Technological University of the Philippines

Ayala Blvd. Ermita, Manila

College of Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering

CE 522L 5A
Computer-Aided Design for Civil Engineering

Assignment No. 1
Introduction to STAAD.Pro V8i

Fesalbon, Mayson R.
10-205-041
November 18, 2014

Engr. Marjun B. Macasilhig

Instructor

STAAD or (STAAD.Pro) is a comprehensive structural engineering software that

addresses all aspects of structural engineering including model development,
verification, analysis, design and review of results. It is a general purpose structural
analysis and design program with applications primarily in the building industry
commercial buildings, bridges and highway structures, industrial structures, chemical
plant structures, dams, retaining walls, turbine foundations, culverts and other embed
structures. The program consists of the following facilities to enable the said task.

1. Graphical model generation utilities as well as text editor based commands

for creating the mathematical model. Beam and column members are
represented using lines. Walls, slabs and panel type entities are represented

using triangular and quadrilateral finite elements. Solid blocks are represented
using brick elements. These utilities allow you to create the geometry, assign
properties, orient cross-sections as desired, assign materials like steel,
concrete, timber, aluminum, specify supports, apply loads explicitly as well as
have the program generate loads, design parameters etc.
2. Analysis engines for performing linear elastic pdelta analysis, finite element
analysis, frequency extraction and dynamic response (spectrum, time history,
steady state, etc.)
3. Design engines for code checking and optimization of steel, aluminum and
timber members. Reinforcement calculations for concrete beams, columns,
slabs and shear walls. Design of shear and moment connections for steel
members.
4. Result viewing, result verification and report generation tools for examining
displacement diagrams, bending moment and shear force diagrams, beam
and solid stress contours, etc.
5. Peripheral tools for activities like import and export of data from and to other
widely accepted formats, links with other popular softwares for niche areas
reinforced and prestressed concrete slab design footing design, steel
connection design, etc.
6. A library of exposed functions called OpenSTAAD which allows you to access
STAAD.Pros internal functions and routines as well as graphical commands to
tap into STAADs database and link input and output data to third-party
software written using languages like C, C++, VB, VBA, FORTAN, Java, Delphi,
etc. Thus, OpenSTAAD can be used to link in-house or third-party applications
with STAAD.Pro.

Also in STAAD.Pro, we can analyze the structures in 2D and 3D. For the convenience of
modelling and defining the structure for analysis, STAAD uses different templates for 2D
and 3D structures. We use the following types of structures:

Plane Structures. The geometry,

loading

and

deformation

are

restricted to the global X-Y plane

only.
Space Structures. The structure,
loading or both, cause the structure
to deform in all three (3) global axes
(X, Y and Z).
Truss

Structures.

The

structure

carries loading by pure axial action.

Truss

members

are

deemed

incapable of carrying shear, bending

and torsion.
Floor Structures. A structure whose
geometry is confined to the X-Z
plane

STAAD was originally developed by Research Engineers International in Yorba Linda, CA.
In late 2005, Research Engineer International was bought by Bentley Systems.

Logo of Bentley Systems, the developer of STAAD

Currently, Bentley Systems releases new versions of STAAD called STAAD.Pro V8i which
includes the following new features and updates:
STAAD V8i Version

New Features and Updates

STAAD.Pro V8i includes ten features added to STAAD.Pro 2007

and over 90 updates. The new features include updates to the
graphical user interface (GUI), a new analysis method as
defined by the AISC, known as direct analysis, and additional
steel and concrete design options.

STAAD.Pro V8i

Here are some of the most significant updates:

Integration with Bentley ProjectWise

CIS/2 Improvements
Nuclear Design to the ASME NF Design Codes
Wind Loading to the Russian SNiP 2.01.07-85
Loads and ActionsFloor Spectrum
Enhanced Dynamic Deflection Animation

STAAD.Pro V8i SELECTseries 1 includes the following great

new features and over 130 updates.

