1. GTSTRUDL Version 30 and Future Releases
Dr. Kenneth M.(Mac) Will
GTSUG 2009
June 2009
Atlanta, GA

2. Presentation Outline Status of Version 30 New Features in Version 30
Demonstration of selected new features in Version 30
Future releases and enhancements

3. Status of Version 30 QA is complete. Documentation is complete.
CD’s have been sent to the duplicating service. We expect to begin shipment in two weeks.
CD is being distributed to GTSUG attendees now.

4. New Dynamics Features
Space frame members may now have member releases including elastic connections when performing a dynamic analysis with an INITIAL STRESS loading.
You may now create a new time history file by extracting a segment from an existing time history file and factoring an initial portion of that segment with a ramp function. The revised CREATE TIME HISTORY command is shown on the next slide.

5. New Dynamics Features (cont)

6. New Dynamics Features (cont)
The efficiency of the CQC and DSM response spectrum modal combinations methods has been dramatically improved when used in conjunction with the EXTERNAL FILE SOLVER. An example of the improvement is shown on the next slide.

7. New Dynamics Features (cont)
Example of CQC efficiency improvement:
# joints =
# plate elements =
# frame members =
# degrees of freedom =13,662
Time to compute CQC results:
Previous version = 7,930 sec
Version = sec

8. New Dynamics Features (cont)
External file solvers can now be used in conjunction with Harmonic Analysis. A Harmonic Analysis can now be performed on larger models at improved speeds.

9. New Dynamics Features (cont)
Response Spectrum Analysis has been extended to provide support for modal combinations in accordance with NRC Guide 1.92, Revision 2. The Response Spectrum Load and Mode Factors commands have been extended to allow the computation of the Gupta method rigid and periodic modal response factors. Other commands have been extended to provide for the computation and listing of ALGebraic modal combinations.

10. New General Features
A new feature, CALCULATE PRESSURE, has been added to report a calculated pressure for each joint incident to the specified finite elements, based on spring forces at the joint and the tributary area of the joint. This command approximates the pressure felt by a continuous supporting material, such as soil under a foundation or concrete bearing surface supporting a base plate.
The new CALCULATE PRESSURE command is shown on the next slide.

11. New General Features (cont)

12. New General Features (cont)
The SAVE command error processing has been improved. If a SAVE file is unable to be created or opened in write mode due to permission status, GTSTRUDL will now issue a warning, ignore the SAVE, and continue processing any remaining commands.

13. New General Features (cont)
Command archiving has been added. All commands interactively typed, created by dialogs or menu picks, or read from a CINPUT file are now recorded in the GTSTRUDL database. This will allow you to re-create a command sequence from a SAVE (.gts) file. Several new ARCHIVE commands are shown on the next slide.

14. New General Features (cont)
New ARCHIVE commands:
PRINT (ARCHIVED) COMMANDS (‘filename’)
ARCHIVE (COMMANDS) OFF
ARCHIVE (COMMANDS) ON
DELETE COMMAND (ARCHIVE)

15. New General Features (cont)
A new special-purpose independent loading command, FORM NOTIONAL LOAD, has been implemented. The FORM NOTIONAL LOAD provides for the automatic creation of an independent static notional load condition in accordance with the Direct Analysis Method of the 2005 AISC 13th Edition Specifications for Structural Steel Buildings. The command format is shown on the next slide.

16. New General Features (cont)

17. New General Features (cont)
A new command has been implemented to locate duplicate members and if desired, remove the duplicate members from the model. The new LOCATE DUPLICATE MEMBER command is shown on the next slide.

18. New General Features (cont)

19. New General Features (cont)
The SET ELEMENTS HASHED command has been moved to release status. This command will significantly improve the processing time required to read large input (.gti) files.
The DEAD LOAD and SELF WEIGHT commands will now issue a warning message which identifies members with DENSITY = 0.0 .
A warning message is now issued when MEMBER RELEASES have been specified for a member but no release data have been given.

20. New General Features (cont)
A new command, ACTIVE SOLVER, has been implemented with the following syntax:
The purpose of this command is to facilitate the integration of the new high performance solvers when static and dynamic analyses are executed in the same job.

