Situation	Description
	Reinforcement for the bottom or the top surface of the concrete element, or for both.

Component	To create mesh bars
Mesh Bars	Select a concrete slab. The reinforcement is created automatically.
Mesh bars by area	Select a concrete slab. Select a group of points to define a working polygon. The reinforcement is created automatically.

Picture tab

Use the Picture tab to define how the top and bottom bars are created.


Option	Description
Create bars		Top bars with primary bars above secondary bars
		Top bars with secondary bars above primary bars
		No bars
	The same options are available for the bottom bars as well. The value defined in the box is the cover thickness for the top/bottom layer. If you only want to create bars in the middle of the slab, select the No bars option either for the top or bottom bars, and then select Yes in the Place central list that appears.
Mesh area perimeter	This option is only available for Mesh bars by area. Select the outline that the mesh follows. The meshes in the examples are created by picking the same points but with different mesh area perimeters.
	Part	Part, for example:
	Polygon	Polygon, for example:
	Polygon + part	Part + polygon, for example:
Same as bottom	Select whether the top bars are created using the same properties as the bottom bars. If you select No, enter the top bar properties.
Bar type	Select whether the bars are created as a bar group or as a mesh. Depending on the option you select, some other settings and options are available. For example: If you select the Bar group option: You can move, copy, and delete bars using direct modification. To move a bar, drag it to a new location. To copy a bar, hold down Ctrl and drag the bar. To delete a bar, select it and press Delete. You can use the grid, minimum length, Bar grouping, and Bar behavior at cuts settings on the Detailing tab. If you select the Mesh option, bars are always cut by the cuts in the concrete part.
Size	Select the diameter of a bar. You can set the size separately for the top primary and secondary bars, and for the bottom primary and secondary bars.
Grade	Define the strength of the steel used in the bars. You can set the grade separately for the top primary and secondary bars, and for the bottom primary and secondary bars.
Spacing type	Select whether the spacing is based on the number of bars or on the spacing values. By spacings: enter the distance between the bars in the Spacing box. Number of bars: enter the number of bars in the Number of bars box. By exact spacings: list the distances between the bars in the Spacing box. For example: `200, 200, 50, 50, 50, 100` or `2200, 350, 100`
Spacing	Distances between the bars. Tekla Structures calculates the number of bars. You can set the spacing separately for the top primary and secondary bars, and for the bottom primary and secondary bars.
Number of bars	Number of bars. Tekla Structures calculates the distance between bars. You can set the number of bars separately for the top primary and secondary bars, and for the bottom primary and secondary bars.
Primary bars direction	The direction of the primary bars. Use to change the bar direction. If the Auto option is selected, the primary bars are created along the two longest parallel sides of a slab. If there are no parallel sides, you can select to create the bars along the slab x direction instead. To rotate the bars, select one of the direct modification options. For non-perpendicular meshes, use the flexible angle option to individually rotate both arrow sides around their axis.
Up direction	Select which sides are regarded as the top and bottom sides of the slab. If the Auto option is selected, then the bars are created on the side with the greatest area.

Detailing tab

Use the Detailing tab to control how the bars are distributed.

Bars that are created as bar groups can be distributed By grid or Without grid.

Using a grid makes it easier to accurately place bars only at set intervals. When direct modification is switched on and you move or copy bar group bars, they snap to the grid.

Detailing without grid


Option	Description
Bar distances	Select how the distances between the bars are measured. From center of bar From edge of bar Select whether the distances are the same or different for the top and bottom bars. Using different distances helps in placing top and bottom bars so that their hooks do not collide, for example.
Adjustment	Select how the bars are distributed. The same options are available for both the primary and the secondary bars.
		Equal distribution by target spacing value.
		By exact spacing value with flexible first space without first bar.
		By exact spacing value with flexible last space without last bar.
		By exact spacing value with flexible first and last space without first and last bars.
		By exact spacing value with flexible first space.
		By exact spacing value with flexible last space.
		By exact spacing value with flexible first and last space.

Detailing by grid

The same options are available for both the longitudinal and the crossing bars.


Option	Description
Min overhang	Minimum extension of the longitudinal or crossing bars over the outermost bars of the other direction. You can set the minimum overhang separately for the start and end of the bars.
Min spacing	Minimum distance between the bars.
Longitudinal grid size Crossing grid size	Defines the location intervals to which the bar group bars snap when they are moved or copied using direct modification.

Other detailing options


Option	Description
Minimum length of primary bar to be created Minimum length of secondary bar to be created	In bar groups, bars that are shorter than this value are not created.
Bar grouping	For bar groups, select whether tapered bars are grouped or not. If you group the tapered bars, select how the bars along the tapered edge are handled.
		Tapered bars are handled normally.
		Creates as many bars as possible with same length at the tapered edge. The value you enter is the maximum allowed shortening of a bar.
Bar behavior at cuts	Select how bars next to openings are handled. Cut bars: Select whether the bars are cut and which cuts are ignored. In bar groups, you can ignore cuts by part name, part class, or selection filter. With the Yes, but ignore cuts by filter option, the Selection filter list only shows the selection filters where one rule has the object type 11 (polygon cut) and the other rules have been defined by using the Template category. Ignore openings smaller than: The minimum length of a cut (in the direction of the bars) that will cut the bars. Lower values are ignored. This setting only affects bars that are created as bar groups. Bars that are created as a mesh are always cut by the cuts in the concrete part. Cover thickness: Distance between the bar end/start point to the edge of the opening. You can use this option to define the cover thickness for both windows and doors . This option is useful if window and door openings need to have different cover thicknesses. Create cuts around selected parts: Select whether the bars are cut by the parts that clash with the reinforced part. The cutting parts are defined by a selection filter. Create support bars for loose bars: Select whether additional support bars are created for the loose bars in the mesh. Yes, without extended support bar creates support bars for loose bars only within the range of the loose bars. Yes, with extended support bar extends support bars to the whole mesh area. You can define the overlap length for the support bars. The length defines how much the additional bars overlap with the existing mesh.