STAAD.Pro V8i SELECTseries 1

AISC N690-1984. The nuclear design code pack

has been supplemented with the new steel
design code module which allows structural steel
sections to be code checked against the
specifications AISC N690-1984: Nuclear Facilities
Steel Safety Related Structures for Design,
Fabrication & Erection.
Eurocode 3 National Annexes
Russian concrete design updates
Chinese Seismic forces. Design of structures in
China has been made simpler with the addition
of a simplified base shear method of the seismic
load generation for the Chinese code GB500112001.
AISC 360-05 and IS800:2007 code updates
RAM Connection integration update
Enhanced AutoPIPE integration

STAAD.Pro V8i Build 05 includes six great features adde and

over 100 updates.

STAAD.Pro V8i BUILD 05

STAAD.Pro V8i SELECTseries 2

Geometric Non Linear Analysis

IS 800:2007
Eurocode 8
Eurocode 3 National Annexes
Update of AIJ Concrete Design
Enhancement of RC Designer inoperability.

STAAD.Pro V8i SELECTseries 2 includes the following great

new features and over 120 updates of varying degrees of
importance.

Dynamic

Analysis.

Enhanced

with

new

functionalities to simulate non-static loading

situations.
Geometric Non Linear Analysis. Structures
subjected to larger deformations use this type of
analysis.
New Steel Design Code - NORSOK N004
Updated Design Codes
Pipe Analysis Integration
STAAD.foundation Integration
RAM Connection v7
New RC Designer Codes
Structural Dashboard Integration. Bentley's
Structural Dashboard V8i is a free utility
application that allows you to manage workflows
and project files as well as keep up to date with
the latest products, news, and Be Communities
happenings.

STAAD.Pro V8i SELECTseries 3 has added 90 documented

updates and a great new functionality to improve the
integration possibilities open to engineers working in the
office who are constantly looking for improvements in
productivity.

STAAD.Pro V8i SELECTseries 3

ISM integration. ISM (Intelligent Structural

Design) maximizes the interoperability of
structural
information
among
different
specialized applications.
STAAD.Foundation design
Export to SACS
Enhanced wind loading
Analysis updates. The introduction of a Floor
Diaphragm command allows the definition of a
diaphragm to be created and the center of mass
to be calculated.
Eurocodes
Improved Indian steel design

STAAD.Pro V8i SELECTseries 4 addresses a wide range of

aspects from analysis and design to improve facilities with
section profiles

STAAD.Pro V8i SELECTseries 4

Design Codes. Steel Design per AISC 360-10,

Concrete 318-08, IS 800:2007, Eurocode 3 steel
design, EN 1993-1-1:2005, Eurocode 3 design
has been supplemented with Malaysian National
Annex MS EN 1993-1-1:2005.
I-Sections with different flange shapes
I-Section with Flange plates or Composite Slab
ISM Integration. Now capable using StructLink
Utility

STAAD.Pro V8i SELECTseries

enhancements listed below:

STAAD.Pro V8i SELECTseries 5

included

number

Russian Steel Design, Russian Wind Design,

Canadian Steel Design, AISC 360-10/05, IS 1893
Advanced Cable Analysis
Concrete Mode
Connection Mode

of

II

The STAAD.Pro V8i interface is configured to suit the model to ease access to the
required data. At-a-glance, STAAD.Pro V8i user interface exhibits the following
characteristics to guide the operator with ease and convenience:
1. Graphical Tools. Models can be created quickly and accurately using
structural grids, tool tips to highlight data, frame generators, and a
structure wizard for standard structural frames.
2. Visualization. From simple wire frames for speed, accuracy and ease to
use to fully-rendered 3D models for clear mass distribution and
presentation.
3. Editor. A color-coded tool to check and organize the data, label with
comments and organize to model stage construction.
4. Meshing tools. Triangular or quadrilateral meshes created from zones
within defined models or imported from DXF files.
5. Load generators. Seismic UBC, IBC, ASME wind and snow, bridge
loading BEAVA.
6. Customizable interface with VBA tools. Create windows and tables to
your own specifications.

