Staad modleling

[kwrohde]

I am looking to purchase Staad Pro. Before I do I was looking to get a question answered. I used staad a bit in school, but only analyzed structures using stick frame models. Can staad model in 3 dimensions, specifically noting width and height of objects (not just stick frames with properties)? I want to model a bridge with steel girders with section loss and small holes in the web. Can I draw the girder to its exact dimmensions and cut out portions where section loss and holes occur? Can I draw a 3d object and apply properties to the space it inside its boundaries, such as a concrete slab?

 

[aggman]

I don't think STAAD will do what you are wanting. It sounds to me that you are wanting one of those FEA programs that ME's use, like Cosmos Works or ANSYS, although many structurals use ANSYS. STAAD and other structural programs are designed to model structures that can be represented with straight line elements. They are very powerful, and three dimensional, but not for full blown FEA (plate shell) work. What it appears you want to do, although I am not sure why you need to get this elaborate, is to do a full-blown 3D FEA (plate/shell) model of a bridge. This will require a serious amount of computing power, and someone very skilled in FEA to determine if the solution converges to an accurate one. I would encourage you to get trials of the software you are looking at purchasing and also make sure you understand how the computer is calculating the output. If the program is just for you, I would look into some other types of software that are much less expensive, that will likely serve your purposes.

 

[fleisher]

You can model exact girders with plate elements with holes or even solid elements. But as aggman stated, I don't think this is necessary. You can model a grillage system with simple beams and plates.

 

[kwrohde]

do you know where i can find info on, or a good tutorial for modeling plate and solid objects in staad?

 

[fleisher]

Try

http://www.reiworld.com/Product/AllDemo.asp

It has some good ones...