Bridges & Civil Nonlinearities Solution - Capabilities
MODELING (PREPROCESSOR)
Cross section definition
Definition of common bridge cross sections by specifying basic dimensions.
- Slab cross sections.
- Box cross sections.
- Solid or hollow sections. This capability allows the user
to define hollow or solid sections for a particular mileage point.
- Possibility
of defining
different depth for the cross sections along the bridge.
Definition of bridges with composite section.
- Beams (with or without bracing)
and concrete slab (symmetric or not)
- Concrete slab (symmetric or not) and
trapezoidal metallic box.
Automatic "mesh" generation for the defined sections
to calculate section properties. Any generic bridge section can be easily defined
through the GUI.
Layout definition
Definition of mileage points that represent the structure axis in both
plan and elevation views independently. The software later creates automatically
the 3D alignment of the structure.
Plan view:
- Defined by means of engineering parameters (MP, clothoid parameters,
curvature radius, etc.)
- It is possible to define straight lines, arcs and
clothoids to describe the layout in plan view.
Elevation view:
- Defined by means of engineering parameters (MP, slope %, etc.)
- It is possible to define the elevation view by means of straight lines
and parabolic fillet.
Mileage points in plan and elevation view
3D Model Generation
The program allows generating the complete geometrical model of the structure from the cross sections definition.
- Section location
- Offsets: allows the definition of an offset with respect to the road axis
- Banks and section′s transition (straight segments, splines, etc).
Definition of support situation (boundary condition). Automatic
Generation
of the Finite Element Model
- Beam element model: Allows for a trial and error
process using beam elements.
- Automatic discretization of the beam elements
cross sections (allows for analysing section internal behaviour using beam
elements)
- Solid element model: More accurate design can be performed using
SOLID elements by only changing the element type and running again.
- Elements
188 and 189 allow the visualization of the structure.
Automatic FE model generation
Meshing
The program offers two modelling options:
- Only the solid model is created. In this case the user can use the corresponding
CivilFEM commands to mesh the model.
- Create the solid modelling and
the complete Finite Element Model. In this option the Finite Element model
is automatically generated.
It is possible to generate the Finite Element
model using both Beam and Solid elements.
Construction sequence analysis
Simulation of real non-linear construction process taking advantage of
CivilFEM′s time-dependent material properties and the possibility of activating
and deactivating elements and materials during the analysis.
Each construction
step has a time associated to it. In such way it allows for the calculation
of all material ages that constitute the model.
Bridge model wizard
Suspension bridge:
- Concrete section.
- Steel section.
- Composite section.
- Optimization of the initial tension of cables.
Arch bridge:
- Entering the number of segments and the corresponding data, it generates
the entire bridge model for both 3D beam and solid elements.
- Top bridge floor.
- Intermedium bridge floor.
- Low bridge floor.
Cable Stayed bridge:
- Cable disposition possibilities.
- Several kinds of connection between bridge floor and mast.
- Optimization of the dimensions of the bridge.
- Unlimited number of towers, variable cross sections, vertical or inclined
with different cable arrangements.
LOADS
Moving load generator
Automatically generates the required loadsteps for one or more vehicles moving
throughout the bridge deck taking into account:
- Vehicle type: Rigid or flexible
(vehicle which adapts to the path -trains-).
- Number of vehicles crossing
the bridge simultaneously. The vehicles can be of different types (different
number of wheels, axis, weight, etc).
- Vertical and horizontal loads (starting
and breaking loads).
Data base of standard design codes vehicle loads (Caltrans,
AASHTO, High-speed trains, etc.) and possibility of defining any generic vehicle
with its corresponding load pattern.
Loads are automatically combined during
postprocessing using the smart combination tool of CivilFEM.
Surface loads
The program automatically generates the loads corresponding to all kinds
of surface loads that may act over the bridge deck (traffic, snow, etc) taking
into account:
- Vertical and horizontal loads (starting and breaking loads).
- The most unfavourable case scenario for these loads (loading
all the bridge deck or only a part of it).
Definition of an overload grid over the deck
Prestressed Loads (please refer to the Prestressed Concrete Module to more advanced features)
Introduction of pretensioned cables along the structure.
The program calculates an equivalent system of forces at each node of
the element crossed by the tendon.
3D Spline generation for tendons
User-defined loads
The user can create its own user loads and assign them to the bridge
model.
Loads combinations
The program performs the solution/analysis of all the loads applied on
the structure using the load generator as well as the user-defined loads. The
different types of loads are combined using the capabilities of CivilFEM combination
module that will look for the worst load case scenario according to meet
user-defined targets (maximum bending moments, minimum reaction, maximum displacements and
so on).
ANALYSIS AND RESULTS (POSTPROCESSOR)
Non linear analysis
Changes in the cross section geometry and time-dependent
properties due
to construction processes
Large Deflection Buckling of Concrete Beam Elements,
Non-linear redistribution analysis and Cracking and Yielding Phenomena
Creep
and Shrinkage.
Dynamic analysis
In addition to all CivilFEM dynamic analysis features, a transient
analysis can be automatically performed for the traffic loads. Possibility
of introducing the vehicle′s velocity while defining the moving loads.
Checking & Design
It is possible to check and design the bridge model according to codes
both for a solid model (using solid elements) and for a beam
model (using beam
elements).
- Serviceability Limit State : Checking of cracking according to
codes
- Ultimate Limit State: Checking and design of the bridge reinforcement
according to codes, taking into account all the loads applied over the structure.
Moment-Curvature Diagrams
CivilFEM allows the calculation of the real moment-curvature diagram
for a given section.