The STAAD.Pro window displaying the start screen

ELEMENTS OF THE STAAD.Pro SCREEN
It is helpful to take some time to familiarize the components of the STAAD.Pro window. A
sample of the STAAD.Pro window is shown in the following figure. The window has five (5) major
elements as described below:

Elements of STAAD.Pro window

A. MENU BAR
Located at the top of the screen, the Menu bar gives access to all the
facilities of STAAD.Pro.
B. TOOLBAR
The dockable Toolbar gives access to the most frequently used
commands. You may also create your own customized toolbar.
C. MAIN WINDOW
This is the largest area at the center of the screen, where the model
drawings and results are displayed in pictorial form.

D. PAGE CONTROL
The Page Control is a set of tabs that appear on the left-most part of
the screen. Each tab on the Page Control allows you to perform specific
tasks. The organization of the Pages, from top to bottom, represents
the logical sequence of operations, such as, definition of beams,
specification of member properties, loading, and so on.
Each tab has a name and an icon for easy identification. The name on
the tabs may or may not appear depending on your screen resolution
and the size of the STAAD.Pro window. However, the icons on the
Page Control tabs always appear.
The Pages in the Page Control area depend on the Mode of
operation. The Mode of operation may be set from the Mode menu
from the Menu bar
E. DATA AREA
The right side of the screen is called the Data Area, where different
dialogs, tables, list boxes, etc. appear depending on the type of
operation you are performing. For example, when you select the
Geometry | Beam page, the Data Area contains the Node-Coordinate
table and the Member-incidence table. When you are in the Load Page,
the contents of the Data Area changes to display the currently assigned
Load cases and the icons for different types of loads.
The icons in the toolbar as well as in the Page Control area offer
ToolTip help. As we move the mouse pointer over a button, the name
of the button called a ToolTip appears above or below the button.
This floating Tool tip help will identify the icon. A brief description of
the icon also appears in the status bar.
We are now ready to start building the model geometry. The steps
and, wherever possible, the corresponding STAAD.Pro commands (the
instructions which get written in the STAAD input file) are described in
the following sections.

III

1. THE SELECTION TOOLBAR

Icon

Corresponding

Purpose

Menu Item

Description
First, select the Nodes Cursor tool. Then, select

Select > Nodes

Node Cursor

Cursor

Used

to select nodes

graphically

multiple nodes, To select multiple nodes, hold

down the Control key while selecting, or create a
rubber- band style window around the desired
nodes
First, select the Beams Cursor. Then, click on the

Select > Beams

Beam Cursor

Cursor

Used to select beams

graphically

members you wish to select. To select multiple

members, hold

down

the Control

key while

selecting, or create a rubber-band style window

around the desired beams.
First, select the Plates Cursor. Then, click on the

Select > Plates

Cursor
Plate Cursor

Used

to

select plates

graphically

plates you wish to select. To select multiple plates,

hold down the Control key while selecting, or create
a rubber-band style window around the desired
plates.
First, select the Surface Cursor. Then, click on the

Select > Surface

Cursor
Surface Cursor

Used to select surface

graphically

surface you wish to select. To select multiple

surfaces, hold down the Control key while selecting,
or create a rubber band style window around the
desired surfaces.
First, select the Solids Cursor. Then, click on the

Select > Solids

Solids Cursor

Cursor

Used

to

graphically

select solids

solids you wish to select. To select multiple solids,

hold down the Control key while selecting, or
create a rubber- band style window around the

desired solids.
Used
Select >
Geometry
Cursor

to

select

any

geometry graphically. It

First, select the Geometry Cursor. Then, click on

is

for

the entity you wish to select. To select multiple

Geometry

selecting nodes, beams,

mechanism

entities, hold down the Control key while selecting,

Cursor

plates and solids, or, any

or create a rubber- band style window around the

combination

desired entities.

of

these,

simultaneously.
Used
Load Edit

to

Select > Load

select a component of

Edit Cursor

an existing load case for

modification

Cursor

Used
Select > Support
Support Edit

Edit Cursor

to

graphically

select a support whose

parameters

one

may

wish to modify.

