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Define portal frame spans

Tekla Structural Designer
Modified: 7 Nov 2025
2025
Tekla Structural Designer

Define portal frame spans

You define, edit, and delete the geometry of individual spans from the Spans page of the Portal Frame dialog box.

Define a standard span

  1. Select a Span no. on the Spans page.
  2. Click Edit... to open the Span dialog.
  3. Select the Standard span type.

    This allows you to define portal frames of the type shown below.

    Standard span dimensions

    Standard span start and end points

  4. Enter the Span.
  5. Pick the way in which you want to define the apex position and then enter the Slope or the Rise.
  6. Pick the method that you want to use to define the left hand eaves level and enter the appropriate Level value.
    Note: You would probably use the (underside of) Haunch option in order to achieve a minimum clear height.
    Note: The right and left hand haunches are at the same level for this type of portal.
  7. Once your details are correct click OK to return to the Portal Frame dialog box.
    Note: If any of your details are invalid they will show as red text. Simply rest the pointer over the text to see the valid range.

Define an asymmetric span

  1. Select a Span no. on the Spans page.
  2. Click Edit... to open the Span dialog.
  3. In the Span dialog, select the Asymmetric span type.

    This allows you to define portal frames of the type shown below.

    Asymmetric span dimensions

    Asymmetric span start and end points

  4. Enter the Span.
  5. Enter Lh Eaves - Apex, the horizontal distance to the apex from the Lh eaves.
  6. Pick the way in which you want to define the apex position and then enter the Slope or the Rise.
  7. Pick the method that you want to use to define the left hand eaves level and enter the appropriate Level value.
    Note: You would probably use the (underside of) Haunch option in order to achieve a minimum clear height.
  8. Enter the right hand eaves Level similarly.
  9. Once your details are correct click OK to return to the Portal Frame dialog box.
    Note: If any of your details are invalid they will show as red text. Simply rest the pointer over the text to see the valid range.

Define a monopitch span

  1. Select a Span no. on the Spans page.
  2. Click Edit... to open the Span dialog.
  3. In the Span dialog, select the Monopitch span type.

    This allows you to define portal frames of the type shown below.

    Monopitch span dimensions

    Monopitch span start and end points

  4. Enter the Span.
  5. Pick the way in which you want to calculate the vertical position of the right hand eaves and then enter the Slope, or Level values. If you pick the Calculate Slope option, then the details you define for the eaves define this data
  6. Pick the method that you want to use to define the left hand eaves level and enter the appropriate Level value.
    Note: You would probably use the (underside of) Haunch option in order to achieve a minimum clear height.
  7. Once your details are correct click OK to return to the Portal Frame dialog box.
    Note: If any of your details are invalid they will show as red text. Simply rest the pointer over the text to see the valid range.

Define a propped span

  1. Select a Span no. on the Spans page.
  2. Click Edit... to open the Span dialog.
  3. In the Span dialog, select the Propped span type.

    This allows you to define portal frames of the type shown below.

    Propped span dimensions

    Propped span start and end points

  4. Enter the Span.
  5. Enter Lh Eaves - Apex, the horizontal distance to the apex from the Lh eaves.
  6. Pick the way in which you want to define the apex position and then enter the Slope or the Rise.
  7. Pick the method that you want to use to define the left hand eaves level and enter the appropriate Level value.
    Note: You would probably use the (underside of) Haunch option in order to achieve a minimum clear height.
  8. Enter the right hand eaves Level similarly.
  9. Once your details are correct click OK to return to the Portal Frame dialog box.
    Note: If any of your details are invalid they will show as red text. Simply rest the pointer over the text to see the valid range.

Define a flat top span

  1. Select a Span no. on the Spans page.
  2. Click Edit... to open the Span dialog.
  3. In the Span dialog, select the Flat Top span type.

    This allows you to define portal frames of the type shown below.

    Flat Top span dimensions

    Flat Top span start and end points

  4. Enter the Span.
  5. Enter Lh Eaves - Lh Apex, the horizontal distance to the Lh apex from the Lh eaves.
  6. Enter Lh Eaves - Rh Apex, the horizontal distance to the Rh apex from the Lh eaves.
  7. Pick the way in which you want to define the left apex position and then enter the Slope or the Rise.
  8. Pick the method that you want to use to define the left hand eaves level and enter the appropriate Level value.
    Note: You would probably use the (underside of) Haunch option in order to achieve a minimum clear height.
  9. Enter the right hand eaves Level similarly.
  10. Once your details are correct click OK to return to the Portal Frame dialog box.
    Note: If any of your details are invalid they will show as red text. Simply rest the pointer over the text to see the valid range.

Define a mansard span

  1. Select a Span no. on the Spans page.
  2. Click Edit... to open the Span dialog.
  3. In the Span dialog, select the Mansard span type.

    This allows you to define portal frames of the type shown below.

    Mansard span dimensions

    Mansard span start and end points

  4. Enter the Span.
  5. Enter the horizontal distances from the left hand eaves to the left hand apex, the apex and the right hand apex.
  6. Pick the way in which you want to define the vertical position of the left hand apex and then enter the Slope or the Rise.
    Note: These details are also used to determine the vertical position of the right hand apex from the right hand eaves.
  7. Similarly define the vertical position of the Apex from the left hand apex.
  8. Pick the method that you want to use to define the left hand eaves level and enter the appropriate Level value.
  9. Enter the right hand eaves Level similarly.
  10. Once your details are correct click OK to return to the Portal Frame dialog box.
    Note: If any of your details are invalid they will show as red text. Simply rest the pointer over the text to see the valid range.

Add or insert a span to a frame

  1. Go to the Spans page of the Portal Frame dialog box.
  2. Click Add to place a frame at end of the current list of frames, or click Insert to place a frame above the currently selected frame.
  3. In the Span dialog, define its details directly in any way you like.

Copy span details

  1. Go to the Spans page of the Portal Frame dialog box.
  2. Ensure the span you want to copy is completely defined.
  3. Select the span you want to copy and click Copy.... You will see the Copy Span dialog.
  4. Select the span(s) to which you want to copy the selected spans details and click OK.

Mirror span details

  1. Go to the Spans page of the Portal Frame dialog box.
  2. Ensure the span you want to mirror is completely defined.
  3. Select the span you want to mirror and click Mirror.... You will see the Mirror Span dialog.
  4. Select the span(s) to which you want to mirror the selected spans details and click OK.

Delete a span

  1. Go to the Spans page of the Portal Frame dialog box.
  2. Select the span you want to delete and click Delete.
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