Define Releases and Member Forces

You can specify internal release condition data relating to the ends of columns, beams, and braces.

The internal data is available for documentation tags or schedules used to communicate design loads to a steel connection designer or fabricator. This data is also available to third-party analysis applications.

  1. Select one or more analytical models of the same element. For example select all beams, not beams and braces.
  2. On the Properties palette, under the Releases / Member Forces section:
    • For columns define Base Release and Top Release; for beams or braces define Start Release and End Release (Fixed, Pinned, Bending Moment, or User Defined).
    • Select specific forces and moments to release their degree of freedom.
    • Click Member Forces Edit to open the Member End Forces dialog to enter force and moment values for those not released.
  3. This data is now available as scheduling and annotation categories (including those in the Beam Annotation tool) for both structural and analytical elements.