Cursor

Used
Release Edit

graphically

on the diagram of the load component you wish to

edit.

First select the Support Edit Cursor. Then, doubleclick on the support icon at the node where you
wish to modify the details of the existing support.

graphically

First, select the Release Edit Cursor. Then, double-

Select > Release

select and modify an

click on the member on which a currently defined

Edit Cursor

existing member release

START or END release condition has to be

specification

modified.

Cursor

to

First, select the Load Edit Cursor. Then, double-click

To edit any pre-created text, first, select the Text

Select > Text
Cursor
Text Cursor

Used to enter the mode

Label

for editing pre-created

Cursor. Then, double-click on the text that you wish

text labels.

to
modify.

Used to select multiple

types
Filtered

of

geometric

Select > Filtered

entities (nodes, beams,

Selection Cursor

surfaces,

etc.)

with

specific attributes in one

Selection

entities (nodes, beams, surfaces, etc.) with specific

attributes in one pass.

pass.
Used to select joints,
when he/she uses the
None

Select Joints

This is used to select multiple types of geometric

RAM
interface

connection
from

STAAD.

within

This is used to select joints. With this cursor set as

the active selection cursor, one may assign design
briefs to joints or one may simply double click on
the joints to launch RAM Connection etc.

2. THE ROTATION TOOLBAR

Icon

Description

Example

View from +Z

Displays the structure as seen from the front.

When the global Y axis is vertical, this is the
elevation view, as looking towards the
negative direction of the Z-axis.

View from -Z

Displays the structure as seen from the back.

When the global Y axis is vertical, this is the
elevation view, as seen looking towards the
positive direction of the Z-axis.

View from +X

Displays the structure as seen from the right

side.
When the global Y axis is vertical, this is the
side
elevation, as seen looking towards the
negative
direction of the X-axis.

View from -X

Displays the structure as seen from the left

side. When the global Y axis is vertical, this is
the side
elevation, as seen looking towards the positive
direction of the X-axis.

View from +Y

Displays the structure as seen from the top

looking down. When the global Y-axis is
vertical, this is the plan view, as seen from the
sky looking down.

View from -Y

Isometric View

Displays the structure as if one is looking up

skywards.

Displays the structure in the isometric view.

The angle which defines isometric view is
generally X = 30, Y = 30, Z = 0

3. SWITCHING ON LABELS FOR NODES, BEAMS, PLATES, ETC.

Labels are a way of identifying the entities we have drawn on the screen. To
demonstrate this facility, open EXAMP01.STD as shown in the following figure.

1. To switch the node and beam labels on, either

Select the Symbols and Labels tool.

or
Right-click anywhere in the View area and select Labels from the reset
pop up menu.

or
Select View > Structure Diagrams.
The Diagrams dialog opens.
2. Select the Labels tab and select the options for the appropriate labels
(examples shown in the following figure). Click OK to update the
View window and close the dialog.

The following figure shows the structure with the node and beam labels
displayed on it.

3. To change the font of the node/beam labels, select View > Options.
The Options dialog opens.

4. Select the appropriate tab (Node Labels / Beam labels) and click Font
to make the desired changes. Click OK to close the Font.

4. DISPLAYING A PORTION OF THE MODEL

Sometimes, the large number of entities that are drawn on the screen may make it
difficult to clearly see the details at any particular region of the structure. In such

cases, one is confronted with the task of de-cluttering the screen or looking at
specific regions or entities while removing the rest of the structure from the view.
There are different methods in STAAD.Pro by which you can view a portion of the
structure. The following pages demonstrate three different methods.

