Orient yourself to the software. Understand the ETABS workspace, units, grids, and how structural models are assembled from elements.
Every ETABS error traced back to a modelling mistake — wrong units, missing constraints, bad grid spacing. Getting comfortable with the workspace on Day 1 prevents two weeks of debugging later.
ETABS represents structures as a system of nodes, frames (beams/columns), shells (slabs/walls), and loads — all connected through a stiffness matrix. Here's the mental model.
Follow these steps exactly as covered in class. Check each one off as you go.
File → New Model. Set units to kN–m or kip–ft depending on the problem. Units cannot be changed mid-model without rechecking all loads.
Edit → Edit Grid Data. Set X and Y spacings to match your structural bay layout. Z levels define each floor.
Define → Materials. Add concrete (f'c) and steel (fy). ETABS ships with defaults — verify they match your code (ACI / BNBC).
Define → Section Properties → Frame Sections. Create rectangular beam and column sections. Assign the material you just defined.
Draw → Draw Frame/Cable/Tendon. Place columns at grid intersections, beams along spans. Assign → Frame Loads → Add a dummy load. Analyze → Run.
Answer these before moving to Day 2.