IDEA StatiCa tutorial – Capacity design

Welcome to IDEA StatiCa tutorial. By following it step-by-step, you will learn how to design and perform
seismic code-check of a structural steel joint using Capacity design analysis type based on CBFEM in IDEA
StatiCa Connection.

1 New project
First, we download the source file.

Let’s launch IDEA StatiCa (version 10.0 and higher) and open the downloaded project file. The joint design is
finished, and it is prepared for standard Stress/Strain analysis.

2 Calculation and check

We start the analysis by clicking Calculate in the ribbon. Analysis model is automatically generated,
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calculation is performed, and we can see the Overall check. For the standard Stress/Strain support?
analysis the joint is
well designed and passes all the checks.
We recommend to Copy the project item to keep the previously designed data.

3 Capacity check
In the next step, change the analysis type to CD – Capacity design.

The dissipative item has to be added as a special type of manufacturing operation. It can be added by the
command at the top ribbon or by the right click to the right part of the tree of entities.

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A member or a plate where a plastic hinge is expected to occur should be chosen as a dissipative item. The
material overstrength factor and strain-hardening factor are applied to chosen item. Right now we choose the
member IPE360.

In the properties of the member IPE360, the parameters have to be adjusted. First of all, the Model type of the
beam. N-Vz-My is suitable, because the connection can resist the bending moment in vertical plane only and
bending around minor beam axis must be restrained. Then forces have to be set to Position, because then the
exact acting force position can be defined. Position of the plastic hinge is similar to the position of the acting
force.

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How to know the right position of the plastic hinge? Engineer needs to decide where it will occur. Usually
plastic hinge is determined on the beam. In this example it will occur just behind the face of the last stiffener.
It’s handy to read the position from application.

In the next step, the loads have to be defined. Loads for seismic analysis are code dependent (the material
overstrength factor, strain-hardening factor), yield strength, geometrical characteristic of the cross-section, etc.

Loads for this example were calculated by this procedure:

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Let’s add acting shear force and bending moment as a LE.

The shear force and bending moment must be with appropriate signs so that the bending moment is
decreasing on the beam in the direction away from the node.

It’s handy to create copy then…

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And change the orientation of the acting forces in a way, that second LE will be the opposite to the first LE.

Now the Capacity analysis can be started by command Calculate.

After a while, the results are provided, and we can see that joint didn’t pass the code check. More design
actions are required.

First of all, the thickness of the endplate has to be increased to prevent it from collapsing. 25mm of thickness
will be sufficient.

Then a doubler for the column web to increase column load capacity is crucial. Let’s
Doadd
youthe doubler
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Stiffening plate manufacturing operation.
The doubler is welded by butt welds to the web of the column, weld to the flanges need to be defined also.

Four welds will be added to weld doublers on both sides of the column to both flanges.

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Now the stiffeners at the column web side needs to be cut and welded to the doublers. The Cut of the plate
manufacturing operation is the right one to define this.

Four manufacturing operations Cut of plate have to be defined to connect all four stiffeners to the doublers.

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All design actions are done now, let’s Calculate the analysis in the Check tab. We can see that all components
like welds and bolts passes the code-check.

The occurrence of the plastic hinge can be explored if the Plastic strain model view is set.

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The plastic hinge appeared at the expected location and all checks passed. This joint passed the checks
required by capacity design.

4 Report
At last we go to the tab Report. IDEA StatiCa offers fully customizable report to print out or save in editable
format.

Keywords:

connection, joint, Eurocode, code-check, edit plate, capacity design, seismic, maximum moment, earthquake,
bolts, analyzed member, plastic hinge, strain-hardening factor, material overstrength
Dofactor, CBFEM
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