21. New Features – GTSTRUDL Output Window
Two additional selection modes have been added to the Text Output window. The Edit menu has been changed to reflect these new modes. The selection modes are further described on the next slides. Once a selection has been made, the selection mode can be changed with the Edit menu without losing the selection.

22. New Features – GTSTRUDL Output Window (cont)
Version 29.1
Version 30

23. New Features – GTSTRUDL Output Window (cont)
The Data Mode with Tabbed Columns makes it much easier for copying selected output columns and insertion in spreadsheets. The Blocked Text Mode allows you to select a block of text for insertion in other documents respecting the spaces in the output.

24. New Features – GTSTRUDL Output Window (cont)
An example of selecting in Data Mode with tabbed columns is shown below:

25. New Features – GTSTRUDL Output Window (cont)
A new Form Notional Loads option has been added under the Modeling pulldown Loads option. The new Form Notional Loads dialog is shown on the next slide.

26. New Features – GTSTRUDL Output Window (cont)
New Form Notional Loads dialog:

27. New Features – GTSTRUDL Output Window (cont)
The Response Spectrum Load dialog under the Dynamic option of the Loads option under the Modeling pulldown has been modified to allow the user the specify either Rigid or Periodic Response Scale Factors according to the Gupta Method. The revised dialog is shown on the next slide.

28. New Features – GTSTRUDL Output Window (cont)
New Rigid and Periodic Modal Response Scale Factors

29. New Features – GTSTRUDL Output Window (cont)
The new Algebraic (ALG) Modal Combination method has been added to the Compute Dynamic and List Dynamic dialogs as shown on the next slide.

30. New Features – GTSTRUDL Output Window (cont)

31. New Features – GTSTRUDL Output Window (cont)
The following changes have been added to the Steel Design dialogs:
Steel grades for structural tubes and pipes have been added to the Parameters dialog for the ASD9 code.
Steel grades for pipes have been added to the Parameters dialog for the APIWSD20 and APILRFD1 codes.
Parameters for the AISC13 code have been added to the Parameters dialog.
The Steel Design Wizard has been updated for the AISC13 code.

32. New Features – GTSTRUDL Output Window (cont)
Step 5 of the Steel Design Wizard has been modified to account for the new Section specification option which has been added to the SELECT and Check commands. This option allows the user to specify the maximum forces or moments section locations to be added to the user specified section locations. This new Section option also allows the user to create a single section point which contains the maximum axial, shear in Y and Z directions, and moments in X, Y, and Z directions. The revised Step 5 of the Steel Design Wizard dialog is shown on the next slide.

33. New Features – GTSTRUDL Output Window (cont)

34. New Features – GTSTRUDL Output Window (cont)
The Steel code check datasheet is now available for Trace values of 1, 2 and 3.
The Help Menu has been modified with the Reference Manual Documentation more fully explained so users have a better understanding of the contents of the various volumes of the Reference Manuals. The modified Help pulldown is shown on the next slide.

35. New Features – GTSTRUDL Output Window (cont)

36. New Features – Model Wizard
The Model Wizard now writes a GTSTRUDL input file in the current Working Directory with a name determined by the model type, i.e. “CircularTankWizard.gti”. This results in faster processing times for large models and automatically keeps a copy of the created input file in your Working Directory. The model name is fixed, and will be overwritten with no warning each time that model type is used, so rename the created input file if you want to keep it.

37. New Features – Model Wizard (cont)
The Model Wizard is now version dependent so that installation of new versions of GTSTRUDL will not affect previous installations.
The Circular Plate Wizard now includes a changeable length unit for the thickness.
The Plane Frame and Space Frame Wizards now allow you to specify all prismatic properties such as AX, AY, AZ, IX, IY, IZ ,etc. Previously, the Plane Frame Wizard permitted only AX, IZ, and SZ while the Space Frame Wizard did not allow you to specify any prismatic properties. The new prismatic property options in the Space Frame Wizard are shown on the next slide.

