Cervenka Consulting Forums — Masonry Arch

Re: Masonry Arch

null@example.com (dpryl) — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:33:05 +0000

Existing cracks can open further, close, or stay the same. Of course, new cracks can appear (at any time). However, no existing crack can disappear (it can only have very small opening, sometimes even a small negative opening). If you wish to only see cracks wider than a value, set the crack filter accordingly.

Re: Masonry Arch

null@example.com (fD_masonry) — Thu, 09 May 2013 08:36:03 +0000

Thanks for your answer, I’ll check my model.
I’d like to ask you another question: in Atena 3d when a crack is formed can it move in other position or is it fixed? I mean, during my step analysis under incremental displacements, I expect that hinges moves over the arch, is it possible to see it in the model or cracks formed in the first step are however opened as hinges? I’ve read about Fixed/rotated crack but I think it’s not what I mean: I’d like to have a crack closing and another opening, can I?
Thanks

Re: Masonry Arch

null@example.com (dpryl) — Thu, 09 May 2013 07:24:30 +0000

Dear fD_masonry, first of all, please understand ATENA is being developed for simulations of real structural behaviour using nonlinear analysis, not for design. Applying design assumptions into nonlinear FEM analysis frequently leads to an ill-conditioned equation system or other numerical problems. Please make sure the material properties you are using are withing reasonable ranges, e.g., the NLCem2 material model should have the ratio of tensile and compressive strength (fc/ft) of about 1:10-1:20. The recommended way is to generate the material settings using mean cube strength (or the nearest cocnrete class), and only adjust values which have been measured. Otherwise, it is very easy to end up with an inconsistent set (and problems with the analysis). Please read details about the material model in ATENA Theory to make sure you understand the parameter meaning and relations before doing larger modifications.

After making sure the material settings are reasonable, check the convergence, and if you still see values exceeding the material limits, please see ATENA Troubleshooting Manual, 2.1.21 The tensile (or compressive) stresses exceed the tensile (or compressive) strength or yield stress – what is wrong?

Masonry Arch

null@example.com (fD_masonry) — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:35:16 +0000

Dear Sir.
I’m trying to model a 3d masonry arch in atena using Heyman’s hp (Limit Analysis), so I have to create a material with no tensile strength (very little in the model). When the analysis run I’d like to know if tensile stresses which are bigger than my strength are showed. Is it correct that I have stresses that my arch can’t bear? Are they showed but then not used to the equilibrium?
Thanks