Abstract

In this article you will see how to define a support of limited capacity for example a foundation piles.

Keywords: #AdvanceDesign #Concrete #Piles #FEM

1. New advanced support in Advance Design 2023

In Advance Design you could easily define rigid, elastic and non-linear (tension/compression) supports. Starting with 2023 release of Advance Design the possibilities increase with new more advanced support type. This new type will allow you to define more complex non-linear functions.

The definition of new supports is as it was before. However the restraints are specified differently.

Right now for each direction a different function can be defined. There are 3 linear restraints (free, fixed or elastic) and 5 non-linear where user specify a specific function.

2. Support with limited capacity

One of the example of non-linear support type is ‘Hardening’. For this support user specify a limit in force after which supports reaches it capacity.

Above you can see a support that is rigid until reaching the limit in force of 500kN. After reaching it capacity the support weakens and has reduced stiffness – its not rigid anymore. The restraint become free or elastic if any stiffness is defined.

Please see this simple example below of a foundation slab supported by piles of capacity 500kN.

When external loads are of low value piles do not reach the capacity limit. All works with the same rigidity.

But with increasing the loads some of supports reach the limit. Deformation changes because 2 middle piles can’t take any more load. The forces are distributed to neighboring supports.

With further increasing of loads more and more piles reach 500kN support force, until point of the slab being unstable.

3. Summary

As you can see this new support type will allow you to perform more advanced and complex analysis, and cover a bigger spectrum of design needs.

Note that limit in force is only one of the possibilities. Thanks to non-linear diagram definition user can reflect any behavior of structure support.

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