MasterSeries What’s New 2006

Top 10

1. General: LCHS and Jumbo Hollow Sections added to section bases.
2. MasterFrame: Professional Only (the Unlimited version) includes Shell Finite Elements. (Not included in the beta yet!)
3. MasterFrame & Steel Design: Cellular beams added.
4. Steel Design: More compact “List of Checks - Results Summary” with option to print critical portion only.
5. CompositePlus: This New program covers design of beams with concrete below the top flange. (Slimflor & Slimdeck)
6. Concrete Beams: Option for 4 layers of bars instead of 4 groups in 2 layers.
7. Concrete General BS8110-1:1997 (Amd 3:2005) implemented.
8. Concrete Pads: Bi-axial pad with uplift now computed using numerical integration.
9. Joints: New Joint for Hollow Section Splices.
10. Masonry: BS 5628:1&2:2005 implemented.
11. MasterRC Scheduler: Edit bar marks, adding, deleting and amending bars.

General

• LCHS and Jumbo Hollow Sections added to section bases.
• Steel section tables updated to the 6th Edition.
• Ability to store the list of active steel sections to a file for different settings e.g. Current or UK or EU sets etc.
• Save-As files when you “Save and Continue with the New File” are now added to the Recent Files List for each program.
• The Save-As file name now remains constant when changing drive and directory.
• Concrete Steel Grade altered for BS 8666:2005 in the Customisation. Grades 250; 425; 460; now 250R; 425Y; 460T; 500H; where T or H etc are the detailing prefix e.g. T16 or H16. Thus in the UK use “460T; 500H” and RSA use “250R; 425Y”.
• Title Block Manager available to Engineers that have multiple title blocks. Note: Additional title blocks are supplied by MasterSeries/Dealer for a small charge.

MasterFrame

MasterFrame Professional Only (the Unlimited version) includes Shell Finite Elements. (FEA is not included in current release of MasterSeries 2006!) Integrates into MasterFrame. Eight nodded shell elements. Adaptive meshing. Just define the Boundary. Continuous Supports. Peek Smoothing. Holes in Shells. Irregular patch loads. Wood & Armer.
Compound Beams with plates Top & or Bottom. Compound Beams with Channel Top. Compound wind Column with 2 I-sections.

• Number of load groups expanded from D, L, W & N (0-9) to A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, W & N (0-9) increasing from 41 to 141 load groups.
• Load combination editor made easier using a spreadsheet style grid.
• Cellular beams added.

• Simplification of the menu options with new and more logical layout. Option to return to the old “Classic menu” layout.

• Re-organised toolbar. Advanced options such as 3DModel Manager, Wind and MasterCAD can be hidden so as not to intimidate the novice user.

• Simplification of display with certain object groups hidden behind a single button until required.
• Loading now displayed with arrow heads.

• New filtering tools for section sizes. (e.g. Max & Min D,B,T & t)
• New button to mirror all loads on a member.
• DXF import now imports multiple layers.
• DXF import allows you to load MasterFrame directly after import.

3D Model Manager

• Applying default loading now easer with a detailed Grid rather than the old comma or semicolon delimited lists.
• Simplification of the menu options with new and more logical layout. Option to return to the old “Classic menu” layout.
• Multiple values of dead and live load can now be applied to the same area using the A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K & L load groups.

Steel Design

Cellular beams added. More compact “List of Checks - Results Summary” with option to print critical portion only. Columns in simple construction can now offset loads from the X-X and Y-Y axis. Columns in simple construction Loads displayed graphically. New filtering tools for section sizes. (e.g. Max & Min D,B,T & t)

Composite Beams

• New Composite Plus module.
• P.C. Hollow Core Slabs.
• Newer deck profiles added to database.
• Method to define openings at a spacing.
• Cellform beams added.
• New filtering tools for section sizes. (e.g. Max & Min D,B,T & t)

Composite Beams Plus

This New program covers design of beams with concrete below the top flange. “Slimflor” beams. “Slimdeck” beams. Encased beams. ASB Textured flange design.

Concrete

• for steel modified back to 1.15 to reflect BS8110-1:1997 (Amd 3:2005) Table 2.2. Note 2 of table 3.1 also considered.
• Steel Grade altered for BS 8666:2005. See customisation in the General section.
• AutoSave of recovery file implemented.
• New BS 8666:2005 shape codes added.
• DXF export now placed on more separate layers for better editing.
• Option to Suppress the save data file question from before Printing or Exporting.
• Option to Suppress the Match data over column heads question from before Printing.

