ORION 18: HOW TO MODEL COLUMNS AND WALLS

In this tutorial, we will learn how to model columns and walls in Orion 18. So far in this tutorial series, we have been able to select a design code, a drawing sheet and draw the axes lines.

Apart from learning how to model columns and walls, we will learn to specify the size of the column, as well as place them correctly so that our structural analysis and design is not erroneous.

Now, we will start with the modelling of structural members, the first one being the column, by following these easy steps.

Step 1

Click on ‘Column’  in the members toolbar near the top of the screen. After clicking column, a ‘Column Properties’ dialog box appears.

Step 2

In the ‘Column Properties’ dialog box that appears, fill in the boxes with the width of the column ‘b1’ as 300 and the height as 300 as done in the dialog box shown below.

Step 3

Click ‘Insert Options’  then click on  among the options shown. This option makes the axes of the columns to be aligned symmetrically and pass through the centre of the column in both vertically and horizontally. After clicking this option, the boxes ‘e1’ and ‘e2’ are automatically filled with the value of 150.

Step 4

Take the mouse pointer close to the intersection point of the two axes at the top left of the screen.  When both axes are highlighted, click on the intersection to place the column. Repeat the same procedure for all the intersection points in the drawing area so as to create the columns as shown below with the same numbering and arrangement. Click ‘Close’ in the dialog box.

Do not create columns intersections 2/A and 2/I.

Step 5

Next, we model walls. To start, Click on the Wall icon  in the menu toolbar. In the box labelled ‘b’, enter 250. Click on ‘Insert Options’ , then select  so that the axis of the wall passes through the centre. The value, 125, is automatically entered into ‘b2’.

Step 6

Move the pointer to the axes intersection, 3/A, at the top above the first column. Click and drag the mouse down to the intersection, 1/A, below to create the wall. Repeat the same procedure for the intersection at the top right (3/I) and drag it down to the intersection below (1/I)

NB:  The walls created are shear walls. To represent block wall loads, these are inputed as wall loads on beams.