Free for jobseekers and employers: post a job, find vetted engineers.Free for jobseekers and employers. See howSee how
Skip to content

Free course · Civil engineering

STAAD.Pro: Structural Analysis and Design

This free course teaches STAAD.Pro on two worked structures, an industrial portal-frame shed and a three-storey steel frame. You build models with the structure wizard, assign sections, supports and releases, apply dead, live, wind and seismic loads with combinations, run linear, P-delta and modal analysis, and read code checks and reinforcement output. Every key result is checked by hand. It suits graduate structural engineers and CAD technicians. A qualified engineer stays responsible for any real design.

See the modules

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

Level
Intermediate
Modules
14
Video
23 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Build frame and truss models in STAAD.Pro with the structure wizard and by nodes and members; assign sections, materials, supports and releases; apply dead, live, wind and equivalent static seismic loads and the code load combinations; run linear, P-delta and modal analysis; read deflections, reactions and diagrams and check them by hand with statics; run steel code checks and read utilisation ratios; read concrete beam and column reinforcement output; understand connections and foundations and what STAAD.Pro does not design; and assemble a calculation report. Software output is always checked, and real designs remain the responsibility of a qualified structural engineer under local regulations.

  • Build frame and truss models with the structure wizard and by nodes and members
  • Assign steel sections, materials, supports and member releases
  • Apply dead, live, wind and equivalent static seismic loads and the code combinations
  • Run linear, P-delta and modal analysis and judge which one a job needs
  • Read deflections, reactions and diagrams and check them by hand with statics
  • Run steel code checks to AISC 360 and read utilisation ratios and governing cases
  • Read concrete beam and column reinforcement output and check a beam by hand
  • Say what STAAD.Pro does not design, size a footing as a check and write a calculation report

Software

Bentley STAAD.Pro, year-named releases (STAAD.Pro 2025 or later; earlier CONNECT Edition versions use the same workflow), Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. Bentley offers a free trial on request, with eligibility confirmed by a Bentley representative, and free access to Bentley software for students and educators through Bentley Education; check the terms on Bentley's own pages. A spreadsheet, or a few lines of Python or JavaScript, for the hand checks. The worked examples use AISC 360 steel design with ASCE 7 loads, and ACI 318 for concrete; the steps are the same under Eurocode 3 and 2 with EN 1990 and EN 1991.

Hardware

A 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 computer. Bentley lists 8 GB of memory or more as better for complex models, a modest processor and about 500 MB of disk for a typical install. Small learning models run on an ordinary laptop. The video lessons run on any device.

Syllabus

14 modules

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

  1. 1STAAD.Pro in the structural workflow3 lessons
  2. 2Units, coordinates, the command file and nodes and members3 lessons
  3. 3Structure wizard, repeat tools and a 2D frame3 lessons
  4. 4Section properties, materials, supports and releases5 lessons
  5. 5Dead, live and area loads3 lessons
  6. 6Wind loads on buildings and open sheds3 lessons
  7. 7Seismic load and load combinations4 lessons
  8. 8Analysis types: linear, P-delta and modal3 lessons
  9. 9Reading results and checking them by hand3 lessons
  10. 10Steel design: code check, utilisation ratio and member selection4 lessons
  11. 11Case study: the industrial portal-frame shed3 lessons
  12. 12Concrete design: beam and column reinforcement4 lessons
  13. 13Connections, foundations and the calculation report3 lessons
  14. 14Final assessment0 lessons

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  5. 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

Sample certificate for STAAD.Pro: Structural Analysis and Design

Credits

Who made the lessons

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

  • Bentley Education

    the official Bentley lessons on the STAAD.Pro CONNECT Edition interface, new model, modelling members, loading, assigning properties, specifications and supports, running analysis and design, and integrated steel connection design

  • Bentley Structural

    the official Bentley lessons on wind loads, static seismic loads and modal response spectrum loads, the direct analysis method to AISC 360, steel design and its parameters in AISC and Eurocode, the companion concrete design tool for beams, columns, walls and isolated footings, and report generation

  • Engineering Academy

    the structure wizard, a 2D frame, a beam analysis and making load combinations

  • SIMPLY STRUCTURAL

    floor loads, wall loads and the concept and assignment of moment releases

  • DECODE BD

    a three-part steel portal frame model, reaction results compared with a hand calculation, response spectrum basics and fixing instability and zero-stiffness errors

  • Crumpled Underfoot

    starting a first STAAD session, modelling, output and ACI concrete design and AISC steel design output

  • Aspire civil studio

    an equivalent static seismic base shear worked by hand to ASCE 7

  • Civil Nirman

    a quick way to apply wind load to an open structure

  • Surojit Ghosh

    wind load on a cladded warehouse, walls and roof

  • Parag Pal

    a portal frame analysed in STAAD.Pro

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 CAD technician. No course can promise a job, and employers also look for experience, so read what live adverts ask for.

Questions

About this course

Last reviewed 1 November 2026.

Does it teach Eurocode 3 design?
The worked examples use AISC 360 with ASCE 7 loads, and ACI 318 for concrete, one code family per example. STAAD.Pro also offers Eurocode design, and the modelling, loading and checking workflow is the same.
How do I get STAAD.Pro?
Bentley offers a free trial on request and free access for students and educators through Bentley Education, subject to its terms. The course points to Bentley's own pages and never to unofficial downloads.
Is the £19 certificate a professional qualification?
No. It is an optional certificate of completion from EDWartens, with a verification page. It is not a Bentley credential, not accredited by any institution, and not a route to chartered status. The course is free without it.
Which software and version does the course use?
Bentley STAAD.Pro, the year-named releases (2025 was the latest release this course could confirm from Bentley's own pages on 1 November 2026; earlier CONNECT Edition versions use the same workflow). Check the current version on Bentley's page. You can follow every lesson and every hand check with only a spreadsheet.
How do I get a free trial or student licence?
Bentley's STAAD.Pro page says you request a free trial on a form, and a Bentley representative confirms eligibility. It also offers students and educators free access through Bentley Education. Terms can change, so read them on Bentley's own pages. Never use cracked or unofficial copies.
Which design code does the course use?
The worked examples use AISC 360 steel design with ASCE 7 loads, and ACI 318 for the concrete beam, one code family per example. The steps are the same under Eurocode 3 and 2 with EN 1990 and EN 1991. Regional codes such as IS 800 and IS 456 follow the same workflow with different factors.
Can I design a real structure 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 Bentley certification?
No. The certificate is a verifiable certificate of completion from EDWartens, not a Bentley certification or a professional engineering qualification. STAAD.Pro is a trademark of Bentley Systems, named only to describe the software taught.
How long does the course take, and what certificate do I get?
About 13 hours of video and around 23 hours in total with the notes, worked problems and practice, at your own pace. Everything is free to learn. You get a verifiable certificate of completion when you finish the modules and pass the 15-question final at 60 percent. It has a unique number, a QR code and a public verification page.

Civil and structural engineer

Take it with

See the whole path

Want a live class and career support?

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module
Engineers talking beside an automation test rig, one looking up and smiling