10 SpaceTrussandSpaceFrameAnalysis

10.1 Introduction
Onedimensionalmodelscanbeveryaccurateandverycosteffectiveintheproperapplications.Forexample, ahollowtubemayrequiremanythousandsofelementstomatchitsgeometry,eventhoughyouexpectits stressestobeconstant.Atruss(bar)orframe(beam)elementcanaccountforthegeometryexactlyandgive exactstressresultsanddeflectionswithjustahandfulofequationstosolve.InSWSimulation,trussand frameelementsareavailableonlyforstatic(constantacceleration),naturalfrequency,buckling,ornonlinear studies.ItisrecommendedthatyoureviewtheSolidWorksweldmentstutorialbeforeusingtrussesorframes. Thetrusselementisaverycommonstructuralmember.Atrusselementisa"twoforcemember".Thatis,itis loadedbytwoequalandoppositecollinearforces.Thesetwoforcesactalongthelinethroughthetwo connectionpointsofthemember.Theconnectionpoints(nodes)areaconcurrentforcesystem.Thatis,the jointstransmitonlyforces.Momentsarenotpresentatthejointsofatruss.ThetrusselementsinSW Simulationareallspacetrusselements.TherearethreedisplacementDOFateachnode(seetherightsideof Figure31),anduptothreereactionforcesatarestrainedjoint.Aspacetrusshassixrigidbodymotions,allof whichmustberestrainedinananalysis.ThespacetrussandspaceframemodelsarecreatedinSWSimulation by3Dlinesketches.Foratrussthelinesmustexactlymeetatcommonpoints(joints).Thelinesofthespace framemodelscanmeetatcommonpointsand/orterminateasanintersectionoftwolines.Toavoid numericalillconditioning,itisbestifaspaceframedoesnothavetwojointsveryclose(say,thewidthofthe crosssection)toeachother.IfthatisnecessarySWSimulationtakesspecialactiontobuildthefiniteelement modelthere. Thelinethatrepresentsatrussorframememberhastobelocatedrelativetothecrosssectionofthe member.Whereitintersectsthecrosssectioniscalledthepiercepoint.Fortrussesitisimportantthatthe piercepointbeatthecentroidofthecrosssection.Thathappensautomaticallywhenyouuseabuiltinlibrary shape.Ifyouconstructacrosssectionmakesurethatthetrusspiercepointisatthecentroid.Ifthepierce pointisnotatthecentroid,asintherightofFigure101,thenanaxialloadwillcausebendingstressesto developandtobesuperimposedontheaxialstress.Thatisallowedinframeelementsbutnottrusselements.

Figure101Centroidal(truss)andeccentric(beam)crosssectionpiercepoints

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Clearly,theelasticbarisaspecialformofatrussmember.Toextendthestiffnessmatrixofabartoinclude trussesintwoorthreedimensionsbasicallyrequiressomeanalyticgeometry.Consideraspacetruss segmentinglobalspacegoingfrompoint1at(x1, y1, z1)topoint2at(x2, y2, z2).Thelengthoftheelement betweenthetwopointshascomponentsparalleltotheaxesofLx = x2 x1, Ly = y2 y1, Lz = z2 z1andthe totallengthisL2= (L2x + L2y + L2z).Thedirectioncosinesaredefinedastheratioofthecomponentlength incrementsdividedbythetotallengthoftheelement.Theyareusedtotransformabarstiffnessmatrixtothe spacetrussstiffnessmatrix.For2Dproblemsonlyoneangleisrequiredtodescribethememberdirection.A trusselementstiffnessrequiresonlythematerialelasticmodulus,E,thecrosssectionalarea,A,andthe memberlength,L.Aspaceframeelementalsorequiresthethreegeometricmomentsofinertiaofthecross section.Twoinertiasareneededforthetransversebending,andthethirdisneededfortorsionaleffects.The SWSimulationframeelementalsoutilizesthematerialsPoissonsratio.Themassdensity,,isneededfor gravity(acceleration)loads,ornaturalfrequencycomputations. Ifyoucombinethebarmember,whichcarriesonlyloadsparalleltoitsaxis,andabeamwhichcarriesonly loadstransversetoitsaxisyougetthesocalledbeamcolumnelement.Whendeflectionsarelarge,the iterativesolutionupdatestheaxialloadinabeamandtheycansignificantlyaffecttheresults.Addingthe abilitytocarrytorsionmomentsalongtheelementextendsthebehaviortoaspaceframe.Inotherwords,a spaceframeisacombinationofindividualbeamcolumnelementsthatresistsloadingsbyacombinationof bending,axialmemberforces,andtransverse(shear)forces,andaxialtorsion.Therefore,itisamoreefficient structurethanaspacetrusselement.

