Interactive concrete wall design

Tekla Structural Designer
2020
Tekla Structural Designer

Interactive concrete wall design

Opening the Interactive Wall Design Dialog

The Interactive Wall Design dialog can be opened from any of the 2D or 3D Views as follows:

  1. Right-click the wall you want to design interactively.
  2. Select Interactive Design... (Static or RSA as required). The Interactive Wall Design dialog is displayed.
  3. Click on an individual panel in the wall/panel summary pane.
  4. Interactively adjust the reinforcement as required until the panel design is satisfactory.

Wall interaction diagrams (US customary units)

To visually observe the utilization of the design, interaction diagrams can be drawn for individual walls by accessing the interactive design. There are two types of interaction diagrams: "axial force-moment interaction diagrams" and "moment interaction diagrams".

When the dialog is first opened the moment interaction diagram is displayed for the critical parameters, but you can then view the diagram for any analysis method, combination and position. The "Set Critical" button can be used to return to the critical parameters.

Wall axial force-moment interaction diagram

The wall axial force - moment interaction diagram is created by fixing the neutral axis rotation so that the neutral axis is perpendicular to the desired direction of moment resistance and varying the depth of the neutral axis. This is done about four orientations, separated by 90°: positive moment resistance in the y-direction; positive moment resistance in the z-direction; negative moment resistance in the y-direction; negative moment resistance in the z-direction.

This method creates a list of points plotted on the interaction diagram for each rotation. Each direction having two lists: one for positive moment resistance and one for negative moment resistance. The failure envelopes created from two lists referring to moments in the same direction (for positive and negative in that direction) are shown in the same colour, a different colour being used for each of the two directions.

The applied values are plotted for all combinations on the same diagram. The points referring to moments in each of the directions are in the same colour as the failure envelope for that direction. Points for both directions are plotted on the same diagram.

Wall moment interaction diagram

The moment interaction diagram is created for a specific axial force, and is used to show the interaction of the applied moments compared to the moment interaction failure envelope. The failure envelope is created by taking many rotations of neutral axis, and calculating the depth for that rotation and axial force. Moments are then taken about the plastic centroid to calculate the moment resistance in each direction.

The moment interaction diagram is calculated for each combination individually, as it is calculated based on the applied axial force which is typically different for each combination.

The resultant moment (of resistance) angle is zero when creating positive moments about the major axis and no moment about the minor axis. For consistency, the neutral axis rotation is zero when it lies parallel with the major axis with compression above the major axis. The resultant moment angle (both applied and resistance) and neutral axis angle are then measured anti-clockwise from this zero position.

The method and convention is the same for columns and walls. The convention is shown graphically above for a wall. The wall major and minor axes follow the same convention as columns - the major axis is perpendicular to the length (on plan) of the wall as shown.

The N.A. rotation is that for the calculated NA depth and at which the ratio of moments of resistance equals that of the applied moments for the applied axial force.

For biaxial bending design the method of checking whether the reinforcement in the section is sufficient is to check whether the bending resistance of the section is larger than the applied moment for a given axial force. Tekla Structural Designer therefore calculates the neutral axis position (rotation and depth) at which the ratio of the moment limits in each direction is equal to the ratio of the applied moments and the resultant axial resistance of the section is equal to the applied axial force.

This is done by calculating the neutral axis depth at which the applied axial force would equal the ultimate axial resistance of the section, and calculating the ultimate moment resistance in each direction for this neutral axis depth.

For this calculation the cross-section shown above is effectively rotated so that the neutral axis depth is horizontal - The linear strain distribution between the top and bottom points is then used to calculate the stress in each bar.

If the ratio of the ultimate moment resistance in each direction is not equal to the applied ratio, then Tekla Structural Designer iterates to find the next neutral axis angle "guess" and re-runs the process.

When the final neutral axis angle has been found, the program compares the resultant applied moment with the resultant moment resistance to find the moment utilization ratio for the applied force and moment combination.

The moments of resistance about each axis are given in the output below the respective tables which calculate the moment resistance contribution of each bar for that direction.

Wall interaction diagrams (metric units)

To visually observe the utilization of the design, interaction diagrams can be drawn for individual walls by accessing the interactive design. There are two types of interaction diagrams: "axial force-moment interaction diagrams" and "moment interaction diagrams".

