COURSE CONTENT

Course Overview

-Introduction and review class outline, Review documents. Working with Tower Program, About, Preferences, Toolbar buttons, 3D Controls, Help Manual / Quick Search Toolbar, Videos, Technotes, Webinars. Back up and Restore.

-Overview of TOWER concepts and features. 

-ASCE 10 Design Code and comparison with Cenelec Code. History, equations, requirements. (end of day one)

Primary Joints, Secondary Joints, Angle Groups and Angle Members. 

-Selection of Bracing Ratios and Curve Numbers (eccentricity and restraint). Class worksheet, how to read design drawings (how to see the wood from the trees - what is important?). Identify members,  Identify dimensions (vertical, along members, connections).

-Entering Joints (Primary and Secondary), Review Coding with Joints and Members.

-Start example model, enter joints for example model. (Lunch on day two).

-Member Groups - Concepts. Assigning members to groups, element types, group types, add groups to example model.

-Member connectivity - Add members to example model. Add joints at intersections, add joints by splitting members, Tips for Reviewing Data. (end of day two)

Detailed understanding of Angle Groups and Member Connectivity through example.

-Member Connectivity continued. Staggered Bracings, Drop Brackets (lunch on day three)

Sections, Loading and Reporting.

-Point Loads, Wind Loads and Sections. Concepts, Dead Load and Drag Area Calculations. Z of Ground, Identification of Faces, Define Section Locations in example model.

-Insulators. Adding insulators to the model.

-Conductors. PLS CADD Insulator Link.

-Building the LCA File

-From original drawings, from PLS LITE, creating LIC Files. (end of day three)

Interpreting Analysis Results.

-Overview, Typical warnings and errors, Understanding summary report, Working with deformed geometry view, understanding analysis results. Tension only members, Crossing diagonals, Redundant checks, Climbing checks, Stub Angle Check.

Potential solutions for overstressed members and connections.

-Overview, Incorporating changes into Tower Model, Batch Manipulation of Multiple Models. (Lunch on day four)

Family Manager and BLE Optimisation.

-Overview. Basic Top, Extensions, Interface planes. Class example with BLE Tower. Optimum Body and Leg Extension Selection in PLS CADD.

Structure Optimisation, incorporating other design checks, Drafting Intro.

-Optimisation Settings, Options, Components Angle Table, Geometry Groups Table. Interactive Member Sizing on existing Structures. Auto Fix.

-Optimisation on new Structures, Change leg slope, full optimisation.

-Design checks not made by Tower. Member capacities and overrides. 

-Drafting in Tower. Wrap up and Closing on Day Four.