ETABS Users Manual - Volume 1

Unstable End Releases

Any combination of end releases may be specified for a frame
element provided that the element remains stable. This assures
that all load applied to the element is transferred to the rest of the
structure. The following sets of releases are unstable, either
alone or in combination, and are not permitted. ETABS checks
for these conditions when you click the OK button in the Assign
Frame Releases dialog box and if unstable releases are specified
provides a message telling you this.

14

Releasing U1 (axial) at both ends.

Releasing U2 (shear force 2, major) at both ends.

Releasing U3 (shear force 3, minor) at both ends.

Releasing R1 (torsion) at both ends.

Releasing R2 (moment 22, minor) at both ends and U3

(shear force 3, minor) at either end.

Releasing R3 (moment 33, major) at both ends and U2

(shear force 3, major) at either end.

Frame Rigid Offset Assignments to Line Objects

Note:
Do not confuse
frame member
end joint offsets
with end offsets
along the
length of the
member. They
are two entirely
separate things.

14 - 24

In ETABS frame section properties are assigned to line objects.

However, actual structural members have finite cross sectional
dimensions. When two members, such as a beam and column,
are connected at a point there is some overlap of the cross sections. In many structures the dimensions of the members are
large and the length of the overlap can be a significant fraction of
the total length of the frame element. ETABS provides the capability of defining rigid end offsets along the length of frame
members to account for these finite dimensions of structural
elements. See the subsection below titled "Rigid End Offsets
Along the Length of Frame Elements" for more information.

Assignments to Line Objects

Chapter 14 - The ETABS Assign Menu

Note:
Rigid end offsets along the
length of a
frame element
account for the
finite size of
beam and column intersections.

When a line object is used to model a frame section the line object is assumed to be located at the centroid of the frame section.
Thus when line objects (frame sections) intersect in a model it
means that the centroids of the associated frame objects intersect.
In a real structure this is not always the case. For example, it is
not unusual for one or more floor beams in a building to frame
eccentrically into a column. ETABS provides the capability of
defining rigid frame end joint offsets to account for these eccentric connections. See the subsection below titled "Rigid Frame
End Joint Offsets" for more information.
Use the Assign menu > Frame/Line > Frame Rigid Offsets
command to open the Assign Frame End Offsets dialog box
where you can define both rigid end offsets along the length of
frame elements and rigid frame end joint offsets. Be careful that
you do not get these two types of rigid offsets confused.
Any end offset assigned to a line object is ignored unless the line
object also has a frame section assigned to it.

Rigid End Offsets Along the Length of Frame Elements

Note:
The rigid zone
factor for end
offsets along
the length of a
frame element
only applies to
bending and
shear deformations. It does
not apply to
axial and torsional deformations.

Rigid end offsets along the length of frame members are defined
in the End Offset Along Length area of the Assign Frame End
Offsets dialog box. Use the Assign menu > Frame/Line >
Frame Rigid Offsets command to open this dialog box.
In the End Offset Along Length area you have the choice of
having ETABS determine the end offset lengths automatically or
specifying them yourself. You also can specify the rigid-zone
factor. These items are described below.

Automatically Calculated End Offset Lengths

ETABS automatically calculates offset lengths for beam and
column-type frame elements. It assumes the offset length for all
brace-type frame elements to be zero. (You can define your own
non-zero offset lengths for brace elements if necessary.) Also,
the dimensions of brace elements that frame into the ends of column and beam elements are not considered when calculating the
end offset dimension for a column or a beam.

Assignments to Line Objects

14 - 25

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ETABS Users Manual - Volume 1

When ETABS automatically calculates the end offsets along the
length of a beam it bases the end offset length at an end of the
beam on the maximum section dimensions of all columns that
connect to that end of the beam. Similarly, when ETABS automatically calculates the end offsets along the length of a column
it bases the end offset length at an end of the column on the
maximum section dimensions of all beams that connect to that
end of the column.
Note:

14

ETABS outputs
forces at the
inside face of
end offsets
along the
length of the
member.

