Getting Started

In this section, we start the program, set the units, create a new model file, define project description, define general properties, setup Guidelines, and save the model in a file.

1.1

Click Start menu of the Windows operating system, point to Programs, point to CAST, and then click CAST. This starts the CAST program. A CAST window followed by the CAST splash screen then appears. After this, if the Tip of the Day dialog box like the one shown in Figure 4 is displayed, close it by clicking the OK button.

Figure 4   The Tip of the Day Dialog Box

1.2

Select the active unit you want to work with from the Active Unit of Measure combo box (see Figure 5) located in the Standard toolbar. Since our design problem is given in SI unit, select SI Unit.

Figure 5   The Active Unit of Measure Combo Box

Note:

• You can change the units at any time; CAST will handle all the conversion automatically.

1.3

Click the button (or select New from the File menu). CAST responds by displaying the Define Project Description dialog box shown in Figure 6. In this dialog box:

• Change the Project Name text box to Double Corbel.
• Provide a name in the Designer text box. In our case, assume that the designers are Sabrina and Julius, so type in Sabrina & Julius.
• Change the Date text box to current date, let say 4/2/2002.
• Enter any important notes in the Notes text box. In our case, type in Example for CAST Tutorial.
• Click the OK button to confirm the input and close the window.

Figure 6   The Define Project Description Dialog Box

Note:

• The Define Project Description dialog box can be later displayed for editing by clicking Project Description from the Define menu (or by pressing Ctrl+D key combination). Alternatively, it can be displayed by clicking the button from the Defining toolbar.

1.4

CAST will then display the Define General Properties dialog box shown in Figure 7. This dialog box allows us to define the thickness of the structure under consideration, the concrete cylinder strength, and the steel yield strength.

• Type in 600 in the D-Region Thickness text box.
• Type in 35 in the Concrete Cylinder Strength, f'c text box.
• Leave the Concrete Tensile Strength, f'ct text box blank.
• Type in 420 in the Non-Prestressed Reinforcement Yield Strength, fy text box.
• Click the OK button to confirm the input and close the window.

Figure 7   The Define General Properties Dialog Box

Note:

• The Define General Properties dialog box can be later displayed for editing by clicking General Properties from the Define menu (or by pressing Ctrl+T key combination). Alternatively, it can be displayed by clicking the button from the Defining toolbar.

1.5

Now, we will create Guidelines to help determine the geometry of the model. To do this, click Guidelines from the Construct menu. CAST will display the Construct Guidelines dialog box shown in Figure 8. In this dialog box:

• Check the Glue Boundary Corners or STM Nodes to Guidelines checkbox to turn on this option. If this option is on, it lets you edit D-Region Boundary Corners and/or STM Node locations by simply editing the Guidelines.
• Check the Snap Boundary Corners or STM Nodes to Guidelines checkbox to turn on this option. If this option is on, a D-Region Boundary Corner or an STM Node drawn or moved near a vertical and horizontal Guideline will snap to it. This option guarantees that new generated Boundary Corners or STM Nodes will be precisely placed on Vertical and Horizontal Guidelines as well as at the intersection of Vertical and Horizontal Guidelines. This option can also be activated from the Snapping toolbar:    when on and when off.
• Select the type of the Guidelines we want to add/move/delete. Let’s begin with the Vertical Guidelines by clicking on the text box of the Distance from Y-Axis frame located in the Vertical Guidelines frame.
• Add Vertical Guidelines. In our case, we need twelve Vertical Guidelines, i.e., at location X=-1000, X=-910, X=-900, X=-500, X=-250, X=0, X=125, X=250, X=500, X=900, X=910, X=1000. Enter each number in the text box of the Distance from Y-Axis frame located in the Vertical Guidelines frame followed by clicking the Add button.
• After completing Vertical Guideline locations, do the same for Horizontal Guidelines. In our case, we need six Horizontal Guidelines, i.e., at location Y=-600, Y=0, Y=400, Y=900, Y=1000, Y=1500. Enter each number in the text box of the Distance from X-Axis frame located in the Horizontal Guidelines frame followed by clicking the Add button.
• Press the OK button to confirm the input and close the window.

