structural engineering software reference book

huangyhg

structural engineering software reference book
hi,
at our offices, we have both masterseries and microstran as stuructural engineering packages but i dont know how to use them as i have studied on a different package? do you know if i can find reference notes on how to use the software? (the 600 page reference book type, rather than a five minute demo video)
if you dont happen to know about the above, do you know of any tutorials for other structural engineering software, which explain basic stuff and examples? though most software have different interfaces, the basic stuff (ie, assumptions for nodes, pins, load calculation etc..) i am assuming to be a bit similar for all software so i can still learn something
there is a manual in microstran which is quite detailed and helpful.  by the way does microstran v8 run on vista ?
cheers
most software packages will have their own user manuals and tutorials.  it may be that these are not given as hard copy (saves trees you see), but there will be a digital copy.  i would suggest getting hold of these.  also, in your spare time, use the software and follow the examples/tutorials.
if you can use and understand one package, then you can use them all, it just takes a bit of time to find your way around the new package. i believe microstran is a analysis program without any concrete design modules so i would get into the user manaul. i have also found user manuals to be good reference texts.
yeah, i know there's a manual included in microstran, however it is more an expalantion of the build in functions and the different icons. the number of examples are also limited. i was more looking for a manual with good examples which deal with how to model a real life situation on a computer program like representation of pins/fixed situations, when should you use a space frame rather than a 3d grid etc etc... that's why i was looking for manuals from other softwares because these things are basics for all kind of software.
do you know of any good titles?
heres a couple that might be of use:
modelling of steel structures for computer analysis produced by sci
and
finite element design of contrete structures by g.a. rombach
its a very good question, in the age of computer run designs, why aren't there more references that cover modelling structures.
i have a thread running concurrently about how i have overcomplicated a structural model (i believe anyway), it would be nice to have a resource on "how to model".
big24
microstran web site has a couple of very good tutorials
and you can download these.  i think one is the analysis and design of a portal frame and the other another good example which i learnt alot from.  are you using vista and does ms run on vista or just ms windows xp??
i'm on xp, i'm sorry i cant answer you