Method 1 View > New View

1. To demonstrate this method, open EXAMP08.STD as shown in the
following figure.

2. To view only the members which are at the midheight level, first select
and dragging
those members by selecting the View From + Z tool
a rubber-band around these members in the View window.

Hint: Making sure that the Beams Cursor tool

is the active selection tool.

3. To visually verify that the correct members have been selected, select
the Isometric View

tool.

The selected members will appear highlighted.

4. Create a new view

by either select
View
>
New
View or
right click anywhere in the current view window and select New
View from the pop-up menu.
The New View dialog opens.

The dialog includes options open the new view in a new (child)
window or to replace the current (parent) view window.
5. Select the Create a new window for the view option and click OK.
The portion of the structure that we selected will now be displayed in
a new window as shown in the following figure. Multiple child view
windows may be created in this way.

Hint: New view windows are helpful for performing such operations as adding
and deleting members, assigning properties, loads, supports, and more. A new
view of a selected portion offers the advantage of decluttering the screen and
limiting the displayed objects to just a few chosen entities.

6. To return to the parent view window, close the new view (child) window
by clicking close [X] in the top-right corner.
7. Repeat steps 2 through 4 to start another New View.
8. Select the Display the view in the active window option and click OK.
The original structure will be hidden and, the portion of the structure
that we selected will instead be displayed in the current (parent) view
window as shown in the following figure.

9. Select the Display Whole Structure tool to restore original view.

Note: These new views may be saved by going to the View > View Management > Save
View menu option. Provide a title for the new view. These saved views may later be opened
by going to the View > Open View menu option.

Method 2 Tools > Cut Section

1. To demonstrate this method, open EXAMP08.STD as shown in the following
figure.

2. Select the Symbols and Labels tool.

The Diagrams dialog Opens.
Select the Node Numbers option and click OK.
This will aide in specifying a node number in the following step.

3. Select Tools > Cut Section.

The Section dialog opens.

The Range By Joint method

Since the beams of the mid-height level happen to contain joint # 10 (or
any of the joint numbers from 7 to 12), it would be convenient if we
could instruct the program to display the entities lying in the X-Z plane,
and passing through any one of those joints 7 to 12. The facilities of the
Range By Joint tab enable us to do that.
4. Let us select that tab (it happens to be the default). Here, we can select
the plane of the section by clicking on one of the options X-Y, Y-Z, or
X-Z. We have to choose the X-Z Plane for our example. Then, in the
Node # drop down list, provide a joint that lies on the sectional plane. In
our example, we may choose any one of the nodes between 7 and 12. Let
us choose With Node #10. Click OK.

The following figure shows the cut portion of the original structure
displayed in the drawing area.

5. Select the Display Whole Structure tool to restore original view.

Alternatively, go to the dialog shown in step 4 and
click Show All. The Range By Min/Max method
Steps:
Another convenient way of choosing the beams at the mid-height
level is to specify that those beams lie in the X-Z plane between the Y
range values of 12ft - a and 12ft + a, where, a is an arbitrary value
such as say, 2ft.
6. To do this, let us select the Range By Min/Max tab. Here, we can again
select the plane of the section by clicking on one of the options X-Y,
Y-Z, or X-Z. We have to choose the X-Z Plane for our example. The
Minimum and Maximum edit boxes represent the boundary distances
along the axis perpendicular to the sectional plane. Every object lying
between these two distances will be displayed. In our example, let us
provide 10 as the Minimum
and 14 as the Maximum distance. (Before doing so, make sure that the
current input units of length, displayed at the bottom right corner of
the STAAD program window, are feet.) Then, click OK.

The following figure shows the cut portion of the original structure
displayed in the drawing area.

