Manage and display result strips

You can place user-defined result strips across 2D element meshes. For these strips, Tekla Structural Designer determines the force and moment results from the shell/plate/membrane nodal analysis results. These results can then be used for design purposes, typically for slab design.

Engineering judgment is required when positioning the strips to ensure suitable design forces are obtained.

Once a strip has been placed it can be moved if required, or copied in order to create new strips.

By default, strips have parallel edges, but tapering strips can also be defined as shown in the following image:

Overview

The following parameters are used to define a result strip.

Stations and station points

The Start point and End point define the strip centreline and direction.
Stations are created at a regular user defined spacing/unit length along the centreline (and also at any points of interest encountered along the centreline).
Station Lines run perpendicular to each station. They extend to the full strip width, or to the edge of the unbroken FE mesh if this is shorter.
Station Points are created at a regular user defined spacing/unit length across the width of the station line.

Determination of forces

Station point forces are determined at every station point by interpolation from surrounding FE solver node values.
- Station point values represent peak values for the user defined grid spacing, (only being significantly lower than nearby solver node values if there is a dramatic change in value between adjacent nodes).
Station forces are determined from the station point forces in accordance with the strip's Result Type property:
- Average - average of the station point values.
- Maximum - maximum of:
  1. All station point values
  2. Any FE solver node found within the "station area"
- Centreline - the station point value on the strip centreline.

Create result strips

Open a 2D view of the FE mesh where you want to place the strip.
In the Status bar, click Results View.

On the ribbon, the Results tab opens.
In the 2D Integrated Results group, click Result Strip.
In the Properties window, adjust the result strip properties according to your needs.
Click the start point of the strip.
Click the end point of the strip.

Tip:
Neither the start or the end point have to match nodes in the mesh.

Tekla Structural Designer creates a strip between the selected points.
Do one of the following:
- Continue placing further strips.
- Press Esc to exit the command.

View the results in a 3D results view

Note: All forces in the strip results are rotated to be in the axis system of the result strip.

Once you have created a result strip in the model, you can obtain results for it without re-running the analysis. In order to view the results, do the following:

Open a 3D view containing the strips whose results you want to view.
In the Status bar, click Results View.
On the ribbon, the Results tab is displayed.
Using the Method list in the Result Type group, select an appropriate analysis method (one in which the slabs containing the strips will have been meshed in the analysis).
In the Loading list, select the loadcase or combination that you want to display.
In the 2D Integrated Results group, select Strip Results
In the 2D Integrated Results group, select the effect that you want to view from the Strip Results list.

Tekla Structural Designer displays the selected effect on the strip, and provided the appropriate Deflection or Forces option has been selected from the Text group of the ribbon, its maximum positive and negative values, are also indicated.

View the results in a strip diagrams view

Note: All forces in the strip results are rotated to be in the axis system of the result strip.

In order to view the results in a strip diagrams view, do the following:

Right-click the strip you want to view.
In the context menu, select . Open strip diagrams view

Tekla Structural Designer opens the result strip view and a Loading Analysis tab is added to the ribbon.
In the Loading list, select the loadcase, combination or envelope whose results you want to view.
On the ribbon, select an appropriate analysis method (one in which the slabs containing the strips will have been meshed in the analysis) using the list in the Result Type group.
If you are viewing the results for a load combination or envelope, in the Result Type group on the ribbon, select whether you want to view the results based on strength or service factors.
In the Direction group, select the axis type (Axial, Major, or Minor).

Tekla Structural Designer displays the results according to the selected options.

You can then further control the results in the Properties window according to your needs.

Create a report

On the Report tab, click Model Report...

The Report Contents dialog box opens.
Click Add and type the report name in the Active Style field.
In Chapters and Options, locate Analysis > Result Strip Forces and drag it into the Report Structure.
To filter the output apply a model filter and/or loading filter as required.
Right-click on Result Strip Forces and select Analysis Method from the context menu. Check that the selected method is one in which the the slabs containing the strips have been meshed.
Click OK.

Result strip properties

Select one or more result strips and then use the Properties window to view and modify their properties.


General
Name	The automatically generated name for the strip.
User Name	Can be used to override the automatically generated name if required.

Start Width	The total strip width at the first point picked when creating the strip.
End Width	The total strip width at the second point picked when creating the strip.
Result Type	Determines how the strip result is calculated: Average - average of the station point values. Maximum - maximum of: All station point values Any FE solver node found within the station area Centreline - the station point value on the strip centreline.
Number of Stations	The number of stations per metre along the strip.
Number of Points	The number of points per metre across the strip at each station.
total Strip Area	Automatically calculated from the start and end widths and strip length.