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About Arshad Khan
Expertise
I can answer any questions to do with engineering consultancy and construction industry in East Africa and the Middle East, and specifically with the analysis and design of reinforced concrete structures. My particular expertise is in the aseismic design and optimisation of tall buildings.

Experience
Employment history: 33 years in Construction and consultancy in UK, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Africa, Somalia, Austria, Bahrain and the U.A.E.

Organizations: Fellow of Institution of Structural Engineers (UK), Fellow of Institution of Civil Engineers(UK),Registered Engineer Kenya, Chartered Engineer (UK)

Publications: Proceedings of 2 International Conferences; Education: BSc, MSc, D.I.C.

You are here: Experts > Science > Civil Engineering > Civil Engineering > ETABS Section Cuts

Civil Engineering - ETABS Section Cuts

Expert: Arshad Khan - 11/4/2009

Question
Dear Sir,
I defined the section cut by providing (x,y) coordinates.
how can I view the section cut? thanking you.

Answer
Hi Ravi,

many of the questions you ask me about ETABS can be answered by simply going to the help menu, such as below:

Draw Section Cuts
Form: Section Cut Stresses & Forces

Use the Draw menu > Draw Section Cuts command to display integrated forces along a section cut you specify.

Note: Use this command after an analysis has been run (Analyze menu > Run Analysis) and with results displayed in the active window (e.g., Display menu > Show Deformed Shape, Display menu > Show Member Forces/Stress Diagram > Shell Stresses/Forces).

Use the Analyze menu > Run Analysis command to run an analysis.

ETABS will automatically display a deformed shape after the analysis has been run, which can be used in Step 3. Alternatively, select an option from the Display menu, such as Display menu > Show Member Forces/Stress Diagram > Shell Stresses/Forces command, to display other results on the model. See the Display topics for more information about the results that can be generated and the forms and options used in generating various results displays.

Click the Draw menu > Draw Section Cuts command.

Move the mouse pointer/cursor to the starting point of the section cut to be drawn and click the left mouse button. Drag the mouse to the ending point for the section cut. ETABS will display the Section Cut Stresses & Forces form. The form has the following areas:

Display area A display area will be visible if the command selected in Step 2 relates to displaying stresses. A graphic representation of the section cut is shown in this display area.

Section Cutting Line, Start Point and End Point edit boxs. The X, Y and Z values displayed in this area of the form are the coordinates of the starting point and ending point of the section cut. Type directly in these edit boxes to adjust the location of the section, if necessary. Click the Refresh button to complete relocation of the section cut and to update the display of the integrated forces.

Resultant Force Location and Angle edit boxes. The X, Y, Z values displayed in this area of the form are the coordinates of a point along the section cut. The initial values are the mid-point between the Start Point and End Point. Type revised values in the edit boxes to display forces at another location along the section cut. The angle value is the angle measured counterclockwise from the positive Global X axis to the positive X axis of the local coordinate system in which the integrated forces are reported. The initial X direction is parallel to the section cut from the Start Point toward the End Point. Use the check boxes in this area of the form to select the forces to be included in the calculation (that is, the forces associated with floors, beams, braces, columns, walls, ramps). If a check box is unavailable, that element is not included in the model.

Integrated Forces display boxes. The values displayed in these display boxes are the forces and moments along the right and left sides of the section cut at the point/coordinates defined by the coordinates listed in the Resultant Force Location display boxes.

Refresh button. If changes are made to the Start Point or End Point, the Resultant Force Location coordinates, or the elements to be included (floors, beams, braces, columns, walls, ramps), click the Refresh button to view the recalculated Integrated Forces.

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