Add Column Stiffeners at Beam ( Modeling )

Tool summary :

  • Generates column flange stiffeners on the column whose flange the beam you select frames to.
  • The stiffeners are placed in relation to the beam's top and/or bottom flanges but are submaterials of the column, not the beam. You can edit the stiffeners on the Beam Edit window or the Column Stiffeners at Beam window, which is shown below.

One way to edit the Column Stiffeners at Beam custom component is to open the Beam Edit window. You will find these settings in the [Column Stiffener at Beam ] section. Another way is to double-click a stiffener or stiffener weld with the " Selection filter " set to ' Default ' or ' All ' or ' Custom Components '.

If User and Site Options > Modeling > " Automatically process after modeling operation " is set to ' Process and create solids ', the column stiffeners will be generated immediately after you press " OK " to close this window. If not, the stiffeners will be generated on the column the next time the beam that this component belongs to undergoes Process and Create Solids .


  • You can click the Add Column Stiffeners at Beam icon instead of doing steps 2 and 3 of the procedure that follows. The icon can be found in the command group ' Model--Component ' for Toolbar Configuration (classic) or Ribbon Editor (lightning).
  • Preselection method of adding: 1 ) In Modeling , select a flanged beam to a column's flange. 2 ) Invoke Add Component . 3 ) On the custom component selection list, choose " Column Stiffeners at Beam ." 4 ) The Column Stiffeners at Beam window opens so that you can configure the stiffeners to suit your purposes ...
  • If you use in-tool selection -- that is, select the beam after activating this tool or after selecting " Coumn Stiffener at Beam " as the component you want to add -- only beams will be selectable. Select a beam that frames to the flange of a column.

Also see :

VIDEO Column stiffeners are added opposite to beam top and bottom flanges. (Recorded in SDS2 Detailing , v2017.)

VIDEO A beam is preselected. The Add Component icon is pressed and " Column Stiffeners at Beam " is selected as the component to add. Various configurations of stiffeners are then defined on the Column Stiffeners at Beam window and generated in the model. (Recorded in SDS2 Detailing , v2017.)

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     Graphical ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Graphical : or .

A Column Stiffeners at Beam component is automatically set to " Graphical " whenever you make graphical changes to any of its materials or welds. For example, when you Edit Material or perform a material cutting operation on a Column Stiffeners at Beam material. This stops the component from being changed during Process and Create Solids . Click here for more information.

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  Add Stiffener -------------------------------------------------------------------

Stiffener end: Left or Right .

' Left ' generates the stiffeners on the column at the left end of the beam that was selected when the Column Stiffeners at Beam custom component was added .

' Right ' generates the stiffeners on the column at the right end of the beam that was selected when the Column Stiffeners at Beam custom component was added .

Column side: Both or Near Side or Far Side .

' Both ' puts stiffeners on both sides of the column web.

' Near Side ' puts the stiffener(s) on the near side of the column web.

' Far Side ' puts the stiffener(s) on the far side of the column web.

Add stiffeners to: Top flange or Bottom flange or Both .

' Top Flange ' puts the column stiffener(s) opposite to the top flange of the beam.

' Bottom Flange ' puts the column stiffener(s) opposite to the bottom flange of the beam.

' Both ' puts the column stiffeners opposite to both the top and bottom flanges of the beam.

Top stiffener alignment: Flush top or Flush bottom or Centered . This option aligns the top stiffener with respect to the top flange of the beam. It applies when the column stiffener and the beam's top flange have different thicknesses.

' Flush top ' aligns the top surface of the top stiffener(s) with the top of the beam's top flange.

' Flush bottom ' aligns the bottom surface of the top stiffener(s) with the top of the beam's top flange.

' Centered ' aligns the center of the top stiffener(s) with the center of the beam's top flange.

Bottom stiffener alignment: Flush top or Flush bottom or Centered .

' Flush top ' aligns the top surface of the bottom stiffener(s) with the top of the beam's bottom flange.

' Flush bottom ' aligns the bottom surface of the bottom stiffener(s) with the bottom of the beam's bottom flange.