10.2 Staticallydeterminatespacetruss
ConsiderthesimplesymmetricspacetrussshowninFigure102.Ithastwohorizontalmembers,denotedby a,andaninclinedmember,b,intheverticalmidplane.Thetrusshasthreeimmovablerestraints(atthe dashedcircles)andaverticalpointload,P=1,000lbatthefreenode.Thedimensionsareshowninthefigure. Themembersaresquarehollowtubes,withthehorizontalpairbeing2x2x0.25inches,andtheother4x4x 0.25inches.AllthreemembersaremadeofASTMA36steel.

Figure102Thesimplestspacetruss

10.2.1 Constructthespacetruss
Theconstructionofthe3DlinemodelsisdoneinSolidWorksbymeansofa3DSketch:

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1. Insert 3DSketch.Insertconstructionlinesalongeachoftheaxestohelplocatenodes.Addand dimensionadditionalconstructionlinesineachcoordinateplane. 2. Inthe3DSketch Lines.DrawonelinetoopentheLinePropertiespanel. 3. ExpandtheAdditionalParametersoptiontoprovideaccesstotheendpointsofthefirstelement.

4. Specifythecoordinatesofthestartingpointand/ortheendingpointand/ortheincrementsin coordinatesfromoneend.Spotchecktheelementlengthvalue.ClickOK. 5. Repeatfortheotherelements(orreviewthe3Dsketchtutorialforotherapproaches). Afterallthespacetrusslineelementshavebeenlocated,andsaved,thenexttaskistolookuporconstruct eachmemberscrosssection: 1. View Toolbars WeldmentsandclickStructuralMember. 2. IntheStructuralMemberpanel,Selections Type Squaretube.Pulldowntothe2x2x0.25inches size.Selectthetwohorizontalelementsasthepathsegments.

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3. UnderSettings ApplycornertreatmentandclickonendmiterandOK. 4. IntheStructuralMemberpanelSelections Type Squaretube.Pulldowntothe4x4x0.25inches sizeforthecompressionmember. 5. Selecttheinclined,verticalplane,elementasthepathsegment.ClickOK.

10.2.2 Createthestudy
IntheSWSimulationmenu: 1. Rightclickonthestudyname Study Static Beammesh. 2. Inthenewstudy,rightclickonBeams Treatallstructuralmembersasbeams.Thethreespacetruss membersappearasabeamslist. 3. Selectallthreebeams,Editdefinition Truss.ClickOK. 4. RightclickonBeams ApplyMaterial Library Steel ASTMA36,clickOK. 5. RightclickonJoints Edit All Calculate.SWSimulationcalculatesanddisplaysallfourjoints.(You canmanuallypickjointsaswell).

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6. ExternalLoads Force.IntheForcepanel SelectJoints.PicktheonefreenodeandselecttheFront planetosetthedirection.ClickOK.

7. Selectlbunits,andsetavalueof1,000lbastheverticalcomponent. 8. Fixture Immovable,selectthethreewalljoints.Theypreventthethreerigidbodytranslationsand threerotations.ClickOK.

9. Mesh CreateMesh.Therearenomeshcontroloptionsfortrusses.Theadditionalcreatednodes allowmoredisplacementvectordisplays. 10. Run.SWSimulationcalculatesthespacetrussjointlocationsandtheirdisplacements.

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10.2.3 Postprocessing
10.2.3.1 Displacements IntheSimulationMenu: 1. RightclickResults ListDisplacementsforoptions.(Or,useProbe.) 2. Listoptions Extremes,1percent(therearemorethan4nodesnow). 3. Listset Displacement,andclickOK.Viewthelistresults.

4. Results DefineDisplacementPlot URES,selectFringedisplay.

5. RepeatwithVectordisplay.

10.2.3.2 Reactions IntheSimulationMenu: 1. RightclickListDisplacementsforoptions. 2. Listoptions Fromnode1tonode34(themeshgeneratorcreatedadditionalnodes). 3. Listset Reactionforces,clickOK.Verifythesumis1e5lb,upward.

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4. Results DefineDisplacementPlot RFRESselectVectordisplay.

