions for drawing members and structures rather than default options to offer greater control and accuracy in modeling the frame. You will also see how to input uniformly distributed loads (UDL) on the inclined members, run the analysis, and review important structural responses such as support reactions, internal forces, and displacements.

This method prepares you for modeling complex structural frames, emphasizing the software's flexibility to create and analyze various configurations beyond the basic portal frame.

Key topics covered in this lecture:

• Setting up a new portal frame model in Microstran

• Defining member lengths and frame dimensions

• Assigning supports (pinned and fixed) to columns

• Selecting section properties for columns and beams

• Applying uniformly distributed loads (UDL) on members

• Running linear structural analysis in Microstran

• Interpreting support reactions, internal forces, moments, and displacements

Practical value in structural modeling:

• Enables precise modeling of common portal frames used in civil and structural design

• Demonstrates how to input realistic load cases and boundary conditions

• Teaches interpretation of analysis results for decision-making

• Provides a foundation for modeling more complex multi-bay frames and structural elements

By the end of this lecture, you will be able to confidently create and analyze a portal frame structure in Microstran, apply loads, perform analysis, and extract essential structural behavior information to support your design decisions.

This lecture introduces the various side toolbar functions available in Microstran, focusing on their roles in the structural modeling workflow. Starting with a new project file, the lesson explores how these functions assist in building and editing models efficiently.

The instructor demonstrates the use of each function step-by-step, such as drawing members, erasing unnecessary elements, moving and copying members both linearly and polar, reflecting members, subdividing them into segments, and rotating members. The tutorial also explains how to snap to grids and how to quickly input support and material properties using toolbar options.

This practical review enables learners to become familiar with the Microstran interface elements that enhance modeling precision and productivity. The explanations highlight key features for workflow management and effective model manipulation.

Key topics covered in this lecture:

• Drawing and erasing structural members

• Moving members with coordinate offsets

• Creating linear, polar, and reflected copies

• Subdividing members into smaller segments

• Rotating members by user-defined axes and angles

• Using snap-to-grid features for accurate placement

• Inputting supports and material properties efficiently

Practical value for structural design using Microstran:

• Enhances speed and accuracy in building structural models

• Improves control over complex frame geometry manipulation

• Simplifies repetitive modeling tasks with copy and move commands

• Facilitates precise input of design parameters and supports

By the end of this lesson, learners will understand how to use the diverse side toolbar functions in Microstran to efficiently create, modify, and manage structural models with accuracy and ease.

In this lesson, you will advance your skills by modeling a 3D structural frame using the Microstran software. The tutorial begins with setting up a standard 3D frame structure, including defining grid bays, story numbers, and choosing materials like concrete or steel.

The instructor demonstrates how to visualize the structure from multiple angles—front, side, top, and 3D views—to facilitate modeling and load assignments. You will learn the process of applying various loads such as dead loads, live loads, and their combinations precisely to beams and columns using different visual perspectives and input tools.

Further, this lecture covers assigning material properties and section profiles, verifying fixities, and preparing the model for analysis. You will also see how to perform a linear static analysis and interpret displacement and reaction results within this modeling environment.

Key topics covered in this lecture:

• Modeling a 3D frame structure with specified bays and stories

• Using multiple views (front, side, top, 3D) for accurate structural modeling

• Assigning dead and live loads to beams and columns

• Defining material types and section properties

• Setting support fixities and boundary conditions

• Conducting linear analysis and viewing displacement results

• Checking structural reactions for load interpretation

Practical value in structural design using Microstran:

• Gaining confidence in building 3D models for real-world structural frames

• Accurately applying and managing multiple load cases for analysis

• Understanding how to verify support conditions and material assignments

• Interpreting analysis outputs such as displacement and reaction forces effectively

By the end of the lecture, you will be able to create and analyze comprehensive 3D structural models in Microstran, enhancing your ability to design complex frame structures with confidence and precision.

This lecture focuses on how to generate and print detailed reports in Microstran for structural analysis projects. It completes the workflow by showing the printing options, making it easier to review and share analysis results.

You will work with a 3D space frame structure used in previous lessons, learning how to customize the report content and select load cases. The process includes configuring parameters, choosing output formats, and saving the report for documentation.

Reports are essential for interpreting complex data, especially for 3D models, where viewing on-screen can be cluttered or difficult to read.

