How to model concrete slabs in Etabs

[Stockton2008]

Hello everyone. I have been using Staad-Pro for years and now try to get familiar with Etabs and Sap2000 again. In Staadpro, I am used to add the floor area load onto each floor without defining any plate or shell member, and then the software will spread the area load onto the perimeter and non-perimeter beams automatically according to the code. In the old version of Staad-pro, the plate memeber is only supported at four corners rather than along four edges so one has to divide the member into meshes otherwise the modeling of slab is invalid.

It seems in Etabs I have to define one or multiple concrete slab members for each floor and the software will do the mesh works when running the analysis. What is the methodology to model the concrete slabs?

 

[InnovatorX]

You would need to define a slab > Section properties > Slab Sections. Then draw a slab area at the floor and then apply loads. Now you have two options, you can let ETABS automatically mesh ( or you do meshing) and as such you need to have the proper load path (like columns and walls). Or sometimes we just draw the slab, assign slab property, select it and go to Assign> Shell> Floor auto mesh option and select "For defining rigid diaphragm...." and then also assign rigid diaphragm. In this method you wouldn't need a proper load path (like columns) as the load only is taken to calculate mass, mode shapes, etc. This comes very handy in the start of project that you wnat to come up with a lateral system without having all the column locations coordinated with the Arch.