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Line and Area Springs

This document describes a test problem in SAP2000 that demonstrates and validates the application of line and area springs. When line or area springs are assigned to objects, SAP2000 generates equivalent joint springs at each node created during auto-meshing. Joint-spring stiffness is determined from tributary area and the line- or area-spring stiffness. The example model applies unit loads to area, frame, and point objects with different spring properties and the results show consistent displacements, validating the model. Equivalent joint springs representing the line and area springs are displayed to show the analysis model.

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481 views4 pages

Line and Area Springs

This document describes a test problem in SAP2000 that demonstrates and validates the application of line and area springs. When line or area springs are assigned to objects, SAP2000 generates equivalent joint springs at each node created during auto-meshing. Joint-spring stiffness is determined from tributary area and the line- or area-spring stiffness. The example model applies unit loads to area, frame, and point objects with different spring properties and the results show consistent displacements, validating the model. Equivalent joint springs representing the line and area springs are displayed to show the analysis model.

Uploaded by

Mauricio_Vera_5259
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Line and area springs

Test Problem
Name:

Line and area springs

Description:

This test problem demonstrates and validates the application of line and area springs.

Program:

SAP2000

Version:

12.0.0

Status:

Done

Model Id:

On this page:

Overview
When line or area springs are assigned to an object, SAP2000 generates equivalent joint springs at each node created during auto-meshing.
Joint-spring stiffness is determined from tributary area and the line- or area-spring stiffness which is assigned to the object. As a result, joint
springs which support interior joints are stiffer than those at corner joints. Since contact pressure is proportional to joint-spring deformation and
the displacement of those joints to which springs are attached, users may obtain contact pressure through the product of spring-stiffness constant
and displacement, available for output in both graphic and tabular format.

Example model
The example model, attached for reference, contains two area objects (2m x 2m and 1m x 1m), each auto-meshed into four area objects, two
frame objects (2m and 1m), each auto-meshed into two frame objects, and one point object. A link (LIN1) is assigned to the area objects as an
area spring, to the frame objects as a line spring, and to the point object as a joint link.
Link stiffness is defined as follows:
1kN/m when used as a joint link
1kN/m/m when used as a line spring
1kN/m/m 2 when used as an area spring

The values specified for Factors For Line, Area, and Solid Springs, available on the Link/Support Property Data menu, are explained in Figure 1:

Figure 1 - Link and support property data

The SPRING-LOAD load case applies a unit load to objects, including 1kN/m 2 for the area objects, 1kN/m for the frame objects, and 1kN for the
point object. UZ displacement of 1m at all joints indicates consistency between applied loading and assigned stiffness.
The stiffness of automatically-created internal springs could be indirectly determined by dividing joint reaction by its displacement. These values
are available in the output tables, where internally created joints are preceded by a tilda symbol (~).

Model screenshots and results


Area-spring and auto-mesh assignment

Figure 2 - Area-spring and auto-mesh assignment

Equivalent joint springs


The software automatically creates equivalent joint springs which represent those line and area springs which are assigned to an object. These
joint springs are displayed through View > Set Display Options > Show Analysis Model, as shown in Figures 3 and 4:

Figure 3 - Show analysis model

Figure 4 - Equivalent joint springs

Attachments
SAP2000 V12.0.0 model (zipped .SDB file)

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