CoP Documentation

User Manual

Content

Disclaimer 1
Introduction 2
Launch CoP 2
Design checks 2
Main window 3
Project window 12
Results and output 19
Release notes 20
References 20

Disclaimer

This software facilitates engineering studies with respect to steel constructions.

Based on calculation methods complying with the principles of the applied
standards or design recommendations, this software enables to make a certain
number of calculations and verifications in view of evaluating a solution for de-
sign. It does not enable to analyse all situations and to make in an exhaustive
way all relevant calculations needed for a complete design of a structure.

Given the complexity of the calculation methods, this software is only intended
for professional users active in the domain of steel constructions (who are fully
aware of the possibilities, limits and its adequacy thereof for specific practical
cases). The user shall use the software under his own responsibility and at his
own risks.

This software has been developed by Feldmann + Weynand GmbH (F+W),

Germany. No right is granted to the user of the software, the property and intel-
lectual rights of which continue to belong exclusively to F+W. No warranty is
granted to the user.

The user undertakes to hold F+W free and harmless from any claim and any di-
rect and/or consequential damages, in particular those resulting from an incor-
rect or inappropriate use or a use made for an inadequate or inappropriate pur-
pose.

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By using this software the user expressly declares that he has carefully read
the above text and that he thereby accepts all legal consequences and obliga-
tions resulting for him therefore.

Introduction

PURPOSE
During the so-called conversion period from the Eurocode ENV to European
Standard EN, major changes have been brought to the new Eurocode 3 EN
1993 Part 1-1 [1]. CoP is a special software package to design joints according
to the new EN version of Eurocode 3. The present user manual gives a com-
prehensive overview on how to use the software.

The application of the design methods for joints, in particular for composite
joints, is rather complex and long to apply. Therefore design tools for practition-
ers are required for a safe and economic application of the new Eurocode 3.
The software CoP has been developed in order to provide the designer a sim-
ple tool to perform a full set of design checks according to the new EN 1993-1-8
for the design of joints.

REQUIRED CONFIGURATION
The software is designed for Microsoft Windows. The software has been tested
on Windows XP. It should also run under Windows 2000, Windows Vista and
Window 7, but this is not assured. To install and run the software 512 MB
memory and 15 MB hard disk space is required.

The software is developed for the Microsoft .NET Framework. If the .NET
Framework is not yet installed, this will be done automatically during the setup
procedure. In this case additional 280 MB disk space must be available for in-
stallation.

Launch CoP

To launch CoP, click on the CoP icon on your desktop, or select “Start – Pro-
gram – Files – Feldmann + Weynand – CoP2”.

Design checks

Design rules to check the ultimate limit states (resistance and stability) of joints
given in EN 1994-1-1 and EN 1993-1-8.

The software covers two load cases:

 Construction stage

 Final stage

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Main window

GENERAL
The general layout of the main screen is similar to most software in the Win-
dows environment and includes:

Tool bar Menu bar Joint bar Title bar

One or more pro-

ject windows

Status bar

 Title bar

 Menu bar

containing File, Edit, View, Project, Joint configurations, Calculation, Tools,

Windows and Help menu

 Tool bar

including the classical Windows buttons (New, Open, Save, Print, Cut, Copy,
Paste, Undo, Redo) and 2 specific buttons activating respectively the follow-
ing modules:
o Module "Start full data check",
o Module "Start calculation to perform all design checks".

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 Joint bar

including buttons to add, delete, navigate through and select different joint
configurations.

 Project windows

 Status bar

MENU “FILE”
This includes the following items:

 "New" - re-initialise all the data in order to create another project,

 "Open" - load an existing file,

 "Close" - close the active project,

 "Close all" - close all open projects

 "Save" - save project in the active file (file name displayed in the title
bar). If no specific file name displayed, equivalent to "Save as…",

 "Save as…" - save project in a file for which the user indicates a new
file name,

 "Output" - create/display the calculation notes,

 "Output (all joint configurations)" - create/display the output for all cal-
culations,

 "Exit" - close the program.

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MENU “EDIT”
This includes the following items:

 "Undo" - undo the previously made changes

 "Redo" - redo the changes previously undone

 "Cut" - cut marked text and copy it to the clipboard

 "Copy" - copy marked text to the clipboard

 "Paste" - insert text from the clipboard.

MENU “VIEW”
This includes the following items:

 "Toolbar" - show/hide the tool bar,

 "Jointbar" - show/hide the joint bar,

 "Statusbar" - show/hide the status bar.

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MENU “PROJECT”
This includes the following items:

 "Information" - display project information (name, creation/modified

date, …),

 "Safety factors" – view/edit partial factors for the actual project,

 "Load cases" – display actual load cases (fixed data for composite
joints),

 "Connections" – global connection – a list of connection to which indi-

vidual joint may refer.

MENU “JOINT CONFIGURATIONS”

 "Add joint configuration" - add a predefined joint configuration,

 "Delete joint configuration" – delete actual joint configuration,

 "Create copy of joint configuration" – copy the actual joint configura-

tion.

MENU “CALCULATION”
This includes the following items:

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 "Start data check" - Checking all data according to the scope of appli-
cation given in Eurocode 3 [1],

 "Start calculation" - When starting the calculation, the tab sheet “Re-
sults” of the active project window is automatically opened in order to review
the main results. Note that a full data check is performed before the calcula-
tion is started.