' Centered ' aligns the center of the top stiffener(s) with the center of the beam's bottom flange.

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    Stiffener Dimensions ---------------------------------------------------------

Plate thickness: The thickness of each of the stiffener plate(s) (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ). This is also The " Material thickness " of the rectangular plate material that each stiffener plate is made of.

Auto width: or .

If this box is checked ( ), the width of the column plate is the distance from the web of the column to the end of the column flange. The distance that is entered to " Plate width " is ignored.

If the box is not checked ( ), you are permitted to enter a distance of your own choosing to " Plate width ."

Plate width: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) from the web of the column to the outer edge of the stiffener plate. This applies only when " Auto width " is not checked.

Note: This is also the " Material width " of the rectangular plate material that each stiffener plate is made of. Be aware that changing the " Material width " of a stiffener on its material edit window will make this component " Graphical ."

Stiffener depth options: Full depth or Left Flange Half Depth or Right Flange Half Depth or Left Flange Right K or Right Flange Left K or Left Flange User Depth or Right Flange User Depth .

' Full Depth ' extends the stiffeners to the top and bottom flanges of the column minus the " Top clearance " and the " Bottom clearance ."

' Top Flange Half Depth ' extends the stiffeners from the top flange of the beam to the half-depth of the beam.

' Bottom Flange Half Depth ' extends the stiffeners from the bottom flange of the beam to the half-depth of the beam.

' Top Flange Bottom K ' extends the stiffeners from the top flange of the beam to the bottom k distance of the beam.

' Bottom Flange Top K ' extends the stiffeners from the top flange of the beam to the bottom k distance of the beam.

' Left Flange User Depth ' extends the stiffeners from the top flange of the beam to the "User stiffener depth" specified below.

' Right Flange User Depth ' extends the stiffeners from the bottom flange of the beam to the "User stiffener depth" specified below.

User stiffener depth: A distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ). When " Stiffener depth options " is set to ' Left Flange User Depth ' or ' Right Flange User Depth ', the value that is entered here sets the depth of the stiffener plate(s).

Note: On the Rectangular Plate Material window, the " User stiffener depth " that is entered here is the " Order length " of each of the plates. Be aware that changing the " Order length " of a stiffener on its material edit window will make this component " Graphical ."

End preparation: Clip or Cope or Fit exact .

' Clip ' gives you options for entering a " Clip depth " and a " Clip length ." See the illustration above.

' Cope ' gives you options for entering a " Cope depth " and " Cope length ." See the illustration above.

' Exact Fit ' exactly cuts the plate to the profile of the column with a 1/16 inch clearance.

Left clearance: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) from the inside of the left flange of the column to the left edge of the column stiffener.

When the left end of a beam frames to a column's flange, the column's left flange is the flange that is farthest from the left end of the beam.

Right clearance: The distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) from the inside of the right flange of the column to the right edge of the column stiffener.

When the left end of a beam frames to a column's flange, the column's right flange is the flange that is closest the left end of the beam.

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    Weld Options --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Add stiffener weld: or .

If this box is checked ( ), the stiffener(s) are shop welded to the column.

If the box is not checked ( ), the stiffener(s) are not welded to the column.

Weld type: Fillet or Square groove or Bevel groove . This sets the " Weld type " on the Weld Edit window in Modeling as well as the " Weld type " for the weld symbol on the column detail.

symbol name   weld used for...
 fillet General welding of material.
 square groove Butt joints.
 bevel groove General full penetration welding of material.

Weld size: A distance (in the primary dimension " Units " or other units ) that indicates depth of preparation, size or strength of the weld. This sets the " Weld size " on the Weld Edit window in Modeling as well as the " Weld size " for the weld symbol on the column detail.

Tail text: blank or a text string . This sets the " Supplementary tail text " on the Weld Edit window in Modeling as well as the " Supplementary tail text " for the weld symbol on the column detail.

The text string " TYP " is the tail text for this weld symbol.

If this field is ' blank ', a tail is not drawn on the weld symbol.

If a ' text string ' is entered, a tail with that character string as the tail text is drawn on the weld symbol.

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