38. New Features – Model Wizard (cont)

39. New Features – Nonlinear
Nonlinear static analysis has been extended to write analysis results to external results in order to be consistent with the storage of linear static analysis results and dynamic analysis results on such files. Now, if a nonlinear static analysis is executed in the same job with linear static analysis and/or dynamic analysis for which results are stored on external files, the post-processing of all analysis results, including the nonlinear static analysis results, will be consistent, allowing the successful post-processing of all analysis results.

40. New Features - Offshore
The computation of chord SCF values for fatigue analysis has been improved. In earlier versions, excessively conservative chord SCF values were computed by requiring that any chord SCF had to be no less than the maximum corresponding brace SCF from all braces connected to the chord. This requirement is not necessary and has been removed. This feature was released in Version 29.2 and is reported here also.

41. New Features – Offshore (cont)
The fatigue analysis type options of the PERFORM FATIGUE ANALYSIS command have been expanded to include a DETERMINISTIC method in addition to the PSD and DISCRETE wave spectrum methods.

42. New Features – Offshore (cont)
The offshore fatigue analysis feature has been enhanced with the addition of the COMPUTE FATIGUE LJF EFFECTS command, which performs an analysis whereby the stiffness characteristics of fatigue brace members at selected joints are modified to reflect the flexibility of typical brace-to-chord welded connections.

43. New Features – Steel Design
A new AISC 13th Edition has been implemented as a prerelease feature. This new code, AISC13, may be used to select or check any of the following shapes:
Design for bi-axial bending, axial, and torsional forces:
I shapes Channels
Single Angles Round HSS (Pipes)
Rectangular and Square HSS (Structural Tubes)
Design for bi-axial bending and axial forces:
Tees Double Angles
Round Bars Square Bars
Rectangular Bars

44. New Features – Steel Design (cont)
The ANSI/AISC N690-06, specification for safety-related steel structures for nuclear facilities has been added as a prerelease feature. This code is based on the AISC steel construction manual, Thirteenth Edition specification with a few modifications. Both LRFD (load and resistance factor design) and the ASD (allowable stress design) method of the AISC Thirteenth Edition are applicable. Applicable cross-sections are I shapes, Channel, Single Angles, Tees, Double Angles, Round HSS (Pipes), Rectangular and Square HSS (Structural Tubes), Solid Round Bars, Solid Rectangular and Square Bars. Additional documentation is available in the Section 1.4 of the AISC13 code.

45. New Features – Steel Design (cont)
New error checking has been added into the steel design Parameter command. User specified parameter values are now checked for correctness. Alphanumeric parameter values are checked against accepted values and if the specified value is incorrect, an error message is given and the scan mode is set. Real parameter values are checked for negative and zero values.

46. New Features – Steel Design (cont)
Efficiency improvements have been implemented into the steel design SELECT and CHECK commands. The time required to perform a code check or design for models with large numbers of members and loadings has been reduced dramatically. An example of the reduction in time is shown on the next slide.

47. New Features – Steel Design (cont)
Model Description: 11,681 joints, 19,086 members, 31 design loading conditions
Time to Select 19,086 members with 3 sections per member:
Version 29.2 and earlier minutes
Version minutes

48. New Features – Steel Design (cont)
The STEELGRD Parameter now accepts ASTM steel grades shown in Table 1, Page 1-7 of the AISC Manual of Steel Construction, Allowable Stress Design Ninth Edition for pipe and structural tube cross-sections. Note that the ASTM steel grades shown in the Table 3, Page 1-92 for pipes and structural tubes are now available in GTSTRUDL.

49. New Features – Steel Design (cont)
A new Section specification option has been added to the SELECT and CHECK commands. The PLUS option allows the user to specify that maximum forces or moments section locations be automatically added to the user specified section locations. The ONLY option allows the user to specify that a single section point which contains the maximum axial, shear in Y and Z directions, and moments in X, Y, and Z directions be used for selection or checking.

50. New Features – Steel Design (cont)
Examples of the new Section specification options are shown below:
SELECT MEMBERS 1 TO 5 PLUS MAXIMUM ALL
The PLUS MAXIMUM ALL option will add sections to the user specified sections where the maximum FX, FY, FZ, MX, MY, and MZ forces and moments are located.
SELECT MEMBERS 1 TO 5 ONLY MAXIMUM ALL
The ONLY MAXIMUM ALL option will use the maximum forces and moments for the member design.

