Example Problem No.

18 Page 1 of 5

Application Examples (U.K.)

Example Problems
18. Stress calculation for plate elements
This is an example which demonstrates the calculation of principal stresses on a finite element.
Figure 1-19: Example Problem No. 18

Fixed Supports at Joints 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 13

Load intensity = 2000 Kn/sq.m in - Y direction
Actual input is shown in bold lettering followed by explanation.

STAAD SPACE SAMPLE CALCULATION FOR

* ELEMENT STRESSES

Every input has to start with the term STAAD. The word SPACE signifies that the structure is a space frame (3-D structure).

UNIT METER KNS

Defines the input units for the data that follows.

JOINT COORDINATES
1 0 0 0 4 9 0 0
REPEAT 3 0 0 3

Joint number followed by X, Y and Z coordinates are provided above. The REPEAT command is used to generate coordinates of
joints 5 to 16 based on the pattern of joints 1 to 4.

ELEMENT INCIDENCE
1 1 5 6 2 TO 3
REPEAT 2 3 4

Element connectivities of elements 1 to 3 are defined first, based on which, the connectivities of elements 4 to 9 are generated.

mk:@MSITStore:C:\SProV8i\STAAD\Help\Application_Examples_British_2007.chm... 8/28/2015
Example Problem No. 18 Page 2 of 5

ELEMENT PROPERTIES
1 TO 9 THICK 0.25

Elements 1 to 9 have a thickness of 0.25 m.

CONSTANTS
E CONCRETE ALL
POISSON CONC ALL

Modulus of Elasticity and Poisson’s ratio of all the elements is that of the built-in default value for concrete.

SUPPORT
1 TO 4 5 9 13 FIXED

"Fixed support" conditions exist at the above mentioned joints.

LOAD 1
ELEMENT LOAD
1 TO 9 PRESSURE -2000.0

A uniform pressure of 2000 Kn/sq.m is applied on all the elements. In the absence of an explicit direction specification, the load
is assumed to act along the local Z axis. The negative value indicates that the load acts opposite to the positive direction of the
local Z.

PERFORM ANALYSIS

The above command instructs the program to proceed with the analysis.

PRINT SUPPORT REACTION

The above command is self-explanatory.

UNIT MMS
PRINT ELEMENT STRESSES LIST 4

Element stresses at the centroid of the element are printed using the above command. The output includes membrane stresses,
shear stresses, bending moments per unit width and principal stresses. The change of length unit from metre to mms indicates
that the values will be printed in KN and MMs units.

FINISH

The STAAD run is terminated.

mk:@MSITStore:C:\SProV8i\STAAD\Help\Application_Examples_British_2007.chm... 8/28/2015
Example Problem No. 18 Page 3 of 5

****************************************************
* *
* STAAD.Pro *
* Version 2007 Build 02 *
* Proprietary Program of *
* Research Engineers, Intl. *
* Date= *
* Time= *
* *
* USER ID: *
****************************************************
1. STAAD SPACE SAMPLE CALCULATION FOR
2. * ELEMENT STRESSES
3. UNIT METER KNS
4. JOINT COORDINATES
5. 1 0 0 0 4 9 0 0
6. REPEAT 3 0 0 3
7. ELEMENT INCIDENCE
8. 1 1 5 6 2 TO 3
9. REPEAT 2 3 4
10. ELEMENT PROPERTIES
11. 1 TO 9 THICK 0.25
12. CONSTANTS
13. E CONCRETE ALL
14. POISSON CONC ALL
15. SUPPORT
16. 1 TO 4 5 9 13 FIXED
17. LOAD 1
18. ELEMENT LOAD
19. 1 TO 9 PRESSURE -2000.0
20. PERFORM ANALYSIS
P R O B L E M S T A T I S T I C S
-----------------------------------
NUMBER OF JOINTS/MEMBER+ELEMENTS/SUPPORTS = 16/ 9/ 7
SOLVER USED IS THE IN-CORE ADVANCED SOLVER
TOTAL PRIMARY LOAD CASES = 1, TOTAL DEGREES OF FREEDOM = 54
21. PRINT SUPPORT REACTION
SUPPORT REACTIONS -UNIT KNS METE STRUCTURE TYPE = SPACE
-----------------
JOINT LOAD FORCE-X FORCE-Y FORCE-Z MOM-X MOM-Y MOM Z
1 1 0.00 -1219.71 0.00 -391.04 0.00 391.04
2 1 0.00 8767.13 0.00 -26681.65 0.00 -525.26
3 1 0.00 37676.28 0.00 -88169.71 0.00 2984.47
4 1 0.00 35166.44 0.00 -66475.53 0.00 -24034.21
5 1 0.00 8767.13 0.00 525.26 0.00 26681.65
9 1 0.00 37676.28 0.00 -2984.47 0.00 88169.71
13 1 0.00 35166.44 0.00 24034.21 0.00 66475.53
************** END OF LATEST ANALYSIS RESULT **************
22. UNIT MMS
23. PRINT ELEMENT STRESSES LIST 4
ELEMENT STRESSES FORCE,LENGTH UNITS= KNS MMS
----------------
STRESS = FORCE/UNIT WIDTH/THICK, MOMENT = FORCE-LENGTH/UNIT WIDTH
ELEMENT LOAD SQX SQY MX MY MXY
VONT VONB SX SY SXY
TRESCAT TRESCAB
4 1 0.02 -0.02 2111.90 10726.39 4553.75
1.21 1.21 0.00 0.00 0.00
1.22 1.22
TOP : SMAX= 1.22 SMIN= 0.01 TMAX= 0.60 ANGLE= -23.3
BOTT: SMAX= -0.01 SMIN= -1.22 TMAX= 0.60 ANGLE= -23.3
**** MAXIMUM STRESSES AMONG SELECTED PLATES AND CASES ****
MAXIMUM MINIMUM MAXIMUM MAXIMUM MAXIMUM
PRINCIPAL PRINCIPAL SHEAR VONMISES TRESCA