10.2.3.3 Spacetrussmemberstresses

IntheSimulationMenu:DoubleclickonStress1toshowthedefaultplot.Selectdifferentviewpoints,asin Figure103.Notethateachtrussmemberhasaconstantaxialstresslevel,eventhoughithasmultiple elementscreatedbythemeshgenerationtoallowbetterdisplacementplots.Themaximumtensionstressis about3.9e4psiandthemaximumcompressionstressisabout3.4e4psi.Theyieldstressisabout3.6e4psiso theresultsarebeyondtheelasticlimit(FOS<1),butbelowthe5.8e4psitensilestrength.Thehigh compressionstressinaslendermembersuggeststhatyoushouldreallyworryaboutbuckling.Bucklingof thissystemwillbecheckedinalatersection.

Figure103Trimetricandfrontviewsoftrussmembersaxialstress

Here,themembersizesshouldbeincreased,andgravityloadsshouldbeincludedinarevisedanalysis.It wouldbedifficulttoconstructthecommonjointasapinnedconnection.Forthisloadstateandthesmall deflectionsobtained,thesystemdoesnotappeartomeritreanalysisasaspaceframe.

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10.3 Staticallyindeterminatespaceframe
10.3.1 Supportsettlementloadcase
Consideranunequallegplanarframethatistobesubjecttoatransverseforce.ThecrosssectionisanISO80 x80x5mmsquaretube.Thetallverticallegis15ft,theshortone10ftandthetopmember12ftlong.A surveyshowsthatthesupportfortheshorterleghassettledandimposedaverticaldownwarddisplacement of0.45inchandaclockwiserotationof0.02radiansnormaltotheplaneoftheframe.Beforeconsideringthe transverseloadastudyneedstoberuntoestablishthedeflectionsandstressesintroducedbythenonrigid supportdisplacement. Drawanddimensionthethreelinesdefiningtheframe: 1. View Toolbars WeldmentsandclickStructuralMember. 2. IntheStructuralMemberpanel,Selections Standards ISO.

3. InSelections Type Squaretube.Pulldowntothe80x80x5mmsize. 4. Selectallthreelinesegmentstheasthepathsegments. 5. UnderSettings ApplycornertreatmentandclickonendmiterandOK. IntheSWSimulationmenu: 1. Rightclickonthestudyname Study Static Beammesh. 2. Inthenewstudy,rightclickonBeams Addbeam.Selectoneoftheframelines.Itappearsinthe Beamspanellistofmembers. 3. RightclickonBeams Treatallstructuralmembersasbeams.Allthreespaceframemembersappear nowinthebeamslist. 4. Selectallthreebeams,Editdefinition Beam.ClickOK. 5. RightclickonBeams ApplyMaterial Library Steel ASTMA36,clickOK. 6. RightclickonJoints Edit All Calculate.SWSimulationcalculatesanddisplaysallfourjoints(you canmanuallypickjointsaswell). 7. Fixture Fixed.Pickthelowerleftsupportasanencastre(fixedsupport).Thispreventsallthreerigid bodytranslationsandthreerotations.ClickOK.Changetherestraintname(intheSWSimulation

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8. Specifythenonzerosupportsettlements.Fixture UseReferenceGeometry.

9. Pickthelowerrightjoint,selectedtheFrontPlaneasthereferencegeometry(fromtheSolidWorks menu,orbyexpandingtheparttreeinthegraphicsarea). 10. SettheTranslationsasdownward0.45inch,andtheRotationnormaltothefrontplane(zaxis)as 0.02radiansclockwise.Greensymbolsappearatthetwosettlements.Nametherestraint Settlement.

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11. Fixture UseReferenceGeometry.SelecttheFrontPlane.SetthezerovaluesfortheotherfourDOF atthatjoint,changetheircolortoblue.NametherestraintNo_Settlement.

12. Mesh CreateMesh.Therearenomeshcontroloptionsforframes.Theadditionalcreatednodes allowmoredisplacementvectordisplays,andbettervaryingmemberstressdisplays. 13. Run.SWSimulationcalculatesthespaceframejointlocationsandcomputesthedisplacements.

