user manual mstower v.6

8/9/2019 User Manual MSTower v.6

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MStower V6

User’s Manual

Engineering Systems


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COPYRIGHT NOTICE(C) Copyright Engineering Systems (EEC) Limited 1997-2006. All rights are reserved. The copyright applies tothis manual and to the corresponding software (together referred to herein as the “licensed material”).

DISCLAIMER Subject to limitations imposed by law, Engineering Systems (EEC) Limited makes no warranty of any kind inconnection with the licensed material. Engineering Systems (EEC) Limited shall not be liable for any errorscontained in the licensed material nor for any incidental or consequential damages resulting from the use of thelicensed material. Engineering Systems (EEC) Limited is not engaging in the provision of consulting services insupplying the licensed material. Users of the licensed material are advised that output from computer softwareshould be subjected to independent checks. Engineering Systems (EEC) Limited reserves the right to revise and

otherwise change the licensed material from time to time without notification, or provision of revised material.

SOFTWARE LICENCEThe software is supplied to the user under licence. It may be installed on as many computers as required but thenumber of concurrent users must not exceed the number of licences held. For network licences, use is permittedonly in the country for which the licence was supplied. The software may not be sub-licensed, rented, or leased toanother party. The licence can only be transferred to another party at the discretion of Engineering Systems (EEC)Limited.

Engineering Systems (EEC) LimitedSystems House27 Highclere DriveHemel Hempstead HERTS HP3 8BYEngland

Tel: +44 (0) 144 226 2647E-mail: [email protected]: www.mstower.com

March, 2006

Crystal Palace Tower, LondonThis is Britain’s tallest unguyed steel tower. It was checked for structural adequacy using MStower.


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Preface

MStower is a software package for the analysis and design of towers, masts, and poles. This softwareincorporates the very latest in Windows technology to make it easier to use and improve your

productivity.

“1:Introduction” provides an overview of the capabilities of MStower. Whether you are installing

MStower for the first time or updating an existing system, you will find all the necessary informationin “2:Getting Started”. “3:Menus & Toolbars” provides a summary of the commands available andother chapters provide reference and technical information.

This manual is available to the MStower user on-line, together with “pop-up” help for toolbar buttonsand dialog boxes. The on-line Help system provides a synchronized table of contents and powerfulmethods of searching for topics.

If the file Readme.txt is present in the MStower folder after installation, you should read it for information that became available after the manual was printed. The file is automatically displayedduring installation but it may be displayed in Notepad at any time by double-clicking the file inWindows Explorer.


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MSTower V6 Contents • i

Contents

1:Introduction 1

General....................................................... ........................................................... .................... 1Responsibility ...................................................... ........................................................... .......... 4

Acknowledgement ................................................................ .................................................... 5Enhancement Record ........................................................... ..................................................... 5

2:Getting Started 9

Installing MStower ........................................................... ........................................................ 9Hardware Lock ............................................................... .......................................................... 9Folders ...................................................... ........................................................... ................... 10Starting MStower....... ............................................................ ................................................. 11Commands ........................................................... ........................................................... ........ 12Right-Clicking Away from Any Part of the Tower ............................................................... . 12How to Make a Shortcut on the Desktop............................................................. ................... 13Launch with Double-Click................................................................ ...................................... 13

Configuration.......................................................... ................................................................ 14Printing in MStower ........................................................... .................................................... 15Print and Print Preview Commands.................................................................. ........ 15The Windows Print Dialog Box ....................................................... ........................ 15The Page Setup Dialog Box ............................................................... ...................... 16Configurable User Graphic............................................ ........................................... 18

Steel Section Libraries ............................................................... ............................................. 18Data from Earlier Versions ...................................................... ............................................... 19Technical Support ................................................................ ................................................... 19Web Update .......................................................... ........................................................... ....... 20

3:Menus & Toolbars 21

Layout.................................................... ........................................................... ...................... 21File Menu Commands.................................................. ........................................................... 22View Menu Commands ................................................................ .......................................... 23Tower Menu Commands ............................................................ ............................................ 24Member Checking Menu Commands ............................................................ ......................... 24Structure Menu Commands ......................................................... ........................................... 25Analyse Menu Commands........................ ........................................................... ................... 26Results Menu Commands ................................................................ ....................................... 26Reports Menu Commands ....................................................... ............................................... 27Show Menu Commands............................... ................................................................ ........... 28


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ii • Contents MSTower V6

Query Menu Commands ....................................................... ..................................................29

Window Menu Commands......................................................................................................30Help Menu Commands............................................................................................................31Main Toolbar Commands........................................................................................................31View Toolbar Commands .................................................. .....................................................32Display Toolbar Commands....................................................................................................33Help Toolbar Commands .................................................... ....................................................33Draw Toolbar Commands ......................................................... ..............................................34Attributes Toolbar Commands ..................................................................... ...........................34Results Toolbar Commands ................................................................... .................................35OK/Cancel Toolbar Commands .................................................................. ............................35Extra Buttons Toolbar Commands..........................................................................................36Selecting Which Toolbars Are Displayed............................................................ ...................36Customizing Toolbars ........................................................... ..................................................37The Ouput Window.................................................................................................................37

4:Operation 39

Data Files ............................................................... ................................................................. 39Units..........................................................................................................................40Axes ........................................................ ........................................................... .......40Sections.....................................................................................................................40Member Checking.....................................................................................................41Export to Microstran Archive File .................................................................. ..........41

Errors.......................................................................................................................................41

5:Tower Data 43

General....................................................................................................................................43The Tower Data (TD) File ....................................................... ...............................................44

Title Block ....................................................... ......................................................... 45Component Block ........................................................... ..........................................45Profile Block .............................................................. ...............................................46Supports Block..........................................................................................................53Guys Block ................................................................ ...............................................54Sections Block ............................................................ ..............................................55Material Block ..................................................... .....................................................58Bolt Data Block ................................................... .....................................................58

Guy Library.............................................................................................................................61Steel Poles .............................................................. ................................................................. 62

TD File Examples .......................................................... ......................................................... 65Example 1 ........................................................ .........................................................65Example 2 ........................................................ .........................................................66Example 3 ........................................................ .........................................................67Example 4 ........................................................ .........................................................68Example 5 (Plan Bracing).........................................................................................70

6:Standard Panels 71

General....................................................................................................................................71


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MSTower V6 Contents • iii

Index – Face Panels ........................................................ ........................................................ 72