Note the following about ETABS automatically calculated end

offsets along the length of frame members:

When more than one beam frames into a column

ETABS bases the end offset in the column on the deeper
beam.

End offsets in beams are controlled by the size of the

column below. The column above is not considered.

End Offset Properties and the Rigid-Zone Factor

The rigid-zone factor specifies the fraction of each end offset assumed to be rigid for bending and shear deformations. When a
fraction of the end offset is specified rigid the outside portion of
the end offset is assumed rigid, that is, the portion at the end of
the frame member. By default ETABS assumes the rigid end
factor to be zero, that is, the end offsets are fully flexible and
they have the same frame section properties as is assigned to the
rest of the member.
The rigid zones of the end offsets never affect axial and torsional
deformations. The full element length is always assumed to be
flexible for these deformations.
Output forces for the end of a frame member are provided at the
inside face of the end offset along the length of the member. No
output forces are produced within the end offset.

14 - 26

Assignments to Line Objects

Chapter 14 - The ETABS Assign Menu

Figure 14-4:
Example rigid end
joint offsets

Column
Y
X

14
Edge of slab

Spandrel beam

Plan
Rigid Frame Joint Offsets
Note:
When you
specify member
end joint offsets
the local axes
of the member
are always
based on the
final position of
the member
after the end
joint offsets are
applied.

Rigid frame joint offsets are defined in the Frame Joint Offset
area of the Assign Frame End Offsets dialog box. Use the Assign
menu > Frame/Line > Frame Rigid Offsets command to open
this dialog box. In the Frame Joint Offset area you specify the
global X, Y and Z joint offsets at each end point of the frame
element.
This feature is useful for modeling beams and columns when the
beams do not frame into the center of the column. Frame member joint offsets are always fully rigid.
The floor plan shown in Figure 14-4 illustrates a concrete beam
and slab system with such a condition. Note that all of the spandrel beams frame into the edge of the column, not the column
center line. This circumstance can be modeled in ETABS by
providing a joint offset to the top (j-end) and bottom (i-end) of
each column in either the global X direction, global Y direction,
or both directions depending on how the column is oriented.

Assignments to Line Objects

14 - 27

ETABS Users Manual - Volume 1

j
i
j
a) Beam with Joint Offset
i

j
1

3
b) Original Position of Beam
j
i

14

3
c) Final Position of Beam

Important Note: When you specify member joint offsets the local axes of the member are always based on the final position of
the member after the joint offsets are applied. Similarly, the location of loads assigned to the line object are based on the final
length and location of the member after the joint offsets are applied.
Consider the example sketch shown to the left. Sketch a shows a
plan view of a beam that has the j-end joint offset. The end joint
is offset such that the beam extends from i to j' rather than from i
to j.
Sketch b shows the local axes for the beam when it is in its
original position without the joint offset. Sketch c shows the local axes for the beam when it is in its final position with the joint
offset. In both sketches b and c the local 2-axis points upward
and thus does not show in the plan view sketches. ETABS bases
the local axes of the beam on those shown in sketch c.

Frame Output Station Assignments to Line Objects

Note:
When frame
output stations
are assigned to
a line object a
text value is
displayed on
the line object.
If the text value
is reported in
parenthesis
then it is the
minimum number of output
stations. If it is
not reported in
parenthesis
then it is the
maximum
spacing between output
stations.

14 - 28

Frame output stations are designated locations along a frame

element. They are used as locations to report output forces, perform design and plotting points used for graphic display of force
diagrams. When force diagrams are plotted, exact forces are
plotted at each output station and then these points are connected
by straight lines.
Important note: Output stations occur at user-specified locations
and at point load locations along a beam.
Use the Assign menu > Frame/Line > Frame Output Stations
command to designate the output stations for a frame element.
Two options are available for defining output stations for a
beam:

Specify the minimum number of output stations

along the beam: In this case ETABS will first equally
space the specified number of stations within the clear
length of the beam. Then a station is added for each
point load that does not fall at one of the previously defined output station locations.

Assignments to Line Objects