Can anyone tell me what is the preffered aspect ratio of plate element and solid element in STAAD V8i??? Ansys specifies when h/l of the element is more than 1/10 its solid element and when its less than 1/10 its plate element..is there anything in staad?
The rules ought to be the same for most programs since most of them use similar theory for their plate and solid elements. STAAD says its elements have some capacity to handle shear deformation, so, even if the thickness is so large that the h/t ratio becomes less than 10, the plate element ought to be able to handle it. Shear deformation is built into solid element theory.
In STAAD.Pro V8i, for plate elements, an aspect ratio close to 1 (square plates) is preferred, but ratios up to 1:1.5 or 1:2 are generally acceptable. For solid elements, cubic shapes are ideal, but elongated elements with aspect ratios not exceeding 1:3 or 1:4 can be used. These guidelines ensure reasonable accuracy but can vary based on specific analysis requirements.