LUSAS Technical Material

Tutorial
Linear Analysis of a
2D Frame
 A simple 2D frame is modelled and analyzed.
Overview
The structure is subjected to two load cases;
the self weight of the structure, and a sway
load at the top of the left-hand column
In this we will learn the following things;
How to model a 2 Dimensional Frame
How to define the material & sectional properties
How to view deformed shape plot showing displacements caused by the imposed loading
How to view axial force diagram, bending moment diagram & shear force diagram showing stresses
in the members.
LUSAS Interface
 Axis visualization
and Sign convention
Step 1: Modelling of 2D
Frame
1. Invoke LUSAS Bridge Plus
2. Open New File
3. Enter file name as Frame_2D
4. Select the Unit System
(N,m,kg,s,C)
5. Select Analysis type structural
and category 2D Inplane
6. Startup template as 2D Frame
7. Enter title name Simple 2D
Frame
Step 1: Modelling of 2D
Frame……contd
1. Go to the Geometry
tab<points<By Coords.. and
enter the 4 Coordinates as
shown.
2. 4 points will be generated and
we need to connect the points
to form the frame
3. Select two points to join with a
line by pressing ctrl to add to
previous selection and press the
line option in LUSAS.
4. This will connect the two points
with the line.
5. Repeat this step and connect
the points for horizontal and
inclined members.
6. Select the two line to split into
half and go to
geometry<line<By splitting<in
equal divisions
Step 1: Modelling of 2D
Frame……contd
1. A dialogue box will appear as
shown, select use same
divisions for all lines and enter
number of divisions as 2, also
make sure that delete original
geometry after splitting is
selected.
2. This will create two points in
horizontal and inclined
members, select those two
points and join by .
3. This completes the geometry
definition for the half-frame.
4. Model attributes (mesh,
material, geometric properties
etc.) now need to be defined
and assigned to the model.
Step 1: Modelling of 2D
Frame……contd
1. Attributes, once defined, are
displayed in the Treeview.
Unassigned attributes appear
‘greyed-out’
2. Attributes are then assigned to
features by dragging an
attribute dataset from the
Treeview onto features
previously selected in the model
view window.
3. The Treeview panel shows a
variety of attributes that were
defined as a result of selecting
the 2D Frame template.
Step 1: Modelling of 2D
Frame……contd
1. Go to attributes<mesh<line
2. Select Thick beam, Linear
elements.
3. Set the number of divisions to
be 1
4. Enter the attribute name as
Thick Beam then click OK
5. Select the whole model. (Ctrl
and A keys together).
6. Drag and drop the mesh
attribute Thick Beam from the
Treeview onto the selected
model Lines.
7. As you can see, Steel of the
required grade is already
present in the Attributes
Treeview.
Step 1: Modelling of 2D
Frame……contd
1. With the whole model selected
(Ctrl and A keys together) drag
and drop the material attribute
Steel (Mild Steel | Steel
Structural) from the Treeview
onto the selected features.
2. Now to assign geometric
properties, go to
attributes<geometry<section
library.
3. Select the library of Indian
Sections, and section type as
junior beams and section ISJB
175.
4. Name the attribute as stanchion
and click on apply.
5. Change the selection to UK
Sections, equal angles and
select section 70x70x6 EA and
enter attribute name as roof
member and click OK.
Step 1: Modelling of 2D
Frame……contd
1. Select the Line representing the
left hand vertical member.
2. Drag and drop the geometry
attribute Stanchion (ISJB 175)
from the attribute Treeview
onto the selected Line.
3. Drag a box around the Lines
representing the roof members.
4. Drag and drop the geometry
attribute Roof member
(70x70x6 EA) from the Treeview
onto the selected Lines.
5. Click in a blank part of the View
Window to deselect the
members.
6. Select the fleshing on/off
button to turn-off the
geometric visualization.
Step 1: Modelling of 2D
Frame……contd
1. LUSAS provides the more
common types of support by
default. These can be seen in
the attribute Treeview. The
structure will be supported at
the end of the stanchion which
is in contact with the ground
with a fully fixed support
condition.
2. Select the Point at the bottom
of the left-hand vertical
member.
3. Drag and drop the support
attribute Fully Fixed from the
Treeview onto the selected
feature.
4. Ensure the Assign to points and
All analysis loadcases options
are selected and click OK
Step 1: Modelling of 2D
Frame……contd
1. One half of the 2D frame has
now been generated. This half
can now be copied about a
mirror plane to create the
complete frame.
2. Select the whole model (Ctrl
and A keys together).