Figure 8   The Construct Guidelines Dialog Box.

Notes:

• Guidelines are lines that we create to help us determine the geometry of the model. The Boundary Corners and STM Nodes of our structural model are usually located at intersections of Vertical and Horizontal Guidelines.
• We can later display the Construct Guidelines dialog box for editing by clicking Guidelines from the Construct menu (or by pressing Shift+F3 key combination or by clicking the button from the Standard toolbar).
• When a Guideline is visible on a display window, the Construct Guidelines dialog box can also be displayed by double clicking on the Guideline.
• If you want to change a Guideline location (a Vertical Guideline for example):
  • Select the Guideline location you want to change from the list box in the Defined Locations frame.
  • The Guideline location value will appear in the text box of the Distance from Y-Axis frame. Edit the value in this text box.
  • Click the Modify button in the Vertical Guidelines frame.
  • Click the OK button to confirm the change and close the window.
• To delete a defined Guideline (a Vertical Guideline for example):
• Select the Guideline location you want to delete from the list box in the Defined Locations frame.
• Click the Delete button in the Vertical Guidelines frame.
• Click the OK button to confirm the deletion and close the window.

The screen will then refresh and will look similar to Figure 9.

Figure 9   CAST Window after Step 1.5
(Click here to view a larger image)

Notes:

• We can have multiple display windows to view our structural model at the same time. To add a new display window, click the Window menu, point to New Window, and click on one of the Load Condition names listed. To arrange the positions of the display windows, select one of the four options available (Tile Horizontally/Tile Vertically/Cascade/Arrange Icons) from the Window menu.
• We can hide/display the Guidelines of the active display window by clicking Show Guidelines from the View menu (or by pressing F3 key). Similarly, we can hide/display the axes shown in an active display window by choosing Show Axes from the View menu (or by pressing F4 key).
• In addition to Guidelines, CAST also provides Grid Points to help us determine the geometry of our model. To setup Grid Points, select Grid Points from the Construct menu (or press Shift+F2 key combination). The Construct Grid Points dialog box similar to Figure 10 will then appear on the screen. In this dialog box, we can:
  • Set the horizontal or vertical interval of Grid Points by entering the horizontal or vertical text box in the Grid Point Interval frame.
  • If you want to store the specified horizontal or vertical Grid Point interval in file to be used for the next opening of CAST, click the Save As Defaults button. The Grid Point interval will be stored in CAST.INI.
  • Check the Snap Boundary Corners or STM Nodes to Grid Points checkbox to turn on this option. If this option is turned on, a D-Region Boundary Corner and/or STM Node drawn or moved near a Grid Point will snap to it. This option guarantees that new generated D-Region Boundary Corners and/or STM Nodes will be precisely placed at the grid points. This option can also be activated from the Snapping toolbar: when on and when off.

Figure 10   The Construct Grid Points Dialog Box

1.6

Although you have not finished creating the model, you should save your work at this early stage. To save the model for the first time, do the following:

• Select Save As or Save from the File menu (or use Ctrl+S key combination, or click the button from the Standard toolbar). CAST responds by displaying the Save As dialog box shown in Figure 11.
• Change the directory to your working directory. In this case, assume that the working directory is c:\CAST\Files.

• Provide a file name in the File name text box. In this case, assume that the file name is DCorbel. CAST will then automatically build an extension of .CST to the file name.
• Click the Save button.

It is also a good idea to save your work from time to time because you will have to do the unsaved work again if your PC system collapses before you save your work. To save your work, select Save from the File menu (or use Ctrl+S key combination, or click the button from the Standard toolbar).

Figure 11   The Save As Dialog Box

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