Practice Workbook

This workbook is designed for use in Live instructor-led training and for OnDemand selfstudy.
The explanations and demonstrations are provided by the instructor in the classroom, or in the OnDemand
eLectures of this course available on the Bentley LEARN Server (learn.bentley.com).

This practice workbook is formatted for on-screen viewing using a PDF reader.
It is also available as a PDF document in the dataset for this course.

Modeling Lattice Towers

This workbook contains exercises to learn how to model a simple lattice tower in MStower.

TRNC01640-1/0001

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 Description and Objectives

Course Description
This workbook contains exercises to learn how to model a simple lattice tower in MStower.

Skills Taught
 Creating the Tower/Mast Data File

 Specifying the Steel Sections and Bolt Data

 Generating the Profile Geometry

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Create a New File
In this exercise, you will learn how to create a new file in MStower.

1. Launch MStower by double-clicking on the desktop shortcut.

2. In the MStower License Configuration dialog, select the Design Code US checkbox and then click Close.
Note: In MStower, you can return to the MStower License Configuration dialog by clicking File > License Configuration... in the
menu bar.

3. In the menu bar, click File > New.

4. In the Job File Folder dialog, click OK.
5. In the Job Name dialog, enter the following information:
 Job Name: Trussed Tower

Then, click OK.

6. Keep this model open for the next exercise.

 Create the Tower/Mast Data File
In this exercise, you will learn how to create the Tower/Mast Data file (.td file). The tower data file will contain blocks of data to describe
the tower geometry, including profiles, supports, guys, sections, materials and bolts.

1. Continue with the model from the previous exercise

2. In the menu bar, click Tower > Build Tower > Make Tower Data File > Tower/Mast Data.
3. In the MStower dialog, click OK.
4. In the Geometry Parameter dialog, enter the following information:
 Units: Metric Number of Faces

 Number of Faces: 4

 Number of Panels: 4

 Base Width: 3 meters

 Base Level: 0 meters

Number of Panels
Provide Skeleton Blocks for:

 User Define Panels (UDP): (checked)

 Sections: (checked)

 Material: (checked)

Panel
 Guys: (checked)
Base Level
 Supports: (checked)

 Bolt Data: (checked)

Then, click OK. Base

h
Widt
5. Keep the Panel:1 dialog open for the next exercise.

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 Enter the Panel Information
In this exercise, you will learn how to enter the Panel information for each level of the tower. (Panels are described in order, from the
top of the tower.)

Note: In this training, we will specify Standard Panels at each level. Standard Panels have been included in MStower to assist in
modeling towers. To specify a Standard Panel, review the options for face panels, plan bracing, hip bracing and cross-arms in the
MStower User Manual, Chapter 6.

1. Continue with the model from the previous exercise.

2. In the Panel: 1 dialog, enter the following information:
XM2 Bracing
Panel Height: 3 meters

Panel 1

Pattern
 Top Width: 2 meters

 Face: XM2

 Plan: PLX PLX Bracing

Panel 2
Pattern
 Hip:

 Cross-Arms:

Then, click OK.

Panel 3
Plan Bracing
K2 Bracing (at Panel 1)
Pattern

Panel 4
Tower Elevation

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 3. In the Panel: 2 dialog, enter the following information:
 Panel Height: 3 meters

 Top Width: 2.25 meters

 Face: XM2

 Plan: PLX

 Hip:

 Cross-Arms:

Then, click OK.

4. In the Panel: 3 dialog, enter the following information:

 Panel Height: 3 meters

 Top Width: 2.50 meters

 Face: XM2

 Plan: PLX

 Hip:

 Cross-Arms:

Then, click OK.

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 5. In the Panel: 4 dialog, enter the following information:
 Panel Height: 3 meters

 Top Width: 2.75 meters

 Face: K2

 Plan: PLX

 Hip:

 Cross-Arms:

Then, click OK.

6. In the menu bar, click File > Save.

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 Specify the Steel Sections
In this exercise, you will learn how to edit the Section Library.