Index – Plan Bracing ....................................................... ....................................................... 76Index – Hip Bracing & Cross-Arms ................................................................ ....................... 77D & V Face Panels ...................................................... ........................................................... 78X Face Panels ............................................................. ............................................................ 79K Face Panels ............................................................. ............................................................ 84M Face Panels....................... ............................................................... ................................... 94W Face Panels....................................................................... .................................................. 96XMA Face Panel.......................................................... ........................................................... 98XDMA Face Panel.................................. ........................................................... ..................... 99DM, DM2 Face Panel ........................................................... ................................................ 100DMH, DMH2 Face Panel ...................................................... ............................................... 101DLM, DLM2 Face Panel ....................................................... ............................................... 102KXM, KXM2 Face Panel ................................................................ ..................................... 103SH3, SH4................................................... ............................................................ ............... 104Plan Bracing .............................................................. ........................................................... 105Hip Bracing................................................... ................................................................ ........ 112Cross-Arms........................................................ ........................................................... ........ 115

7:User-Defined Panels 117

General....................................................... ........................................................... ................ 117The UDP File ................................................................... ..................................................... 118Making A UDP Using Graphics Input.............................................................. .................... 122Modifying An Existing UDP ...................................................................... .......................... 123Towers With Unequal Length Legs.................................................. .................................... 123Creating a UDP from a Microstran Job ...................................................... .......................... 124

UDP File Names....................................................... ............................................................ 125

8:Graphics Input for UDPs 127

General....................................................... ........................................................... ................ 127Basic Drawing ............................................................. ......................................................... 128The Drawing Snap Mode.... ................................................................ .................................. 130The Drawing Plane ............................................................. .................................................. 131Automatic Removal of Duplicate Nodes and Members ....................................................... 131Cursors................ ............................................................ ...................................................... 132Shortcut Keys ...................................................... ............................................................ ..... 133Selecting Nodes and Members ......................................................... .................................... 133Right-Clicking on Nodes and Members ................................................................ ............... 134

The Node Properties Dialog Box........................................................... ............................... 135The Member Properties Dialog Box ........................................................... .......................... 135Properties Dialog Boxes with Multiple Selection................................................................. 136Extrusion................. ..................................................................... ......................................... 136Interrupting Commands .................................................. ...................................................... 136The Stretch Command ...................................................... .................................................... 137The Limit Command.......................................... ............................................................ ....... 138Removing an Intermediate Node ..................................................................... ..................... 139UDP Graphical Example ...................................................................... ................................ 140

Step 1 – Create Data File for a Small Tower............... ........................................... 140


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iv • Contents MSTower V6

Step 2 – Build Tower .......................................................... ....................................142

Step 3 – Isolate UDP Members...............................................................................142Step 4 – Add Members to UDP ............................................................ ..................143Step 5 – Define Attributes of New Members..........................................................144Step 6 – Copy New Members to Other Faces .........................................................144Step 7 – Set Reference Nodes for New Members...................................................145Step 8 – Check UDP ........................................................ .......................................145Step 9 – Convert Graphics to UDP File..... .............................................................145

9:Tower Loading 147

General..................................................................................................................................147The Tower Loading (TWR) File ..................................................................... ......................148

Parameters Block ............................................................. .......................................148

Basic Velocity.........................................................................................................152Terrain Block .......................................................... ................................................152Velocity Profile Block ......................................................... ...................................158

Named Node Block....................................... .......................................................... 159Guy List Block........................................................................................................160Loads Block .............................................................. ..............................................161Wind Load Cases ............................................................ ........................................161Cross-arms and Similar Members External to the Main Tower Body ....................163Guyed Mast Patch Loadings ........................................................... ........................163Dead Loads ............................................................... ..............................................164Ice Loads.................................................................................................................164Miscellaneous Loads...............................................................................................165Additional Node Loads ....................................................... ....................................165

Additional Member Temperatures .............................................................. ............165Eathquake Load Cases ...................................................... ......................................166Combination Load Cases ............................................................. ...........................168Panel Block.............................................................................................................168Ancillary Block.......................................................................................................168

Output....................................................................................................................................176Computation of Wind Resistance..........................................................................................177

BS 8100 ............................................................ ...................................................... 177AS 3995 ............................................................ ...................................................... 178AS 1170 ............................................................ ...................................................... 178Malaysian Electricity Supply Regulations 1990.....................................................178EIA/TIA-222-F ................................................................... ....................................178

Computation of Deflections ........................................................... .......................................179

BS 8100 ............................................................ ...................................................... 179Other Codes ............................................................. ...............................................180

Dynamic Amplification of Wind Loads................................................................................180BS 8100 ............................................................ ...................................................... 180AS 3995 ........................................................... .......................................................180AS 1170 ........................................................... .......................................................181EIA-222-F...............................................................................................................181ASCE 7 .............................................................. .....................................................181IS 875......................................................................................................................182BNBC ............................................................... ......................................................182


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MSTower V6 Contents • v

ILETR7............................. ................................................................ ...................... 182

Ancillary Libraries.... ............................................................ ................................................ 183Large Ancillary Library........ ................................................................ .................. 183Linear Ancillary Library............................ ............................................................. 185Drag Coefficients ......................................................... .......................................... 186

10:CAD Interface 187

General....................................................... ........................................................... ................ 187Exporting a CAD DXF .................................................. ....................................................... 187Exporting a Steel Detailing Neutral File................................................................... ............ 188Section Alias File......................... ................................................................ ......................... 189Windows Clipboard Operations........................................... ................................................. 189

11:Analysis 191

General....................................................... ........................................................... ................ 191Method .................................................. ........................................................... ...... 192Consistency Check ............................................................... .................................. 192Accuracy.......................................... ................................................................ ....... 192

Linear Elastic Analysis ......................................................... ................................................ 193 Non-Linear Analysis.......................... ................................................................ ................... 193

Second-Order Effects ....................................................... ...................................... 194Running a Non-Linear Analysis ............................................................... .............. 196Troubleshooting Non-Linear Analysis ................................................................ ... 199

Elastic Critical Load Analysis ................................................................... ........................... 200Selecting Load Cases for ECL Analysis...................................... ........................... 201

Analysis Control Parameters ....................................................... ........................... 201Why ECL Analysis May Give High k Factors ....................................................... 202

Dynamic Analysis...................................... ................................................................ ........... 203Analysis Control Parameters ....................................................... ........................... 203Dynamic Modes ............................................................... ...................................... 204

Response Spectrum Analysis........................................................................ ........................ 205Running a Response Spectrum Analysis ............................................................ .... 205Response Spectrum Curves ............................................................ ........................ 208

Errors ......................................................... ........................................................... ................ 209

12:Member Checking 211

General....................................................... ........................................................... ................ 211

Operation .............................................................. ........................................................... ..... 212Loading Parameters ................................................................. ............................................. 212

