STAAD.Pro - Finite Element Modeling
Plate Elements – General
- Based on hybrid element formulation
- 3 and 4-noded elements
- Plane stress action and plate bending action both available
- Ideal for modelling “surface” structures such as walls, roof slabs, foundation slabs, etc.
- Capable of handling out-of-plane shear. So, thin and thick plates can be both modelled
Surface Elements
- Create shear walls using superelement
- Automatic meshing in the background
- Create openings, boundary lines, density/column points and wall lines
- Full design included
Modeling
- Graphical mesh generation facilities available for generating elements from complex shapes with holes
- Import of DXF files for 3D surface entities
- Degrees of freedom at nodes can be released selectively
- Constant thickness as well as linearly varying thickness between the nodes
- Nodal loads, uniform pressure over any region, trapezoidal pressure loads, surface expansion and bending temperature loads
Results and Graphical Verification
- Stress retrieval at nodes and at any point within the element
- Global corner forces
- Outputs include stress contours, animation and numeric tables
- Find total stress / forces distribution along any line
Solid Elements
- 8 noded brick elements which can be collapsed down to 6 noded elements
- Pressure loads, nodal loads, selfweight, and temperature loads
- Stress retrieval at nodes
- Outputs include stress contours, animation and numeric tables