Load bearing steel sheet used for roofs as a horisontal brace (diaphragm)

[Jummybear]

Is it possible in Robot to use load bearing sheet as a diaphragm and transfer horisontal wind loads to other columns through it? Pic. attached. Am I in the right place? What plate model suits better for this option: deck-slab, shell, slab-flex and slab rigid diaphragm? Will this option only transfer the loads or I can get the shear stress distribution also (especially in cornesrs)?

[Artur.Kosakowski · Accepted solution]

The picture is missing but you may consider something like this:

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[Jummybear]

Pic. added. Does it matter if I define Orthotropic panel with similar bearing sheet geometry?

Whats the difference between Rigid connection without stiffening and stiffening diaphragm (with second one you have 2 choises: flexible in XY or rigid)?

Does analytical model for transfering loads is more precise? I will try them both anyway.

Thanks for the reply.

[Artur.Kosakowski]

Does it matter if I define Orthotropic panel with similar bearing sheet geometry?

The difference will be such that you will have different stiffness of a panel in its X and Y direction. If this is the way the steel sheet behaves in reality then IMHO you should select this option. 

Whats the difference between Rigid connection without stiffening and stiffening diaphragm (with second one you have 2 choises: flexible in XY or rigid)?

For the later the rigid links in the plane of a panel are generated and they resist the in-plane forces. I don't think you want this as you want to " get the shear stress distribution also (especially in corners)".

If you find your post answered press the Accept as Solution button please. This will help other users to find solutions much faster. Thank you.

[Jummybear]

One thing is still unclear for me: in which cases should i use stiffening diaphragm with rigid or flexible in xy option?

[Artur.Kosakowski]

I hardly can think of any practical application of a prior one in a model of a building (structure) but it may be useful for some mechanical modelling e.g. to create a rigid rib inside a wing of a plane at the place it joins a fuselage :-).

For the later it is commonly used for seismic analysis of a multi-story buildings in order to to reduce a size of a model but  in such case you most likely switch off mesh generation in its definition.

[Jummybear]

Thats what I am talking about, if I want to reduce model size or node/element number i do not generate FE mesh in diaphragm. And if this option is useless for structural engineering (at least i have no idea in which case I can use it)... Perhaps mechanical engineers would use it but i think that most of them dont use Robot and uses specific software for calculation. Anyway question answered, thanks. The rest is seems like somekind of offtop )