This time around I have a plate model with essentially an I-section modelled using 3 plates, top, web and bottom. My question is, is the standard BEMESS routine applicable to such web elements? I cannot seem to define reinforcement on the local “left and right” sides of the plate to help bending in the main direction.
Regarding your second image, it appears that you are trying to model three plates stacked on top of each other. How are they connected in your FE model? Have you already tried using the cross-section editor to model it as a single plate?
Thanks for replying. Yes the second image shows three plates (area elements) which are modelled along their centerlines. So their intersecting nodes are connected when meshed.
What do you mean by modelling them as a single plate using cross section editor? For this I would need to use a beam element and not a plate/area element right? Which is not what I’m after in this case.
Since posting I found that I can use Decreator to create a design element and assign a cross section to it. So I made a test model (attached) to compare the forces in a beam element and the decreator result if I were to use a plate element. I’ve done this for two support conditions, one pinned and one fixed. The supports and the design elements are shown below:
When I look at the bending moment results the pinned version seems fairly close, whereas the fixed version is a bit different (although I reckon this has to do with the fixity not restraining the flanges of the plate model and not the the design element vs beam element that I am investigating here). See the bending moment results below:
So based on the above I reckon decreator is the way to to solve this. If you have any feedback on this approach, or another approach I’d be happy to give it a try.
