Cross-section Design Toolkit

This module is mentioned to do the following:

  • Create geometry of arbitrary multi-material massive, thin-walled and combined sections of bars with complex/simple, standard/non-standard shape of section.
  • Define physical and mechanical properties of materials available in the section.
  • Compute stiffness parameters of the whole section and its components, export these parameters to VISOR-SAPR module.
  • Determine stress-strain state of the section for defined forces or forces imported from VISOR-SAPR module.

Standard massive sections may be defined with prototypes saved at appropriate library: rectangle, symmetric and asymmetric T-section, symmetric and asymmetric I-section, channel section, ring, circle, box, symmetric and asymmetric cross, symmetric and asymmetric angle sections.

Library with prototypes of massive sections – asymmetric T-section
Library with prototypes of massive sections - reinforcement

Library with prototypes of massive sections

Standard steel rolled shapes are defined by direct selection from extensive library of appropriate building codes.

Sections of arbitrary shape may be generated with wide range of advanced graphic tools – generation by tangent, Bezier curves, splines, arc of ellipse and circle, etc.

Combination of these tools enables the user to generate complex sections as sets of contours with different shapes, thin strips, point and embedded reinforcement. Openings of different shape may be generated. When you generate sections of arbitrary shape, Boolean functions are applied.

To define material of the section and/or its components, extensive library of different materials is used. New materials may be added to this library. It is also possible to edit data on materials available in the library.

Library of materials – concrete
Library of materials – tile

Library of materials

Library of nonlinear stress-strain diagrams for materials is used when you generate nonlinear stiffness parameters for the section.

When computing axial, flexural, torsional and warping stiffness parameters, the program determines location of gravity centre for the whole section and direction of principal central axes of inertia, location of shear centre and torsion centre.

Arbitrary thin-walles section
Arbitrary thin-walles section

Computed linear and/or nonlinear stiffness parameters are exported to VISOR-SAPR module in order to assign them to bar elements as types of stiffness.

Define nonlinear stress-strain diagram for materials
Define nonlinear stress-strain diagram for materials

According to defined forces or forces imported from LIRA-SAPR, the program computes stress-strain state from axial, flexural, torsional and shear forces as well as bimoments. Stress-strain state is presented as mosaic and/or contour plots of normal and shear stresses in the section.

Colour palette, mosaic plot of stresses and diagrams along the specified section
Colour palette, mosaic plot of stresses and diagrams along the specified section

For a better comprehension of stress-strain state, there is an option to generate diagrams along thin-walled parts of the section or along cross-section of massive section. Principal and equivalent stresses are computed according to selected criteria of rupture and then visualized. The stress-strain state is presented together with colour palette with ranges of presented values.

Colour palette and contour plots of stresses along section
Colour palette and contour plots of stresses along section

For the sections from elastic materials, animation is available for mosaic/contour plots and diagrams according to defined DCF and DCL.

For the sections from nonlinear-deformed materials, animation of mosaic/contour plots and diagrams demonstrates changes in the stress-strain state when forces are increased and according to the specified stress-strain diagram.