51. New Features – Steel Design (cont)
The EC3 code check for pipe cross-sections will now check Equations 5.5.3, 5.5.4(1), or 5.5.4(3). Previously, the EC3 code check for pipes did not check these equations.

52. New Features – Steel Design (cont)
Weld design will now allow the user to suppress the following CN.58 warning message:
**** STRUDL WARNING CN STEELGRADE HAS NOT BEEN SPECIFIED FOR MEMBER 1 AT JOINT 1
To suppress the above warning message, specify a value of ‘NO’ for the parameter ‘WarnMess’ as shown below:
PARAMETER
WarnMess NO ALL
CHECK WELD JOINT 1

53. New Features – Steel Tables
The following new Tables from the AISC Thirteenth Edition have been added to GTSTRUDL:
W-AISC13 W shapes
M/S/HP13 M, S, and HP
C-AISC13 Channel C and MC shapes
L-ALL-13 Single angles
L-EQ-13 Equal leg single angles
L-UN-13 Unequal leg single angles
WTAISC13 Tee WT, MT, and ST shapes AISC 13th Edition
RecHSS13 Rectangular and square HSS
RdHSS13 Round HSS
2L-ALL13 Double angles
2L-EQ-13 Equal legs double angles
2L-LL-13 Long legs back-to-back double angles
2L-SL-13 Short legs back-to-back double angles
WBEAM-13 W shapes commonly used as beams
WCOL-13 W shapes commonly used as columns

54. New Features – Utility Programs
A new option (ProfileMap.txt) has been added for mapping profile names in a CIS2 file into GTSTRUDL, where users may create a mapping file for profiles not in the AISC standard names file.
See your installation directory\CIS2\Readme.txt for more information.

55. New Features - GTMenu
A new option to the Edit pulldown has been added which will allow you to Refine a Finite Element mesh by
Subdividing the elements uniformly or non-uniformly
Changing the elements to a higher order element ( i.e. a 4 node element automatically changed to an 8 node element)

56. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
New Refine Finite Element Mesh option in Edit pulldown

57. New Refine FE Mesh dialog
Uniform Subdivision with each original element subdivided uniformly in each direction (up to 10 times in each direction)
Non-uniform subdivision OR
Change to a higher order element

58. Mesh before refinement (Original Mesh)
Mesh after refinement
(each element subdivided into a 2x2 grid)

59. Refinement by changing to a Higher Order (8 node) element

60. 3D solid elements before refinement 3D solid elements after refinement
with each original element subdivided
into 8 elements

61. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
The contents of a selected Group or All Groups may now be output to the Inquire Output Window as shown on the next slide. This feature was requested by the Users Group.

62. Output from New Inquire
function
Output from New Inquire

63. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
You may now output and display information regarding Rigid Bodies and Superelements.

64. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
New Rigid Body Display dialog options:
Inquire function to output master and slave joint information
Display function to display rigid body information

65. Rigid Body Display with Legend on Screen Indicating Master and Slave Joints with Lines from Master to Slave Joints

66. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
New SuperElement Display dialog options:
Inquire function to output boundary nodes and internal elements
Display function to display boundary nodes and mark internal elements

67. New Features – GTMenu (cont)

68. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
A separate dialog has been created for setting Attribute colors. The old Colors dialog has been renamed as setting Item Colors as shown below:

69. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
The Item Colors dialog is shown on the next slide. Note that the Color Palette has been expanded to now contain 64 colors.
Also note that buttons now exist which will reset the colors for a black or white background in the Graphics Window.

70. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
New color palette

71. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
The new Attributes Colors dialog has options which now allow you to set the color for the following functions:
Three color option of Redraw Solid
Member Releases annotation
Deselection mark
Deformed Structure
Force/Moment Diagram and Envelopes
The new dialog is shown on the next slide.

72. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
New Attribute Colors dialog

73. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
A new option has been added to the Display Model dialog which will draw each Table section using a different color (up to 64 different colors). These colors are assigned arbitrarily by default. The revised Display Model dialog is shown on the next slide.

74. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
New Color by Section option
New Features – GTMenu (cont)
New Display Model dialog
An example is shown on the next slide

75. Color by Section Example with each section assigned a color.

76. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
A Property Legend appears in a separate dialog box. You may place the legend on the screen. You may also select individual sections and they will be displayed in color with an Individual or Cumulative legend on the screen as shown on the next slide.

77. Cumulative Selection of Profiles to be displayed with legend on screen

78. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
You may also assign a specific color to a profile when you Create the Member Property group. An example of the new Member Property dialog is shown on the next slide.

79. New Color option

80. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
You may also select from the Options pulldown for Redraw Solid an option which will result in Color by Section being always performed when you select Redraw Solid.

81. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
A new option has been added to display steel design parameters. This new option is available under the Display pulldown as shown below:
The new Display Parameters dialog is shown on the next slide and an example is then shown on another slide.

82. Display Parameters using Symbols on Screen
with Legend either on Screen or in List Box
Label Attributes or Parameter Values on Screen

83. Steel Grade Design Parameters Label on the Members Option

84. KY Parameters Displayed with Legend in List Box on Side

85. Parameters on Screen Using Legend

86. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
A new Inquire Query function has been added to Display Model information such as the number of joints, members, elements, etc:

87. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
Pop-up dialog output from Inquire - Query
You can also output this information in message area using Hotkey ctrl+q

88. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
Member releases are now positioned away from the ends of the member.
The legend for support springs now identifies the spring directions.
When an item is deleted, its name is now removed from any group lists.
Character sizes have been adjusted to accommodate higher resolution and wide screen displays.

89. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
The Default Settings options are also now available under the Display pulldown.
A member label can now be placed on very short members.
A horizontal scroll bar has been added to the Loads and Section Properties dialogs which will allow you to scroll horizontal to see all of the load description or section property data.
The graphical labeling of plastic hinge status has been improved.

90. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
The Rotate Menu now reflects the current structure rotation.
When a member with design parameters is split, the split members now have the design parameters of the original member. The input file created by GTMenu will now contain the design parameters for the members newly created by the split. In addition, the Parameters in the input file are now compressed with a range of members ( 1 TO 5) being specified on a single line instead of each member being listed ( ).

91. New Features – GTMenu (cont)
When File->Save Model is selected and the user elects to overwrite an existing save (.gts) file, the existing save file is renamed to "GTMenuBackup.gts" instead of being deleted as it was previously. The current data base is then saved into the specified file name. When the save process is completed, the backup file (GTMenuBackup.gts) is then deleted. This prevents the loss of the data in the original save file if the save process does not complete properly. Note that the new save model process requires enough disk space for two copies of the save file (the newly written save file and GTMenuBackup.gts) until the save process is completed.

92. New Feature - Advanced Multi-processor 32 bit and 64 bit Solvers
New Standalone static analysis solvers now take advantage of multi-cores ( i.e. Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad) processors.
In addition, these new solvers take advantage of the large address space available on Vista 64 bit operating system.

93. New Features – Multi-processor solvers (cont)
After assembling the equations, execute the standalone GT64M solver by clicking on the Windows START button, then clicking on All Programs, and then selecting GTStrudl30 followed by selecting Stand-alone Solvers and then selecting either GT64M 32 or 64 bit Multi-processor Stiffness Analysis as shown on the next slide.

94. New Features – Multi-processor solvers (cont)

95. New Features – Multi-processor solvers (cont)
An example of the performance of various solvers is shown on the next slide for the following example:
12,000 joints with 6 degrees-of-freedom per joint = 69,300 total DOFs,
Half band width = 387 joints
1 loading

96. New Features – Multi-processor solvers (cont)
Various solver statistics:
Standard Stiffness Analysis Solver 690 Seconds
GTSES Seconds
GT64M with 1 processor Seconds
GT64M with 4 processors Seconds

97. New Features – Multi-processor solvers (cont)
The STIFFNESS ANALYSIS command has also been modified to use the GT64M solver. The modified STIFFNESS ANALYSIS command is shown on the next slide.
When the GT64M option is used on the STIFFNESS ANALYSIS command, only one processor is used but the solver takes full advantage of the 64 bit virtual address space if executed on a 64 bit operating system. The OOC (out-of-core) option which is also available using the split solver is particularly useful when running on a 32 bit operating system where the virtual address space is limited.

