The Earthquake Engineering Online Archive

CSTRUCT: an interactive computer environment for the design and analysis of earthquake resistant steel structures

Austin, Mark A.; Mahin, Stephen A.; Pister, Karl S.

UCB/EERC-87/13, Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, 1987-09-01, 100 pages (620.1/A87/1987)

The ongoing development of a new computer-aided design package called CSTRUCT is described. The package is implemented for 32-bit engineering workstations with bit-mapped high-resolution graphics capable of operating under Ultrix and the X-Window System. Software development issues such as the user interface, management of data, and the choice of a computer language are covered. As the problem description evolves, the frame and optimization attributes are identified and employed by the user in the ensuing design process. The use of the command language and the graphical tools to identify attributes of the optimization problem, critical frame actions, and frame displacements under different loadings and to determine the overall adequacy of a design is demonstrated. Software implementation is summarized and suggested directions for continued software development are listed.

Available online: http://nisee.berkeley.edu/documents/EERC/EERC-87-13.pdf (3 MB)