Strategies for the analysis of beams and frames

This section describes the structural details that are necessary for the analysis of beams and frames. It also highlights the modeling strategy for their simulation and the characteristics of the beam element within the SOLIDWORKS Simulation library.

Structural details

You will need to know the following technical details before venturing into the analysis of beam/frame structures:

• Dimensions

  a. The details of the cross-section

  b. The geometric length of each member

  c. The orientation angles of the members (for a frame)

• The material properties of the beam/members of a frame
• The external loads applied to a beam/frame
• The support provided to a beam/frame to prevent a rigid body motion

Beyond the structural details, we are now set to examine the modeling strategy.

Modeling strategy

Armed with the geometric and material details, the steps to take for the analysis of beams/frames are depicted in Figure...