These two menu entries have the same function than the buttons and

in the tool bar and the respective buttons on the “Results” tab sheet, see
0.

 "Calculation manager" – if more than one joint configuration is defined

in a project, the calculation manager may be used to navigate through the
different joint configurations, check the input data or run the calculations for
one or more (selected) joint configurations.

MENU “TOOLS”
This includes the following items:

 "Database"

Access to geometrical and material properties of the profile database.

 "Options":

o “General settings”
Specifications for program start and update checks.

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o “File settings"
Specifications for number of files to be shown in menu, auto save be-
haviour, specified paths for user and temporary files.

o “Language settings"
Change of program language (if more than one language is available).
The new language will be active after a restart of the application. In
addition to the program language an output language may be defined
which is used for the generation of the calculation note. The output
language is independent of the selected program language.

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o “Database settings”
Settings for user database file name and displayed warning message.

o "Unit settings"
Specification of units for all geometrical, load and material dimensions.
When units are changed, values on data sheets and drawings (when
displayed) are automatically updated according to the new unit defini-
tion.

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o "Default company settings"

Specification of default company name, address and designer. The de-
fault company settings are used for all new projects.

o “View3d settings”
Specification of 3D rendering for the graphical area such as zoom op-
tions and colour settings.

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MENU “WINDOWS”
This includes the classical following items:

 "Cascade" - displays all open projects with cascaded windows

 "Tile vertical" - displays all open projects vertically aligned

 "Tile horizontal" - displays all open project horizontally aligned

 Names of the open projects. The check mark shows the active project

The first 3 items can only be used when more than one project is opened.

MENU “HELP”
The menu includes the following items:

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 “User manual” - the present document

 “Search for updates…” – Check manually for updates (Note: The soft-
ware will check automatically at each program start for updates)

 "About…" - version number, disclaimer and information about the

technical partners

Project window

GENERAL
Open a new project by either clicking on the “New” button in the menu bar, fol-
lowing “File”-“New” or re-opening an existing project with the “Open” button or
“File”-“Open”.

When opening an existing or a new project a project window appears including

a set of tab-sheets (data input area) on the left-hand side, the graphical area
and the status and information area on the right-hand side.

Save the active project by either clicking on the "Save" button or "File"-“Save
as…” in the menu bar. When saving a project, all project data are stored in a
file having the extension “.Cop” and the project name is displayed in the title
bar.

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Graphical area

Data input

Status and information area

DATA INPUT AREA

In this area all input data are specified by the user. Here all details concerning
joint configuration, member and connection details are entered.

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Tab sheet “General”

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Tab sheet “Members”

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Tab sheet “Connection”

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Tab sheet “Loading”

Tab sheet “Results”

The “Results” tab sheet contains the “Check data”, “Start calculation” and
“Show output” buttons.

To view a detailed calculation note, press the “Show output” button.

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GRAPHICAL AREA
The graphical area on the top right-hand side displays the defined member sys-
tem and its loadings. Reactions and chosen number of check points can be
displayed by selecting the corresponding buttons at the bottom of the graphical
area. A click on any of the input data in the graphical area activates automati-
cally the corresponding numerical data input field in the tab sheets. The graph-
ical data corresponding to the active data input field is highlighted in red colour.

STATUS AND INFORMATION AREA

General
The software will perform three different levels of data checks:

 On-line (immediate) checks

During data input the software will automatically check the consistency of the
data. If a problem occurs during this check, it is being indicated next to the
corresponding data input field.

 Full data check (prior to the calculation)

At any time the user can start the full data check by clicking on the corre-
sponding buttons (on main tool bar or “Results” tab sheet) or by pressing
“F8” on the keyboard.

 Data checks during the calculation

Because of performance reasons, in some cases, specific checks will only

be performed during the calculation as for these checks more complete cal-
culations are required.
The results of all types of data checks are displayed in the warning/error table
and log messages respectively being part of the status and information area.

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Warning/error table
The warning/error table on the bottom left-hand side indicates errors , warn-
ings or hints of the on-line data checks. For more details, just move the
mouse arrow on the error text, warning or hint and a detailed text will appear.
With a double click on the or in the "data messages", the corresponding
data in the tab sheet is activated automatically.

Log Messages:
The log messages provide a record of events during the full data check or cal-
culation process.

Results and output

Available data and results after having executed a calculation, can be viewed,
saved and/or printed at any time. The result information is provided in a com-
plete calculation note. The calculation note can be created by either using the
menu bar "File" - "Output", the "Show output" button on the tab sheet "Results”
or the "Output" button in the tool bar. A scroll list at the bottom of the "Output"
window allows defining different output levels and output settings.

 "Output level"

o "System and detailed results"

o "System and results"
o “System"

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 "Output settings"

o “Output level” (same as described before)

o “Page numbering”
o “User defined paragraph numbering”
o “Text black & white only”
The calculation note is re-generated after executing changes of the “Output
level” or “Output settings”.

Release notes

Release notes (history file) can be found at:

http://cop.fw-ing.de/en/download/documentation

References

[1] Eurocode 3; Design of steel structures. Part 1-1, General rules and rules
for buildings, EN 1993-1-1, CEN, Brussels, May 2005.

[2] Eurocode 3; Design of steel structures. Part 1-8, Design of Joints,

EN 1993-1-8, CEN, Brussels, October 2005.

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