Shell Design - No Outputs

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I've begun modelling an existing foundation at grade in Robot Structural Analysis. I began with modelling the slab as a plate design. The results were as expected and everything was ok. But in reality the existing slab has a number of equipment footings spaced around it. I modelled these footings as RC columns with a very short height. I was informed once I began modelling in the vertical direction, plate design should not be used and I should update the model to a shell design.

The changing to a shell design has made a number of changes to my model.

Most importantly once FEA has been completed and I check on the results, I get no outputs i.e. all reaction forces, moments, stresses, required reinforcement appear as 0. Can someone help me identify why this is the case?

When displaying panel thickness, the panel appears to be analysed from the mid plane. The columns heights are originating from this plane which means the column heights appear to be reduced by half the slab thickness. The ground support provided is also at this mid plane.

Is this purely an aesthetic issue or will this have an analytical effect? Is there a way to modify this? 

[Rafacascudo · Accepted solution]

Hard to have results when you don´t have loads applied to the model

If you generate self-weight  ,then model is working

And don´t worry , columm is still there

[Anonymous]

Thank you Rafacascudo,

I had assumed once the initial dead load case had been created it was automatically set to self weight. How silly of me.

[Rafacascudo]

It is always created  automatically!!! Something happened ...