Channel (topic)

Channel material is rolled steel with a cross section that is "C" shaped. It has two parallel legs, its top and bottom flanges, which are joined to a thinner web. Reference is made to a channel being toed in, or toed out, depending on whether the flanges (or "toes") point toward you or away from you. Channels are used for beams, stair stringers, roof frames, bracing, facia and parapet framing.

• Entering section sizes
• Submaterial piece marking
• Shape file specifications
• Adding channel sections to the model
• Modifying channels
• Steel grades

Also see :

• Rolled Section Material (window for rolled section material & legacy misc members)
• Rolled Section Edit (window for rolled section miscellaneous members)
• Miscellaneous members versus legacy miscellaneous members (topic)

Entering channel section sizes :

• Naming convention: C+nominal_depth+x+nominal_weight/length (pounds/foot U.S.).
• Example: C10x30 .
• Note: When you add a channel to a shape file, you do not have to follow this naming convention. For example, MC sections can also be entered as channels.
• In Modeling and the Drawing Editor : A channel section must exist in the local shape file before you can enter it as a " Section size " on a member and material edit window, or before its weight will be automatically calculated when you add it to the " Description " field in the bill editor.

Submaterial piece marking :

• The default material mark prefix for channel material is c .

Shape file specifications for channels :

d = depth tw = web thickness k = k distance tf = flange thickness bf = flange width g = flange gage

• Other shape file specifications: " Nominal Depth ," " Weight per Unit " (lbs/ft or kg/m), " Structural Properties ", " k distance (design) ," " Flange Bevel ."
• To change shape file specifications: Edit the material in Shapes Properties .
• To add a channel to a shape file: Use Copy Shapes in Utility Functions to copy the material from another shape file. Or you can manually add the material in Shapes Properties .

Adding channel sections to the model :

• To add a channel to a member as a submaterial (pre-selection method): Select the one (1) member that you want to add the material to (so that it is displayed in the " Primary selection color ") > press F3 > filter for " Hot / Cold Rolled " > double-click " Rolled Section " > locate two material work points > enter a channel " Section size " on the Rolled Section Material window > optionally rotate the material into place > locate a material dimension reference point > right-click ( Return ) if done adding material to the member > Change All Options can be applied if the material is being added to a member that is batched together with other members that have the same member piecemark.
• To add a channel as a miscellaneous member: Press F2 > filter for " Miscellaneous steel " > double-click " Rolled Section " > locate two member work points > enter a channel " Section size " on the Rolled Section Edit window > right-click ( Return ) if you are done adding duplicates or variations of the miscellaneous member.
• To add a channel as a legacy miscellaneous member, click here for instructions.
• Locating work points for a channel that is added as material or a legacy miscellaneous member should be done in a view whose work plane is orthogonal to (at right angles to) the material being added. A rolled section miscellaneous member , on the other hand, can be added and properly rotated into place even in an isometric view.
• Settings for channels added as legacy miscellaneous members or submaterial may be entered on the Rolled Section Material window. Settings for channel miscellaneous members may be entered on the Rolled Section Edit window. Additional settings can be found in the local shape file (see above ).
• Channel sections can also be added to the model as the main material of a member by entering the appropriate section size (example: C10x30 ) to the field " Section size " on a member edit window. Connection design can automatically create connections for channel beams and channel vertical braces .
• Connection design can automatically add channel material for web connections in field-welded column splice connections . Connection design selects the appropriate channel from the Table for Column Splice Section Size Selection .

Modifying channels :

• Methods for editing channel material depend on how the material was added. The following examples of edit methods assume that you are in Modeling with members displayed in a solids form and that you are using the ' Default ' selection filter:
  
  
  • For submaterial, you can double-click the material to open the Rolled Section Material window.
  • For miscellaneous members , double-clicking the material opens a member edit window named Rolled Section Edit , which can be used to change the miscellaneous member's member properties as well as its material properties.
  • For legacy miscellaneous members, double-clicking the member's main material (the channel) opens the [Legacy] Miscellaneous Member Edit window, which does not provide material settings. To find material settings -- that is, to open the Rolled Section Material window -- you can hover the channel in the model > right-click ( Menu ) > choose " Edit Other " on the context menu.
• Channel sections can also be modified using Exact Fit , Mitre , Cope , Fuse Material , Cut on Plane , Cut Layout and Frame .
• You can change the spatial orientation of a material within the global coordinate system using Move/Stretch Members or Move/Stretch Members, Include Material or Move Material or Rotate Material or by changing the material's " Reference location X ," " Reference location Y " or " Reference elevation " on the General Information window.

Steel grades :

• Steel grades that are available for channel material are set up using Home > Project Settings > Job > Channel Grades .
• Home > Project Settings > Job > Design Settings > " Connection material specs for channels " sets the steel grade for system connection channels (for instance, welded column splices with channel web connections ).