1. Home
  2. Tekla Structural Designer
  3. Create models
  4. Create the model
  5. Create and manage construction levels

Create and manage construction levels

Tekla Structural Designer
Modified: 6 Dec 2024
2025
Tekla Structural Designer

Create and manage construction levels

In the Construction Levels dialog box, you can define and modify the levels that you need to construct your model. The levels can be floors, roofs, or intermediate levels required to define specific items. A new construction level can also be created directly in a 3D view at the elevation of a specific construction point.

Open the Construction Levels dialog

Do one of the following:
  • On the Model tab, click Construction Levels.
  • In the Structure tree, double-click Levels.

Insert a single construction level

  1. In the Construction Levels dialog box, select an existing level.
  2. According to your needs, click either Insert Above or Insert Below.
  3. If necessary, change the level type:
    • If you are creating a steel structure, set each new level as T.O.S. (top of steel).
    • If you are creating either a concrete or mixed material structure, set each new level as S.S.L. (structural slab level).
  4. If necessary, change the level name.
  5. For the new level, do one of the following:

    • Specify the height above the base in the Level field.

      The inter-story spacing is calculated automatically.

    • Specify the inter-story spacing in the Spacing field.

      The level is calculated automatically.

    Note: A default height is calculated for the new level based on the spacings of any existing levels immediately above or below it. Either accept the height, or adjust it as required.
  6. If you want Tekla Structural Designer to treat the level as a floor, select the Floor option.

Insert multiple construction levels

Multiple levels can be inserted, either above the current top level, or below the current bottom level.

  1. In the Construction Levels dialog box, select an existing level.
  2. According to your needs, click New on Top or New at the Bottom
  3. For each construction level, type the level spacing and click OK.
    Tip: If you have new levels at 12' 6" , 18' 6" , 27' 6" , 36' 6" and 27" above the current level, you can specify the levels as 12' 6" , 18' 6" , 3*9'.
  4. If necessary, change the level names.
  5. If necessary, change the level type:
    • If you are creating a steel structure, set each new level as T.O.S. (top of steel).
    • If you are creating either a concrete or mixed material structure, set each new level as S.S.L. (structural slab level).

Make a level an identical copy of another level

If needed, you can determine a level as an identical copy of another level. In this case, all changes made to either the source level or the identical level are automatically applied to both levels. To make a level an identical copy of another level, see the following instructions.

  1. Open the Construction Levels dialog box.
  2. At the level you want to be a copy, click the arrow in the Source column.
  3. Select the level that you want the current level to be identical to.
  4. Click OK.

Make a level an independent copy of another level

If you determine a level as an independent copy of another level, any changes made to each level only apply to that level. To make a level an independent copy of another level, see the following instructions.

  1. Open the Construction Levels dialog box.
  2. At the level you want to be a copy, click the arrow in the Source column.
  3. Select the level that you want the current level to be identical to.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Reopen the Construction Levels dialog box.
  6. At the same level, click the arrow in the Source column again.
  7. Set the level as -unique-.
  8. Click OK.

Modify the properties of a construction level

You can modify some properties of construction levels in the Construction Levels dialog box dialogs, but other parameters can only be edited in the Properties window. For more information, see the following instructions.

  1. In the Structure tree, click the + sign next to Levels.
  2. Click the name of the construction level that you want to modify.

    The properties of the level are viewed in the Properties window.

  3. In the Properties window, modify the level properties according to your needs.

Delete construction levels

To delete construction levels, see the following instructions.

Warning: Deleting a construction level completely deletes the entire level and all its associated details, such as beams, members, or slab. You cannot recover the level once you have deleted it.
  1. In the Construction Levels dialog box, select the level that you want to remove.
  2. Click Delete.
  3. Click OK.
    Note: You can also delete construction levels using the Structure tree. Note that :

    1. Click the + sign next to Levels.

    2. Right-click the level that you want to remove.

    3. In the context menu, select Delete.

Create a construction level at a construction point

A construction point can be selected and a level created at its elevation. This is particularly useful for example for creating a level at the apex of a portal frame or at a point along an inclined plane.
  1. Before proceeding, ensure that Points are active in scene content.
  2. Hover the cursor over a construction point at the elevation at which you want to create a new construction level.

    If multiple entities are displayed in the tooltip, cycle through them to highlight the construction point (as shown above). When highlighted, the following information is displayed in the tooltip.