BS 8100 Part 3................................ ................................................................ ........ 212BS 449 ............................................................ ........................................................ 212ASCE 10-90, ASCE 10-97, ASCE Manual 72..................................................... 213EIA-222-F ..................................................... ......................................................... 213AS 3995.......................................................... ........................................................ 213IS 802 ............................................................ ......................................................... 213ILETR7............................. ................................................................ ...................... 213BS5950 .................................................. ........................................................... ...... 213


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vi • Contents MSTower V6

AS 4100 ........................................................... .......................................................214

Design Loads.........................................................................................................................214Member Checks to BS 8100 Part 3 ......................................................... ..............................215Member Checks to BS 449....................................................................................................216Member Checks to AS 3995 ..................................................... ............................................217Member Checks to ASCE 10-90 1991 & ASCE 10-97 1991................................................218Member Checks to EIA-222-F 1998............................................................... ......................219Member Checks to IS 802.....................................................................................................220Member Checking to ILE Technical Report 7 ......................................................... .............221Member Checking to BS 5950............................................................. .................................221Member Checking to AS 4100..............................................................................................222Member Checking to ASCE Manual 72................................................................................222Obtaining Design Results......................................................................................................223Steel Detailing.......................................................................................................................223Editing Ancillary & Guy Libraries........................................................................................223

13:Editing the Section Library 225

General..................................................................................................................................225Section Library......................................................................................................................225Section Library Manager.......................................................................................................229Compiling a Library..............................................................................................................232Editing a Library with a Text Editor ............................................................ .........................232Library Viewer......................................................................................................................233

14:Reports 235

Report Types ......................................................... ................................................................ 235Display and Printing of Files.................................................................................................236Input/Analysis Report ..................................................... ...................................................... 236Error Report ....................................................... ............................................................... ....237Static Log ................................................................ ..............................................................237Dynamic Log.........................................................................................................................237Design Summary...................................................................................................................237Detailed Design Report .......................................................... ...............................................238Reaction Report.....................................................................................................................238Rotation Report ............................................................... ...................................................... 238

15:Examples 239

General..................................................................................................................................239TWEX1 ....................................................... ........................................................... ...............242

15:Ancillary Programs 249

CTIDATA .......................................................... ........................................................... ........249

Index 251


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MSTower V6 1:Introduction • 1

1:Introduction

General

MStower is a specialized program that assists in the analysis andchecking of latticed steel communication and power transmission towersand guyed masts and steel monopoles. MStower contains options for defining the geometry, loading, analysis, plotting of input, results, andmember checking.

Loading may be computed in accordance with:

• BS 8100 Part 1 1986

• BS 8100 Part 4 1995

• AS 3995-1994

• AS/NZS 1170.2:2002

• Malaysian Electricity Supply Regulations 1990

• EIA/TIA-222-F-1996.

• Institution of Lighting Engineers Technical Report No. 7 – High Masts for Lighting and CCTV – 2000 Edition.

• IS 875 (Part 3):1987

• BNBC 93 – Bangladesh National Building Code

• ANSI/ASCE 7-95

• NSCP C101-01 – Philippines National Building Code

Member capacities may be checked against the requirements of:

•

BS 8100 Part 3

• BS 449

• AS 3995-1994

• ASCE 10-90, ASCE 10-97

• EIA/TIA-222-F-1996

• Institution of Lighting Engineers Technical Report No. 7 – High Masts for Lighting and CCTV – 2000 Edition.


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2 • 1:Introduction MSTower V6

• BS 5950-1:2000 (for tubular poles)

• IS 802 (Part 1 / Sec. 2):1992

Towers, which may be of three or four sides or a single cantileveredtubular pole, are assembled by combining a series of standard face, plan,hip, and cross-arm panels. The tower profile is defined by giving theheight of individual panels and the width at “bend” points. All other widths are obtained by interpolation. The range of standard panels is

being regularly increased with over 100 different panel types available at present. A number of the standard panels are parameterised so that theuser may readily modify the configuration.

If a suitable standard panel is not available the system accepts “user-

defined panels” (UDP). While these require much more data than astandard panel, they allow the system to be used for virtually any tower configuration. A UDP may consist of anything from a few members thatmake up half a face panel to a full three-dimensional section of thetower.

The result of the tower building process is a complete MStower data file,Job.mst, where “Job” is the MStower job name.

The loading module of MStower computes loads due to self-weight, ice,and wind on the tower. As well as computing wind loads on the baretower the program is able to take account of a wide range of ancillaryitems found on communication towers.

Ancillaries are classified into the following categories:

•

Linear ancillaries, normally within the body of the tower andconsisting of items such as ladders, feeders and wave-guides.

• Face ancillaries, attached to the face of the tower and consistingof small items such as minor antennae, gusset plates and

platforms.

• Large ancillaries, mounted out from the face of the tower andconsisting of large dishes whose wind resistance is significantcompared with that of the structural members of the tower.

• Resistance. A group of ancillaries may be described by their wind resistance over a height range of the tower.

• Insulators, located between the segments of multi-segment

guys.

Ancillary libraries containing data describing the physical and dragcharacteristics of a wide range of antennae types are provided withMStower. The libraries are plain text files and may be easily added to byusers. For a dish antenna the library would typically include its diameter,mass, location of center of gravity, surface area that may be coated withice, and its projected area and a drag coefficients for a range of angles of incidence.


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Six aerodynamic coefficients are specified for each angle of incidence to

enable antenna forces and moments to be computed automatically.

The use of ancillary libraries simplifies the preparation of the dataneeded to compute the loads on the tower. To fully describe an antennaits library reference, its location on the tower, and its bearing arerequired. MStower will extract all other data from the library, computethe forces acting on the antenna (dead load, ice-load, and wind loads)and transfer them into the tower as a set of statically equivalent forces.

To assist in checking of input data MStower displays the tower and alllinear and large ancillaries. As well as the visual display, any ancillarymay be queried by “picking” with the graphics cursor to obtain itsidentification, location, library reference, and other pertinent data.

The strength of members may be checked against the rules of the codeslisted above, with the results available as a summary report giving thecritical load case and condition or a larger detailed report suitable for checking the computations for each member. The results of the member check may be shown as a graphical display with the color in which amember is displayed depending on its maximum load/capacity ratio.

Foundation reactions and ancillary rotations may also be reported.


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Responsibility MStower is intended to assist designers in performing the necessarycalculations for checking and designing towers, guyed masts, and steel monopoles. Users must have an understanding of these structures and a good knowledge of the codes of practice to which they are working. MStower cannot replace sound and responsible engineering judgement

and practice.

The interpretation of the output from MStower and the application of this data is solely the responsibility of the user.

Good engineering practice requires fully triangulated bracing systems intowers. Tower design codes do not check for bending stresses inmembers or their bending stiffness, so members in bending should not be

used to restrain compression members. Features to check for include:

• Plan bracing must be fully triangulated to provide restraint and maintain the plan shape of the tower.

