RM Bridge Analyzer: Properties: Cross Sections

The RM Bridge Analyzer: Properties: Cross Sections menu is used for viewing the cross-sections stored in the database and managing their different parameters according to the selected sub-functions:

• Parts: Data related to the different cross-section parts are displayed. The upper table shows all defined cross-sections with the group name (Group), the individual name (Name), and the number of parts in the cross-section(Parts). The catalog name is displayed if the cross-section has been taken over from the cross-section catalog.

• Reference Sets: Reference-Sets describe points or geometric entities (e.g. cuts) in the cross-section, which get assigned certain properties. It depends on the type of reference set and how these properties are used in the program. The following types can be defined:

  • Stress point: Points where longitudinal stresses shall be calculated.
  • Geometry point: Points used for defining connections to other elements
  • Temperature point: Points for defining a non-linear temperature gradient
  • Bending reinforcement: Points for defining the position of bending reinforcement bars
  • Crack reinforcement: Points for defining reinforcement for limiting the crack width
  • Robustness reinforcement: Points for defining robustness (minimum) reinforcement
  • Longitudinal reinforcement: Points for defining longitudinal reinforcement bars
  • Torsion reinforcement: Perimeter for calculating required torsion reinforcement
  • Longitudinal shear reinforcement: Defining longitudinal reinforcement due to shear
  • Shear reinforcement for web: Defining a shear reinforcement in webs
  • Shear reinforcement for plate (Qy): Defining cut for shear reinforcement design for Qy
  • Shear reinforcement for plate (Qz): Defining cut for shear reinforcement design for Qz The upper table shows all defined cross-sections with the group name (Group), the individual name (Name), and the number of parts in the cross-section(Parts).

• Catalogue: For cross-sections taken over from the cross-section catalog the sections are parametrically defined standard sections provided internally in the program and the actual geometric parameters are shown in the bottom left table.
• FE mesh: Displays elements and nodes of the Finite Element mesh of the cross-section. Each cross-section is subdivided into 9-noded Finite Elements. The mesh is used for  calculating the cross-section values, especially the shear parameters. The lower left table contains the cross-section elements with node incidents,  the lower right table shows the node coordinates in the cross-section coordinate system.
• FEM: Parameters of the Finite Elements used in the structural analysis instead of the standard beam elements.
• Shells: Parameters of the Finite Elements Shells used in the FEM analysis with Element type, Begin and End Nodes location and Slave Nodes coordinates.