Define Materials

Forms: Define Materials, Add New Material Property, Material Property Data

Code-specified and other pre-defined material properties are defined in the installed files "CSiMaterialLibrary*.xml" located in subfolder "Property Libraries" under the CSiBridge installation folder. Additional material property libraries that use the "CSiMaterialLibrary.xsd" schema may also be added by the user to this subfolder and/or to the subfolder "Property Libraries" under the user settings folder where the "CSiBridgev16.ini" file is located.

These files are first read in alphabetical order from the installation subfolder, then from the user settings subfolder. Any duplicated properties will use the values in the definition read last. Within each file, properties are grouped under user-defined Regions (e.g., China, Europe, or USA). Within regions, properties are grouped under user-defined Standards (e.g., ASTM A572). Within Standards, individual materials are defined to be of a certain type (concrete, steel, aluminum, cold-formed, rebar, tendon, or other) and identified by a user-defined label called Grade. The set (Region, Standard, type, Grade) uniquely identifies a material and determines whether or not it is duplicated within a file or in multiple files .

Click the Components > Type > Material Properties > Expand arrow to display the Define Materials form. Use the form to add, modify, or delete a material property definition. The material property definitions are then used in defining the structural objects (frame sections, cable sections, tendon sections, area sections, solid properties).

TIP: The forms described in this topic also can be accessed by clicking the + (plus) symbol that may appear next to a drop-down list of available materials, such as the Material drop-down list on the Shell Section Data form, or the {Frame Section Type} Data forms. Additionally, the Define Materials form also displays when the Define/Show Material Properties button is clicked on the Bridge Wizard when Step 3.1 Materials is highlighted.

Click the appropriate button to complete the required action:

- Add New Material button. Click this button to access the Add Material Property form. Use that form to select the region, material type, a standard and grade that are pre-defined in CSiMaterialLibrary*.xml mentioned above.
- 1. Select a Region from the drop-down list.
  2. Select a Material Type from the drop-down list.
  3. Select a Standard from the drop-down list.
  4. Select a Grade from the drop-down list.
  5. Click the OK button to close the Add Material Property form and return to the Define Materials form. The newly defined material property will be listed in the Materials list box. The newly defined material property can be used in frame section property definitions and deck section property definitions.

Highlight the newly defined definition and click the Modify/Show Material button to display the Material Property Data form and review, and where appropriate modify, the specifications for the definition.

A built-in Region, Standard, and Grade called "User" are also available for each material type. The corresponding properties can be directly edited by the user and do not make use of the pre-defined materials in the property libraries. The name "User" is reserved and should not be used in the material property library files.

Note that the Modify/Show Notes button on the Material Property Data form can be used to access the Material Notes form. Use the form to add Material Notes to the model file.

- Modify/Show Material button.
- 1. Highlight the name of the previously defined material in the Materials area of the form.
  2. Click the Modify/Show Material button to access the Material Property Data form.
  3. Use that form to change the appropriate entries.
  4. Click the OK button to close the form and return to the Define Materials form.
- Delete Material button.
- 1. Highlight the name of the previously defined material in the Materials area of the form.
  2. Click the Delete Material button to delete the selected definition.
- Show Advanced Properties check box. Check this check box and then click the Modify/Show Material button to access the Material Property Options form. Use that form to specify advanced materials properties and to access additional forms related to nonlinear material data, damping properties, time dependent properties (concrete and tendon material properties only), and thermal properties (heat transfer).