New command for design reinforcement

Design of longitudinal reinforcement runs from the completely new command Member design – 2D Concrete Brazil in the tree Concrete > 2D member .

Command properties

The command design of longitudinal reinforcement includes standard attributes and parameters where it is possible to select member, type of load, filter, extreme and others. The description of all values is the following.

Name

User is allowed to name this command. It might be very useful for better specification and orientation, especially in document. Default name is 2D Concrete Brazil.

Type of loads

By this attribute user defines the type of the load for design. There are three possibilities to choose from:

Combinations

user may choose from all combinations

Load cases

user may choose from all load cases

Class

user may choose from all result classes

In dependence on selected type of the load, new attribute Combination or Load cases or Class will appear right under this attribute. User may select desired Combination. Load case or Class from filtered list here.

This parameters are in group Result case

Type of selection

This attribute influences the total amount of members, which will be taken into account for calculation. There are four possibilities to be chosen from:

All

all active 2D members will be taken into account for design

Current

only selected 2D members will be taken into account for design

Advanced

user may define the selection more specifically with relation to previous selection

Named selection

only 2D members from certain named selection, will be taken into account for design. New attribute Named selection will appear in the command.

Filter

It is possible to define filter for adjusting already selected type of selection. This will affect the number of 2D members taken into account. User may select one from the following possibilities:

no filter will be applied

Wildcard

user may define the attributes for selection by himself

Thickness

user may select thickness of the 2D member

Material

user may select specific material

Layer

user may select desired layer

Again, after selection one possibility a new appropriate attribute will be displayed right under, for further selection.

Parameters Type of selection and filters are in a group Selection

Location

This parameter defines the location, where the design will be calculated. This is based on FEM results. If user changes this attribute, then SCIA Engineer needs to make internal calculation of design forces. User may choose from four possibilities:

In centres

(results represented in centre of gravity of each element, the design value for design is calculated directly from no avg. values by arithmetic average)

In nodes, no avg.

(results represented in mesh nodes, for each element separately, these are the main results which are base for all other design location possibilities)

In nodes, avg.,

(results represented in mesh nodes, but on the opposite of no avg. values, all values from all adjacent 2D members in each node are recalculated by SCIA Engineer before design and only one value for each node will be represented)

In nodes, avg. on macro

(the same as In nodes, avg. possibility with one important difference. the recalculation is done only on each 2D member separately, this means that one 2D member will not be influenced by another 2D member, also note that there might be more same values)

We can show the differences of the designs for example on required reinforcement amount (As1-) calculated on example.

In centres	In nodes, no avg.

In nodes, avg.	In nodes, avg. on macro

System

This attribute defines used coordinate system. It is not possible to adjust this attribute. It is set to Local, it follows that direction of reinforcement defines in Concrete setup is related to x axis of LCS of 2D mesh element.

Each element of 2D member can have different LCS. It can be set in properties of 2D member (LCS Type)

Output

This attribute defines type of numerical output. There are available two levels of numerical outputs:

Brief

one table for all type of outputs

Standard

one table for each group of result.

Extreme

This attribute defines which results should be shown in Preview window or Document. User may choose from three possibilities:

(results for all elements will be displayed on selected 2D members)

Member

(only elements with maximum results on each of selected 2D member will be displayed)

Global

(only elements with maximum results on selected 2D members will be displayed)

Print symbol explanation

If this attribute is active, then symbols used in tables of numerical output are explained in additional table. Table consists of three columns (symbol, description and reference if it is relevant).

Print E/W/N explanation

If this attribute is active, then E/W/N (E – errors, W – warnings and N – notes) marked with appropriate numbers will be displayed in the numerical window when some E/W/N appears. More information about the error may be found in chapter "New system of warnings and errors".

Use user scale isolines

This feature enables the user to define own scale which will affect the view of the graphical results. Simply said, user may define his own key points on the scale. This might be very helpful for better orientation in used types and amounts of reinforcement. By switching this attribute on, another attribute User scale isolines will appear right and user may define his scale through dialog shown below:

Where buttons:

Name	Specifies the name of the user scale.
New level group	in this group you can input a new level for the isolines palette. The level is defined by the diameter of the reinforcement bar and by the distance between individual bars. The program then calculates the area of reinforcement and mean diameter and distance. One level can contain one to three different diameters, each of them with a separate spacing.
Copy to legend	when a new is defined, it can be added to the legend using this button. The new level is positioned in the legend according to total reinforcement area of the level.
Clear level	this button clears all the edit boxes in the New level group.
Legend group	this group displays the defined levels sorted according to the total area of reinforcement in the level.
Delete active level	if required, any defined level can be removed from the legend.
Delete this entire	button clear the whole legend.

When this User scale will be used, then the scale in the top right corner of the graphical window will look like this:

User may also use possibility to draw isolines together with labels. Together with export of the slab picture it might be very useful to transfer these pictures to different CAD systems and reinforce the entity using exported picture as reference layer. This might be used also for mesh reinforcement.

Also note that setting in 2D result display dialog will be overwritten to User scale isolines and the possibility to choose differently type of result representation will be disabled. To change this, user must deactivate possibility Use user scale isolines.

Check selection type

There are several possibilities related to selection of the checks. These are the following:

Single selection

only one item can be selected for displaying of results in numerical and graphical output. For instance on item (nEd1+) is selected and when another (As1+) is chosen the previous item is automatically deselected; all other groups on the same level are automatically collapsed.