3. Select Mirror , select Parallel
to Y axis and enter 4 in X, and 0
in Z in the top cells and 4 in X,
and 2 in Z in the lower cells to
define the points defining the
mirror plane.
4. Click the OK button to create
the full model.
Step 1: Modelling of 2D
Frame……contd..
1. Features that are copied retain
their attributes. This means that
there is no need to define the
mesh, material or geometric
properties for the newly created
Lines as they will already have
the attributes from the original
half of the model assigned.
2. In mirroring the features the
Line directions will have been
reversed. The orientation of
Lines is important as it controls
the local beam axes directions
which will define the sign
convention used to present the
results.
3. In the Layers Treeview double-
click on Geometry to display the
geometry layer properties.
Select the Line directions option
and click OK
Step 1: Modelling of 2D
Frame……contd..
1. Select the 4 Lines on the right-
hand side of the roof that are to
be reversed. (Hold down the
Shift key to add lines to the
initial selection).
2. Go to geometry<line<reverse
3. The selected Line directions will
be reversed.
4. Once the Line directions are
corrected, de-select the Line
directions option in the
geometry layer properties and
click the OK button
 Step 2: Application of
loads
1. Two loadcases will be considered; self
weight, and a concentrated sway load
acting at the top of the left-hand
vertical member.
2. Gravity loading is already present in
the Attributes Treeview.
3. Select the whole model (Ctrl and A
keys together) and drag and drop the
loading attribute BFP1 (Gravity -ve Y)
from the Treeview onto the selected
features.
4. Ensure that the Assign to lines and
Single loadcase options are selected
and the loading is applied to Analysis 1
and Loadcase 1. Click the OK button
and the loading on the frame will be
displayed.
5. By clicking the load visualization
bottom, applied load is shown on the
model as shown.
 Step 2: Application of
loads…contd.
1. Loadcase 2 is a sway load acting at the
top of the left-hand vertical member.
2. Go to attributes<loading, select
concentrated and click next.
3. Enter a concentrated load in the X
direction of 500
4. Enter the attribute name as Sway Load
and click Finish
5. Select the Point at the top of the left-
hand column.
6. Drag and drop the loading attribute
Sway Load from the Treeview onto the
selected Point.
7. Ensure the Assign to points and Single
loadcase options are selected, and
that the selected analysis is Analysis 1.
Change the loadcase name to
Loadcase 2 by overtyping.
Step 3: Performing Analysis
1. Now that all the load applications are
finished save the model, click
(solve now) to perform analysis.
2. After the analysis deformed mesh for
the load case active will be displayed.
3. In the layers tree view, right click on
the mesh and click on/off to switch off
the mesh in the view and repeat the
same to geometry also, now we can
see deformed mesh for the active load
case.
4. We can visualize the deformed mesh
for other load cases as well by setting
those active in the analysis tree view.
5. Go to analysis <Basic combination.
6. Select Loadcase 1, hold the shift key
down and select Loadcase 2. Click
the button to add the loadcases to the
load combination and click OK.
Step 4 : Results viewing
1. With no features selected click the
right-hand mouse button in a blank
part of the View window and select
the Values option to add the values
layer to the Treeview.
2. Select Displacement results from the
Entity drop down list and select the
resultant displacement RSLT from the
Component drop down list.
3. From the Values Display tab set 100%
of Maxima values to be displayed.
4. Click the OK button to display the
deformed mesh plot showing the
displacement at each node.
Step 4 : Results viewing
..contd..
1. Turn off the Values layer in the
Treeview.
2. With no features selected click the
right-hand mouse button in a blank
part of the graphics window and
select Diagrams to add the diagrams
layer to the Treeview.
3. Select Force/Moment results of axial
force Fx in the members
4. Select the Diagram Display tab and
select the Label values button.
5. Select the Label only if selected
option.
6. Ensure the number of significant
figures is set to 4
7. Click the OK button to finish.
Step 4 : Results viewing
..contd..
1. In the Treeview double-click on
the Diagrams layer. The diagram
properties will be displayed.
2. Select Force/Moment results of shear
force Fy in the members and click OK
to see the Shear force Diagram.
Step 4 : Results viewing
..contd..
1. In the Treeview double-click on
the Diagrams layer. The diagram
properties will be displayed.
2. Select Force/Moment results of
bending moments in the members Mz
and click OK to see the Bending
Moment Diagram.
Step 4 : Results viewing
..contd..
1. With no features selected click the
right-hand mouse button in a blank
part of the graphics window and
select contours to add the contour
layer to the Treeview.
2. Select stress results of combined axial
and bending Sx(Fx, Mz) in the
members and click ok to view the
result.

This ends the example.