• Registered: 2009-11-03
  • Posts: 18

Topic: Set the force as a function

If the joint force is not defined as a constant but a function that has its own steps, how does that relates to steps for analysis? For example, if I write that the force with the intensity of 0.01 MN acts as a function whose coefficients are 0, 0.5, 1, 0,5,0, and put several analysis steps with this load case, what actually happens in analysis?

Thank you!

Quote Post 1

  • dpryl
  • CC software developer
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  • Registered: 2007-07-13
  • Posts: 1,107

Re: Set the force as a function

I am not sure if I understand your question - I assume you ask what happens if you define the following steps:

Step No.  Coeff.
1.            0
2.            0.5
3.            1
4.            0.5
5.            0

where you apply a load case with a force of 0.01 MN.

As loads are incremental in ATENA, this means that in the first step, no force is applied. In the 2nd, a force of 0.5 x 0.01 MN is added, resulting in 0.005 MN. In the 3rd, 1 x 0.01 MN is added -> 0.015 MN total at the end of step 3. In step 4, another 0.5 x 0.01 MN is added -> 0.02 MN total. The 5th step changes nothing, leaving there the 0.02 MN.

Please do not forget that if you use the Arc Length method, the load can be scaled in each step and therefore the step coefficients are not enough to tell the actual load any more (therefore, monitoring the load is critical with AL).

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