Level Properties

Tekla Structural Designer
2021
Tekla Structural Designer

Level Properties

Use the Level properties to view or modify the basic properties of a level.

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 2-way Slabs in 3D Analysis
  • On = 2-way slabs are meshed in the 3D building analysis and grillage chasedown analysis in addition to the FE chasedown analysis.
  • Off = 2-way slabs 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.
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.
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