Create roof and wall panels

Roof panels and wall panels are loading objects that allow you to apply panel loads, simple wind loads and loads calculated by the Wind Wizard to your structure.

Wall panels do not introduce any structural strength or stiffness to your structure. If you wish to introduce walls that resist gravity, or lateral loads, you must define them as concrete walls.

Roof panels can optionally introduce stiffness to your structure if you include them in diaphragms.

To create and modify roof and wall panels, see the following instructions.

Create roof panels

On the Model tab, click Roof Panel.
If you require the panel to act as a diaphragm, select Include in diaphragm in the Properties window, and then define the properties.
If you are going to use the panel to apply loads calculated by the Wind Wizard select the Roof type.
Click the start point of the panel.
Click the remaining points of the panel.
To define the end point of the panel, do one of the following:
- Double-click the end point.
- Click the end point, and click the start point again.
Tekla Structural Designer creates a roof panel between the selected points.

Roof panel properties

Select one or more roof panels and then use the Properties window to view and modify their properties.


Property	Description
General
Plane	Describes the level at which the panel was placed.
Rotation angle	This value determines the following where appropriate: Span direction for 1-way load decomposition Orientation of semi-rigid 2D elements in the Solver Model See: Rotation angle for slab items and panels and Modify slab/panel span direction
Include in diaphragm	The options are: Checked The roof panel is meshed to form a diaphragm of semi-rigid 2D elements. Unchecked (Default) No diaphragm is defined on the roof panel.
Thickness	Roof panel thickness Note: Only displayed if "Include in diaphragm" is checked
Youngs Modulus	Youngs Modulus Note: Only displayed if "Include in diaphragm" is checked
Shear Modulus	Shear Modulus Note: Only displayed if "Include in diaphragm" is checked
Temperature coefficient	Temperature coefficient. Note: Only displayed if "Include in diaphragm" is checked
Divide Stiffness by	Used to adjust the roof panel stiffness. Note: Only displayed if "Include in diaphragm" is checked
RoofType	The options are: Default (Default) Flat Monopitch Duopitch Hip Gable Hip Main Mansard Note: The default option assigns the roof panel as flat (if the slope < 5 deg) or Monopitch (if the slope is > 5 deg). You can more accurately specify the roof panel by choosing the appropriate option from the list. Note: If the RoofType is changed after the wind model has already been established, you will need run Update Zones to reinstate the zoning.
[+] UDA	Customizable list of the attributes that can be applied to individual members and panels. See: Work with user-defined attributes

Create rectangular wall panels

On the Model tab, click Wall Panel.
In the Properties window, ensure the Rectangular property is selected.
Click the start point to define a corner of the panel.
Click a point to define the opposite corner.
Tekla Structural Designer creates a wall panel between the selected two points.

Create non-rectangular wall panels

On the Model tab, click Wall Panel.
In the Properties window, ensure the Rectangular property is unselected.
Click the start point of the panel.
Click the remaining points of the panel.
To define the end point of the panel, do one of the following:
- Double-click the end point.
- Click the end point, and click the start point again.
Tekla Structural Designer creates a wall panel between the selected points.

Create wall panels with parapets

Note: To ensure the wind analysis accounts for the parapet correctly, a wall panel with a parapet should be modeled in two parts:

Create an ordinary wall panel up to the roof level
Create a second wall panel above the roof level and marking the panel as a parapet

Open a frame view in which you want to create the wall.
Create the wall panel below the roof level normally.
Create the wall panel above the roof level normally.

Note: You may need to create a new construction level to define the top level of the parapet.
Press the Esc key.
Hover the mouse pointer over the second wall panel, so that it becomes highlighted.
Click the second wall panel.
In the Properties window, select the Is a parapet wall option.

Wall panel properties

Select one or more wall panels and then use the Properties window to view and modify their properties.


Property	Description
General
Plane	Describes the plane in which the panel was placed.
Rotation angle	Describes the panel span direction as an angle, 0° is horizontal and 90° is vertical. See: Rotation angle for slab items and panels and Modify slab/panel span direction
Is a parapet wall	Check to indicate the panel is to be treated as a parapet in the wind analysis. See: Parapet wall panel load decomposition
Ignore local moments from lateral loading	This option is only available when the “Is a parapet wall” setting is selected. When checked, only a lateral point load is applied to the top of a supporting column. See: Parapet wall panel load decomposition
Gap	Where the funneling gap to the adjacent building is not consistent due to the shapes of the buildings it is up to you to decide whether to specify the average or worst-case gap. The default gap is 1000 m which effectively give no funneling. A zero gap value explicitly means ignore funneling, for example where this building and the adjacent one are sheltered by upwind buildings.
Solidity	If you indicate that the wall panel is a parapet, then you also need to indicate the Solidity of the parapet. (Walls that are not parapets automatically adopt a solidarity of 1.0).
Status	Indicates whether the panel is valid or not.
Decompose to	Loads can be set to be decomposed to: Members Nodes (Default) Rigid Diaphragms Note: The decompose to nodes option only applies to those loads generated by the wind wizard. It does not apply to those loads applied directly to panels.
[+] UDA	A customizable list of the attributes that can be applied to individual members and panels.