Free course · Civil engineering

ETABS and SAFE: Building Analysis and Design

This free course follows one reinforced concrete building through ETABS and SAFE. You set up grids and storeys, model frames, walls and slabs, apply gravity, wind and seismic loads, run modal and response spectrum analysis, check drift, design beams, columns and walls, then design slabs and footings in SAFE. The worked examples use ACI 318 and ASCE 7, and the steps carry over to Eurocode 2. It suits graduate structural engineers and technicians. A qualified engineer remains responsible for any real design.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Sample certificate for ETABS and SAFE: Building Analysis and Design

Sample certificate. Optional, issued when you pass the final exam.

Level: Intermediate
Modules: 15
Video: 21 hours
Price: Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Set up an ETABS model with grids, stories, materials and cracked-section modifiers; model frames, walls, slabs and diaphragms; define gravity, wind and seismic loads and the code load combinations; run modal and response spectrum analysis and judge mass participation; check storey drift, P-delta and irregularity; run concrete beam, column and shear wall design; check output by hand; then take the model into SAFE for slab strips, punching shear, deflection and foundations on soil springs. Software output is always checked, and real designs remain the responsibility of a qualified structural engineer under the local regulations.

Set up an ETABS model with grids, storeys, concrete and cracked beam and column sections
Model frames, core walls, slabs and diaphragms and assign base supports and meshes
Define gravity, wind and equivalent static seismic loads and the ASCE 7 load combinations
Run modal and response spectrum analysis and judge mass participation and SRSS or CQC
Check storey drift, P-delta and irregularity against the code limits
Run concrete beam, column and shear wall design and check them by hand
Check slab design with the static moment split and write a checking note
Take the floor into SAFE for punching shear and deflection, and size footings on soil springs

Software

CSI ETABS and CSI SAFE, current version 23 (Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit, Cloud Sign-in licence). CSI offers an evaluation trial on request for evaluation use only; check the trial terms on CSI's own page. A spreadsheet, or a few lines of Python or JavaScript, for the hand checks. The lessons use ACI 318-19 with ASCE 7-22 for every worked example, and the same steps apply with Eurocode 2 and EN 1998.

Hardware

A 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 computer. CSI lists 16 GB of RAM as the minimum and 64 GB as the recommended amount, about 6 GB of disk for the install and a discrete graphics card for large models. Small learning models run on a modest machine. The video lessons run on any device.

Syllabus

15 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

1ETABS and the building-analysis workflow2 lessons
2Grids, storeys and starting a model3 lessons
3Materials, sections and cracked-section modifiers7 lessons
4Modelling the frame: columns, core, beams and replication5 lessons
5Slabs, walls, diaphragms, supports and meshing6 lessons
6Gravity load patterns and cases3 lessons
7Wind, equivalent static seismic load and mass source4 lessons
8Load combinations for strength and service2 lessons
9Modal analysis, mass participation and response spectrum5 lessons
10P-delta, storey drift and irregularity checks7 lessons
11Concrete beam, column and shear wall design5 lessons
12Slab design, reading output and detailing4 lessons
13SAFE: importing from ETABS, slab strips, punching shear and deflection6 lessons
14SAFE foundations: soil springs, mat and isolated footings5 lessons
15Final assessment0 lessons

How it works

How this course works

Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

Computers and Structures, Inc.
the official Watch & Learn lessons on the ETABS overview, drawing tools, CAD import, the introductory concrete tutorial, response spectrum analysis, shear wall design, slab design and reports, and the SAFE tutorials on the introduction, import from CAD, pattern live loading, cracked sections and foundation uplift
qLearnify (EN)
the 15-storey ETABS v22 lessons to ACI 318 and ASCE 7 on materials, sections, drawing the frame, loads, load combinations, mass source, diaphragms, supports, meshing, drift, P-delta, irregularity, beam and column design, slab design and the SAFE mat foundation
Tarek Youssef
building the ASCE 7 design response spectrum
Real civil
modal combination methods SRSS and CQC in a response spectrum analysis
Dr Nafie - Structural Engineering
what a response spectrum analysis is and how it is used in seismic design
Be Pro Engineer
a response spectrum case to ASCE 7-22 in ETABS 22, exporting an ETABS model to SAFE and soil subgrade modulus
AF Math & Engineering
punching shear in SAFE with the practical theory
Road to be an engineer
a mat footing on soil springs
The Civil Bro - Civil Structural Design
isolated foundation design in SAFE

Jobs

Jobs this course can lead to

The skills in this course are used in quality and project engineering work, for example as a structural engineer, a graduate structural engineer and a structural design engineer. No course can promise a job, and employers also look for experience, so read what live adverts ask for.

Browse Quality, projects and operations jobs
563 jobs live on the UK board

Questions

About this course

Last reviewed 1 November 2026.

Does the course use Eurocodes?

The worked examples use ACI 318 and ASCE 7, one code family throughout. The modelling and checking steps are the same under Eurocode 2 with EN 1990 and EN 1991, and on a UK project you would use the UK National Annexes.

Do I need to buy ETABS?

You need access to ETABS and SAFE to follow along, through a vendor trial, student access or your employer. The course explains where CSI publishes its terms and never links to unofficial downloads.

Can I design real buildings after this course?

No. It teaches the software workflow and the engineering checks behind it. Real designs are the responsibility of a qualified, competent engineer, and software output must always be checked by hand before anyone relies on it.

What is the ETABS and SAFE course?

It is a free-to-learn course that follows one eight-storey reinforced concrete office building through CSI's ETABS and SAFE: grids and storeys, materials and cracked sections, loads and combinations, modal and response spectrum analysis, drift and P-delta checks, beam, column and wall design, then slab strips, punching shear, deflection and foundations on soil springs, with every result checked by hand.

Which software and version does the course use?

CSI ETABS and CSI SAFE, version 23.3, released on 23 September 2026 and current when the course was checked on 1 November 2026. CSI offers an evaluation trial on request for evaluation use only, and its licences use Cloud Sign-in. You can follow every lesson and do every hand check with only a spreadsheet.

Which design code does the course use?

The worked examples use ACI 318-19 with ASCE 7-22, one code family throughout. The steps are the same under Eurocode 2 with EN 1990, EN 1991 and EN 1998, and regional codes such as IS 456, IS 1893 and IS 875 follow the same workflow with different factors.

Can I design a real building with what I learn here?

No. Real structures must be designed and signed by a qualified structural engineer working under local regulations, and software output must always be checked by hand. The course teaches the workflow and the checks, and it is not a licence to practise.

Is this a CSI certification?

No. The certificate is a verifiable certificate of completion from EDWartens, not a CSI certification or a professional engineering qualification. ETABS and SAFE are trademarks of Computers and Structures, Inc., named only to describe the software taught.

How long does the course take, and is it free?

About 14 hours of video and around 21 hours in total with the notes, worked problems and practice, at your own pace. Every module, the notes, the optional verification-pack project and the final assessment are free to learn.

What certificate do I get?

A verifiable certificate of completion, issued when you finish the modules and pass the 15-question final at 60 percent. It has a unique certificate number, a QR code and a public verification page that shows the course, the modules covered and your final score.

Civil and structural engineer