When the dialog is first opened the moment interaction diagram is displayed for the critical parameters, but you can then view the diagram for any analysis method, combination and position. The "Set Critical" button can be used to return to the critical parameters.

Wall axial force-moment interaction diagram

The wall axial force - moment interaction diagram is created by fixing the neutral axis rotation so that the neutral axis is perpendicular to the desired direction of moment resistance and varying the depth of the neutral axis. This is done about four orientations, separated by 90°: positive moment resistance in the y-direction; positive moment resistance in the z-direction; negative moment resistance in the y-direction; negative moment resistance in the z-direction.

This method creates a list of points plotted on the interaction diagram for each rotation. Each direction having two lists: one for positive moment resistance and one for negative moment resistance. The failure envelopes created from two lists referring to moments in the same direction (for positive and negative in that direction) are shown in the same colour, a different colour being used for each of the two directions.

The applied values are plotted for all combinations on the same diagram. The points referring to moments in each of the directions are in the same colour as the failure envelope for that direction. Points for both directions are plotted on the same diagram.

Wall moment interaction diagram

The moment interaction diagram is created for a specific axial force, and is used to show the interaction of the applied moments compared to the moment interaction failure envelope. The failure envelope is created by taking many rotations of neutral axis, and calculating the depth for that rotation and axial force. Moments are then taken about the plastic centroid to calculate the moment resistance in each direction.

The moment interaction diagram is calculated for each combination individually, as it is calculated based on the applied axial force which is typically different for each combination.

The resultant moment (of resistance) angle is zero when creating positive moments about the major axis and no moment about the minor axis. For consistency, the neutral axis rotation is zero when it lies parallel with the major axis with compression above the major axis. The resultant moment angle (both applied and resistance) and neutral axis angle are then measured anti-clockwise from this zero position.

The method and convention is the same for columns and walls. The convention is shown graphically above for a wall. The wall major and minor axes follow the same convention as columns - the major axis is perpendicular to the length (on plan) of the wall as shown.

The N.A. rotation is that for the calculated NA depth and at which the ratio of moments of resistance equals that of the applied moments for the applied axial force.

For biaxial bending design the method of checking whether the reinforcement in the section is sufficient is to check whether the bending resistance of the section is larger than the applied moment for a given axial force. Tekla Structural Designer therefore calculates the neutral axis position (rotation and depth) at which the ratio of the moment limits in each direction is equal to the ratio of the applied moments and the resultant axial resistance of the section is equal to the applied axial force.

This is done by calculating the neutral axis depth at which the applied axial force would equal the ultimate axial resistance of the section, and calculating the ultimate moment resistance in each direction for this neutral axis depth.

For this calculation the cross-section shown above is effectively rotated so that the neutral axis depth is horizontal - The linear strain distribution between the top and bottom points is then used to calculate the stress in each bar.

If the ratio of the ultimate moment resistance in each direction is not equal to the applied ratio, then Tekla Structural Designer iterates to find the next neutral axis angle "guess" and re-runs the process.

When the final neutral axis angle has been found, the program compares the resultant applied moment with the resultant moment resistance to find the moment utilization ratio for the applied force and moment combination.

The moments of resistance about each axis are given in the output below the respective tables which calculate the moment resistance contribution of each bar for that direction.

Defining additional wall design cases for user defined forces

Additional design cases can be specified typically in order to for example design for results from Post Tensioning analysis programs. These additional forces are entered per selected panel on the Additional Design Cases page of the dialog. Any number of design cases can be added and are checked alongside regular combinations.

  1. In the Interactive Wall Dialog, select Additional Design Cases tab.
  2. Click Design Cases to open a dialog in which to add the cases (these belong to the model, so appear for all column stacks and wall panels).
  3. Click OK to close the Additional Design Cases dialog.
  4. Make relevant cases Active in the current stack.
  5. Enter the loading for the Active cases.
  6. Repeat 4 and 5 for all wall panels where appropriate.
The additional loading cases are always checked whenever the regular combinations are checked.
Note: Additional design cases can also be set up directly from Result Lines in order to facilitate local section design around openings - see the following topic.

Using result lines for local section design around openings

Interactive design of local sections around/between openings is possible using Result Lines.

The design is performed either as a column or wall section (as specified by the user), using those design forces determined along the lengths cut by the result lines. Engineering judgement is therefore required when positioning the lines to ensure suitable design forces are obtained.

For further details of the process, see: Manage, display and design result lines

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