• Hip bracing must be fully triangulated and connected to the plan bracing system within a panel to resist twisting of the

whole leg/hip bracing assembly.

• Bend points in K brace arrangements must have the knee fullybraced in two directions.

• The ends of K brace members must be restrained and coincidewith plan bracing members at the top of the panel.

• Leg bend points must be fully braced in two directions.

• Where leg members join in towers with staggered face bracing,restraint should be provided in the unbraced face by planbracing or a similar system.

MStower is not able to detect automatically the lack of restraint in non-triangulated arrangements. If non-triangulated bracing is used,

additional manual checks to the relevant design code must be made toensure that there is sufficient strength and stiffness to provide adequaterestraint to other members.

Designers should consider the safety of any temporary arrangementsduring construction.


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AcknowledgementInitial development of sections of MStower was done under contractswith the Independent Broadcasting Authority, Eastern Electricity, BritishTelecom, and the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Particular recognition is due to Mr M J Lambert of the IndependentBroadcasting Authority who initiated this work.

Enhancement Record

Version 3.1

New menu introduced.TWR file format revised.

Terrain blocks introduced.

Linear and large ancillary libraries introduced.

32 bit version of programs introduced.

Additional standard panels introduced.

GUST and MEAN keywords added to TWR file.

Graphical input of UDPs introduced.

Version 3.15

Screen querying of linear ancillary, large ancillary, and ancillary groupsintroduced with graphical representation of larger ancillaries.

Ancillary libraries extended to include Andrew information.

HP LaserJet printers now supported for plotting.

PostScript format available for output files.

Ancillary deflections and rotations calculated.

Foundation reactions calculated.

CROSS and BARE keywords added.

Total mass and additional mass of ancillaries in TWR file.

XIP, plan bracing at intersection point of face bracing.

Optional Velocity Profile.

Version 4

Masts including catenary cables to BS 8100 Part 4 and AS 3995.

Additional standard panels.

Named node block introduced.

Supports block.


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Version 4.1

EIA/TIA-222-F-1996.

ASCE 10-90 1991 (Manual 52).

Bolt checking to DD133/BS5950.

Deflections/rotations.

Version 4.15

Manual re-set in Microsoft Word.

Examples revised.

Partial safety factors for materials now applied at member checkingstage.

Database utilities added.

Bolt data file included.

Version 4.20

Shade factor introduced for linear and large ancillaries.

Job.out file enhanced for results checking.

Version 4.21

Tension-only members now available in UDPs; non-linear analysismodule required.

Version 5.00

New 32-bit Windows version. Ancillary display improved; split viewwith ancillary labelling. Database recognition and automatic loadingfrom CSV files. Enhanced metafile export of views. Non-linear analysisconvergence parameters added. Smear loading for wind on guys. UDPinput completely revised. Support for DOS discontinued.

Generation of TD and TWR files. Multi-segment guys and guyinsulators supported. Asymmetrical ice loading added. Bolt checking toAS 3995, EIA-222, and ASCE 10-90 added.

Version 6.00

Rectangular towers may be generated directly from standard panels.Different bracing patterns and sizes may be generated on X and Y facesof four sided towers using standard panels.

Loading to AS/NZS 1170.2:2002, IS 875, BNBC, ASCE 7-95,Philippines NBC.

Earthquake loading.


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Greater user control over the manner in which ancillary resistance is

used.

Generation, loading, and checking of steel monopoles.

Virtual reality graphics.

Gust response factor calculations for dynamically sensitive towers for some codes.

Member checking to ASCE 10-97, IS 802.

Member checking to BS 8100 Part 4 replaces DD133-1986.

Panels may have one or two sets of plan bracing.

UDP member classes specified directly.

Section Library Manager.


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MSTower V6 2:Getting Started • 9

2:Getting Started

Installing MStower

The Setup program will install MStower on your computer. Usually,Setup will begin when you insert the CD. If Setup does not beginautomatically you must perform these steps:

• Click on the Windows Start button and select Run.

• Browse to the Setup program on the distribution CD.

• Execute the Setup program.

Setup will guide you through the installation process, prompting you for a name for the program folder (the default is C:\Mstower), and thencopying the required files to the hard disk. Necessary fonts will beinstalled.

Hardware Lock

Printer Port Lock

USB Lock

MStower is normally supplied with a hardware lock that must beattached to the computer before you can start the program. Two types areavailable – one plugs into a printer port, still permitting the printer cableto be attached, and the other plugs into a USB port. Both types are shownat left.

Drivers

Additional information on the hardware lock is supplied on a data sheet.

Windows XP

To install on Windows NT/2000/XP computers you must have

Administrator privileges.Networks

Additional set-up procedures are required for systems with a network lock. These are described on a separate data sheet.

Note: Plugging a printer port hardware lock into a serial port maydamage your computer, the hardware lock, or both.


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10 • 2:Getting Started MSTower V6

FoldersThe Setup program will establish a number of folders under the specifiedMStower folder. If you use the default name the folders as displayed inWindows Explorer will look like this:

MSTOWER FOLDERS

Folder Name Comment

Mstower MStower folder – you can choose this name duringinstallation. “Mstower” is the default.

.....Data Default data folder – you can open MStower files in other

folders if you wish.

.....Drivers Folder for hardware lock drivers, network lock drivers, anddocumentation files. This folder is created optionally duringinstallation.

.....Examples Example files – useful for testing and learning.

.....Program All MStower program files, library files, and Help files.

Library File Folder

You may use the File > Configure > General > Library File Foldercommand to specify a folder for library files anywhere on the computer or in the Network Neighborhood. Files in this folder will be accessed

when you refer to a library file with the “L:” prefix. Using the “P:” prefix will cause MStower to look in the Program folder for library files.Library file references that do not have a prefix cause MStower to look in the data folder for library files.


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Temporary File Folder

By default, MStower writes intermediate data to the Windows temporaryfile folder. This is usually most satisfactory for all types of installation.You may, however, use the File > Configure > General > TemporaryFile Folder command to specify a different folder anywhere on thecomputer or in the Network Neighborhood.

Starting MStower

The Setup program creates an MStower item on the Windows Programsmenu (click Start, then Programs). Click on this item to start MStower.

If you have not previously used MStower you should start with some of the examples supplied with MStower to familiarize yourself with theoperation of the principal menu and toolbar items (seeChapter 15:Examples on page 239). To run an example, use the File >Open command and click on the required file in the dialog box.

You may open any existing MStower job with the File > Opencommand. To start a new job based on an old job, open the old job andsave a copy with another name using the File > Save Copy Ascommand. You may now close the old job and open the new copy byselecting its name from the most recently used list on the File menu.