    • The associated plane.

    • The global coordinates of the point (to the precision set in Home > Model Settings > Units).

  3. Keeping the construction point highlighted, right click and then select Create level from the context menu. (Note that this option is only displayed if no level exists).
    A new construction level is inserted at the same elevation as the construction point.

Construction level properties

Select a level and then use the Properties window to view and modify its properties.

General
Level

The height of the construction level above the base level

Floor

By setting a construction level to be a Floor you are indicating that it is a major level in the building. Floor levels are used to determine items such as your inter story height and positions from which column splices are laid out. If a level is not set to be a floor then no live load reductions will be accounted for in the beams at that level, or in the columns supporting that level.

There can certainly be a number of levels that are clearly floor levels, but there could be many others that are not. For example you create intermediate levels in order to define:

  • half landing levels and stairs,
  • K Bracing - you require a construction level for the intermediate bracing connection points,
  • steps in the building floor levels.

Where you define a level which is clearly not a floor, then you should not check the floor box.

Reporting Level
By default 'Floor levels' are 'reporting levels', but this can be switched off:
  • This can be useful where for some modeling reason many closely spaced floor levels have been defined.

This option can be unselected in order to combine results with those from the level above when viewing Embodied Carbon totals that are grouped by level.

Also, if this option is unselected, the sway/drift, seismic drift and wind drift check results for all column stacks and wall panels at the specific level are excluded from the tabular review data.

In addition, the height of structure considered in the Overall Wind Drift check is determined according to how this option has been set - the height used being the distance between highest level and the lowest level in the model that have Check for drift selected.

Note: This option is only displayed if the Floor option described above is selected.
Type

The level type can be:

  • T.O.S = Top of Steel
  • S.S.L = Structural Slab Level
  • T.O.F = Top of Foundation
Note: Slabs are modeled above the level when it is set to T.O.S but below the level when it is set to S.S.L or T.O.F
Short Name Each construction level should be given a unique reference. Typically this might be a storey number, 1, 2 , 3 etc.
Long Name Each construction level can also be given a name to further assist identification. 'First Floor', or 'Mezzanine' etc.
Name Automatically generated from the short and long name. By default this will be used as the name in the Structure tree
Mesh slabs in 3D analysis
  • On = 2-way slabs (and 1-way slabs with the Analyze slab slab item property selected) are meshed in the 3D building analysis and grillage chasedown analysis in addition to the FE chasedown analysis.
  • Off = 2-way slabs (and 1-way slabs with the Analyze slab slab item property selected) are only meshed in the FE chasedown analysis.
Note: The Sub Model in which the Level is contained determines the mesh parameters that are applied.
Include in Export Determine whether Level should be included in CXL or IFC export.
  • Floor Only - include only if defined as a Floor.
  • Yes - always include.
  • No - never include.
Note: The lowest Level will always be exported.
Show grids in plane view

Controls whether the Grid & Construction Lines checkbox in Scene Content has any effect in plane views:

  • On = The Scene Content Grid & Construction Lines checkbox switches grid & construction lines on and off
  • Off = Grid & construction lines are always off, irrespective of the Scene Content Grid & Construction Lines checkbox setting
Show grids in 3D view

Controls whether the Grid & Construction Lines checkbox in Scene Content has any effect in 3D views:

  • On = The Scene Content Grid & Construction Lines checkbox switches grid & construction lines on and off for the specified level
  • Off = Grid & construction lines are always off for the specified level, irrespective of the Scene Content Grid & Construction Lines checkbox setting
Note: This setting does not control the display of Architectural Grids which have a separate checkbox in Scene Content.
Shadow visible

This property is only displayed after you have imported a dxf shadow to the level.

It is used to control whether the shadow is displayed or hidden.
Decomposition> Keep solver model

Controls whether you will be able to review the solver model used for load decomposition between each analysis run:

  • On = the solver model is retained, you might choose to use this setting if you need to investigate any validation warnings that relate to load decomposition.
  • Off (default) = the solver model is discarded immediately after analysis has been performed.
Decomposition
Keep solver model

Controls whether you will be able to review the solver model used for load decomposition between each analysis run:

  • On = the solver model is retained, you might choose to use this setting if you need to investigate any validation warnings that relate to load decomposition.
  • Off (default) = the solver model is discarded immediately after analysis has been performed.
Was this helpful?
Previous
Next