sazeh frequently asked questions

Q: Does sazeh replace ETABS?

No. sazeh is built to work beside ETABS: it reads the .e2k file, runs the code checks and delivers a calculation sheet. The output of a model correction is also printed as a list of edits that are named after ETABS windows, so that the engineer can apply them in ETABS.

This page answers the questions that engineers usually ask before they use sazeh. For a general introduction see the overview, for the list of checks see features, for the steps see the workflow, and for what is not yet verified see the limitations.

In which language is the calculation sheet?

The calculation sheet is currently written in Persian. The web pages, the 3D view and the explanations on this site are available in English. The numbers, the clause numbers and the units on the sheet are the same in both cases.

Does sazeh replace ETABS?

No. sazeh is built to work beside ETABS: it reads the .e2k file, runs the code checks and delivers a calculation sheet. The output of a model correction is also printed as a list of edits that are named after ETABS windows, so that the engineer can apply them in ETABS.

Can the output of sazeh be signed?

No. sazeh is not a legal stamp or signature. The tool proposes sections and prints the result of the checks, but the responsibility and the signature rest with the engineer. The sheet should be regarded as a review aid and not as a final document.

Does sazeh work with a shear-wall model?

Yes. A model with walls is loaded and checked. The in-plane shear, the flexure and the reinforcement ratio of the wall and the boundary element are checked, and the share of the frame in a dual system is reported. If the wall force cannot be read from the file, the row concerned stays "deferred" and the reason is written. For the force of each wall to be attached to it, the wall must have a pier label in ETABS.

How is the design base acceleration A chosen?

You choose it on the home page from four values: 0.20 (low hazard), 0.25 (moderate), 0.30 (high) and 0.35 (very high), together with the soil type I to IV. The value you chose is printed on the sheet. Take it from the seismic hazard of your site, because a neighbouring step of A changes the base shear by 17% to 75% and no later check can detect the difference.

Which codes are checked?

The seismic code, the loading code, the reinforced-concrete code and the steel code. A clause that cannot be checked appears on the sheet as "deferred".

Does sazeh check ASCE 7, ACI 318, AISC 360, Eurocode or another country's codes?

No. sazeh checks a building against one national set of codes, and the calculation sheet lists the codes that were applied. The American codes (ASCE 7, ACI 318, AISC 360), the Eurocodes and the codes of other countries are not supported, and a model checked here is not checked against them. Do not use a sheet from sazeh to show compliance with a code that it does not list.

Does it support steel, concrete or composite frames?

All three are checked. A concrete frame is checked against the reinforced-concrete code and a steel frame (IPE beams and box columns) against the steel code. In a composite frame each member is checked against the code of its own material, but the row of the structural system stays "not met", because table 3-4 of the seismic code has no line for a composite frame.

Does it design composite sections (CFT or composite beams)?

No. A concrete-filled box column (CFT) and a steel beam that acts compositely with the slab are not covered.

Does it produce a foundation design or a SAFE file?

No, foundation design is deliberately outside the scope. The sheet prints the support reaction of every joint, with the combination that governs the largest compression and the one that governs uplift, for the foundation designer to use.

How much does the corrected model change the weight?

It depends on the model and there is no fixed number. If a clause is not met, the sections are first enlarged until the clause is met, and this increases the weight; then a weight-reduction pass is run. Every section group is reported separately with its weight, concrete volume and reinforcement, and the percentage change in weight is printed with two denominators (the frame weight and the weight of the whole structure).

What does the status "deferred" mean?

It means that the tool knows it cannot give a verdict on this item and leaves the verdict to the engineer. The status is neither "met" nor a claim that the section is not adequate. The reason for the deferral and what would close it are written beside the row.

Does artificial intelligence compute the numbers?

No. All numbers come from the analysis and the tables of the codes. Artificial intelligence only summarizes the result in Persian, and the sheet is complete without it.

Is sazeh open source?

No. sazeh is not open-source software. The .e2k file can be uploaded on the home page of the site.

Have the results been compared with other software?

A complete formal comparison with the output of a reference program has not yet been made. For this reason the sheet should be regarded as a review aid, and the decision and the signature rest with the engineer (limitations).

Upload your ETABS .e2k model and get the calculation sheet.

Start the calculation