Note the following powerful Help features, which make it easier for youto use MStower:

•

There are tooltips on all toolbar buttons. Move the mouse cursor over the button for a moment and a little pop-up window displaysthe function of the button.

• There is a prompt displayed on the left side of the status bar (at the bottom of the MStower window) whenever the cursor is positionedover a toolbar button or a menu item. Look here for prompts while you are performing input operations.

• Context-sensitive help is available for all toolbar buttons by clicking

the button. Once you have clicked this button, move the newcursor to any item and click.

• Context-sensitive (pop-up) help is available in dialog boxes. Someitems in dialog boxes also have tooltips.

Use the Help > MStower Help Topics command to display the HelpTopics dialog box. With this, you can browse the table of contents, look through an index, or search all Help topic keywords.


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CommandsMStower commands are available from:

• The main menu.

• Toolbar buttons.

• The context menu.

Generally, all the commands are available on the main menu, while, for convenience, some of them are also available on toolbar buttons or thecontext menu. Commands selected from the main menu are referred to inthis manual as shown in this example:

View > Zoom > Window

Commands selected by clicking a toolbar button are referred to by thename of the button, as shown in the tooltip.

Right-Clicking Away from Any Part of the Tower

When you right-click in the main window, away from any node or member, the pop-up menu below appears.

MAIN CONTEXT MENU

This provides a very convenient alternative to the main menu for manycommands. In effect, you can perform some operations in three differentways. For example, you can display the section number on all members

by clicking a button on the Display toolbar, by selecting the View >Display Options command, or by right-clicking and then selectingSection Numbers.


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How to Make a Shortcut on the DesktopTo make a shortcut to MStower on your desktop (the background that isvisible when no programs are running), drag the MStower icon from theStart > Programs menu while holding down the Ctrl key.

Launch with Double-Click

MStower job files (Job.mst, where “Job” is the job name) should beidentified in Explorer with a distinctive icon. It is convenient to be ableto double-click on one of these files in Explorer to start MStower withthe job. To do this, the MST file type must be associated with MStower.

The association between MStower and the MST file type may beestablished when MStower is installed. You may also establish theassociation with the procedure set out below.

Here are the steps necessary to make MStower launch with a double-click:

• In Explorer select the View > Folder Options or View > Optionscommand.

• Select the File Types tab.

• In the list box search for the MStower job file type, which may beshown as “MST File” or “MStower Document”. If found, select thisfile type and click the Remove button. Close the dialog box.

•

In Explorer browse to the MStower data folder and double-click onany MStower job file (if the file name extension “mst” is not visibleyou may see it by right-clicking and checking the properties of thefile).

• The Open With dialog box appears. Click on the Other button and browse to Mst.exe in the MStower program folder.

• In the Description box type “MStower Job File” and click OK.

• In Explorer select the View > Folder Options or View > Optionscommand.

• Select the File Types tab, then select “MStower Job File” in the list box and click the Edit button.

•

Click the Change Icon button and then select the second icon.

• Click OK to close the Edit File Type dialog box.

• Click OK to close the Folder Options dialog box.

Now, check that you have successfully set up your system by browsingto an MStower job file and double-clicking.


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ConfigurationThe first time you start MStower it will run in a partial screen window.Maximize the Window (use the button next to the X button at the top rightof the MStower window) and the system will thereafter start in a full-screen window.

Toolbars may be activated or de-activated using the View > Toolbarscommand and they may also be floated or moved to different locationson the main window if desired (“docked”). Toolbar buttons may bedragged from one toolbar to another while the Alt key is held down.Chapter 3 contains more information on how you can customize thetoolbars.

The File > Configure command allows you to set program parameters

such as colors, default library files and design codes, and maximum jobsize. The default settings for maximum job size will be sufficient for themajority of jobs. Increasing limits unnecessarily can result in slightlyreduced operating speed.

FILE > CONFIGURE


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Printing in MStower

Print and Print Preview Commands

MStower differs from many standard Windows application in that thereis a requirement to print both files (reports) and pictures. As in astandard Windows application, MStower has a Print command on theFile menu (File > Print File). This is for printing files and reports. Also,there is a Print command on the View menu (View > Print View) andthis is used for printing pictures of the structure. The File menu is shownin “File Menu Commands” on page 22 and the View menu is shown in “

View Menu Commands” on page 23.

In addition to Print commands on the File and View menus, MStower has Print Preview commands on each of these menus. The print previewshows an exact image on the screen of the printed page. File > PrintPreview shows you how a report will be printed while View > PrintPreview is for MStower graphics.

The main toolbar, usually located right under the menu, contains a Print

button, , and a Preview button, . These buttons are for MStower graphics, not files or reports. Thus, they correspond to the Print andPreview commands on the View menu – notice that the tooltip for thePrint button is “Print View”. The main toolbar is shown in “MainToolbar Commands” on page 31.

The Windows Print Dialog Box

While the Preview button acts exactly the same way as thecorresponding menu command, the Print button does not. The View >Print View command displays the Windows Print dialog box so you canchange the target printer, the number of copies, or printer settings withthe Properties button. When you click OK in this dialog box the selected printer becomes the current printer. The File > Print File command alsodisplays the Windows Print dialog box before printing. Clicking the print

button on the main toolbar, however, initiates a graphics print without the display of the Windows Print dialog box. The view is printedimmediately to the current printer.

WINDOWS PRINT DIALOG BOX


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Preview commands, File > Print Preview, View > Print Preview, and

the Preview button, all do not display the Windows Print dialog box. The preview is always for the current printer. When you see a print previewon the screen, you will notice a Print button at the top left of the previewwindow. Clicking this will initiate printing on the current printer. If youwant to change the target printer after seeing a preview, close the preview window and then select the Print command on either the File or the View menu. When previewing a multi-page report file, the Print

button prints the whole file. If you want to print less than the full report use the File > Print File command and select the pages to be printed inthe Windows Print dialog box.

The Page Setup Dialog Box

The Page Setup dialog box allows you to change settings affecting thelayout of printed output, either graphical or reports.

The current printer, shown in the Page Setup dialog box, is initially theWindows default printer and remains so until a different printer isselected. A new current printer may be selected in the Windows PrintSetup dialog box that is shown when you click the Change button. Youmay also change the current printer in the Windows Print dialog boxshown when you select either View > Print View or File > Print File.

MSTOWER PAGE SETUP DIALOG BOX

Text Size

The text size, in points, for both reports and graphical output. There are72 points to the inch. The default value is 8.


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Orientation

Mstower does not use the orientation setting stored with the printer properties. These two settings, one for reports and one for graphics, areused instead.

Margins

Margins may be set independently for reports and graphics.

Logo

Check this box if you want MStower to print a logo at the top of each page of printed output. When the box is checked you may choose one of the available bitmap files from the adjacent combo box. See“Configurable User Graphic” on page 18.