mk:@MSITStore:C:\SProV8i\STAAD\Help\Application_Examples_British_2007.chm... 8/28/2015
Example Problem No. 18 Page 4 of 5

STRESS STRESS STRESS STRESS STRESS

1.217974E+00 -1.217974E+00 6.017370E-01 1.210789E+00 1.217974E+00
PLATE NO. 4 4 4 4 4
CASE NO. 1 1 1 1 1
********************END OF ELEMENT FORCES********************
24. FINISH
*********** END OF THE STAAD.Pro RUN ***********
**** DATE= TIME= ****
************************************************************
* For questions on STAAD.Pro, please contact *
* Research Engineers Offices at the following locations *
* *
* Telephone Email *
* USA: +1 (714)974-2500 support@bentley.com *
* CANADA +1 (905)632-4771 detech@odandetech.com *
* UK +44(1454)207-000 support@reel.co.uk *
* FRANCE +33(0)1 64551084 support@reel.co.uk *
* GERMANY +49/931/40468-71 info@reig.de *
* NORWAY +47 67 57 21 30 staad@edr.no *
* SINGAPORE +65 6225-6158 support@bentley.com *
* INDIA +91(033)4006-2021 support@bentley.com *
* JAPAN +81(03)5952-6500 eng-eye@crc.co.jp *
* CHINA +86(411)363-1983 support@bentley.com *
* THAILAND +66(0)2645-1018/19 support@bentley.com *
* *
* North America support@bentley.com *
* Europe support@bentley.com *
* Asia support@bentley.com *
************************************************************

Calculation of principal stresses for element 4

Calculations are presented for the top surface only.

SX = 0.0 kN/mm2

SY = 0.0 kN/mm2

SXY = 0.0 kN/mm2

MX = 2,111.84 kN-mm/mm
MY = 10,726.22 kN-mm/m
MXY = 4,553.97 kN-mm/mm

S = 1/6t2 = 1/(6·2502) = 10,416.67mm2 (Section Modulus)

σx = SX + MX/S = 0.0 + 2,111.84/10,416.67 = 0.2027 kN/mm2

σy = SY + MY/S = 0.0 + 10,726.22/10,416.67 = 1.0297 kN/mm2

τxy = SXY + MXY/S = 0.0 + 4,553.97/10,416.67 = 0.4372 kN/mm2

SMax = (σx - σy)/2 + TMax = 1.218 kN/mm2

Say 1.22 kN/mm2

SMin = (σx + σy)/2 - TMax = 0.0144 kN/mm2

Say 0.01 kN/ mm2

Angle =

mk:@MSITStore:C:\SProV8i\STAAD\Help\Application_Examples_British_2007.chm... 8/28/2015
Example Problem No. 18 Page 5 of 5

mk:@MSITStore:C:\SProV8i\STAAD\Help\Application_Examples_British_2007.chm... 8/28/2015