1. Continue with the model from the previous exercise.

2. In the menu bar, click File > Configure > Edit Section Library...
3. In the Select Library Source File dialog, highlight the following sections library:
 Source Files: Prog:Us

Then, click OK.

4. In the MSEdit “US.asc” dialog, you can review each section that is available in this library. At this time, we will take this opportunity
to review the sections that will be used in the sample model for this training class: EA5x5x3/8, EA3x3x1/4, and EA2x2x1/4.

Note: Sections are assigned to each member in the tower through a Text Editor within MStower. To specify the sections in the Text
Editor, be sure to use the correct section name as written in the Sections Library.

5. In the MSEdit “US.asc” dialog, click File > Exit.

6. In the MStower dialog, click Yes to use this sections library.
7. In the menu bar, click Tower > Build Tower > Edit Tower Data File.
8. In the MsEdit dialog, edit the Sections Database information as follows:
SECTIONS
LIB P:US IFACT 1.0
1 EA5x5x3/8 FY 345 CONNECT C BH 44
2 EA3x3x1/4 FY 248 CONNECT L BH 22
3 EA2x2x1/4 FY 248 CONNECT L BH 22
9. Keep the MsEdit dialog open for the next exercise.

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 Specify the Bolt Data
In this exercise, you will learn how to specify the bolt data in the MStower Editor. The bolt data block specifies bolt diameters, grades,
and other data required in checking the capacity of bolted end connections.

1. Continue with the model from the previous exercise.

2. In the MsEdit dialog, edit the Bolt Data block as follows:
BOLTDATA
G325-3/4 A325 D 19.05 AS 285 FY 634 FU 827
G325-1/2 A325 D 12.70 AS 127 FY 634 FU 827
3. Keep the MsEdit dialog open for the next exercise.

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 Specify the Profile Geometry
In this exercise, you will learn how to specify the profile geometry in the MStower Editor. The Profile Block of data provides the data
used to generate the node coordinates and member connectivity of the tower. Panels are described in order, from the top of the tower.

1. Continue with the model from the previous exercise.

R4
2. In the MsEdit dialog, edit the Panel 1 data as follows:

LEG

1
R
R2
PANEL 1 HT 3.000 TW 2.000
FACE XM2 LEG 1 BR1 2 R1 3 R2 3 R3 3 R4 2 R5 2

R
3
PLAN PLX PB1 2 PB2 3 PB3 3 PB4 3

R5
1
BR
BOLT LEG 2 G325-3/4 BR 1 G325-3/4 R 1 G325-1/2 PB 1 G325-1/2
3. In the MsEdit dialog, edit the Panel 2 data as follows: XM2

PANEL 2 HT 3.000 TW 2.250

H1
FACE XM2 LEG 1 BR1 2 R1 3 R2 3 R3 3 R4 2 R5 2
PLAN PLX PB1 2 PB2 3 PB3 3 PB4 3

R1
LEG
BOLT LEG 2 G325-3/4 BR 1 G325-3/4 R 1 G325-1/2 PB 1 G325-1/2 R2

R3
4. In the MsEdit dialog, edit the Panel 3 data as follows:

1
BR
R4
PANEL 3 HT 3.000 TW 2.500
FACE XM2 LEG 1 BR1 2 R1 3 R2 3 R3 3 R4 2 R5 2
PLAN PLX PB1 2 PB2 3 PB3 3 PB4 3 K2
BOLT LEG 2 G325-3/4 BR 1 G325-3/4 R 1 G325-1/2 PB 1 G325-1/2
5. In the MsEdit dialog, edit the Panel 4 data as follows:

PB4
PANEL 4 HT 3.000 TW 2.750
PB3
FACE K2 LEG 1 BR1 2 H1 2 R1 3 R2 3 R3 3 R4 3
PLAN PLX PB1 2 PB2 3 PB3 3 PB4 3

2
PB
BOLT LEG 2 G325-3/4 BR 1 G325-3/4 R 1 G325-1/2 PB 1 G325-1/2
PB1

PLX

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 6. In the MsEdit dialog, click File > Save and then click File > Exit.
7. In the MStower dialog, click Yes to rebuild the tower.
8. In the Build Report dialog, click OK.

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