Key topics covered in this lecture:

• How to access and set up the Reports tab in Microstran

• Selecting parameters and load cases to include in the report

• Choosing print options such as printer, PDF output, and page orientation

• Saving and opening the generated report document

• Understanding the layout and contents of the printed report

• Reviewing detailed structural data including node coordinates, section properties, and loads

• Summary of quantities and support reactions presented in the report

Practical value for structural design and analysis:

• Generates comprehensive structural analysis reports to document design work

• Facilitates easier review and communication of analysis results with stakeholders

• Enables selection of relevant load cases and parameters for focused reporting

• Supports exporting analysis reports in various formats for flexibility and record-keeping

By the end of this lesson, you will understand how to create professional, organized printed reports from Microstran to capture and communicate the outcomes of your structural analysis efficiently.

Welcome to this lecture covering the latest updates and enhancements in the Microstran Connect Edition, a powerful structural design software by Bentley Systems. This session brings you essential information about how the software has evolved with new subscription management features, design code offerings, improved export-import capabilities, and usability improvements. Understanding these changes will help you stay current with the software’s capabilities and leverage them to optimize your structural design workflow.

The Connect Edition introduces the Subscription Entitlement Service (SES), a significant advancement in managing product activation and license usage. SES replaces traditional site activation keys with a more secure user validation system that improves license management by sending alert notifications when user consumption nears predefined thresholds. This system necessitates mandatory sign-in via Bentley's Connection Client, thereby enhancing both security and administrative control within your organization. The requirement to be signed into the Connection Client before accessing Microstran is part of this secured license management, ensuring only authorized users have access.

In addition to licensing changes, Microstran Connect Edition makes several previously paid features freely available across all software tiers. This democratization includes a range of design codes, expanding your toolkit without additional cost and enabling more comprehensive structural analysis within the software itself.

One of the key workflow enhancements in this version is the direct export capability to STAAD.Pro, another renowned Bentley structural analysis platform. This integration enables users to model in Microstran and seamlessly transfer their work to STAAD.Pro, where they can utilize more advanced analysis features. This connectivity enhances productivity by allowing users to leverage the strengths of both applications efficiently.

Another vital feature is the import and export functionality with Microsoft Excel. Microstran now supports bidirectional communication with Excel spreadsheets, enabling users to modify model data tabularly and export comprehensive analysis results directly to Excel. Previously, result data was viewable only on screen or as simple text files, but the updated system organizes data in Excel sheets for easier interpretation, sorting, and reporting.

The Member Summary Query and Section Summary Viewer have also seen improvements. Whereas earlier versions only allowed viewing member forces, deflections, and enveloped results on screen, the Connect Edition presents these results in customizable tables. You can now sort, view on screen, and export these results to Excel for further processing and documentation, enhancing your ability to analyze structural performance efficiently.

Additional features such as Linear Copy now include an optional Load Factor Input, enabling users to apply a scaling factor to loads as they copy them between elements. This function is particularly useful in 3D portal frame models constructed from 2D frames where load variations are necessary between frames. Finally, the reintroduction of In-Context Help messages in Microstran Connect Edition offers improved user assistance via message box prompts, adapting to the removal of Windows Help 32 in newer operating systems such as Windows 10.

Key topics covered in this lecture:

• Introduction to Subscription Entitlement Service (SES) and its license management improvements

• Free access to additional design codes and features for all Microstran tiers

• Direct export to STAAD.Pro for enhanced analysis workflow

• Bidirectional integration with Microsoft Excel for model and results management

• Advanced Member Summary Query and Section Summary Viewer for data visualization and export

• Linear Copy feature enhancements with load factor input for 3D modeling

• Reintroduction of In-Context Help for improved user guidance

• Security and administrative enhancements with mandatory Connection Client sign-in

Practical value in structural design using Microstran:

• Improved license security and user management through SES and mandatory sign-in

• Expanded capabilities with no-cost access to additional design codes and features

• Seamless workflow integration with STAAD.Pro for advanced structural analysis

• Enhanced data handling and reporting capabilities via Excel import/export

• Better visualization and export options for member forces and deflections aiding decision-making

• Efficient application of load factors in 3D frame modeling to support complex structural scenarios

• Improved accessibility to assistance with In-Context Help messages

After completing this lecture, you will have a clear understanding of the new features and improvements that Microstran Connect Edition offers. You will be equipped to manage licensing more securely, use enhanced features that were previously paid, and integrate your structural models more effectively with other software such as STAAD.Pro and Excel. This knowledge will help you adopt best practices for structural design workflows and leverage the latest tools provided by Bentley’s Microstran Connect Edition to increase your productivity and accuracy.