The "Panel manager" option, available within the "Slabs" menu on the "Beam input" tab, provides access to a menu containing various options relating to the input, viewing and modification of the structure’s floor slabs.

The available options are as follows:

• Enter panel
• Delete panel (enter opening)
• Change insertion point
• Change layout
• Panel data
• Copy panels
• Detail forms
• Minimum moments
• Environment
• Service class
• Fixity coefficient
• Construction process
• Enter double joist
• Delete double joist

Enter panel

This allows you to select a floor slab type (in the "Enter panel" window that appears) and then insert a slab of the selected type into a closed perimeter on the floor plan, previously defined by beams and/or walls.

The following types of floor slabs are available:

• Floor slab systems
• Joist floor slabs
• Hollow core slabs
• Composite slabs
• Waffle floors
• Flat slabs / Lightweight slabs
• Mat foundations
• Awaiting definition

Delete panel (enter opening)

This allows you to remove a floor slab and insert an opening within a closed perimeter on the floor plan, previously defined by beams and/or walls.

Change insertion point

This option allows you to change the insertion point of the joist, rib or reinforcement of the selected panel.

To do this, after selecting the option, you must select the panel. Then, click on the new point through which you want the joist, rib or reinforcement of the panel to be inserted.

This procedure can be useful for re-routing the ribs if there are small openings in the floor slab; in this way, the opening can be aligned with the hollow blocks or lightweight sections.

Change layout

This option allows you to change the direction of the joists, beams or reinforcement bars in a panel.

To do this, you must first specify whether the direction to be defined is "Parallel to a beam", "Perpendicular to a beam" or defined by "Two points of intersection".

Next, select the panel with the mouse and then specify the new direction of the joists, beams or reinforcement by selecting a beam or the two required connection points.

When changing the layout of a panel, the reference point marked when the slab was installed remains in place.

Copy panels

This option allows you to copy data from one panel to another.

First, left-click on the panel from which you wish to extract the information. The program will then display a dialogue box where you can select the data to be copied by ticking or unticking the relevant boxes.

Once you have accepted, use the left mouse button to select the panels to which the data will be copied, either by selecting them one by one or by dragging to select an area.

If you wish to change the source panel, simply right-click and repeat the previous steps.

Copy panel from one group to another

It is also possible to copy data from a panel in one group to another panel belonging to a different group of floors.

To do this, after clicking the "Copy panels" option, right-click and select the group containing the source panel from the “Go to group” window.

Once you have selected the sheet and confirmed the dialogue box specifying the data to be copied, the program will return to the group of floors that was visible when the option was selected.

Detail forms

This option will be available once at least one waffle slab panel has been defined on the floor.

When you click on this option, the actual layout of the ribs in the waffle slabs and the details of the forms will be displayed.

Minimum moments

This option allows you to modify and assign the minimum positive and/or negative moments to be withstood by joist floors, lightweight slabs and composite slabs; it will be available if there is at least one section of these types on the floor.

In the window that appears when you click on "Minimum moments", the program allows you to select one of the following options:

• Do not Code check
  The program will not perform the minimum moment check on the marked floor slabs.
• Code check with job coefficients
  The program will use the minimum moments defined under "Structure > Slab options > Minimum moments to cover with slab reinforcement".
• User coefficients
  Allows you to modify the coefficients that define the minimum moments according to the type of span. To modify these coefficients, left-click on the value to be modified in each of the diagrams that appear when selecting the different tabs (“Isolated span”, “End span”, “Intermediate span” and “Cantilever”). The coefficient is equivalent to the denominator 'A' in the expression p*L²/A, where 'L' is the span length and 'p' is the load.

Environment

This option will be available once at least one panel of hollow core slabs has been defined on the floor plan.

When you click on the option, you can select the type of environment to apply ("Environment I", "Environment II" or "Environment III").

Service class

This allows you to select and assign a specific service class to timber joist floors.

This may be the one defined under "General project data" (within the "Project" menu) or a "Service class that differs from the general class of the job", in which case the specific class must be selected.

Fixity coefficient

This allows you to define an "Fixity coefficient" between 0 and 1 and assign it to a floor slab consisting of joists, flat slabs or hollow core slabs. This coefficient defines the degree of fixity of the joists, panels or slab edges into the faces of all the perimeter beams that form the perimeter of the slab.

A value of 0 indicates that the joists, slabs or slab edges are hinged (they are not connected to the beam), whilst a value of 1 indicates that they are rigidly connected to the beam (there is a continuous connection with the beams). Intermediate values are permitted to define partial fixed connections.

Construction process

This option will be available once at least one panel system has been defined on the floor plan, and allows you to assign the "Construction process" to it for analysis purposes. This can be:

• Shored construction
  In this case, a fixity coefficient of 1 is assumed at the edges of the slab, which allows the simulation of a construction of these slabs using support beams. With this option, the negative moments are usually greater than the positive moments.
• Unsupported construction
  In this case, a fixity coefficient equal to 1 – (Self-weight of the floor slab / Total load [including the self-weight of the floor slab, live load and dead loads]) is assumed. This allows for the two-stage analysis required when constructing this type of floor slab without beams. With this option, the positive moments are usually greater than the negative moments.

The button on the right provides access to detailed information about the analysis performed based on the selected construction process.

Options for assigning data to floor slabs

When using several of the above options ("Minimum moments", "Environment", "Service class", "Fixity coefficient" and "Construction process"), the program offers the following options for assigning the data to the panels:

• Assign
  Allows you to select the panel to which you wish to apply the selected condition.
• Select
  Allows you to extract information from a selected panel on the floor plan.
• Assign all
  Applies the selected condition to all panels in the current group.
• Assign to all joist floor slabs / Assign to all flat slabs / Apply to all hollow core slabs / Apply to all composite slabs
  These tools appear only in some of the options mentioned and allow you to apply the selected condition to all floor structures of the specified type present on the floor.
• Finish
  Closes the options window.

Enter double joist

This option allows you to define double and/or triple joists, and will be available once at least one joist floor slab or floor slab system has been defined on the floor.

To do this, tap to the right or left of one of the joists in a floor slab. Doing so will insert a double joist (if a single joist is selected) or a triple joist (if a double joist is selected) at the selected position.

Delete double joist

This option allows you to remove double and/or triple joists defined in joist floors or in floor slab systems entered on the floor plan.

To do this, left-click on the double or triple joist you wish to remove.