I'm trying to model the bridge piers as shown in attachment( sorry I couldn't reverse it)but not sure which element, beam or solid, shoul I use. If using beam element, how can I define a trapezoid section regarding to the geometry of the pier? Any idea would be appreciated.
Thank you!
If you are comfortable with solid elements then this seems like a good case to use them (the depth of the members approximates the length).
Using tapered members for the flanges of the T and a stick model like the image would be simpler, however.
Answer Verified By: Xiaochen Feng