Getting Started: Integrated Steel Sections Design

The initial starting point for the Integrated Steel Sections Design module is to create the required structural model, along with the required support conditions, restraints, loadings and loading cases and to complete the structural analysis. For guidance on creating a structural model in MasterFrame, please refer to the MasterFrame manual.

Once the model has been analysed, the steel design module can be accessed from the main MasterFrame menu by selecting Design>Steel Member Design.

On selecting the Steel Member Design option, the MasterKey Steel Sections module will open. The typical screen layout is shown below.

The main menu toolbar menu is the same as that used in Masterframe. The top menu, however, changes, to present menu items specific to the design of steel members. The main screen is split into three areas, with the upper left pane showing the design calculations of a selected member. The upper right hand pane is the main graphics display, showing the model. This behaves the same as the main MasterFrame window.

The bottom panel contains information and options relevant to the design of selected members and will display various options depending on the type of design brief selected.

If a Masterframe model has been created and no steel member design groups have been specified, on first entering the steel design module, no design briefs will have been created. The software will indicate Design Brief 0 of 0 in the bottom panel and no design information will be shown in the upper left-hand pane.