Drop Panels

You can add drop panels to reinforce a structural floor at column locations. This is achieved by sketching a second smaller structural floor.

1. Open a plan view with a structural floor over a column.
   
2. On the ribbon, click Structural Floor.

   Where is it?

   • Structure tabStructure panelFloor drop-down Floor: Structural
   • Architect tabBuild panelFloor drop-down Floor: Structural
3. Click Modify | Create Floor Boundary tabDraw panelBoundary Line, and use the sketching tools to complete a sketch of the drop panel (see Sketching). The sketch must form a closed loop or boundary condition.
   
4. When finished, click Modify | Create Floor Boundary tabMode panelFinish Edit Mode.
5. View the drop panel in an elevation or cross section view.
6. Select the new drop panel.
7. Right-click the new drop panel and select Properties.
8. On the Properties palette, adjust the Constraint parameters of the drop panel so that it is at the correct elevation in your model.
   
9. Click Apply.
10. Join the geometry of the elements if necessary. See Joining Geometry.