SPANDREL VS PIERS IN ETABS

Pier and spandrel labelling is always a confusion for entry level engineers.

Analysis point of view, it is ok to model it as pier or spandrel which ever, as long as it is a modelled as a shell in ETABS.

For any thing that needs to be present in the model with its stiffness, it has to be modelled as a shell and not membrane. So, any shear wall or any deep beam or a coupler beam, it is better to be modelled as a shell.

In case Shear wall design or deep beam modelled as shell needs to be designed in ETABS, then it needs pier labelling and spandrel labels respectively.

Any thing modelled and assigned with a pier label will be designed as a vertically predominant member like a column or a wall. Anything modelled and labelled as aspandrel will be designed as a flexural member like a beam. Same is the case with the ability to interpret results in ETABS. Results can be relevantly interpreted only if pier labelling is done for shear walls and spandrel labelling is done for beams or spandrels. The video explains all of this.