98. New Features – Multi-processor solvers (cont)
Modified STIFFNESS ANALYSIS command:

99. New Base Plate Wizard
A new Base Plate Wizard is now available under the Modeling pulldown:

100. New Base Plate Wizard (cont)
A base plate model consists of the plate, attachments, anchors, bearing surface and stiffeners. The model may be adjusted with constraints and cutouts.
Up to 10 attachments per plate
AISC Wide Flanges, Tubes, Channels, Tees, Angles, and Pipes are included
User defined shapes can be used
Attachments may be rotated in-plane
Attachments may be modeled as in-plane RIGID SOLID or as FE extension
Anchors may be modeled as elastic or NL springs, or as frame members.
Bearing surface stiffness may be specified as Fc’, E, or F/L**3
Stiffeners may be rectangular, trapezoidal or triangular
Constraints allow extra boundary conditions or specified node locations
Cutouts allow modeling of notches and skewed plates
Base plate models made be saved and recovered using .gtbp format
Results (anchor forces, bearing surface pressure, plate stresses and displacements) may be viewed in the BPW

102. New Base Plate Wizard (cont)

103. Interfaces to Other Programs
AutoCAD – interfaces via DXF converter
Intergraph’s Frameworks
Intergraph’s SmartPlant 3D – CIS/2
Structural Desktop by Structural Desktop, Inc
Tekla Structures
Other CAD programs which support DXF or CIS/2

104. New Features – Version 30.1
Steel Design by AISC13 will be brought to release status including nuclear code N
Nonlinear analysis solutions will be available using the GTSES solver.
Add ACI design for beams and columns with specified dimensions.
(GIVEN B and H).

105. Version 31

106. Version 31 – Base Plate
Add ANCHOR commands to BASE Plate module – modeling and capacity check.

107. Version 31- DBX
Add WRITE CODE CHECK RESULTS.

108. Version 31- Dynamic Analysis
The GTSELANCZOS sparse equation Eigenvalue analysis procedure will be enhanced as a stand-alone program similar to the stand-alone GTSES static analysis equation solver in Version This will enable considerably larger Eigenvalue analysis jobs to be solved even more efficiently than the present implementation of the GTSELanczos Eigenvalue analysis solver.
In conjunction with this enhancement, the entire mode superposition method of analysis will be extended to support the external file strategy for storing and managing dynamic analysis results.
Computation of minimum seismic load according to latest IBC provisions.

109. Version 31 Dynamic Analysis (cont)
GT64M sparse eigenvalue and direct integration solvers

110. Version 31- Finite Elements
A new eight node solid element with incompatible modes will be implemented. This element will offer substantially improved accuracy over the existing eight node solid element for structures with bending and shear deformation. The element will include all of the features currently available with the current eight node solid (IPSL) element.

111. Version 31- Finite Elements (cont)
New eight node six degree of freedom flat plate element with the following capabilities:
Surface, temperature, and body forces
Lumped and Consistent Mass matrix for dynamic analysis
Geometric stiffness for linear buckling analysis
Standard finite element output – LIST, CALCULATE AVERAGE
Integration into GTMenu (geometry, loads, input file, contour results)

112. Version 31- General
Add command to PRINT BETA ANGLES list (in addition to the current PRINT MEMBER CONSTANTS command).
Add sorting and limits to LIST CODE CHECK RESULTS
PRINT JOINT CONNECTIVITY and form a Group of the members and elements incident on joints in a list.
PRINT INCIDENT JOINTSMEMBERS/ELEMENTS command to print the joints incident to a list and create a GROUP.
When second and subsequent JOINT LOADS are applied to a joint in a loading condition, the WARNING will change to INFO.