Multi selection

two or more items can be selected for displaying of results. The new attribute Draw magnitude is visible for this option for selection, which type of value from the selected will be presented in graphical window, because only one value can be presented now in graphical output for 2D member:

Single selection (n_Ed1+)	Single selection (A_s1+)	Multi selection (n_Ed1+) and (A_s1+)

Default setting is Single selection, the group Internal force(surface) is expanded and first value from this group is on, see picture below

Navigator

Additionally, standard combobox Values are substituted by navigator (subgroups) where it is possible to select values for graphical presentation. The navigator has several levels (groups). In version 2013.1, there are the following levels

First level

there is only one item

Design ULS

Second level

there are 4 subgroups. There is one table for each subgroup in standard numerical output

Internal forces(surface) – forces at surfaces of 2D element

Internal forces(center) – forces recalculated to centre of gravity of the cross-section of 2D members

Reinforcement area – designed (required) area of the reinforcement

Check compression strut – check concrete compression strut

Third level

there are the following values, which can be presented too in graphical output

Internal forces(surface)

n_Ed,s1+	is normal surface force at upper surface (positive direction of z axis of LCS) in defined first direction of reinforcement
n_Ed,s2+	is normal surface force at upper surface (positive direction of z axis of LCS) in defined second direction of reinforcement
n_Ed,s1-	is normal surface force at lower surface (negative direction of z axis of LCS) in defined first direction of reinforcement
n_Ed,s2-	is normal surface force at lower surface (negative direction of z axis of LCS) in defined second direction of reinforcement
n_Ed,sc-	is normal surface force at lower surface (negative direction of z axis of LCS) in compressive concrete strut
n_Ed,sc+	is normal surface force at upper surface (positive direction of z axis of LCS) in compressive concrete strut

Check ULS Internal forces(centre)

n_Ed1+	is normal force at centre calculated for first direction at upper surface (positive direction of z axis of LCS)
m_Ed1+	is bending moment at centre calculated for second direction at upper surface (positive direction of z axis of LCS)
n_Ed2+	is normal force at centre calculated for second direction at upper surface (positive direction of z axis of LCS)
m_Ed2+	is bending moment at centre calculated for first direction at upper surface (positive direction of z axis of LCS)
n_Edc+	is normal force at centre calculated for in direction of compressive concrete strut at upper surface (positive direction of z axis of LCS)
m_Edc+	is bending moment at centre calculated for in direction of compressive concrete strut at upper surface (positive direction of z axis of LCS)
n_Ed1-	is normal force at centre calculated for first direction at lower surface (negative direction of z axis of LCS)
m_Ed1-	is bending moment at centre calculated for second direction at lower surface (negative direction of z axis of LCS)
n_Ed2-	is normal force at centre calculated for second direction at lower surface (negative direction of z axis of LCS)
m_Ed2-	is bending moment at centre calculated for first direction at lower surface (negative direction of z axis of LCS)
n_Edc-	is normal force at centre calculated for in direction of compressive concrete strut at lower surface (negative direction of z axis of LCS)
m_Edc-	is bending moment at centre calculated for in direction of compressive concrete strut at lower surface (negative direction of z axis of LCS)

Reinforcement area

A_s1+	is area of reinforcement for first direction at upper surface (positive direction of z axis of LCS)
A_s2+	is area of reinforcement for second direction at upper surface (positive direction of z axis of LCS)
A_s1-	is area of reinforcement for first direction at lower surface (negative direction of z axis of LCS)
A_s2-	is area of reinforcement for second direction at lower surface (negative direction of z axis of LCS)
A_s+	is sum area of reinforcement at upper surface (positive direction of z axis of LCS)
A_s-	is sum area of reinforcement at lower surface (positive direction of z axis of LCS)
A_s	is sum area of reinforcement for both surfaces

Check compression strut

Unity check	is maximum unity check of compressive concrete strut from both surfaces
n_Ed,sc	is normal surface force in compressive concrete strut from the surface with greater value of unity check
n_Rd,sc	is design value of resistance of concrete compressive strut from the surface with greater value of unity check

Graphically, three levels of navigator can be seen from the following figures

First level	Second level	Third level

Drawing setup 2D

By selecting edit button for this parameter, a 2D results display dialog will be open. Here user may specify the representation of design results on 2D member. We can split this dialog into a four zones.

Display = red (here user may define the main type of 2D design representation, he may choose to select one possibility from the list below)

blue (where user may adjust type of representation selected in Display zone, the view of this zone may differ consequently to each type)
green (here user may define to show or not to show local extremes and their appearance)
yellow (it is possible to adjust the range of the scale and user defined isolines)

Action buttons

In the lower part of the Properties dialog are a few action buttons placed. User may find these buttons very useful.

Refresh	(this button is probably most important from all of them. It will start the process of design itself and it is needed to pres this button to refresh previous design results and to get new results, based on chosen attributes)
Concrete setup	(the open will open Concrete setup)
Preview	(this button will open Preview window with tables containing results of finished design, it might be also used for refreshing the results)

Numerical output

Generally, there are available two levels of numerical output, which can be set via parameters Output (see chapter "Output"). These outputs are the following ones

Brief

one short table from all selected items (subgroups)

Standard

one table for each subgroup (4 tables are available)

Internal forces(surface) – the table is visible, if some values from this group is switched ON in the navigator

Internal forces (center) - the table is visible, if some values from this group is switched ON in the navigator

Reinforcement area - the table is visible, if some values from this group is switched ON in the navigator

Check compression strut - the table is visible, if some values from this group is switched ON in the navigator