Report Style

When the number of columns is greater than 1 MStower will print multi-column reports, as long as there is room on the page. When there isinsufficient room for the number of columns selected the number of columns is automatically reduced, as required. To increase the density of

printing in a report you may increase the number of columns and reducethe text size and margins.

Graphics Style

No color With the exception of the configurable user graphic, whichis always printed in its own colors, printing is in black only, even if using a color printer.

Heavy lines

Structure geometry is shown with heavy lines. This is

more suitable for high-resolution printers, which otherwise print a very fine line.

Legends

Color legends for sections and load cases may be shown.The section legend is only shown when section numbersare included on the plot. The load case legend is onlyshown for the load cases for which loads are plotted.

Scale

The scale at which structure geometry is shown. With ascale of 100, for example, 1 m on the structure isrepresented as 10 mm on the plot. When the scale is zero(default) the structure is plotted to fill the space available.


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Configurable User Graphic

You may use this feature to place your company logo at

the top of all printed output.

MStower allows you to have a small graphic at the top of each page of printed output. Any valid Windows bitmap file existing in the programfolder may be selected in the Page Setup dialog box. With this optionselected the graphic is printed on each page. If the option is not selectedno graphic will be printed and no space will be allowed for it. Oninstallation MStower is configured to use the graphic shown below. Youcan unselect the option in Page Setup if you do not want a graphic.

DEFAULT GRAPHIC

The specification of the bitmap is:

• Width – 1200 pixels

• Height – 200 pixels

• Colors – 256

Bitmaps that do not match these requirements are not shown in the PageSetup dialog box. MStower prints the graphic in a space 50.8 mm wide

by 8.5 mm high.

Note: The Windows drivers for some printers do not support the printing of bitmaps.

Steel Section Libraries

A source file is supplied with each steel section library. The source file isa text file with the file name extension “asc” and the correspondinglibrary file has a file name extension of “lib” (e.g. As.asc, As.lib).Section Library Manager may be used to edit existing section librariesand create new ones.

The File > Configure > Section Library Manager command givesaccess to powerful facilities for editing an existing library or making anew library by merging sections from existing libraries – see “Chapter

13:Editing the Section Library” on page 225. When a library is saved itmay be compiled into a library file accessible to MStower (see“Compiling a Library” on page 232). It is recommended that you do not modify the standard libraries supplied with MStower – it is preferable tocopy the source file to a file with a different name and then modify that.

Steel section libraries used with previous versions of MStower arecompatible with those used by V6.


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Data from Earlier VersionsAll data files (TD, TWR, UDP) and section and ancillary libraries from

previous versions and .mst files from V5 are compatible with MStower V6.

To open a V3 or V4 job:

Select File > New then navigate to the data area and enter the job name.

Select Tower > Build Tower > Process Tower File. The job shouldnow be displayed graphically.

To open a V5 job:

Select File > Open, and select the job. It should be displayed in the statein which it was last saved. Because the format of some work files has

been changed to allow the addition of new capabilities, you must re- build the tower if you wish to do anything more than view the structure.

Technical Support

Click the Check Versionbutton in the Help About

MStower dialog box todetermine whether your

software needs updating.

Microstran technical support is available by telephone, fax, and e-mail.Use the Help > About MStower command to display the serial number,the version number, and licence details for your software. Thisinformation is required when you ask for technical support. The HelpAbout dialog box contains links to the MStower website, where you maysubmit a support request or update your software – see “Web Update” on

page 20.

HELP ABOUT MSTOWER


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Web UpdateFrom time to time, minor updates are provided without charge on theMStower website. You may use the web update facility to determinewhen an update is required. While your computer is connected to theinternet, clicking the Check Version button in the Help About dialog boxdisplays the dialog box shown below. This shows the dates of your MStower software and dates of the current web downloads, making itvery easy to see whether an update is required.

MSTOWER WEB UPDATE DIALOG BOX

You can connect to the MStower website by clicking the Downloads hotlink in the Help About dialog box. Here, you will recognize thecomponents you need to download. Each download is an executable file

– run it to unpack the update files. If prompted for a password when this

executable runs you must e-mail MStower Support to obtain it. A newCD may be purchased as an alternative to using the internet downloadfacility.

When new versions (or major upgrades) become available they are notavailable on the MStower website – they must be purchased on a CD.


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MSTower V6 3:Menus & Toolbars • 21

3:Menus & Toolbars

Layout

The diagram below shows the layout of the MStower screen. Commandsmay be initiated from the main menu, any toolbar, or a context (pop-up)menu. The main menu comprises a menu bar , each item of which givesaccess to a drop-down menu. Some items on drop-down menus lead to sub-menus. Each toolbar button usually corresponds to a commandaccessible from the main menu. Context menus, which appear when youclick the right mouse button, contain a selection of commands from themain menu. This chapter lists all the commands available on the mainmenu and all toolbars.

LAYOUT OF MSTOWER WINDOW


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libraries and dynamic response spectra.

Recent Job Selects recently used job.

Exit Exits MStower

View Menu Commands

VIEW MENU

The View menu offers the following commands:

Command ActionToolbars Shows or hides the toolbars.

Status Bar Shows or hides the status bar.

Redraw Redraws the current view.

Viewpoint Change the orientation of the structure in the view byselecting a new viewpoint.

Zoom Change the scale of the view or select a rectangular part of the view to fill the display window.

Pan Displace the view by the selected distance.

Limit Select a part of the structure by one of several availablemethods. Unselected parts are shown in light grey or hidden.

Full Redraws the current view so that it fills the window.

Copy Copy view to Windows clipboard in EMF format.

Print Preview Displays the view as it would appear printed

Print View Prints the view.

Display Options Select options for displaying node numbers, member numbers, etc.

Ancillary SortOrder

Specify whether ancillaries will be sorted by serial number or height.


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24 • 3:Menus & Toolbars MSTower V6

Virtual Reality Displays a rendered 3-D interactive view of the tower model. You must have a VRML “plug-in” installed in your browser to use this facility.

Tower Menu Commands

TOWER MENU

The Tower menu offers the following commands:

Command Action

Build Tower Opens the tower data (TD) file for editing and processing. Includes graphical creation of user-defined panels.

Load Tower Opens the tower loading (TWR) file for editing and processing.

Analyse Analyses the tower.

Gust Factor Applies BS 8100 gust factoring to wind forces in tower members.

Build/Load/Analyse Runs all the previous items sequentially.

Member Checking Menu Commands

MEMBER CHECKING MENU


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The Member Checking menu offers the following commands:

Command Action

BS 8100 Part 3 Checks members to the rules of BS 8100 Part 3.

BS 449 Checks member to the rules of BS 449.

