SAFE - 01 Introductory Tutorial: Watch & Learn

Main Ideas, Concepts, and Lessons Conveyed

• Purpose of the tutorial: Demonstrates, step-by-step, how to model, analyze, and design a reinforced concrete slab in SAFE (a structural analysis/design software tool).
• Workflow overview (core concept):
  1. Define materials and section properties
  2. Draw structural objects (slab, columns, walls, beams, drop panels)
  3. Select objects
  4. Assign properties and loads
  5. Run analysis and design
  6. View results: deformations, forces/stresses, and required reinforcement
• Key modeling philosophy: Use a grid that captures major slab geometry to speed up modeling and ensure correct layout of structural members and design strips.
• Loads & analysis concept:
  • Separate load patterns (geometric arrangement and magnitudes) from load cases (how patterns are applied).
  • Use gravity direction for uniform dead/live loads.
• Reinforcement concept:
  • Reinforcement is shown primarily based on design strips (strip-by-strip strength design).
  • Mentions an alternative: finite element based reinforcement distribution visualization.
  • Reinforcement direction corresponds to local axes of the slab object.
• Results visualization: SAFE can display deformed shapes, force/moment contours, and reinforcement requirements interactively by moving the cursor.

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Methodology / Instructions

1) Start a new SAFE model and configure settings

• Go to File → New Model.
• Use built-in settings.
• Set display units to US customary.
• Set region to United States.
• Set concrete design code to ACI 318-19.
• On New Model Quick Templates, select Grid Only.
• Set story height = 12 ft.
• Click OK to generate the grid.

2) Define the grid layout

• Initially choose uniform grid spacing, then adjust as needed.
• Specify:
  • 6 grids in the X direction
  • 7 grids in the Y direction
  • Starting spacing: 20 ft (X) and 18 ft (Y)
• Because spacing is not uniform:
  • Select Custom grid spacing
  • Click Edit Grid Data
  • Use spacing to edit:
    • X direction: edit A and D grids
    • Y direction: edit 3 and 4 grids
• Emphasis: choose grids that reflect major geometric features to reduce modeling effort.

3) Check the SAFE interface (before modeling)

• Toolbars provide one-click access to common commands.
• Menu items with icons can be accessed via one-click buttons.
• Typical sequence: define materials/sections → draw objects → select objects → assign properties/loads.

4) Save the model

• Save after the grid is created.

5) Define materials and section properties

Materials

• In Model Explorer → Properties → Materials:
  • Verify 4000 psi concrete
  • Verify A615 grade 60 rebar
  • Double-click materials to view their definitions.

Slab section property

• Go to Define Section Properties → Slab Sections.
• Modify default slab1 to become the primary slab:
  • Thickness = 10 in
  • Ensure the type is set to Slab

Drop panel section property

• Add a new property in Define Section Properties → Frame Sections:
  • Click Add New Property
  • Use concrete L-beam as the section shape (perimeter beam concept; applied to frame section definition)
  • Name it Beam
  • Set geometry:
    • Beam depth (as implied from thickness decisions)
    • Flange width = 5 ft (entered in feet; SAFE converts to inches)
    • Flange thickness = 10 in (same as slab thickness)
    • Web thickness = 18 in (constant)
  • Check Ignore flange for area weight and mass (slab accounts for those values)
  • Set Section type → area → beam section so the frame section is designed as a beam.

Column section properties

• In Model Explorer, modify the concrete column section:
  • Confirm columns are 18 in × 18 in
  • Type set to column section
  • Enable automatic rigid zone over column to limit slab deformation above columns
• Configure drop panels over columns:
  • Use Drop panel column capital dimensions
  • Add drop panels:
    • 6 ft × 6 ft
  • Must use the drop property
• Create a perimeter column variation:
  • Copy the column section without drop panels
  • Name it column no drop
  • Uncheck include automatic drop panel over column

Wall section properties

• Go to Define Section Properties → Wall Sections
• Modify wall1:
  • Wall thickness = 1 ft
  • Enable rigid zone option to limit deformation directly above the wall

6) Define loads and load cases

• In Model Explorer → Loads → Load Patterns / Load Cases:

Load patterns

• Dead load pattern:
  • Self weight multiplier = 1
• Live load pattern:
  • Self weight multiplier = 0

Load cases

• Dead load case: verify it is a linear static case
• Dead load case uses dead load pattern with scale factor = 1

SAFE supports other case types (nonlinear static, stage construction, modal, hyperstatic), but this tutorial uses linear static.

7) Draw the geometry

Snap settings

Turn on:

• Snap to joints
• Snap to grid intersections
• Imperial snap increments

Draw the slab

• Use Draw → Floor Wall Objects → Draw Floor Wall
• In properties:
  • Set property to Slab1
  • Edge drawing type: straight line
• Click points on the grid (grid labels used: A7 → F7 → F1 → D1 → D3 → A3).
• Press Enter to finish slab drawing.
• Select the slab and confirm selection status shows 1 shells and 6 edges.

Expand slab to account for column widths

• Edit → Expand/Shrink Shells
• Expand slab by 9 inches on all sides to fit 18-inch columns.

