Overview

The ETABS – Medium & High-Rise Structural Analysis & Design course provides a practical approach to the modelling, analysis and design of medium- and high-rise reinforced-concrete buildings using ETABS.

Across eight modules, participants will examine structural behaviour and analysis-method selection, gravity and lateral loads, medium-rise building modelling, seismic load definition and load combinations, reinforced-concrete element design, structural stability checks, high-rise dynamic analysis and diaphragm behaviour.

The course progresses from the development of a medium-rise ETABS model to the dynamic evaluation of a high-rise structure, enabling participants to understand how building height, stiffness, mass distribution and structural irregularities influence analysis and design decisions. The course applies ASCE 7, ADIBC 2013 and ACI 318 as referenced throughout the training material.

Who Should Enrol?

This course is designed for professionals involved in the modelling, analysis, design or technical review of building structures, including:

Structural design engineers.
Consulting structural engineers.
Engineers working on medium- and high-rise developments.
Engineers responsible for reinforced-concrete building design.
Engineers using ETABS for structural analysis and design.
Structural engineers undertaking the Abu Dhabi Engineering Qualification Programme.

The course is particularly relevant to engineers responsible for seismic and wind analysis, reinforced-concrete element design, structural stability assessment and dynamic analysis of tall buildings.

Why This Course Matters

As building height increases, structural behaviour becomes increasingly governed by lateral loads, flexibility, drift and dynamic response. Analysis methods that may be appropriate for regular medium-rise buildings may no longer provide an adequate representation of the behaviour of taller or more irregular structures.

This course helps participants understand when static analysis is appropriate and when dynamic methods, including modal and response spectrum analysis, become necessary. It also develops the engineering judgement required to assess modelling assumptions, interpret ETABS results and identify structural irregularities or stability concerns before they affect the final design.

Through practical building case studies, participants will learn how to create reliable structural models, define gravity, wind and seismic loads, design beams, columns and shear walls, evaluate drift and torsional response, account for P-Delta effects and assess diaphragm behaviour in medium- and high-rise structures.

Course Deliverables

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Develop accurate ETABS models for medium- and high-rise reinforced-concrete buildings.
Evaluate structural behaviour and select an appropriate static or dynamic analysis approach.
Define and apply dead, live, wind and seismic loads in accordance with the referenced design requirements.
Develop appropriate strength and serviceability load combinations for structural analysis and design.
Perform linear static, modal and response spectrum analyses using ETABS.
Design reinforced-concrete beams, columns and shear walls and critically review design outputs.
Evaluate story drift, torsional irregularity, P-Delta effects, soft-storey conditions and overall structural stability.
Assess high-rise dynamic-analysis results, including modal mass participation and response-spectrum scaling.
Evaluate diaphragm behaviour and the transfer of lateral forces through the structural system.
Identify common modelling and design errors and prepare ETABS models suitable for professional review and project workflows.

Why Professionals Choose This Course

Combines medium-rise and high-rise structural analysis within one progressive learning pathway.
Develops practical ETABS modelling skills through building case studies.
Covers gravity, wind and seismic loading requirements.
Explains when static analysis is appropriate and when dynamic analysis is required.
Covers modal and response spectrum analysis for high-rise structures.
Addresses reinforced-concrete beam, column and shear-wall design.
Provides practical methods for evaluating drift, torsional irregularity, soft-storey behaviour and P-Delta effects.
Explains response-spectrum scaling and modal mass-participation requirements.
Introduces diaphragm behaviour and lateral-force transfer in tall buildings.
Emphasises engineering judgement, model validation and the identification of common modelling errors.

The course connects ETABS functionality with structural engineering principles, helping participants move beyond software operation and make informed modelling, analysis and design decisions.

Course Content

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Module 01 — Structural Behaviour and Analysis Approach

Develop a clear understanding of how structural behaviour changes between medium- and high-rise buildings. This module examines stiffness, drift, lateral-load response, P-Delta effects and structural irregularities, while establishing the criteria used to select between static and dynamic seismic-analysis methods.

Module 02 — Structural Loads and Load Combinations

Explore the principal loads acting on buildings, including dead, live, wind and seismic actions. Participants will learn how these loads are represented in ETABS and how strength and serviceability load combinations support safe and reliable structural design.

Module 03 — Medium-Rise Building Modelling in ETABS

Build a complete analytical model of a medium-rise building by translating structural drawings into an accurate ETABS model. The module covers grids, materials, slabs, beams, columns, shear walls, element connectivity, pier labels and diaphragm assignments.

Module 04 — Seismic Loads and Load Combinations

Define seismic parameters, mass sources, P-Delta considerations and code-based seismic load cases for a medium-rise building. Participants will develop strength and serviceability load combinations and verify that the model is correctly prepared for structural analysis and design.

Module 05 — Reinforced-Concrete Structural Element Design

Design beams, columns and shear walls using ETABS and interpret the resulting capacity, reinforcement and demand-to-capacity outputs. Participants will learn how to refine structural sections and reinforcement arrangements to achieve safe, efficient and practical designs.

Module 06 — Structural Stability and Performance Checks

Evaluate the overall stability and lateral performance of a medium-rise building through story-drift, torsional-irregularity, P-Delta and soft-storey checks. Participants will interpret ETABS results and identify structural modifications where performance does not satisfy the required criteria.

Module 07 — High-Rise Dynamic Analysis in ETABS

Transition from static medium-rise analysis to dynamic high-rise modelling. This module covers modal analysis using Ritz vectors, response spectrum functions and load cases, mass-source definition, modal mass participation and response-spectrum scaling for high-rise structural analysis.

Module 08 — High-Rise Dynamic Evaluation and Diaphragm Design

Evaluate dynamic-analysis results with particular emphasis on story drift, lateral displacement and overall high-rise performance. Participants will also examine diaphragm behaviour, rigid and semi-rigid modelling assumptions, in-plane forces and the role of diaphragms in transferring lateral loads to the vertical resisting system.

ETABS – Medium & High-Rise Structural Analysis & Design

AED 2,500 AED 3,500

AED 2,500 AED 3,500

Overview

Course Deliverables

Course Content

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