113. Version 31- General (cont)
LOCATE FLOATING JOINTS ( (AND) -REMOVE )
Only joints that are not attached to any member, finite element, nonlinear spring or rigid body will be considered as possible “floating” joints. If a joint is used as a BETA REFERENCE JOINT it will not be considered “floating”.
LOCATE DUPLICATE ELEMENTS ( (AND) REMOVE (ADD LOADS) ).
Similar to LOCATE DUPLICATE MEMBERS.
LOCATE INTERSECTING MEMBERS list TOL v
Detect members within a tolerance (TOL) of each other to locate “crossing” members that may look correct graphically but should actually have a common joint at their intersection.
Add finite elements to LOCATE INTERFERENCE JOINTS.

114. Version 31- General (cont)
Add the ability to write or change support status as part of the CALCULATE SOIL SPRINGS command. Currently, user must have already specified joints as supports and joint releases.

115. Version 31 - General (cont)
AREA LOAD enhancements
Check for interference joints and intersecting members in plane before attempting to locate bounded areas.
Improve error reporting:
List of 0.0 length members
Start joint for "illegal configuration" to help with debugging.
Add IGNORE NONORTHOGONAL MEMBERS option.
Ignore members not within specified angle of global axis so bracing doesn’t need to be inactivated.
PLOT option - create a Scope Editor file like the dialog display with shaded bounded areas.

116. Version 31 - GTMenu
Add Undo to remove duplicate joints dialog to avoid corrupting model due to using a tolerance which was too large.
Add the ability to automatically split members which are in the model when the finite element mesh is refined.
Display additional steel design parameters based on User input.

117. Version 31 – GTMenu (cont)
Implement automatic mesh algorithm for 2D elements to mesh structure using only structure outline including internal boundaries and point constraints.
Ability to click on a member and have a graphical summary of the results on just that member in a separate Window that can be printed.

118. Version 31 – GTMenu (cont)
A new Property Group can be added when you are creating members.
Finite elements will be labeled closer to their centroid.
Label duplicate joints, members, or elements on screen.
Label floating joints on screen.

119. Version 31 GTSTRUDL Output Window
Track Warning messages like Error messages. Pop-up a dialog with Error and Warning count. List Error or Warning output lines in a dialog, click on an Error or Warning and the output cursor moves to that line in the output listing.
Add Groups to Deletions dialog.

120. Version 31– Nonlinear Analysis
The nonlinear member end connection and plastic hinge models will be supported by nonlinear dynamic analysis.

121. Version 31 – Offshore
Add API 2A-WSD 21st edition code

122. Version 31- Reinforced Concrete
The DESIGN SLAB command will be brought to release status.

123. Version 31 - Steel Design
Add Torsion and Warping design. This would be applicable to AISC ASD9 and AISC13 codes.
Add Eurocode EC design code
Add 2007 ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Subsection NF.
Add new parameter called ‘DesLoads’ which can be used to specify design loads.

124. Version 31 New Features – Steel Design
Steel Design Dialogs
Parameter Dialog – Add new Torsion and Warping parameters to parameter dialog.

125. Version 31 New Features – Steel Design
Displacement Constraint Design Procedure will be available to select members to satisfy joint displacement constraints. The new GTSES external file solver will be added as an option.

126. Version 31 New Features – Steel Design
Displacement Constraint Design Procedure will be available to select members to satisfy joint displacement constraints. The new GTSES external file solver will be added as an option.

127. Future Enhancements
Multiple windows to allow for result display in a separate window than the model display.
Graphically specify joints and elements to be used with LIST SUM FORCES command.
Graphically specify Area Loads in GTMenu.

128. Future Enhancements (cont)
Add a Display Options capability to the Principal Vector display for principal stress vectors similar to the one shown here for contouring.

129. Future Enhancements (cont)
Add the option to Split Members to interpolate eccentricities between the start and end of the split members.

130. Future Enhancements (cont)
Addition of the following items to the input file created by GTMenu:
Dynamic Loadings
Eigen Parameters
Dynamic Modal Damping Data
Nonlinear Effects
Nonlinear Spring Properties
Nonlinear Solution Parameters
Cable Network Data

131. Your assistance is needed to help us improve GTSTRUDL in your Committee meetings :
Please provide us with a prioritized list of the features that you would like to see. Please be specific especially when requesting model wizard, design codes (which codes and which cross sections) or datasheet requests.
Sketches of wizards, output, and graphical displays help us tremendously.