7. Select the Display Whole Structure tool to restore original view.

The Select to View method
For demonstrating this method, instead of viewing specific beams, let us
look at the nodes instead.
Steps:
Using this option, the portion of the structure we wish to view can be
selected by specifying the objects which lie in that portion. The
Window/Rubber Band option allows us to select the portion of the
structure to view by specifying a rubber-band window around it. The
View Highlighted Only option displays only the selected (highlighted)
objects on screen and, the members and elements we wish to view
must be selected before choosing this option. The Select To View
option allows us to view only Beams, Plates, and/or Solids, depending
on the corresponding check boxes that are activated.

8. For our example, let us choose the Select To View option and set the
Node check box.
Then, click OK as shown below.

The following figure shows the view of the structure with only the nodes
displayed.

1
9. Select the Display Whole Structure tool to restore original view.
Note: These new views may be saved by going to the View > View Management >
Save View menu option. Provide a title for the new view. These saved views may later
be opened by going to the View > Open View menu option.

5. Creating Groups
Group names are a means for easily identifying a collection of entities like Beams,
Plates or Solids using a single moniker. By grouping these entities, we need to
assign attributes such as member properties and material constants just to the
group, a simple process, compared to the task of assigning them to the individual
members.
1. To demonstrate this, open EXAMP01.STD as shown in the following figure.

Consider the members which form the truss as being in one of three
groups: Top Chords, Bottom Chords, and Web Members.
and then select the inclined members
2. Select the Beams Cursor tool
in the View window as shown in the following figure.

3. Select Tools > Create New Group.

The Define Group Name dialog opens.
4. Enter _TOPCOR for Group name.
Note: Group Names must begin with the underscore _ character.

Since group names can be assigned to Nodes, Beams, Plates, Solids

as well as a general category called Geometry, it is very important
that we choose the proper entity type. Hence, specify the Select
Type as Beam and click OK.

The Create Group dialog opens.

5. Click Associate.
The Assign Methods in the Create Group dialog is presently set to
Associate to Selected Geometry.

6. Select the members forming the bottom chord as shown in the following
figure.

7. Click Create in the Create Group dialog. Follow steps 4 and 5 and assign
the Group Name _BOTCOR to these members.
8. Now, you'll group together web members in the truss. Using the mouse,
select the Transverse Truss members as shown in the figure below.

9. Next, follow step 7 except for specifying the Group Name as _TRNTRUS.

10. Click Close in the Create Group dialog.

Three groups have now been created. You select Select > By Group Name to
open the Select Groups dialog, which can be used to select a named group.

6. Displaying Loads on the screen

1.

To demonstrate this feature, open EXAMP08.STD as shown in

the following figure.

2. Select the Loads tool and then select a specific load as the Active Load
from the drop-list of all loads in the input file.
:
or
Select View > Structure Diagrams. In the Diagrams dialog that opens,
select the Loads and Results tab. Select the Loads option and select the
load case we want from the Load Case list box. Then, click OK.

The following figure shows Load Case 1 for this example model.

7. Displaying Load Values on the screen

1. In the previous exercise, we saw the method for turning on load icons,
but not the numeric value of those loads. To view load values, open
EXAMP08.STD as shown in the following figure.

and then right click anywhere in the View

2. Select the Loads tool
window and select Labels from the pop-up menu.
or
select the Symbols and Labels tool

or

select View > Structure Diagrams and select the Labels tab in the
Diagrams dialog. The Diagrams dialog opens to the Labels tab.
3. Set the Load Values check box under the Loading Display Options
category as shown in the following figure.

The following figure shows the example structure with the load values
displayed on it.

4. Select Tools > Set Current Display Unit.

The Options dialog opens.
Select the Force Units tab and then change the selection under the
Force to kip and Distributed Force to kN/m.

4.

Click OK. The values are updated with the new units.

8. Structural Tool Tip Option

Structural tool tips offer a facility for displaying any customized input or output
information about a node, beam, plate or solid element when the mouse cursor is
placed over the structural entity. The tool tips are similar to the ones displayed when

the mouse cursor hovers over a toolbar icon. When the mouse cursor is moved away
from that spot, the information displayed is switched off too.

