Building a Steel Frame in SPDS Metal Structures

Open interior space is important in modern building layouts. Designers use steel frames to create more open, spacious interiors. They develop steel-frame designs using specialized software called SPDS Metal Structures. Let's see how this works in practice.

SPDS Metal Structures is a general-purpose application for producing 2D drawings of steel structures, including KM and AS drawing sets. It runs on AutoCAD and nanoCAD platforms.

Steel-frame design usually starts with a steel-member layout plan. The designer creates a structural grid and the steel-frame elements. The software provides the necessary tools, especially the Column and Beam commands (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1 — Application toolbar

These commands offer numerous parameters that users set in a dialog box (Fig. 2). The software remembers the settings, so they do not need to be entered again when creating subsequent columns and beams.

Fig. 2 — Placing columns on the plan

Once the parameters are set, the element can be placed on the plan. Elements are labeled automatically, significantly speeding up drawing preparation (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3 — Column, beam, and purlin layout

Designers often need to make urgent changes to structural elements. A key feature of SPDS Metal Structures is automatic parameter updates for every element of the same designation. For example, to change a profile size or steel grade, you only need to edit one member; the change is applied to the entire group. This makes editing structural elements a matter of seconds.

After completing the plan, the designer creates longitudinal and transverse vertical sections. There are several ways to do this. Our example uses the simplest: create frame elements with their previously assigned designations but change their display. For beams and columns, select Front View; for purlins, select Section. Then build the steel frame's cross-section (Fig. 4).

Fig. 4 — Steel-frame cross-section

The project uses lightweight sandwich-panel enclosures. The frame's beams and purlins therefore follow the roof-panel manufacturer's recommended slope. According to the framing layout, the outer purlins rest on columns. The column heads must be trimmed to match the slope so the purlins fit correctly. It is best to perform all required trimming directly in the section view, avoiding further adjustments when detailing the connections (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5 — Trimming column heads

After the sections are ready, we create the joints between steel members. Connections are marked in the drawings to show key details of how load-bearing elements meet and to prepare detailed drawings from them.

SPDS Metal Structures has a dedicated Connection command. Its operation is straightforward. Select the joint in a section, then use the command to extract and copy the selected area onto the drawing sheet. Once inserted, the connection is numbered and its members are labeled automatically (Fig. 6). You then adjust break lines and callouts and add the connecting components.

Fig. 6 — Creating a connection detail

To provide an installation gap, use the Profile Trimming command to trim the end of beam B1. Then add plate-based support elements to the detail. The Plate command is used to create a support seat, column head, and splice plate (Fig. 7).

Fig. 7 — Trimming a beam end and adding plate components

The integrated SPDS module is a major advantage. It helps produce properly formatted documentation in accordance with GOST requirements (Fig. 8).

Fig. 8 — SPDS toolbar

Use the Level Mark command to indicate elevations where beams are supported. The Weld command marks fillet welds made during installation and fabrication at structural joints in accordance with GOST 21.502-2016 (Fig. 9).

Fig. 9 — Weld symbols in a joint and elevation marks in a section

For a clear drawing, structural views must be arranged properly on the sheet. Use the SPDS Formats tool to select the sheet size, place the structural drawings on the left, and leave the right side free for the specification (Fig. 10).

Fig. 10 — Arranging structural elements on a sheet

The final stage is preparing specifications for steel members. Two toolbar commands handle this: Steel Products Specification and Element Schedule. They generate specifications without extra setup. The metal mass is calculated automatically in the steel products specification. The user only needs to position the schedules on the sheet (Fig. 11).

Fig. 11 — Generating specifications and placing them on a sheet

SPDS Metal Structures can be used to design not only simple structures but also buildings with complex forms, without requiring special user skills. The resulting design documentation is saved in the widely used .dwg format, supported by many CAD applications.

SPDS Metal Structures is therefore not only a straightforward tool for producing 2D steel-structure drawings but also a way to maintain the quality of project documentation.

Dmitry Gostev,

Lead Engineer

Magma-Computer LLC