Validation
What is Validation?
Validation is an integral part of Tekla Structural Designer as it ensures a valid model is presented for the analysis and design routines.
In Tekla Structural Designer validation is broken into three separate validation categories:
- Model
- Analysis
- Design
Model validation includes any model integrity checks, that entities are connected and supported correctly, and that loads are applied correctly.
Analysis validation ensures the analysis model (known as the solver model) is valid to run through the solver.
Design validation ensures that a valid design can be performed and checked.
Each category is broken down into further sub categories and reported under in the Project Workspace, Status window under Validation. Where multiple issues of the same type exist they are grouped together i.e. multiple slab items in the screenshot below have the same issue "Panel is not surrounded by load carry members".
There is a dependency that before any analysis and/or design can be performed Model validation must be completed. Before an Analysis, both Model and Analysis validation must be completed and finally before a Design - Model, Analysis and Design validation must all be completed.
All of this is automatically undertaken when you click an Analysis or Design command. Model validation can however, be manually undertaken at any time and we actively encourage you to do this as you build up the model in order to correct issues as they arise.
Validation will generate two types of messages:
- Error - a red cross
- Warning - an orange triangle
If a warning is generated, then this is reported to you, however, you are able to proceed without directly addressing the issue. You should however, understand the meaning of the message and the potential implication.
How do I perform a manual Model validation?
A manual model validation can be performed by either:
- Pressing the Validate command at the end of the Model ribbon tab.
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- Pressing the Validate command at the end of the Load ribbon tab.
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- Pressing the Validate icon on the Quick Access toolbar.
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Performing an Analysis or Design command
Can I suppress validation issues?
Only validation warnings can be suppressed, so that next time a validation is performed they are not displayed to you.
If you have multiple issues reported under the same sub category, for example "Member may not be supported as intended", it is possible to suppress this warning but it will effect every instance of the warning. It is not possible to suppress individual items listed under the same sub category.
The Model, Analysis and Design validation warnings that can be suppressed, are displayed on the Home ribbon tab > Model Settings, Validation page.
You can either Uncheck the item on this page, or from the Project Workspace, Status window locate the warning sub category you wish to suppress. Right click the item to bring up the context menu and select Disable this warning. This un-checks the item in the list above.
If you wish to display the validation warning in the future you will need to access Settings, either via the right click context menu Edit Settings... option or via Home ribbon tab>Model Settings, Validation page and check the item.
How do I better understand Validation Errors or Warnings and locate them in the model?
Before we look at specific validation errors and warnings that can be displayed in Tekla Structural Designer and how to resolve them, it is important for us to know how to understand the issue more fully and locate the problem item(s) in the model.
Every validation error or warning is listed in the Project Workspace, Status window under the Validation branch.
The validation branch acts as an expandable list. You can click the + icon to the left to expand the list or - to retract the list. Expanding the branch displays the respective validation categories (Model, Analysis, Design). Expanding this further, displays sub-categories (General, Load etc.) that contain the validation error or warning issue. Individual elements that exhibit the same issue are grouped together.
- Validation Tooltips - firstly, you can move your cursor over a specific validation error/ warning to see more information about the issue displayed in the cursor tooltip. This information contains a more detailed explanation of the issue together with advice about what action can be taken to address it.
- Locating - you can double click the validation error/warning or double click an individual item to highlight the problem items in the active Scene view.
It should be noted that the item needs to be visible in the active view to be highlighted. You may need to switch to the 3D Structure view and/or use Scene Content to ensure the item is checked to be displayed.
List of Validation issues
A list of validation issues follow. These are broken down into Model, Analysis and Design categories and are listed under expandable titles.
Please let your local support department know if a validation error or warning you require assistance with is missing from the list. We can then create a new article to answer the query and add it to the list. In this way, over time, the list will extend to cover the full range of validation issues that are encountered.
Model
General
Alignment offset (Warning)
Beam centre-line is outside slab plane / boundary (Warning)
Discontinuous member supported by unmeshed slab (Warning)
Discontinuous wall supported by unmeshed slab (Warning)
Effective width is greater than automatically calculated value (Warning)
Grid is not quite aligned with building directions (Warning)
Invalid natural frequency effective width (Error)
Invalid effective width (Error)
Invalid member group (Warning)
Member collision (Error)
Member intersection (Error)
Member intersection (Warning)
Member may not be supported as intended (Warning)
Model coordinates too large (Error)
Opening in slab above member (Warning)
Panel is not surrounded by load carrying members (Error)
Raised support provides lateral restraint (Warning)
Rigid diaphragms on sloping slabs (Error)
Slab/roof overlap (Error)
Support clashing with member length (Warning)
Supports exist within area of Mat Foundation (Warning)
Validation is outdated (Warning)
Warning - continuously restrained by precast concrete deck (Warning)
Load
Area load not defined within a panel area (Warning)
Decomposition to multiple diaphragms (Warning)
Temperature load defined on rigid diaphragm (Warning)
Temperature load defined to non-meshed slab (Warning)
Slab/Mats
Foundation mat with ground bearing springs not meshed (Warning)
Wall
Openings in walls with internal piers (Warning)
Concrete Cores
Rigid Sections (Warning)
Analysis
General
Analysis element too short (Error)
Material Poisson’s ratio is invalid for 2D elements (0 < v < 0.5) (Error)
No elements in the Solver model (Error)
Non-linear elements changed to linear (Warning)
No supports defined in the model (Error)
Section area is invalid (Error)
Section major axis moment of inertia is invalid (Error)
Section minor axis moment of inertia is invalid (Error)
Section torsional moment of inertia is invalid (Error)
Settlement loads applied in unfixed direction (Error)
Too few nodes in a rigid diaphragm (Error)
FE Chase-down
Pattern load status not defined (Warning)