1. Select View > Structural Tool Tip Options.

The Tool Tip Options dialog opens.

2. Select the Show Tool Tip option such that it is check to ensure tool tips
are toggled on.
The Tip Delay box signifies the amount of time it takes from when the mouse cursor
first appears over an entity to when the tool tip actually pops up. This number is
expressed in milliseconds (i.e. 1000 = 1 second).
The options (items that can be displayed) for each entity are shown under the Options
box. A check mark signifies that the particular data item will be displayed in the tool
tip. An option with a + next to it signifies that further options can be enabled or
disabled. A red X indicates the data will not be shown in the tool tip. Simply click on
the check box to turn an option on or off.
Structural tool tips can thusly be configured to display a wide variety of information by
hovering over a model entity, as shown in the following figure.

9. Identifying Beam Start and End

When assigning attributes like member releases or member offsets, one additional
item of information which accompanies this information is whether that attribute is
applied at the START node of a member or the END node. Hence, there has to be
a way to quickly identify these two points without mistaking one for the other.
1.

To demonstrate this facility, open EXAMP01.STD as shown in the following

figure.

2. There are two different ways to identify the start and/or end of a beam:
a. Hover the mouse pointer over a specific beam.

The resulting tool tip will display the start node and end node of that beam in
two distinct colors along with their corresponding coordinates. Of course, it is
necessary to have the tool tips display turned on for this method to work.

b. Right-click anywhere it the View window and select Labels from

the reset pop-up menu.
The Diagrams dialog opens to the Labels tab.
Set the Beam Ends check box. To alter the color in which the
start and/or end is displayed, simply click on the color palette next
to the Start Color and/or End Color options and choose the color
you want. Then, click Apply to update the changes. Click OK t o
close the dialog.

The following figure shows the structure with the start and end of
all beams displayed in two separate colors.

10. Plotting from STAAD.Pro

Explained below are some methods for plotting the drawing of the STAAD model and
STAAD result diagrams.
Method 1 : Using the Print Current View option
1. To demonstrate this facility, open EXAMP14.STD as shown in the following
figure.

2. Select the Print Preview Current View tool to preview the image
as it will appear on paper.

The Print Preview window opens to display the view in a report format
shown.

3. Select the Print Current View tool to plot the image.

The standard Windows Print dialog opens, which is used to select the printer or plotter
where you wish to send the image.

4. Select the desired printer and click OK.

Method 2 : Using the Take Picture option
1. Either select the Take Picture tool.

Or Edit > Take Picture

The Picture # dialog opens.
2. Enter a Picture ID and caption.

3. Select File > Report Setup

Or
Select the Report Setup tool

The Report Setup dialog opens.

4. On the Items tab, select Pictures from the available list of items.

If more than one picture is available, select the one you wish to plot by
clicking [>].
5. Select the Picture Album tab and set the Full Page check box. Click OK.

6. Select File > Print Report.

The diagram will be plotted.
Alternatively, Select File > Export Report > MS Word File to create a
report you can print from Microsoft Word.

In the Save As dialog, specify a name for the file and click Save. In the
template dialog, select the Normal template.

Microsoft Word will now start building the file with the picture in it. Once
this task is completed, the new file is opened in Microsoft Word.
Method 3 : Using the Export View option
STAAD.Pro has a facility to export the drawing to a graphic image file.
1. With the diagram you wish to plot is displayed on screen, select the
Export View tool in the Print toolbar.

The Save As dialog opens.

2. Select the graphic format in which you wish to save the file (i.e.,
Bitmap, JPEG, TIFF, GIF, etc.)

Provide a file name and save the file.

3. Open a word processing or graphics editing program (e.g., Microsoft Word or
Adobe Photoshop).
4. Import or insert the drawing from the file saved above. You can now
print the image file from the graphics program.

REFERENCES:
STAAD.Pro V8i Getting Started & Tutorials
STAAD.Pro V8i Product Desciption