Concrete Beams

Grid Line bubbles added to the elevation at exporting time. Outline of Intermediate columns drawn in super member beams. At exporting time where we need column starter bars, ghost bars are drawn and referenced to the column. Global Option for 4 layers of bars instead of 4 groups in 2 layers.
If the bar Spacer is set to 0 then no spacer is used. Option to Double the height of the cross-section window. and Down-stand beams with a vertical link in the nib now have distribution steel in the bottom face. Non ULS loading Cases now ignored. Rigid-Link members now ignored.

Concrete Columns

Option to design to tie force requirements. 3.12.3.7 Starter bars detailed for columns that start on a beam. Starter bars detailed for columns that connect with beams at the top level. Hoop or Helix links in Circular columns. Improved auto design giving 4T20+ 4T16 instead of 4T25.

Concrete Pads

• Bi-axial pad with uplift now computed using numerical integration.
• Options to draw the line of zero pressure for ULS and/or SLS.
• Hoop or Helix links in Circular columns.
• Punching Shear now based on maximum not average shear stress.
• Improved display of bar dots on screen & to Printer. They are offset to make them clearer. DXF and MasterRC still place them accurately.
• Bar Leader lines now all start at the side of the pad. Thus preventing them from getting cropped out at printing time.
• Pads with concrete columns larger than the column allowable aspect ratio are now not designed.
• Pads with a concrete column now lock out editing of the column size or plinth height. These are not required as the column should be the correct size initially.

Pile Cap

• Steel Grade altered for BS 8666:2005. See customisation in the General section.

Retaining Walls

• Steel Grade altered for BS 8666:2005. See customisation in the General section
• BS 5628:1&2:2005 implemented.

Masonry Walls

• BS 5628:1&2:2005 implemented.

Connections

New Joint for Hollow Section Splices. Popup menu for steel grade of plates. Popup menu for weld grade. Popup dialogue for all Option/Flag/Switch input. E.g. Countersunk bolts. Asymmetrical Plate Girders & built-up I sections link from MasterFrame. Asymmetrical plate girders edited directly inside connections. Full depth flexible end-plates now checks web and weld for the full depth. Beam to Column cleat. Input for top of cleat offset. Beam Splice can now have a single web plate. Eaves Joints can now hand bolts so nut is on outside. This gives better bolt access and prevents clashing of the haunch and bolt during fitting. Weld runs drawn on members in section,on screen & DXF export. AutoSave of recovery file implemented. Haunched Eaves & Apex joints now extract the end of haunch moment from the frame analysis. Members that have an associated joint design now highlighted in the frame graphics. In Linked Joints You can now add your own Joint title. This will then remain.

MasterCAD 2-D GA’s

Forces split into 3 different layers. The forces filter now has a 4th value that sets the precision. A value of 0, 1 or 2 sets the decimal precision. Values 5,10,25,50,100 set the rounding up precision. All basic settings such as page size, border are stored in registry for retrieval with a new file. Page sizes customisable through file ”c:\msprogwd\DXFpageSizes.dat”. Larger page sizes added such as 2, 4 or 9 A1 pages. This allows you to place more objects on the drawing ready to split into separate paper space drawing sheets. Auto Locate improved.
Changing Drawing scale re scales and auto locates the objects. In Members in X-section the default below/far member is labelled above-right and the optional Above/near member is labelled below-left. Warning when Printing Service Forces and an Ultimate loading Case has no Service case. Exporting Layering table format enhanced. See new table file “\msprogwd\stdlayer.msc”. Exporting Layering table increased to 100 layers. Steel, Concrete & Timber members now have separate layers for Elevation, Section, Elevation label and Section labels. 3x12=12 layers. New layers added to the Exporting Layering table. See new table file “\msprogwd\stdlayer.msc”.
Support Reactions prefixed R to separate them from member End-Reactions. (Support-Reactions are Global Axis whilst Member End-Reactions are local to the member.) Axis drawn when Support Reactions are displayed for clarity.

3-D Models

• StruCAD SNF import added.
• Import functions now allows you to load MasterFrame directly after import.
• Exporting as 3D-DXF Surfaces or 3D Script file now uses different layers for steel, concrete and timber members and for end plates.

MasterRC

(Due for release Spring 2006) BS 8666:2005 Labels added. T is now H,A,B or C. BS 8666:2005 shape Codes added. Bar Shapes can now be printed. Update style of all labels. Lines with a Z-Axis displacement now accepted. (Note: the AutoCAD Express tools command “Flatten” will set all entity Z values to zero) Cross Section Generator.

MasterRC Scheduler

• Edit bar marks, adding, deleting and amending bars.
• Compress Schedule function grouping identical elements together (e.g. pads) Import previously stored details.
• Bar Shapes can now be viewed and plotted.
• BS 8666:2005 shape codes added.

Download Technical Note on Openings in Cellular Beams