After you download the program, relocate it to a new directory (or folder). It is as simple as that! The stlshape.exe file is ready for you to use. You don't need to worry about .dll stuff. Remove StlShape is easy too. Simply delete the directory (or folder) and the file stlshape.ini in your winnt directory. The first time you open StlShape, please read the 'About' dialog under the 'Setting' menu carefully. For the safety of the public and yourself, make sure you do not use something you don't understand.

StlShape is in its infancy. The motivation for its creation is to let the computer free us from the routine, time-consuming tasks and let you and I concentrate on solving those difficult problems in our practice.

This program has a built-in database for six species of lumber, NDS® glulam size for 1-1/2 lams, steel wide flanges, steel angles, steel tubes, steel pipes, steel tees, reinforcing bars, and weld wire fabrics. So if you are not planning to use all the features in it, just keep StlShape on your desktop to access the data. (Let me know what other databases should be included.)

For analysis, it is capable to do simply-supported beams with or without overhang. Ascending and descending loads are in kips/ft unit representing the maximum load at the apex. These analysis tools are designed to get the reactions, bending moments, shear forces, and deflections quickly for many statically determinate members. It dose not replace the need of those advance applications such as RISA®, SAP 2000®, or STAAD-III®.

The displayed moment diagram is also saved in "moment.emf" enhansed metafile. You can insert picture it into your M/S Word and print it from there. ".emf" files are tiny in size and sharp when it is reproduced on the printer. It dosen't clutter your documents like bitmap files. The first time you insert a emf file, however, the Word 97 or Word 2000 will require you to install emf drivers sometimes.

Results from the analysis can then be used by the design part of the program for wood, steel and concrete. In the same menu, you can view the latest moment diagram. If you want to prepare you own shear, deflection, or moment diagram. Open the text file dbm.dat with any text editor. StlShape also provides you files "moment.wmf" and "concol.wmf" which can be pasted into you MS Word files. StlShape maintains this 201 four-column data points to prepare its moment diagram. This data base may be also be used to figure out the locations of terminating reinforcing bars.

Let us assume that you are going to do some wood design now. Start your design by defining the type of lumber under the 'Setting' menu. Under the 'Base Material' menu, select the sizes and grade to be used. Then you can go to the '2x, 3x, 4x Beam' or '5x, 6x, ... 24x Beam' under the 'Design' menu to complete your design. If your design is started after the completion of an analysis of simple supported beam, you will find the maximum moments and end reactions from that analysis posted below the input dialog for your reference.

Since the program retains most of the data entered, trying out different sizes and loads are quite easy.

Plese be aware of the naming convention used to differentiate the uneven leg double-angles. 2L8x4 are for 2 angles with long legs back-to-back, while 2L4x8 are for 2 angles with short legs back-to-back. Earlier, Mr. John O'Brien pointed out my omission on the adjustment of r_yy for flexural-torsional buckling for double-angle struts. The flexural torsional buckling following the LRFD's Appendix E3 has been implemented in StlShape since March 98.

Tube wall thickness in our ASD and LRFD manuals are not longer valid. The Steel Tube Institute of North America and AISC have issued a new tube properties booklet using the suggested modified wall thickness representing 93 percent of the nominal wall thickness. You can get the booklet $7.50/copy by calling STI at 440-974-6990. StlShape uses HSS抯 design properties. For further information on HSS, please refer to Modern Steel Construction, "Designing With Structural Tubing," by Dr. Donald R. Sherman, Feb, 1997, p.37.

Steel design covers bending, compression and combined stresses. Shear capacity for single-plate shear connection for WF & CH beams are tabulated for quick reference. Structural steel frames are important elements used to resist earthquake forces in California and the adjacent states. Uniform Building Code has special provisions for Concentric Braced Frame and Special Concentric Braced Frame for framing members. StlShape is designed to check compression members under either CBF or SCBF. Six different entries for compression members design using steel are grouped under the 'Design' menu.

For reinforced concrete, you can start the reinforced concrete beams and rectangular tie columns under the 'Design' menu directly. Material and sizes are specified in the design dialog box. For the moment, StlShape set the maximum f'c under 10,000 psi. Although the code has not been revised yet, but the ACI building code committee already uncovered some problems with the very high strength columns.

Known Problems/Solutions

StlShape retain many values and selections on the previous runs just in case you would like to try out different design combinations. Many time it works better to revisit the highlighted items by either tabbing or click on them even though there is no changes on those items. There are ways to eliminate these tasks, however, I just don抰 have the time to work on it now.
When working with multiple windows dialog, it behaves the best with all the highlighted buttons pressed once more. This is not too hard a task by running the tab key through the blanks. (I can use some help from an expert in C++ window programming to tame this problem.)

If your system administrator does not give you the permission of keeping your own *.ini file, your input will not be kept around for you to reuse. (Usually happens in an educational institute where you sharing the computers with others.) I can provide a version of stlshape that keep the stlshape.ini in your working directory.

Suggestion/Feedback

A drawback of working with something for a long time is that I gradually lost the objectiveness of the user's point of view. I mean, stuffs that are so obvious to me could be the strangest thing for you to figure out. When that happen, let me know.

Steer StlShape on to a useful course!