10.3.2 Settlementloadcasepostprocessing
10.3.2.1 Displacements Therearenumeroustabulatedframeresultsgivenin[11].IntheSimulationmenuselectResults Define DisplacementPlot URES,selectFringe,andrepeatwithVectorselected.Inthiscasealltranslational displacementsareintheplaneoftheframe:

10.3.2.2 Stresses

Forframemembersyoucanhaveaxialstress,torsionalstress,andtwoflexuralstressescombined.Therefore, thefailurecriterionvariesoverthecrosssectionalarea.Itcanalsovaryoverthelengthofeachelement.At eachendofanelementSWSimulationcomputesthestressatfour(ormore)locations.SWSimulationcan displaythestresscomponents,likeaxial,and/ortheworststressvalue: Draft10.2Copyright2009.Allrightsreserved. 167

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2. IntheStressPlotpanel,pulldownWorstcase,setunitstopsi.ClickOK.Reviewthedefaultplot.

3. RightclickontheStressPlotname Probe.Selecteachnodeontherightlegfromsupporttocorner. Pickgraphicon,clickOK.

4. IntheStressPlotpanel,pulldownAxial.ClickOK.

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10.3.2.3 Reactions IntheSimulationMenu: 5. RightclickListDisplacementsforoptions. 6. Listoptions Fromnode1tonode23(themeshgeneratorcreatedadditionalnodes).List set Reactionforces,clickOK.

10.3.3 Settlementwithtransversejointforceloadcase
Thetotalreactionforceabovewasabout200lb.Now,anormaljointforceof200lb.issuperimposedonthe previoustoseetheoutofplanedisplacementsofthisspaceframe: 1. ExternalLoads Force.IntheForcepanel SelectJoints.PickthetopleftjointandselecttheFront planetosetthedirection.

2. 3. 4. 5.

PickthedirectionasNormalto,andsettheForceto200lb.ClickOK. Mesh CreateMesh.Therearenomeshcontroloptionsforframes. Run Results DefineDisplacementPlot URES,selectVector.Lookatthetrimetricandtopviews. Draft10.2Copyright2009.Allrightsreserved. 169

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10.3.3.1 Stresses

Theoutofplanestressesaresuperimposedonthepreviousonesabove.Thereforetheworststresseswillvary morearoundtheperimeterofthecrosssection.Someregionswillhavehigherfailurecriterionwhileothers havereducedvalues.Rechecktheshorterrightlegstressvalues: 1. Results DefineStressPlot

2. IntheStressPlotpanel,pulldownWorstcase,setunitstopsi.ClickOK. 3. RightclickontheStressPlotname Probe.Selecteachnodeontherightlegfromsupporttocorner. Pickgraphicon,clickOK.Thevalueshaveincreasedbyabout50%arevarymorewithlocation.

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10.4 Extensivestructuralmemberslibrary
Theaboveexamplesutilizedonlyacoupleofcommoncrosssectionsforthestructuralshapes.Thereisahuge numberofstructuralshapesthathavebeenstandardizedacrosstheworld,inmanynationalandprofessional standardsandunits.TheyaretoonumeroustoincludeinacodelikeSWSimulation.However,theyare readilyavailableforselectionandimportingintoSWSimulationfromtheSolidWorkssupportingwebsite. Therefore,theycanbeutilizedasbeams,ormembersofframeortrusssystems.Toexaminetheavailable resources: 1. SelecttheDesignLibraryicontoopentheDesignLibrarypanel.

2. IntheDesignLibrarypanelselecttheplussignbySolidWorksContent.

3. WhenthewebconnectioniscompleteselectWeldments.Thelistofstandardsappears:Ansi (AmericanNationalStandardsInstitute)Inch,BSI(BritishStandardsInstitute),CISC(Construction IndustryStandardsCommittee),DIN(DeutschesInstitutfurNormung),GB(ChinaStandard),ISO (InternationalStandardsOrganization),JIS(JapaneseIndustrialStandards),Unistrut(Unistrut.com). Pickthestandardyoudesire,inthiscaseAnsiInch.ClickOK.

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4. InSolidWorksselecttheStructuralMembericontogettheStructuralMemberpanel,whichnow containsthelargedownloadedlistofselections.

5. IntheSelctionssectionofthatpanelpicktheansiinchStandard.ReviewthemanyTypesnow available.Chosetheshapesuchasawideflange(WSection)member.

6. PulldowntheSizelisttoseethemanystandarysizesavailableforthatshape.

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7. Selectthesizeyouwant,sayW8x67.Doublecheckitsnumerousproperties;Toolbox Structural Steel.Setthedataandreviewthecrosssectionalshapedrawingandthemanyproperties.

8. Proceedwithselectingthemodellinesegmentsandcontinueyouranalysisasillustratedabovefor trussesandframes.

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