SAPFIR 2021 R1 Release Notes

Structural engineering software LIRALAND Group

Last updated: 13 January, 2023

Preprocessor LIRA-CAD

  • Option to present local axes of columns, beams, slabs and walls. To modify direction for local axes of objects, it is possible to invert direction of walls and beams. For local axes of slabs, you could define direction for unification of axes: just rotate the axes by certain angle.
  • New options to define direction of local axes for springs (FE 55).
  • Directly in SAPFIR module it is possible to define parameters for analysis of theoretical bearing capacity of pile foundation by the soil model. You could also subtract one pile array from another and create an opening in the pile array.
  • Enhanced tool 'Space':
    • option to select the load case for the load from space;
    • with the 'Floor' option it is possible to define the floor structure within the space. Then the floor will be converted to the uniformly distributed load the value of such load will be computed.

Load from floor

Generating the load from floor in properties of Space

  • Option to define the unit weight for windows and doors. The load from a glass unit, steel profile or door leaf may be optionally applied in two ways: as concentrated loads at the edges of the window / door opening or as linear load along the opening.

Loads from windows

How to define unit weight of the glass unit in the properties of opening

  • For loads distributed across the area, there are enhanced Boolean operations: union, subtraction, cutting along a line.
  • New tools to generate triangulation lines in straight segments of walls. On the triangulation line in walls (subObjects), the tools that provide modification are expanded (move, copy, duplicate using an array).

Triangulation lines for walls

Triangulation lines for walls

  • Option to create triangulation area with arbitrary contour for slabs. Within such triangulation area, you can define triangulation step that will differ from triangulation step for the main slab. For such triangulation area it is also possible to define individual orientation for the local axes.
  • In addition to the auto generation of triangulation points over the column supports, there is an option to automatically generate triangulation areas over walls. For selected walls, triangulation areas are generated by defining the indents from the wall into 4 directions. Local axes may be displayed for the generated triangulation areas. Even for the physical model, in the properties of the local axes, you can define an individual triangulation step for such an area and the angle of axes unification.
  • New option to smooth triangular and quadrangular FE mesh. The developed algorithm makes it possible to improve the shape of finite elements. To improve the quality of the shape for the elements adjacent to the node, the nodes are moved. Triangular elements are united into quadrangular elements. Improving the quality of triangulation allows you to reduce the stress and, accordingly, necessary area of reinforcement in the design model.
FE mesh with smoothing
FE mesh with smoothing
FE mesh with smoothing
Smoothing the triangulation mesh
  • Option to copy several objects located at different storeys.
  • Option 'Cut selected objects by storey levels' will help you to cut by storey levels the walls, columns and beams generated within the several storeys in height. After the procedure, several objects will be generated and placed to appropriate storeys.
  • Enhanced tool 'Inclined slab':
    • option to define boundary conditions and support conditions for the edges of slab;
    • option to define loads (dead, live, short-term) applied to inclined slab and indicate load case for every load type;
    • new method for generation of inclined slab – with arbitrary snap.
  • In Properties for the project there are tolerance values that were previously defined for the program:
    • сoefficient for aligning slabs by walls;
    • the nearest analytical level (tolerance to generation of offsets for slabs, tolerance to extension of walls up to slabs);
    • min and max lengths of joints;
    • min height of the platform elements;
    • grip area for finding panels in auto generation of joints;
    • max gap between panels when joint layout is selected.
  • Stiffness FE type 309 (geometrically nonlinear arbitrary 3D bar with large displacements) may be assigned to columns and beams. Stiffness FE type 309 may be computed from parameters of the object. Any parameter of stiffness may be reduced/increased with coefficients to stiffness. It is also possible to define the stiffness parameters for the object manually.
  • Option to define design parameters for the check and/or selection of steel sections for trusses.
  • Hinges are defined in terms of hinges in VISOR-SAPR module. Hinge is taken to mean that there is no stiffness or there is limited stiffness for the restraint between one of bar ends and model node. The hingle may be imposed at the beginning and/or at the end of the bar by any DOF in local coordinate system of the bar. The hinges may be either angular (about axes UX1, UY1, UZ1) or linear (along axes X1, Y1, Z1). It is also possible to remove restraint W – to allow free warping of cross-sections of bar ends.

Defining hinges for bars

Option to define hinges for bars

  • In SAPFIR settings there is a new option – default layer, when the object is generated it will be placed at this layer. New layer is generated by the type of generated object: layer of columns, layer of walls, layer of beams, etc.
  • The structure itself and the meshed model may be visualized in colour according to the object type, in random colours, in colours of materials and in colours of stiffness. Such colour presentation may be transferred to VISOR-SAPR module as the colours of structural blocks (colour by type of object and colour by type of material) or as colours of stiffness values.

