PROPERTY PHYSICAL PIPE [phname] real1 ... realn
PROPERTY PHYSICAL PIPE phname OFFSET off1 off2
PROPERTY PHYSICAL PIPE phname ORIENTATE zdir

      

This command is used to define or redefine beam sectional properties for a pipe beam section. The different FEMGEN translators will calculate areas, moments of inertia etc. as needed by the supported FE programs.

phname = name of new physical property to be defined or name of existing physical property to be modified. If no name is given a new name will be automatically generated.

reals = DY and DI to define a pipe (See diagram below)

= DY only to define a solid.

off1 = off1 is used to define the local offset at the start of the beam using either a point name or an offset vector (x,y,z). When a point name is used the offset will be the vector from the start of the first beam element to the point.

off2 = off2 is used to define the local offset at the end of the beam using either a point name or an offset vector (x,y,z). When a point name is used the offset will be the vector from the end of the last beam element to the point.

zdir = zdir is used to define the beam local z' axis direction; this can be done either with an orientation vector or a point name. The orientation vector requires three components to define the beam local z' axis in terms of the global axis system (the default local direction is 0,0,1). When a point name is used the beam local z' axis is defined orthogonal to the line to which the property is attached and in a direction towards the point. See example 3 below.

To assign physical properties to a certain part of the structure use the PROPERTY ATTACH command.

 

Figure 2.120: Pipe cross section

Examples:

1.

PROPERTY PHYSICAL PIPE PH1 2.0 1.8

Define a pipe section beam called PH1 with external diameter of 2.0 and internal diameter of 1.8.

2.

PROPERTY PHYSICAL PIPE PH1 OFFSET 0 0 1 0 0 1

Define a beam offset for a pipe beam section called PH1 with two identical unit offsets in the z-direction.

3.

PROPERTY PHYSICAL SECT1 ORIENTATE -1 0 0
PROPERTY PHYSICAL ORIENTATE SECT2 P9

The first command defines the beam local z' axis using an orientation vector and the second uses a point to define the beam local z' axis direction. In the figure below the property SECT1 has been attached to the left hand line and the property SECT2 has been attached to the right hand line. The local axis system for the lines is shown with LABEL GEOMETRY AXES.

 

Figure 2.121: Beam local axis systems

See also the following commands

'LABEL GEOMETRY AXES'
'LABEL GEOMETRY PHYSICAL'
'LABEL MESH PHYSICAL'
'PROPERTY ATTACH'
'UTILITY DELETE PHYSICAL'
'UTILITY TABULATE GEOMETRY PHYSICAL'