Introduction to cross-sections

A cross-section together with material is a basic property of a 1D member. In practice, one can meet a wide range of various cross-section types, shapes, and sizes. SCIA Engineer provides powerful tolls for easy definition of almost any cross-section type.

A cross-section in SCIA Engineer is defined not only by dimensions and shape, but also by the material or materials used. This means that if you want to use in your project the exactly same shape of a cross-section for two different 1D members and each of the two 1D members is made of a different material, let’s say of wood and concrete, you have to define two different cross-sections: one of wood and the other of concrete.

To minimize the effort the user has to invest in order to define a cross-section, the program offers selection from a plentiful library of:

• industrially produced steel profiles (e.g. I-beams, channels, angles, tubular profiles, etc.),

• common geometric shapes,

• often used shapes for thin-walled cross-sections,

• common shapes of concrete profiles,

• commonly used welded steel sections (both open and box) made of steel flats,

• often applied two material built-up sections,

• possible combinations of two or more steel cross-sections welded together,

• variants of rolled cross-section pairs,

• standard bridge sections,

• solutions for haunch application,

• common timber profiles.

In addition, the program allows the user to define an arbitrary cross-section regarding shape, size, number of parts, number of materials used for individual parts, etc. If required in some special cases, a cross-section may be defined not via its shape and size, but only by means of explicitly typed sectional characteristics as the characteristics are what is essential for the calculation.