Meshed model in colours of stiffnesses

FEM model in colours of stiffness values

  • Updated filter by parameters of objects: all objects are added and all parameters available for these objects. It is possible to select subObjects (points/lines of triangulation, local coordinate systems, punching shear contours) by different criteria.
  • In filter by parameters there is an option to visualize parameters of the objects in colour. You could select any parameter (thickness, cross-section, material, FE type, support, etc.) and visualize the range of values for this parameters in appropriate colour palette.

Contour plot

Mosaic plot with assigned support options

  • In properties of objects (beams, columns, slabs, walls), the support option may be defined 'Coupled DOF along X and Y' and 'User-defined coupled DOF' where you could specify directions by which DOF should be coupled.
  • Option to generate the summary table with all elements of steel section in the model. For steel sections, the following data is displayed in the table: element tag, object name, assigned cross-section, length and mass. You could arrange elements by storey, layer, type of object and generate the summary table only for elements selected on the model. Analysis results for checked and selected sections may be imported from VISOR-SAPR to SAPFIR module. In this case, the program will display shapes for which the check/selection procedure was carried out in VISOR-SAPR module and check/selection results by ULS, SLS and LB. Shapes highlighted in the list may be replaced with selected ones.
  • Schedule of rolled steel to check the theoretical consumption of steel (rolled shapes) for elements of steel structures. The schedule contains the following data: shape name, name or tag for the steel, number or dimensions of the shape, mass for the steel by elements of the structure, total mass, total length and number of elements of certain dimension-type. The schedule of elements may be generated by storeys, types of objects (columns, beams, trusses, beam systems) and by elements selected on the model as well.
  • Calculator of toal loads enables the user to obtain information about all loads defined in the project. Information is presented as the summaty table: the sum of projection of loads onto coordinate axes in global coordinate system. The contents in the summary table may be arranged by storeys, load cases, layers of simulation and selected elements. Information about loads may be obtained both in physical and meshed models.
  • In addition to existing dynamic modules, it is possible to define the input data for the following dynamic loads: modal analysis (100), three-component accelerogram (29) and earthquake (response-spectrum) - (41). For existing dynamic modules, number of dynamic load accepted in VISOR-SAPR is added to SAPFIR.

Input data for dynamic loads

Input data for dynamic modules

  • In addition to the algorithm for collection of wind load, the wind pressure may be defined in tabular format. When the wind pressure and elevation are defined, the wind speed corresponding to this pressure is calculated automatically. If you define the wind speed and elevations, the wind pressure is calculated automatically. The calculated values are applied as the load to the elements of design model depending on selected application method (to walls, at the ends of floor slabs). It is possible to calculate the wind load by specifying max height of the building, the width of the building perpendicular to the wind load and the storey height. On the right, in the graphic area, the curve for the distribution of wind pressure along the height of the building is displayed. This curve can be edited graphically.

Wind pressure defined in tabular format

Wind pressure defined in tabular format

  • Table of skews for vertical elements.
  • Nonlinear stiffnesses may be transferred to VISOR-SAPR with the specified diagrams of concrete, reinforcement, creep. Histories of nonlinear loadings may be generated.

Input data for nonlinear analysis.png

Input data for nonlinear analysis

  • Regular object is introduced. When the model is generated, the user could define parameters that will describe the regular object (for example, material and section for columns), specify appropriate values and save such object. If you need to input such an object once more, you do not need to define parameters again, just select a saved regular object. It is possible to save a set of regular objects and use them in other projects.
  • New command 'Select similar'. In the 'Filter by parameters' dialog box you could define parameters by which the objects should be considered as similar. It is also possible to create your own filter by criteria and activate it directly from the shortcut menu in the working area of the problem.
  • Export of multiple drawings to PDF, DXF and DWG. Option to export several or all drawings rather than only one current drawing.
  • User-defined tables may be generated on the drawing.

Design of RC structures

  • Generation of formwork drawings.
  • New tool 'Embedded items' to indicate notations for embedded items on the formwork drawings of RC elements: floor slabs, walls, shear walls, etc.
    Library of embedded items includes the most popular ones. The library file may be expanded and modified. Embedded items are displayed schematically on the formwork drawing. The number of items is presented in the schedule for the slab.
  • Additional reinforcement for the floor slab may be arranged automatically. Zones of additional reinforcement are set according to the colour ranges on mosaic plot of reinforcement.
Last updated: 13 January, 2023

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