Static Vehicle Loading

Static vehicle, lane, and knife edge loading types are provided for many regional codes of practice. These currently include: AASHTO LFD & LRFD (USA), BD21/97 (UK), 21/01 (UK), BD37/88 (UK), 37/01 (UK), BRO94 and BRO2002 Vehicle and Classification loads and BRO Train loading (Sweden), Korean, Israel,  Norway, HK (Hong Kong), Australia, China, Eurocode vehicle and train loading, Finland, India, New Zealand, Poland and South Africa. Additional loading types are being added all the time.

Vehicle Load Optimisation

Significant amounts of time can be saved with the optional Vehicle Load Optimisation facility which generates the worst combination of live loading. The interface consists of a series of dialogs requiring only the input of a few parameters to enable the optimised load pattern to be generated in accordance with the chosen code of practice.

Single and Multiple Stage Prestress and Post Tensioning

Single and multiple tendon prestress wizards calculate equivalent nodal loading due to tendon prestressing or post tensioning and assign these forces automatically to beam, plane stress or solid elements of the model for the current active loadcase. Computation of tendon forces can currently be carried out in accordance with AASHTO-LRFD, BS5400, Eurocode EN1992 and JTG D62-2004 design codes.

• The ability to input many hundreds of tendons in one analysis that can be assigned to many hundreds of loadcases is made easy by the use of the multiple stage prestress wizard. Through a series of dialogs, the wizard simplifies the definition of tendon profiles and properties.
• Elastic shortening losses can be specified for multiple stressing stages – useful for staged construction. Locally defined tendon profiles can be used anywhere in the model and any number of times. One very useful feature allows the tendon profile to be viewed in real-time as it is defined. Tendon material properties including short and long term losses can be specified. 
• The tendon can then be easily assigned to one or more line features on the model and, more importantly, to one or more loadcases at the same time.

Load Combinations

A key feature of LUSAS Bridge is the Basic, Smart and Code-specific load combination facilities which allow manual or fully automated assembly of design load combinations. From these, envelopes, contour and deflected shape plots, and results graphs can be readily obtained for any loadcase under consideration.

• Basic load combinations allow for manual definition of loadcases and load factors.

• The Smart Combinations facility, unique to LUSAS Bridge, automatically generates maximum and minimum load combinations from the applied loadings to take account of adverse and relieving effects. This enables the number of combinations and envelopes required to model a bridge to be substantially reduced. Absolute maximum envelopes are included.