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The design using CAST can be summarized into five steps. They are illustrated in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1 Summary of Design Procedure Using CAST
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to view a larger image)
Note that the steps are given here for guidance only; you do not have to strictly follow the steps in the order presented. For example, the first item in Step 1, i.e., Define Project Description, can be done in any step. However, some steps cannot be performed
prior to the completion of related steps. For example, the Define Strut-and-Tie Model in Step 2 cannot be
performed without the step Define Outer and Inner Boundaries being
completed even though you still can modify the Outer and Inner Boundaries later. Another example is the step Define Strut, Tie, and Node Property Types in Step 4. This step cannot be completed without having information about concrete compressive and steel yield strengths defined in step Define D-Region Thickness and Material Strengths in Step 1. CAST implicitly notifies users of what the proper order of steps by three approaches:
- Enabling or disabling menus and buttons of toolbars associated with the current modeling process.
- Displaying dialog boxes that need to be completed before proceeding to the step you want to perform.
- Showing warning messages of improper order of steps in the status bar.
For more detail information on how to use CAST, please follow the tutorial pages here.
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