Form: Aluminum Stress Check Information, Aluminum Details (Database), Aluminum Stress Check Data
Interactive aluminum frame design allows you to review the design results for any frame section and to interactively change the design overwrites and immediately view the results.
Access Interactive Aluminum Frame Design as follows:
Select the Analyze menu > Run Analysis command to analyze the model.
Select the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design > Start Design / Check of Structure command.
Right click on a frame section while the design results are displayed on it to access the Aluminum Stress Check Information form and enter the interactive design mode to interactively design the object.
If design results are not currently displayed, click the Design menu > Aluminum Frame Design > Interactive Aluminum Frame Design command and then right click a frame section to enter the interactive design mode for that section.
Use the various areas of the Aluminum Stress Check Information form to review the design:
Frame ID: Numerical identification assigned to the object.
Design Code: The design code selected using the Aluminum Frame Design Preferences form.
Analysis Section: The section property that was used for this frame object in the last analysis. Thus the design forces are based on a frame object with this section property.
Design Section: The current design section property. If the frame object is assigned an auto select list, the section displayed in this form initially defaults to the optimal section. If no auto select list has been assigned to the frame object, the object design is performed for the section property specified in this edit box.
It is important to note that subsequent analyses use the section property specified in this list box for the next analysis section for the frame object. Thus the forces and moments obtained in the next analysis are based on this section. Change the Design section property by clicking the Overwrites button and making the changes on the resulting form.
Note: For final design iteration, the Analysis Section and the Design Section property should be the same. Use the Verify Analysis vs Design Section command to determine if this is the case. If it is not, repeat steps 1 through 4 until the analysis and design sections match. As appropriate, use the Overwrites button and the Aluminum Frame Design Overwrites form to change the design parameters. Thus, the Analysis Section is changed/updated by rerunning the analysis. The Design Section is changed by selecting a new section on the Cold-Formed Steel Frame Design Overwrites form.
Table Showing Stress Details: This table shows the stress ratios obtained for each design load combination at each output station along the frame section. Initially the worst stress ratio is highlighted. Following are the headings in the table.
Combo ID: The name of the design load combination considered.
Station location: The location of the station considered measured from the i-end of the frame object.
Ratio: The total PMM stress ratio for the object. When stress ratios are reported for this item, they are followed by (T) or (C). The (T) item indicates that the axial component of the stress ratio is tension. The (C) item indicates that the axial component of the stress ratio is compression. Note that typically the interaction formulas are different depending on whether the axial stress is tension or compression.
Axl: The axial component of the PMM stress ratio.
B-Maj: The bending component of the PMM stress ratio for bending about the major axis.
B-Min: The bending component of the PMM stress ratio for bending about the minor axis.
Maj Shr Ratio: The shear stress ratio for shear acting in the major direction of the frame object.
Min Shr Ratio: The shear stress ratio for shear acting in the minor direction of the frame object.
Overwrites button. Click the Overwrites button to access the Aluminum Frame Design Overwrites form. Use the form to make revisions to the aluminum frame design parameters, such as unbraced length ratio, effective length factor, bending coefficient, buckling constant, tensile strength, major and minor bending stress and major and minor shear stress, among others. Then use the Details buttons on the Aluminum Stress Check Information form to immediately see the new design results.
Details button. Clicking the Details button displays design details for the selected design combination and station location. Print this information by selecting the File menu > Print command at the top of the window displaying the design details.
Tabular Data button. Click the Tabular Data button to access the Aluminum Details (Database) form. Use the various menu commands on the form to export, display, and print the data table.
Table Format File button. Click the Table Format File button to access the Set Database Table Formats File form. Use the form to specify the Use Program Default Table Formats option or the Use Formats from User Defined Table Formats File option. When the Use Formats from User Defined Table Formats File option is chosen, also click the Select button to locate a previously defined format file. Table formats are defined using the Modify/Show Database Table Format form. The default or selected table format will be applied to output of the data (export, display or print).