Glad we were able to help!
Happy New Year!
Cheers,
Chris
Given your response that you are interested in modeling one simply supported plank, it has me wondering whether you are trying to design the walls/framing that support the plank, or if you are trying to simulate the behavior of the plank itself.
If you are trying to design the supporting structure, then the model below is a very simple start. On the other hand, if you are actually trying to simulate the plank itself, then that becomes more of a modeling exercise, and I would want to know more about what analysis results you would be looking for before I suggest some potential methods of doing this.
STAAD SPACE START JOB INFORMATION ENGINEER DATE 30-Dec-09 END JOB INFORMATION INPUT WIDTH 79 UNIT METER KN JOINT COORDINATES 1 0 0 0; 2 10 0 0; 3 0 5 0; 4 10 5 0; 5 0 0 8; 6 10 0 8; 7 0 5 8; 8 10 5 8; MEMBER INCIDENCES 1 3 4; 2 1 3; 3 2 4; 4 7 8; 5 5 7; 6 6 8; 7 3 7; 8 4 8; MEMBER PROPERTY AMERICAN 1 4 7 8 TABLE ST W18X55 2 3 5 6 TABLE ST W14X90 DEFINE MATERIAL START ISOTROPIC STEEL E 1.99947e+008 POISSON 0.3 DENSITY 76.8191 ALPHA 6e-006 DAMP 0.03 END DEFINE MATERIAL CONSTANTS MATERIAL STEEL ALL SUPPORTS 1 2 5 6 FIXED LOAD 1 LOADTYPE None TITLE LOAD CASE 1 ONEWAY LOAD YRANGE 4 6 ONE -7.5 GY TOWARDS 1 PERFORM ANALYSIS FINISH
Hi and welcome to STAAD.Pro!
I don't have any hollow core models developed yet, but it is an area of interest to me, as I have had experience designing block and plank dormitories.
Here are my thoughts:
If the design intent is to assume that the hollowcore plank is simply supported and spans in only one direction, I have come to the conclusion that the most efficient method of modeling these structures is to use a loading command such as FLOOR LOAD to distribute the applied loads (including allowance for self weight and topping, if any) without actually modeling the planks themselves. Then I would model the rigid diaphragm effects with a Master - Slave specification.
If the design intent is to assume that the hollowcore plank ispans in multiple directions (plate action), then it would be necessary to model the plank as a mesh of plate elements, and properties would have to be provided in both plan directions.
So let's start with those thoughts first, and if you're interested in filling me in on your design philosophy, then I can mock up a model to get you started.
If you're interested in any of our STAAD.Pro courses, here is a link to our Learning Path that will let you know what we have to offer, what the courses cover, when and how they are delivered, etc:
http://www.bentley.com/en-US/Training/Products/Resources/Courses/Paths/STAAD.Pro+Structural/STAAD+Structural+Training.htm