Slab resultant forces (forces, moments and shears in per unit length units) or stresses (top or bottom stresses) are displayed as slab contours. Contours can be extruded or plotted on the deformed shape.
For contour plots, the values are interpolated within the element between their corresponding nodal values. The nodal values can be from the individual element or can be the average over the elements meeting at that joint. In general the average values should be used. However, where the averaging happens over a discontinuity, like a support point, the average values may be meaningless. The user is allowed control over how the averaging is done and selective averaging is possible.
Note: Slab stresses (not forces) have different values at the top and bottom of the slab as a result of bending. However, SAFE will display only one stress contour at a time, so if you have asked for a display of Stresses Top Face, but are looking at the bottom of the slab in a 3D view, you will still see the top face stress contour.
The tabular results for slab resultant moments and shear include an area object label (this is the physical object), an area element label (this is the analysis model element), a node label (this is the analysis model node), the load case or combination or mode label (depending on the cases selected), the type of load case or combination or mode, the membrane forces, including maximum and minimum values and the corresponding angle, the membrane shear force, the plate bending moments, including maximum and minimum values and the corresponding angle, and the plate transverse shear forces, including the maximum value and the corresponding angle. Positive moments produce compression on the top of the slab. Similar tabular results also are available for walls/ramps forces. For additional information on shell force output, please see the CSI Analysis Reference Manual.
Note: Tabulated output can produce huge amounts of data. The amount of tabular output can be reduced by selecting the objects for which results are to be viewed. If no objects are selected, the results for all objects are tabulated.
See Also