MASS User Documentation

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      • General Overview
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    • Beams
      • Introduction
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      • Introduction
      • Design Steps
      • A Complete Design
      • Loads Analysis Results
      • Design Strategy
      • P-M Interaction Diagram
    • Shear Walls
      • Introduction
      • Design Steps
      • Boundary Elements
      • A Complete Design
      • Load Analysis Results
      • Design Strategy
      • Element Deflection
      • Self-Weight
      • Interaction Diagram
    • Multi-Storey Shear Walls
      • Introduction
      • Design Steps
      • Design Strategy
      • Load Distribution
      • Drift
    • Shearline
      • Introduction to Shearline
      • Shearline Design Steps
      • Shearline Load Distribution
      • Pier Generation
      • Shearline Design Strategy
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Software Tips

Announcements

Version 4.0 Feature Spotlight: Ductility Verification

Moderately Ductile and Ductile shear walls can now be designed within MASS to satisfy the ductility verification (required by CSA S304-14) Any designers struggling with post-disaster strictures or the axial load limitations of conventional construction masonry will be happy to know that MASS Version 4.0 has the ability to perform Read more…

By Brad Crumb, 2 weeks2 weeks ago
Announcements

Version 4.0 Feature Spotlight: Simplified National Building Code Seismic Design

Added to the 2015 National Building Code of Canada is a new design pathway that can be used for areas with very low seismic hazard levels. If you are designing shear walls in an area with very low spectral acceleration values (Looking at you Manitoba and Saskatchewan) then we we Read more…

By Brad Crumb, 2 weeks2 weeks ago
Software Tips

Version 4.0 Feature Spotlight: Online Activation Restored!

Oh yes we did! The title speaks for itself and engineers (or their I.T. professionals) everywhere rejoice Due to some behind the scenes changes out of our control, access to the MASS activation server directly from each user’s application was severed, resulting in each activation to needing to be performed Read more…

By Brad Crumb, 8 months ago
Software Tips

Version 4.0 Feature Spotlight: New Zoom and Pan Functionality for Drawings

New to Version 4 is a more intuitive way to navigate drawings The interface for navigating drawings using anything other than the scroll bars was inconsistent and confusing. For example, does scrolling up using the mouse zoom in or pan the image upward? The answer for years was “sometimes just Read more…

By Brad Crumb, 9 months8 months ago
Software Tips

How MASS Aligns Vertical Bars in a Multi-Storey Shear Wall

The method used by MASS to get bars to align is fairly complicated but gets the job done.   One early point of feedback in the Version 4.0 development process is that most engineers will not want to deal with the detailing of bars terminating in one cell and starting Read more…

By Brad Crumb, 12 months2 months ago
Software Tips

Protip: Use the Multi-Storey Shear Wall Module to Design… Single Storey Shear Walls?

Yes, you did read that right! The Multi-Storey module can be used to break a single storey design into multiple shear wall elements.   With the release of MASS Version 4.0, a new module was announced that specifically deals with the design of shear walls where loads can be applied Read more…

By Brad Crumb, 1 year1 year ago
Software Tips

How to use MASS to help with Pilaster Design

While there is no “pilaster module” within MASS, the walls module can be adapted to assist with their design   This article originally was featured on the MASS Software Blog, formerly hosted on the software section of the Canada Masonry Design Centre website. CMDC is the authorized technical service provider Read more…

By Brad Crumb, 3 years3 weeks ago
Software Tips

What is the Difference Between Fixed and Cantilever Pier Designations in a Shearline?

When designing a Shearline using MASS, the software relies on you to determine how the wall behaves   This article originally was featured on the MASS Software Blog, formerly hosted on the software section of the Canada Masonry Design Centre website. CMDC is the authorized technical service provider for the Read more…

By Brad Crumb, 3 years3 weeks ago
Software Tips

How to model individual storeys of a multi-storey shear wall within MASS

In the absence of a true multi-storey MASS module (Update: added in V4.0), there are steps that can be taken to use MASS effectively for these types of designs   This article originally was featured on the MASS Software Blog, formerly hosted on the software section of the Canada Masonry Read more…

By Brad Crumb, 3 years3 weeks ago
Software Tips

What is the Difference Between Height and Total Height when Designing a Shear Wall in MASS?

Understanding the Total Height input when using MASS can add considerable moment capacity to a shear wall design   This article originally was featured on the MASS Software Blog, formerly hosted on the software section of the Canada Masonry Design Centre website. CMDC is the authorized technical service provider for Read more…

By Brad Crumb, 3 years3 weeks ago

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Recent Posts
  • Version 4.0 Feature Spotlight: Ductility Verification
  • Version 4.0 Feature Spotlight: Simplified National Building Code Seismic Design
  • Bug Notification: Out-of-Plane Shear Resistance checked only at location of maximum shear
  • Known Bugs in MASS
  • MASS Version 4.0 is now available – adds multi-storey design and more earthquake design options
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