Plates/Shells Results

Whenthemodelissolved,thereareseveralgroupsofresultsspreadsheetsspeciicallyfortheplates.

PlateStressResults
AccessthePlateStressesSpreadsheetbyselectingtheResultsMenuandthenselectingPlates Stresses.

Theplatestressesarelistedforthetopandbottomofeachactiveplate.Theprincipalstressessigma1(1)andsigma2(2)
arethemaximumandminimumnormalstressesontheelementatthegeometriccenteroftheplate.TheTauMax(tmax)
stressisthemaximumshearstress.TheAngleentryistheanglebetweentheelement'slocalxaxis,andthedirectionofthe
1stress(inradians).TheVonMisesvalueiscalculatedusing1and2,butnot3whichisn'tavailableforasurface
(plate/shell)element,sothisVonMisesstressdoesnotincludeanytransverseshearforces.
Theequationsare:

Theangle,,istheangleinradiansbetweenthemaximumnormalstressandthelocalxaxis.Thedirectionofthe
maximumshearstress,max,is/4radiansfromtheprincipalstressdirections.
TheVonMisesstressisacombinationoftheprincipalstressesandrepresentsthemaximumenergyofdistortionwithinthe
element.Thisstresscanbecomparedtothetensileyieldstressofductilematerialsfordesignpurposes.Forexample,ifa
steelplatehasatensileyieldstressof36ksi,thenaVonMisesstressof36ksiorhigherwouldindicateyieldingofthe
materialatsomepointintheplate.
Thex,y,andxyvaluesusedtocalculatethestressesareacombinationoftheplatebendingandmembranestresses,
thustheresultsarelistedforthetopandbottomsurfacesoftheelement.TheTopistheextremeiberoftheelementin
thepositivelocalzdirection,andtheBottomistheextremeiberoftheelementinthenegativelocalzdirection.The
membranestressesareconstantthroughthethicknessoftheelement,whilethebendingstressesvarythroughthe
thicknessoftheelement,verysimilartothebendingstressdistributioninabeam.
Forenvelopedresultsthemaximumandminimumvalueateachlocationislisted.Theloadcombinationproducingthe
maximumorminimumisalsolisted,inthe"lc"column.
Note

SeeSpreadsheetOperationstolearnhowtouseFind,Sortandotheroptions.
SeeModelDisplayOptionsPlatestolearnhowtoplotjointresults.

PlateForceResults
AccessthePlateForcesSpreadsheetbyselectingtheResultsMenuandthenselectingPlates Forces.
ThePlateForcesarelistedforeachactiveplate.Interpretationofoutputresultsisperhapsthemostchallengingaspectin
usingtheplate/shellelement.Theresultsfortheplatesareshownforthegeometriccenteroftheplate.

Theforces(QxandQy)aretheoutofplane(alsocalledtransverse)shearsthatoccurthroughthethicknessofthe
element.TheQxshearoccursontheelementfacesthatareperpendiculartothelocalxaxis,andtheQyshearoccursonthe
elementfacesthatareperpendiculartothelocalyaxis.Qxispositiveinthezdirectionontheelementfacewhosenormal
vectorisinthepositivexdirection.Thisisalsothexface.Qyispositiveinthezdirectionontheelementfacewhose
normalvectorisinthepositiveydirection.Thisisalsotheyface.Thetotaltransverseshearonanelementfaceisfound
bymultiplyingthegivenforcebythewidthoftheelementface.
Theplatebendingmoments(Mx,MyandMxy)aretheplateforcesthatinducelinearlyvaryingbendingstressesthroughthe
thicknessoftheelement.Mxisthemomentthatcausesstressesinthepositivexdirectiononthetopoftheelement.
Likewise,Myisthemomentthatcausesstressesinthepositiveydirectiononthetopoftheelement.Mxcanthenbe
thoughtofasoccurringonelementfacesthatareperpendiculartothelocalxaxis,andtheMymomentoccursonfacesthat
areperpendiculartothelocalyaxis.TocalculatethetotalMxorMyonthefaceofanelement,multiplythegivenvalueby
thelengthoftheelementthatisparalleltotheaxisofthemoment.Forexample,lookingatthe'PlateMoments'igure
above,thetotalMxmomentcouldbeobtainedbymultiplyingthegivenMxforcebythelengthofsideBC(thedistancefrom
jointBtojointC).ThetotalMyforcecanbecalculatedinthesamewaybyinsteadusingthelengthofsideDC.
TheMxymomentistheoutofplanetwistorwarpintheelement.ThismomentcanbeaddedtotheMxorMymomentto
obtainthe'total'MxorMymomentintheelementfordesignpurposes.Thisdirectadditionisvalidsinceoneitherthetop
orbottomsurface,thebendingstressesfromMxywillbegoinginthesamedirectionastheMxandMymoments.