Draw columns (with drop panels in interior; without at perimeter)

• Use Draw → Beam/Column/Brace → Quick Draw Columns
  • Property below set to concrete column (with drop panels)
  • Property above set to None
  • Height: 144 in below, 0 above
• Add columns by windowing around the intersection region.
• For perimeter columns/supports:
  • Switch property below to column no drop
  • Draw perimeter columns by windowing around the perimeter.
• If selection includes too much:
  • Select clear selection
  • Undo/remove with Edit → Delete

Draw walls

• Use Draw → Floor Wall Objects → Draw Walls
• Wall properties:
  • Select wall1 for top property
  • none for bottom property
• Drawing control:
  • Type: fixed length
  • Set length to 360 (to fix wall length to 30 ft as described)
  • Set wall height above = 0
• Click to start and draw along grid lines (example: start at C6 toward grid line 5).
• Verify:
  • Orientation along the Y-axis
  • Global coordinates:
    • Right-click end middle joint → Geometry tab
    • Ensure global X/Y are 46 and 72
  • If incorrect: delete wall and redraw.
• Replicate wall:
  • Edit → Replicate
  • Linear tab: set dx = 20
  • OK, to replicate along the next grid segment
  • Ensure replicated wall base is also restrained
• Quick walls:
  • Use Quick Draw Walls
  • Draw using grids (example: click once along grid line 6 between C and D).

Add beams along the perimeter

• Draw → Beam/Column/Brace → Draw Beam Column Brace
• Property set to beam
• Draw beams as single objects along each edge, e.g.:
  • A7 to F7
  • F7 to F1
• Exit draw mode after completion.

Add an opening

• Use Draw → Rectangular Floor Wall → (choose Opening in property dropdown)
• Click at C6 and drag along the wall along grid line D to define the opening.
• Press Escape to leave draw mode.

8) Add support lines (for design strip integration)

• Edit → Add → Support Lines
• First:
  • Grid direction: X
  • Layer: A
  • Apply → show X support lines
• Then:
  • Set direction: Y
  • Layer: B
  • OK → add Y support lines
• If support line placement is uncertain:
  • Delete and redraw using Draw → Support Lines
  • Redraw so walls are identified as supports (example points):
    • Start at C3, click along grid line C, press Enter after C7
    • Start along D at D1, continue to D7, press Enter

9) Add design strips (for reinforcement design output)

• Design strips integrate forces for reinforcing.
• X direction (layer A):
  • Select support lines on layer A
  • Edit → Add → Design Strips using selected support lines
  • Enable:
    • Create Middle Design strips
    • Auto (strip width matches support line spacing automatically)
• Y direction (layer B):
  • Repeat selection for layer B
  • Add design strips with:
    • Create Middle Design strips
    • Auto
• Note: SAFE automatically ignores strip portions outside the slab, but those portions can also be selected and deleted manually.

10) Assign loads to the slab

• Select the main slab shell (click where no other objects exist):
  • Expect status: 1 shells, 6 edges selected
• Assign → Shell Loads → Uniform
  • Dead load:
    • Choose dead load pattern
    • Uniform load value: 30
    • Direction: gravity
    • Apply
  • Re-select slab using Select Get Previous Selection
  • Live load:
    • Choose live load pattern
    • Uniform load value: 50
    • OK

11) Run analysis and design; review deformations

• Click Run Analysis and Design
• After completion:
  • Deformed shape for dead load appears
  • Model becomes locked for editing during results viewing
• Switch to 3D view to see deflection peaks/valleys.
• Hover cursor to display displacement at the cursor location.

12) Display slab forces/moments

• Display → Show Force Stress Diagrams → Shell Stresses Forces
• Settings:
  • Case: live
  • Resultant forces and M22 moment contours
• Hover cursor to inspect moments (also shown in the bottom screen area).

13) Display required reinforcement based on design strips

• Display → Show Slab Design
• Select design basis: Strip based
• Reinforcement mode (no post-tensioning):
  • Flexural rebar display type: enveloping flexural reinforcement (strength design)
• Select:
  • Layer B (Y-direction strips)
  • Top and bottom rebar
• Display as total rebar area for the strip
• Hover cursor over strips to read top/bottom reinforcement values.

14) Optionally visualize reinforcement based on finite element forces

• Change design basis to: Finite element based
• Reinforcement direction uses the slab’s local axes.
  • Example: “bottom rebar in 1-direction” corresponds to the X-axis in this model.

15) Display beam reinforcing requirements (optional beam design output)

• Display → Show Concrete Beam Design
• Display:
  • Longitudinal rebar
  • Flexure strength rebar values
• Hover cursor over beams for values.
• Right-click a beam for controlling design information.
• Click Details for a design summary of the selected beam.

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Speakers / Sources Featured

• No individual speakers are identified in the subtitles (no names or “speaker” labels present).
• Primary source implied: the SAFE software tutorial (video: “SAFE - 01 Introductory Tutorial: Watch & Learn”).
• Referenced code/standards: ACI 318-19 (as the selected concrete design code).