offset of plates

[PatrickSt-Louis5310]

Good morning all  1,

                                    just want to know if there is a way with ARSA to make an offset betwwen two plate with respect to a reference plan ?

[Rafal.Gaweda]

NO there is no such option.

Move plate to desired location then connect it to correct plane by rigid links.

[PatrickSt-Louis5310]

Thank you for you kwick answer Rafal,

                                                                 I want to open a debate with this topic, because other softwares allow the users to do it, I am actually trying to modelling foundation for wind turbine towers. Those kind of structures are commounly present a circular or octogonal shape with variable thicknes. In the industry there is two way to do it when using FE analysis :

 1-plate or sheell element

 2-solid element

In order to obtain kwick results during the first phase  and to see the some behaviors of the structure, we usually focuss on the first one. ARSA with soil database is one of the softaware that can be use for that, but have some limits regarding the possibilty to construct the model in a easy way. Actually two others equivalent softwares allows the user to modelling this kind of structures with the two possibility :

 1- the using of sheell or plate element with variable thickness

2-the using of excentricity / offset option of the different plates to a refence plane such as the base in the case of the foundations.

Whitout doing a free buplicity for them, as a unconditional user of ARSA I have to admit that is a lake in our side and the developpers of Autodesk must to do something to  complete this ''retard''. I sent you a file for a prototype of circular footing which is in reality with variable thickness as the one we have made with SAP, I will try to do what you recommanded me for the rigid link, in case if you can show me some cap'tres screen to help me that will be gratefull, but I am a littke bit frustrated because we did it so easyly  with SAP.

[Rafal.Gaweda]

Take a look below

Could you be so kind and make screen capture from SAP - meshed model but without FE thickness displayed, if possible turn of display of rigid links, on \ off these offsets?

SCIA "cone" model - the same as above please. PLease do one test: support this model on outer circumferential edge, in top node please apply horizontal force and show us sum of reactions in every direction. We want to be sure this is not only graphical display offset in SCIA. (Robot does this trick for plate structure type)

[PatrickSt-Louis5310]

ok Rafal,

                we are working on it in oder to send the steps for you in sap with the captures screen, in SAP we did not make it with rigid link but with offset option with joint with respect to a reference point. We make two model, first when the plates have same center line and the other one with the offsset feature.  both models gave us similar results. For SCIA-ESA PT, I send you an extract of the manual. 

Just want to know if the way I have made the rigid link in the model I sent you is the correct one.

Captures screen, send soon

thank you , Patrick

[Rafal.Gaweda]

SCIA :    "each finite element has a constant (averaged) thickness"

ROBOT : each finite element has correct variable thickness