Note

Fortheplacementofconcretereinforcement,itishelpfultorealizethatlayingreinforcementparalleltothelocal
xaxiswillresisttheMxmoment.
ApositiveMxorMymomentwillputthetopiberoftheplateintension.

Theplanestressforces(Fx,FyandFxy)arethoseforcesthatoccurintheplaneoftheplate.Theseforces,whicharealso
calledmembraneforces,areconstantthroughthethicknessoftheelement.FxandFyarethenormalforcesthatoccur
respectivelyinthedirectionofthelocalplatexandyaxes,positivevaluesindicatingtension.Theseforcesarereportedasa
force/unitlength.Togetthetotalforceonanelement,youwouldneedtomultiplythegivenvaluebythelengthofthe
elementthatisperpendiculartothenormalforce.Forexample,lookingatthe'PlaneStressForces'igure,thetotalFxforce
couldbeobtainedbymultiplyingthegivenFxforcebythelengthofsideBC(thedistancefromjointBtojointC).
TheFxyforceistheinplaneshearforcethatoccursalongthesideoftheelement.Thesubscript'xy'indicatesthattheshear
occursonthefaceoftheelementthatisperpendiculartothexaxisandispointingintheydirection.Fyxisthe
complementaryshearforce,wherethesubscript'yx'indicatesthattheshearoccursonthefaceoftheelementthatis
perpendiculartotheyaxisandispointinginthexdirection.RISA3DonlygivesvaluesforFxybecauseFxyandFyxare
numericallyequal.Thetotalinplaneshearcanbeobtainedbymultiplyingthegivenforcevaluebythelengthofthe
elementthatisparalleltotheshearforce.Forexample,whenlookingatthe'PlaneStressForces'igure,thetotalFxyforce
whichisparalleltothelocalyaxiscouldbeobtainedbymultiplyingthegivenFxyforcebythelengthofsideBC.
Notethattheplatebending(Qx,Qy,Mx,My,Mxy)andmembrane(Fx,Fy,Fxy)resultsareforcesperunitlength.Forexample,
arectangularelementwithaBtoClengthof10feetshowingaFxforceof20KwouldhaveatotalnormalforceontheBC
faceoftheelementof20K(perfoot)times10feet,or200K.
Forenvelopedresultsthemaximumandminimumvalueislisted.Theloadcombinationproducingthemaximumor
minimumisalsolisted,inthe"lc"column.
Note

SeeSpreadsheetOperationstolearnhowtouseFind,Sortandotheroptions.
SeeModelDisplayOptionsPlatestolearnhowtoplotjointresults.

PlateCornerForceResults
AccessthePlateCornerForcesSpreadsheetbyselectingtheResultsMenuandthenselectingPlates CornerForces.

Theplatecornerforcesaretheglobalforcesatthecornerofeachplateandarelistedforeachactiveplate.
Thesearetheforcesandmomentscalculatedatthecornersoftheplates,intheGLOBALdirections.Thesevaluesare
obtainedbymultiplyingtheplate'scornerdisplacementswiththeglobalstiffnessmatrix.Unlikethelocalstressesand
forces,whichareveryaccurateapproximations,thesecornerforcesrepresentEXACTresultsbasedonlinearelastictheory.
Also,thelocalforcesarelistedona'perunitlength'basis,whereastheseglobaldirectioncornerforcesrepresentthetotal
forceontheplateatthecornerinthegivendirection,verysimilartobeamendforces.Atanygivenjoint,thecornerforces
forallplatesconnectedtothatjointshouldsumtozero(arequirementofequilibrium),assumingnomembersorboundary
conditionsarealsopresentatthejoint.
Asanexampleofhowtousethesecornerforces,youcanobtainthetotalshearatagivenlevelinashearwallbyaddingthe
propercornerforcesfortheplatesatthatlevel.SeePlateModelingExamplestolearnhowtousetheplatecornerforcesto
getshearwallstoryshearsandmoments,aswellasslabmomentsandshears.
Forenvelopedresultsthemaximumandminimumvalueislisted.Theloadcombinationproducingthemaximumor
minimumisalsolisted,inthe"lc"column.
Note

SeeSpreadsheetOperationstolearnhowtouseFind,Sort,LabelMarkedLinesinCurrentViewandother
options.
SeeModelDisplayOptionsPlatestolearnhowtoplotjointresults.