Southwest Jiaotong University studied the structural integrity of the roof of a huge railway station in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China. For this purpose, the software ADINA, which is a widely used tool for complicated studies all over the world, was used. The roof analyzed is a wide-span steel structure as it is shown in Figure 1.
The circular dome in the center is 16m tall, its radius is 40m while its rim is supported by transitional trusses. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the small zone on the rim of the dome that represents the area of interest. For this area, laboratory test results were also obtained.
In order to analyze the roof of the railway station, a 3D CAD model was created and imported into ADINA using its CAD import features. The model is shown in Figure 4 and a finite element analysis was then conducted using ADINA.
Nonlinear finite element analysis is a useful technique that can go beyond the limits of elastic and plastic materials to investigate failure mechanisms under excessive strains. When used in conjunction with physical testing, it can help to reduce the cost and amount of physical testing needed while it also accelerates the validation of the computer simulation models. The combination of both methods can result in a more cost-effective and comprehensive understanding of the engineering aspects than relying only on physical testing.
The behavior of the structure under load using the computational simulation approach was compared with experimental data. Figure 5 shows the deformations and effective stresses that were calculated using the ADINA software and performing the finite element analysis.
The model's pre-rupture stresses and strains were validated and then the failure of the structure was simulated through material rupture. Figure 6 shows the results of the failure analysis, which could include information on the location and extent of the damage, the load carrying capacity of the structure after failure, and other relevant data. It is noted that material breakage can present convergence challenges in simulations due to "floating" mesh elements that may lead to rigid body mechanisms. However, ADINA is equipped to handle such challenges and achieve analysis convergence, for instance, by using low-speed dynamics functionality and other appropriate tools.
It appears that the designers were able to use the advanced nonlinear and material rupture capabilities in ADINA to identify the vulnerable parts of the structure, which allowed them to improve the safety of the overall roof design. This highlights the value of using reliable and effective finite element procedures, such as those provided by ADINA, to analyze structures in detail and to identify critical components under normal and extreme loading conditions. These procedures can account for large deformations, large plastic strains, and potential structural failure, which can be crucial in ensuring the integrity of the structures.
In all, using computational tools like ADINA, engineers can optimize the designing process, reduce the cost and improve the performance of the structures.
Source: Virtuosity Blog
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