Improvements and New Facilities in LUSAS Version 14.7

User Area

Software Release History - Version 14

New Facilities and Improvements in Version 14.7

Overview

Mesh-only modelling
Cursor selection filters for selection of mesh objects
Gravity loading as a property of a structural loadcase
Display of beneficial and adverse load factors
Contouring of joint results
Improved force/moment diagram labelling (released in V14.7-4)
Updated Traffic Load Optimsation facility for changes to EN1991-2 for Sweden (released in V14.7-9)

Mesh-only modelling

A new File > Import Mesh menu item allows mesh-only models to built in LUSAS by importing finite element data files created either by the prior running of an analysis in LUSAS or, more usually and beneficially, by importing data files from other supported software applications to carry-out checking of analysis results using LUSAS. Files currently supported include Abaqus input files, Ansys cdb files, and Nastran bulk data files.

Mesh-only models differ from the normal feature-based geometry models in LUSAS in that they are comprised of nodes and elements and do not contain any geometric feature types, or indeed any geometric data at all. During the mesh import process, LUSAS Modeller creates separate Groups for each element type encountered and for models created from LUSAS data file these will be familiar LUSAS element names. For models created from other third-party software they will be the names used within that system, whatever they may be. An option to create additional groups based upon the element material type is also available.

No import of any attribute data is done when element data is imported, so the mesh objects (the elements and their nodes, edges and faces) must be assigned attributes (materials, properties and thicknesses, loading and supports), prior to carrying out an analysis within LUSAS, in a similar way and as documented for a feature-based geometry model. Rather than selecting points, lines, surfaces or volumes to make an attribute assignment, the nodes, edges and faces of elements as well as the elements themselves can be selected instead.

Cursor selection filters for selection of mesh objects

Cursor selection filters now differ according to the model type in use. The existing geometry-based selection cursors remain unchanged but a new cursor menu is displayed for mesh-only models.

For mesh-only models the ordinary selection cursor (Select Any) will select only Nodes, Elements or Annotation. In addition to nodes and elements, element edges and element faces can now also be selected. The complete list of cursor selection filters (showing keyboard shortcuts) is as shown:

M – Mesh selection filter

N – Node selection filter

B – Edge selection filter

F – Face selection filter

E – Element selection filter

A – Annotation selection filter

Gravity loading as a property of a structural loadcase

As an alternative to defining gravity by specifying and assigning a constant body force to all features in a model, or by using the Bridge > Bridge loading > Gravity menu item, it can now be optionally be added to a model as a property of a structural loadcase. As a result of this new functionality, the applying of gravity loading to staged construction modelling problems with numerous loadcases is greatly simplified.

Defining gravity loading as a property of a loadcase can be done in three ways:

By selecting the the Automatically add gravity to this loadcase option on the dialog that is displayed when defining a new loadcase or displayed when editing the properties of an existing loadcase.
By selecting the Gravity menu item from the context menu for an individual loadcase.
By selecting the Add Gravity menu item from the context menu of the Structural folder in the Loadcase Treeview. This effectively sets gravity loading to be 'on' for all structural loadcases in the Treeview regardless of whether they previously had gravity loading added or not. For the special case of loadcases having nonlinear controls, gravity loading is only added to those loadcases defined with Manual incrementation and not to loadcases defined with Automatic incrementation because the latter inherit the properties of the preceding defined Manual increment


Specifying gravity for a single loadcase	Specifying gravity for all loadcases

Gravity loading is defined in accordance with the vertical axis direction that was specified either initially on the New Model dialog or subsequently on the Vertical Axis dialog accessed using the Utilities > Vertical Axis menu item. No visualisation of gravity loading on the model is provided for gravity defined as a property of a loadcase. However, the general loadcase icon will change to include a loading arrow symbol to show that gravity is included for a particular loadcase.

The worked example Staged Construction of a Concrete Tower with Creep has been updated to illustrate use of gravity loading as a property of a loadcase.

Display of beneficial and adverse Load Factors

The Combination and Envelope Results dialog associated with the Combination and envelope options object contains a new option to display beneficial/adverse factors in smart combinations. This switches the smart combination labels on the smart combination dialog and associated grid dialog from Permanent/Variable to Beneficial/Adverse.

Contouring of joint results

It is now possible to contour joint results. This is done by selecting the Stress - joints menu item in the contour dialog. Joints are drawn as coloured circles that correspond to the values shown in the contour key. The size of the circles drawn is set by the 'pen width' edit box on the contours display settings.

Improved force/moment diagram labelling (released in V14.7-4)

Improvements to force/moment diagram labelling include a new default option on the Diagram Properties dialog to enable peak values only to be displayed.

An option is also provided to allow diagram values to be a different chosen colour from the diagram itself.

Other minor changes concern default settings:

The default font size has been changed from 10 to 11
The default magnitude has been changed from 6mm to 10mm
The default number of significant figures has been changed from 6 to 4.

Updated Traffic Load Optimsation facility for Sweden EN-1991 (released in V14.7-9)

Traffic Load Optimisation facility has been updated to comply with changes made by Trafikverket (the Swedish Transport Administration). A choice can now be made between EN1991-2 Sweden (2009) or EN1991-2 Sweden (2011). Changes cover the addition of two new fixed axle prototype vehicles: (m) and (n) from Appendix 3 of TRVFS2011:12 [T1] and a reduction in the default dynamic allowance to 20%.

User Manuals

All relevant documentation has been updated for this new release and is provided in PDF format as part of any V14.7 software download file or on the V14.7 software CD. Changes have been made to the following manuals:

Modeller User Manual

Changes to Worked Examples

All examples have been reviewed and updated as required for this release. Of particular note are:

Staged Construction of a Concrete Tower with Creep: updated to illustrate use of gravity loading as a property of a loadcase

Potential issues for Windows 7 users opening PDF files referenced in CHM files

At the time of releasing the on-line help files for Version 14.7 it appears that some users on Windows 7 machines with IE9 installed may not be able to open the PDF files that are linked in the Contents panel of the LUSAS Modeller Online Help. "Microsoft HTML Help executable has stopped working" is reported when a PDF manual is clicked in the Contents panel.

If problems are found in opening these files in this way please note the following:

Uninstalling IE9 and re-installing IE8 has been found to allow the PDF files to be opened successfully from the Contents panel.
Other workarounds/solutions may be provided by Microsoft during the availability and support of this particular LUSAS software release.
All manuals are supplied in PDF format on the installation kit and these are normally installed into the <LUSAS Installation Folder> /Programs/PDF_Manuals folder.

Retired elements and facilities

None.