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Create supports

Tekla Structural Designer
2021
Tekla Structural Designer

Create supports

Supports allow you to constrain points in your structure vertically and rotationally. You can use supports to model connections to existing structures, so that you do not need to incorporate them in your current model. In addition, you can change the fixity provided at an existing support by modifying the support properties.

Create a single support

Restriction:

You can only place supports at existing grid points.

  1. On the Model tab, click Support.

    The support will adopt the properties currently displayed in the Properties window.

  2. If necessary, in the Properties window, adjust the support properties.
  3. Click the grid point where you want to create the support.

Create a rotated support using 3 grid points

You can create a rotated support as follows:

  1. On the Model tab, click Support.
  2. Go to the Properties window.
  3. Ensure that the 3 Grid Points option is selected.
  4. Click the grid point where you want to create the support.
  5. To define the support direction along the x axis, click a second point.
  6. Lastly, define the plane containing the x and y axes by clicking a third point.

The support is created with its x axis in the direction specified by the second point, and its y axis at 90 degrees to the x axis in the plane defined by the first, second and third points.

Create spring supports

You can create linear and non linear spring supports in a similar fashion.

  1. On the Model tab, click Support.
  2. Go to the Properties window.
  3. Ensure that in the direction where you want the spring to act, the degree of freedom is set to Free.
  4. In the appropriate stiffness properties, do one of the following:

    • Select the Spring Linear option, and define a single stiffness value that acts in both the positive and negative directions.

    • Select the Spring Non-linear option, and define two stiffness values, one to act in the positive direction and another to act in the negative direction.

  5. Click the grid point where you want to create the support.

Create nominally pinned or nominally fixed supports

A support placed under a column is a special case which can be specified as nominally pinned, or nominally fixed if required.
Note: A validation error is produced if a nominally pinned or nominally fixed support is placed at any other location.
  1. On the Model tab, click Support.
  2. Go to the Properties window.
  3. Ensure that the Mx and/ or My directions about which you require partial fixity are set to Free.
  4. In the appropriate rotational stiffness properties, do one of the following:

    • Select the Nominally pinned option, and define the required stiffness value as a percentage of the column stiffness 4EI/L.

    • Select the Nominally fixed option, and leave the stiffness value as 100% of the column stiffness 4EI/L.

  5. Click the grid point where you want to create the support.
For more information, see: Partial fixity of column bases

Modify support properties

You can modify support properties in both 2D and 3D views.

  1. Hover the mouse pointer over the desired support, so that it becomes highlighted.
  2. Click the support.
    Tip: You can add further supports to the current selection by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking the additional supports.
  3. Go to the Properties window.
  4. Modify the support properties according to your needs.

    Tekla Structural Designer automatically applies any changes to the selected supports.

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