ASCE 10-90 Checks member to the rules of ASCE 10-90.

ASCE 10-97 Checks member to the rules of ASCE 10-97.

EIA-222-F Checks member to the rules of EIA-222-F.

AS 3995 Checks member to the rules of AS 3995.

IS 802 Checks member to the rules of IS 802.

ILE Tech. Report 7 Checks poles to the rules of ILE Tech. Report.

ASCE Manual 72 Checks poles to the rules of ASCE Manual 72.

BS 5950 Checks poles to the rules of BS 5950.

AS 4100 Checks poles to the rules of AS 4100.

EIA-222-F Checks poles to the rules of EIA-222-F.

Structure Menu Commands

STRUCTURE MENU

The Structure menu becomes active only when graphically inputting aUDP. It offers the following commands:

Command ActionDraw Members Draw members or input node coordinates.

Erase Members Erase selected members.

Select All Selects all members, including any that may not bevisible.

Drawing Settings Snap modes for drawing members, grid spacing etc.

Attributes Input attributes of the structure, such as restraints,section numbers, etc.


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Move Move a node, move members, rotate members, stretchnodes.

Copy Linear copy, polar copy, reflect members.

Sub-divide Sub-divide selected members into a number of equal parts.

Insert Node Insert a new node in a member.

Intersect Insert new node(s) at intersection of selected members.

Renumber Renumber nodes and members (sort or compact).

Analyse Menu Commands

ANALYSE MENU

The Analyse menu offers the following commands:

Command Action

Check Input Check structure and load data (normally automatic).Linear Perform linear analysis (first-order).

Non-Linear Perform non-linear analysis (second-order).

Elastic Critical Load Determine frame buckling load factors and bucklingmode shapes.

Dynamic Determine natural frequencies and mode shapes.

Response Spectrum Add response spectrum and static analysis results.

Results Menu Commands

RESULTS MENU


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The Results menu offers the following commands:

Command Action

Select Load Cases Select load cases for display of loads or results.

Select Natural Modes Select modes for display of vibration mode shapes.

Select Buckling Modes Select modes for display of buckling mode shapes.

Undisplaced Shape Display structure in undisplaced position.

Member Actions Display bending moment, shear force, axial force,torque, or displaced shape.

Natural Modes Display vibration mode shapes.

Animate Modes Show each currently displayed mode (natural or buckling) in alternate extreme positions. Press the

space bar to show the next mode, Esc to cancel.Buckling Modes Display buckling mode shapes.

Design Ratios Display results of member design check with colorsrepresenting range of design ratios. The legend inthe Output window shows the range of valuesrepresented by each color.

Reports Menu Commands

REPORTS MENU

The Reports menu offers the following commands:

Command Action

Input/Analysis Create report on structure and current analysis results.


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Show Menu Commands

SHOW MENU

The Show menu offers the following commands:

Command Action

Section Highlight members with specified section number.

Material Highlight members with specified material number.

Member Type Highlight members of specified type (tension-only etc.).

Member Class Highlight members of specified classes such as legs, braces, etc.

Members Highlight specified members.

Panels Highlight members in a panel.

Nodes Highlight members connected to specified nodes.

Master Nodes Show master nodes.

Slave Nodes Show slave nodes.

Node Masses Show all nodes with non-zero added mass.

Design Members Show all defined design members.

Cancel Cancel current “Show” selection.


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Query Menu Commands

QUERY MENU

The Query menu offers the following commands:

Command Action

Node Data List data for selected node (coordinates etc.).

Node Displacements List displacements for selected node.

Support Reactions List reactions for selected (support) node.

Master Node List slave nodes for selected master node.

Slave Node List constraints for selected slave node.

Member Data List member data for selected member.

Member Displacements List displacements for selected member.

Member Forces List member forces for selected member.

Node Loads List loads for selected node.

Member Loads List loads for selected member.

Design Member Highlight design member containing selectedmember.

Linear Ancillary List properties of linear ancillary.

Large Ancillary List properties of large ancillary.

Ancillary Group List properties of ancillary group.

Note: Query data is displayed in the Output window.


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Window Menu Commands

WINDOW MENU

The Window menu offers the following commands, which enable you toarrange multiple views in the application window:

Command Action

Cascade Arranges windows in an overlapped fashion.

Tile Horizontally Arranges windows side-by-side.

Tile Vertically Arranges windows above and below.

Output Window Show or hide the Output window.

Window All open windows are listed. Clicking one of these willmove the focus to the selected window.


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Help Menu Commands

HELP MENU

The Help menu offers the following commands:

Command Action

MStower Help Topics Display the Help Topics dialog box. This has threetabs, Contents, Index, and Find, so you can easilyfind help topics.

What’s This? Display help for clicked buttons, menus, andwindows.

Tip of the Day Show Tip of the Day.

About MStower Display details about this copy of MStower andsystem resources. Also contains links to Internet.

Main Toolbar Commands

MAIN TOOLBAR

The Main toolbar offers the following commands:

• Open a new job.

• Open an existing job. MStower displays the Open dialog box, inwhich you can locate and open the desired file. This command is for opening an existing job – one for which there is already a Job.mstfile, where “Job” is the name of the job as it was saved.

• Save the job with its current name.

•

Print the view; i.e. print a picture showing the current view of thestructure. Use the File > Print command to print a file.

• Print preview; i.e. display exactly how the graphics will be printed.Use the File > Preview command to preview a file.


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View Toolbar Commands

VIEW TOOLBAR

The View toolbar offers the following commands:

• Display front view.

• Display right view.

• Display top view.

• Display oblique view.

•

Move viewpoint to left.• Move viewpoint to right.

• Move viewpoint up.

• Move viewpoint down.

• Zoom to extents/limits of structure. If the View > Limit command isin effect, clicking this button alternately displays the full structureand the limited part of the structure.

• Zoom to selected window.

• Zoom in.

• Zoom out.

•

Dynamically zoom view.

• Dynamically rotate view.

• Pan.

• Limit > Window command.

• Full View command.

• Show the Output window.


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Display Toolbar Commands

DISPLAY TOOLBAR

The Display toolbar offers the following commands:

• Display node symbols.

• Display of node numbers.

• Display member numbers.

• Display section numbers.

•

Display supports.• Display pins.

• Display rendered view of members.

• Display annotation of loads.

• Display annotation of member force or displacement diagrams.

• Increase scale for plotting loads, member forces, or displaced shape.

• Decrease scale for plotting loads, member forces, or displacedshape.

Help Toolbar Commands

HELP TOOLBAR

The Help toolbar offers the following commands:

• Help Topics. Starts HTML Help providing access to on-line helpwith display of User Manual contents, index, and search facility.

• Help About MStower. MStower version and licence details – includes links to internet.


