📽️ Introduction: Concrete Wall Design (Preview Webinar 2023)
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Introduction: Concrete Wall Design (Preview Webinar 2023)



The new Concrete Shear Wall Design module, introduced as part of the rebranded MasterKey Finite Element Slab and Wall Design module in MasterSeries 2023, offers a powerful, automated approach to designing complex vertical structural components (01:40 - 02:12).

Key features and functionalities include:

  • Wall Pier Design: The module focuses on the column-like design of vertical wall components. It allows for flexible subdivision of walls into design strips, enabling engineers to account for axial force variations across the wall (02:23 - 05:51). Users can define their own pier zones using simple rectangular drawing tools (04:07 - 04:19).
  • Wall Coupling Beam Design: Specifically designed for the material sections above and below openings that connect wall piers. If the span-to-depth ratio () is less than two, the system automatically performs a strut-and-tie analysis; otherwise, it defaults to standard beam bending section capacity checks (02:31 - 02:41, 09:05 - 09:32).
  • Automation and Efficiency: The Auto-Generate Wall Zones feature allows for the rapid creation of pier and coupling beam zones across large models in a single step (09:59 - 10:26). Furthermore, the module includes Auto Design capabilities that select optimal reinforcement bar arrangements to meet design requirements, while allowing for easy manual overrides (11:37 - 12:00).
  • Design Verification: The software provides comprehensive visual feedback on unity ratios, slenderness calculations, and biaxial bending capacity (06:17 - 06:40, 11:08 - 11:30).
  • Documentation and Output: Results can be conveyed through detailed reports or exported as DXF/DWG files, representing the reinforcement design intent in 2D layouts (13:24 - 14:00).
  • Advanced FEA Integration: In addition to the design module, MasterFrame Finite Element now includes an in-plane moment feature. This allows engineers to derive in-plane moments from direct finite element and forces, which is essential for understanding the stresses within shear cores and wall piers (14:15 - 16:55).