3D Analysis:
Over the years, we have specialised in 3D analysis and developed our expertise, and we can now undertake very intricate designs. We have a range of software at our disposal to help us achieve our objectives. They enable us to design complex structures using virtually any building materials, in any combination, to fulfil the requirements of the most usual European and American codes of practice.We can check any section one wishes to use in a structure, either with our commercial applications, or with in-house developed automated calculation sheets. Likewise, we have created calculation sheets to check structural connections, and use a library to standardise them as far as possible for each project, in the aim of cutting costs.
Analysis example
We have recently had to analyse a building whose construction dates from 1947. It is an industrial building which was to be heavily modified to accommodate a radical change in the equipment and the fabrication process. Due to the construction date, and the shortage of steel at the time, non-standard sections were used. This, and the scale of the modifications, meant that local checks of the structure were not sufficient and a complete analysis had to be carried out.
The first step in such a case is to model the structure, to define it in space. The picture on the right illustrates the result of this process. We can work from Architect's or manufacturer's drawings, site surveys, record drawings or any other source that enables us to ascertain the structure. Once finished, the model contains not only the geometry of the structure, but also the nature of the materials and sections used, as well as their connections.
The next step is to add the loads onto the structure. They are calculated according to the relevant codes of practice. Each member in the structure receives the appropriate load; members can even be subdivided if required. Load combinations are created according to the code of practice. The picture on the right shows the initial structure with a combination of loads, including wind loads, applied.
After processing, the results are obtained either in a graphical form, as shown on the right, or in a tabulated form. It is then possible to check each individual member against the requirements of the code of practice, although in reality we group them and determine the best section for each group. This helps reduce the number of sections used in the structure and thus to cut costs.