"Connecting" beams in Mechanica

[esundman]

Hello,

I would like to use Mechanica's beam elements to analyze a part with some I-beams running North-South resting on some other I-beams running East-West so that a load applied on the top beams also affects the bottom beams.

Here's what I've done so far:
*Made two sketches (at different elevations) in Pro/E using lines to represent the centers of the beams.
*Made the lines into I-beams in Mechanica.

Now, I'd like to apply a load to the top beams and have the bottom ones also resist it.

Thank you for your time,

Eric Sundman

 

[KurtStark]

A beam only can connect to other elements at its ends. Also loades and constraints only can be applied to the ends of beams.
At the beam connection points you can define which force directions and torque directions can be supported by the connection.


This meens, that you have to make an individual beamfor every section of your lines. The connections between the individual mechanica beams, which represent one rael beam, all directions of force and torque must be fixed.
If the top beams and the bottom beams are not fixed together(by weldement, screw or rivet), you need short vertical beams for connecting them. One end of this vertical beam only is fixed in z-direction, all other degree of freedon are free.


Good luck,
Kurt

 

[MichailS]

I usually make space frames by creating planes where the joints shall be and then make points where they meet.

Could be simpler ways, but my method allows me to pick up an assembly and then create a part containing the points and using the solid geometries for making the planes. It's a bit of elbow grease but reasonably fast nonetheless.

When I have made the part with points, I run Mech and put beams from point to point. I often need to do extra work to put their crossections in the right direction, and possibly release DOF at the ends, but the results have always been satisfying.

If there are faster ways to make beam assemblies, I would like to know though.