Hello.
I created a simplified model of a hydropower plant building for which a verified and approved analysis already exists, and I wanted to compare my results with the reference model. After observing differences, I tried to make my model fully identical to the reference one.
The following are identical:
geometry;
soil conditions;
restraints;
hinges;
loads;
load combinations;
finite element types and main analysis parameters.
However, I obtain a different distribution of internal forces in the steel structure. As a result, different columns show the maximum utilization ratio in ULS (ultimate limit state check) compared to the reference model.
Specifically:
in my model, the maximum utilization is in the columns located in the middle of the edge frames (with sections rotated by 90°);
in the reference model, the main columns of some intermediate frames show the highest utilization in ULS.
Could you please advise what might be the reason for such a difference?
Happy to share any more detail if needed.
Thank you in advance,
Ioane