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Draw Toolbar Commands

DRAW TOOLBAR

The Draw toolbar is available during graphical input of UDPs only. Itoffers the following commands:

• Draw members.

• Erase members.

• Move members.

• Copy members.

• Reflect members.

• Sub-divide members.

• Rotate members.

• Display grid points and set Grid snap mode.

• Set Middle/End snap mode.

• Set Intersection snap mode.

Attributes Toolbar Commands

ATTRIBUTES TOOLBAR

The Attributes toolbar offers the following commands:

• Input section numbers.

• Input member releases.

• Input member orientation reference node/axis.


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Results Toolbar Commands

RESULTS TOOLBAR

The Results toolbar offers the following commands:

• Display undisplaced structure.

• Select load cases for display.

• Display applied loads.

• Display member actions. You must turn on this “switch” before youare able to select member forces for display.

• Display axial force, Fx.

• Display shear force, Fy.

• Display shear force, Fz.

• Display torque, Mx.

• Display bending moment, My.

• Display bending moment, Mz.

• Display displaced structure.

• Display natural vibration modes.

• Display buckling modes.

• Display design ratios. Design ratios are displayed graphically withdifferent colors representing distinct ranges of values for the

percentage of code capacity. For example, members shown brightred are loaded in excess of 110% of the design code capacity.

• Display member force envelope.

• Animate modes (natural or buckling). Each mode is displayed inturn. Press the space bar to move to the next mode or Escape to exitmode animation.

OK/Cancel Toolbar Commands

OK/CANCEL TOOLBAR

The OK/Cancel toolbar is an alternative to the context menu for confirming or cancelling selections. Display or hide it with the View >Toolbars command. This toolbar is not displayed initially.


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Extra Buttons Toolbar Commands

EXTRA BUTTONS TOOLBAR

The Extra Buttons toolbar contains a number of buttons that may beadded to other toolbars during customization. It is not displayed initially.The buttons available are:

• Display back view.

• Display left view.

• Display y axis for all members.

•

Polar copy.

• Intersect members.

• Insert node.

• Redraw (F5).

Selecting Which Toolbars Are Displayed

You may easily determine the toolbars that are displayed with the View> Toolbars command. This displays the dialog box shown below. Allchecked toolbars are displayed.

TOOLBARS DIALOG BOX

Any toolbar that has been customized may be reset to the original

configuration by selecting it and then clicking the Reset button.


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MSTower V6 4:Operation • 39

4:Operation

Data Files

The tower is described in data files by the minimum number of keydimensions and a description of the types of panel in the tower. Paneltypes are described by mnemonics of one to four characters. Panels may

be selected from a set of built-in face, plan, hip, and cross-arm patternsor may be defined by the user.

The following data files are used:

• Job.tdThe tower data file.

• Job.udpAn optional file containing the description of non-standard or user-defined panels.

• Job.twrThe tower loading file.

When a job is saved the above files and others associated with the jobare copied into the job.mst file.

It may be convenient to copy the data files from an existing MStower joband edit these, rather than creating them from the beginning. This may

be done by opening the existing job and selecting the File > Save CopyAs command to create the new job.

The data files are text files, usually created and edited with the built-intext editor, MsEdit. Data is set out in blocks identified by keywords.Blank lines may be used as required to improve the readability of thefile. The “$” character may be used to introduce comments; the “$”

character and all text following on that line are ignored as input data.Individual items of data may be separated by one or more blank spaces.Each line of data must be no longer than 80 characters.


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40 • 4:Operation MSTower V6

The following conventions are used to describe the input data:

Square brackets are used to indicate optional data items. A and B may be omitted in this example:

...[ A ] [ B ]...

Braces are used to indicate where a choice must be made from a list of items. Items may be shown vertically, or horizontally when separated byvertical bars. For example:

...{ item 1 }... { item 2 } { item 3 }

or

...{ item 1 | item 2 | item3 }...

One of the items must be chosen.

An ellipsis indicates that the data description in this manual is continuedon the next line. Unless otherwise noted, the data in the file must be onone line.

The “&” character at the end of a line indicates that the data continues onthe next line.

Note: Parentheses, braces, the vertical line symbol, and the ellipsis areused to specify input – these characters do not appear in tower data files.

Units

MStower accepts two sets of units:

• Metric – using meters, kilonewtons, tonnes, and degrees Celsius,with some data items being input and/or reported in the morecustomary units of mm and kg.

• US – using feet, kips, kip.sec2/ft, and degrees Fahrenheit, with somedata items being input and/or reported in the more customary unitsof inches and pounds.

Entries in the ancillary and guy libraries are required in metric units.

Axes

The vertical axis of the tower is parallel to the global Z axis. The X andY axis of the tower lie in the horizontal plane and do not need to be

aligned with the geographic north. The X axis is always normal (in plan)to one face of the tower.

Sections

All sections in the tower must be described in an MStower sectionlibrary file. Dimensions and properties are automatically extracted tocompute surface and projected areas when calculating ice and wind loadsand for determining member capacities.


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MSTower V6 4:Operation • 41

Member Checking

You must ensure that wind velocities and other factors used to computeloads are consistent with the code method chosen to check member strengths.

BS 8100 Part 3, AS 3995, ASCE10, and IS-802 are limit states codes,whereas EIA/TIA-222-F uses permissible stresses.

Export to Microstran Archive File

The MStower model may be exported to a Microstran archive file. This permits running of the model in the Microstran frame analysis anddesign program.

Errors

After assembly of the tower, MStower checks for the followingconditions:

Overlaid Members and Unconnected Nodes

These occur when a node is coincident with a member but not connectedto it. When this occurs it is usually at the junction between panels andhappens either because a horizontal has not been deleted or because of an incompatibility between panels. For example if a PL1 plan brace isused with an X face brace the PB1 member will overlay the H1 member.The duplicated member will not be detected by the assembly process

because of the mid-side node in PB1. A list of such members will be

displayed.Floating Members

These are members that are not connected to the structure. If notremoved they will result in errors during analysis. They can result if members are deleted; for example if PL1 plan bracing is used with XOface bracing and the PB1 member is deleted, the internal plan bracingmembers will not be connected to the tower. A list of such members will

be displayed.

You may readily locate overlaid and floating members using MStower screen plots. Select the Show > Members command and then enter thelist of offending members. The full tower will now be displayed with thelisted members highlighted. You may zoom to inspect the members

more closely and determine the reason for the error. The TD or UDP fileshould be modified as necessary.

Section Checks

The tower builder does a number of sensibility checks as the tower isassembled and reports on the following:

• Section usage – whether the section is used as a leg, brace, or other type of member.

• Whether the connection code is appropriate to the section type.


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user manual mstower v.6

Documents