Bar end conditions tab

Use the Bar end conditions tab to control the cover thickness and bar hooks.


Option	Description
Cover thickness on sides	Different each side: Each end of a bar group can have different distances from part edges. Same all sides: All ends of the bar groups have the same distance from part edge.
Use bar end conditions around holes	Select whether the same bar end conditions are used around the openings as at part edges.
End conditions		Creates a straight bar without a hook at the given end of a bar.
		Creates a 90° hook at a given end of bar.
		Creates a 135° hook at a given end of bar.
		Creates a 180° hook at a given end of bar.
		Creates a hook with a free angle at the given end of a bar.
		Creates a double bent hook at the given end of a bar.
		Creates an inward bent hook in a 135-degree angle. You can define the hook height.
Cut bars by negative neighbor parts	Select whether the bars that protrude from the selected concrete parts are cut at the openings of neighbor parts. To cut the bars at the openings, select Yes, and then enter the cover thickness.
Bending radius	Bending radius at bar ends
Bending length	Bending length at bar ends

Splicing tab

Use the Splicing tab to control the splicing of the reinforcing bars.


Option	Description
Splice bars	Select whether the reinforcing bars are spliced or not.
Manufacturer	Select the manufacturer of the reinforcement. The maximum bar lengths and lap lengths are then listed by the grade and size of the bar. If needed, you can modify these splicing definitions in the MeshBarsSplicing_Manufacturers.dat file. You can also copy the default file from ..\ProgramData\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<version>\environments\common\system, edit it, and save it to your project or firm folder.
Maximum length of bars	Maximum reinforcing bar length after which the bars are spliced.
Lapping length	Length of the lapping connection.
Splicing in same cross section	Select how many reinforcing bars can be spliced in the same location. 1/1 = all reinforcing bars are spliced in the same cross section. 1/2 = every second reinforcing bar is spliced in the same cross section. 1/3 = every third reinforcing bar is spliced in the same cross section. 1/4 = every fourth reinforcing bar is spliced in the same cross section.
Splicing symmetry	Select the symmetry that is applied when the reinforcing bars are spliced. Not Symmetrical: The splice pattern of the reinforcing bar is not symmetrical and the uneven length is only at one side. Symmetrical with different lengths at sides: The splice pattern of the reinforcing bar is symmetrical with uneven lengths at the sides. Symmetrical with different length at center: The splice pattern of the reinforcing bar is symmetrical with uneven length in the center.
Splicing offset	Offset of the splice center point from the point where the reinforcing bars originally met.
Minimum splitting distance	Minimum longitudinal distance between two splices in consecutive bars.
Splicing type	Select the type of the splice.
Bar position	Select whether the lapping bars are on top of each other or parallel to each other.

Attributes tab

Use the Attributes tab to control the bar group or mesh properties, and user-defined attributes.

Properties


Option	Description
Name	Name of the bar group or mesh.
Prefix	Prefix for the position number of the bar group or mesh.
Start number	Start number for the position number of the bar group or mesh.
Class	Class of the bar group or mesh. If you create a mesh, only the class of primary bars is taken into account.

User-defined attributes (UDAs) for reinforcing bars

The UDAs are predefined in the MeshBars.Udas.dat file.


Option	Description
Same for all	Select Yes to use the UDA for all reinforcing bars. Select No to define the UDA separately for all reinforcing bars.
Top bars Bottom bars	Enter a UDA value for the top and bottom reinforcing bars.

Rebar assembly tab

Use the Rebar assembly tab to add the created reinforcement as a rebar assembly to the cast units.

Create as rebar assembly

You can add the created reinforcement as a rebar assembly to the cast units with a predefined assembly type, name, prefix, and start number.


Option	Description
Create as rebar assembly	Select Yes to create all reinforcement as one rebar assembly, and to include it to the cast unit of the input part.
Rebar assembly type	Select the rebar assembly type. If you do not select the type, the default value of the rebar assembly is used.
Name, Profile, Start number	Define the name, profile, and start number. If you do not define these, the default values of the rebar assembly are used.

Customize the Attributes tab

You can customize the content of the user-defined attributes section on the Attributes tab by using the MeshBars.Udas.dat file. The file can be located in any of the folders set in the XS_FIRM , XS_PROJECT or XS_SYSTEM advanced options, and in the model folder.

You can use the file to control which user-defined properties of the created reinforcement can be used in Mesh Bars and Mesh Bars by Area. We recommend that you only use UDAs that are typically common for all reinforcement.

The sample file shown below contains a full description of all the settings and the format of the file. The lines starting with '//' are comment lines.

//
// Customized user defined attributes (UDA) for layer parts created by Mesh Bars component
// 
// Each row shall contain 2 or 3 fields separated by tab(s) or semicolon. 
// Please note that all uda names shall be unique
//
// Field 1: The data type of the attribute. Valid values are 'distance', 'float', 'option', 'integer' and 'string'
//          compatible with the actual user defined attributes as specified in objects.inp
// Field 2: UDA name. This is the name of the user defined attribute.
// Field 3: Label. This text is shown in the attributes dialog. It can be a translatable label (albl_) or any text.
//		
string		comment			j_comment
string		USER_FIELD_1		j_user_field_1
string		USER_FIELD_2		j_user_field_2
string		USER_FIELD_3		j_user_field_3
string		USER_FIELD_4		j_user_field_4

Mesh Bars / Mesh Bars by Area