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This page is devoted to frequently asked questions (FAQ) related to section cuts. |
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General FAQ
General frequently asked questions which concern section cuts are as follows:
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Answer: This can be done using section cuts. Display the elevation view of the framing of interest, display the frame force to be reported, then draw a section cut at any elevation within the story by selecting Draw > Section Cut. Frame shear force will correspond to the section-cut force in the 1 direction.
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Related Incidents:
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How do I save a drawn section cut?
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- Directly define section cuts through Advanced > Define > Define > Section Cuts.
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Can force diagrams be displayed for a sequence of section cuts?
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Define multiple section cuts using interactive database editing, available through Edit > Interactive Database Editing. Data may also be imported from Excel, where section-cut data may be automated over a series of intervals. These controls are shown in Figure 1:
Figure 1 - Section-cut definition tables
- Run the analysis, then display section-cut forces in tabular format by selecting Display > Show Tables > Analysis Results > Structure Output > Other Output Items > Section Cuts > Table: Section Cut Forces - Analysis.
- Export data to Excel for post-processing and plotting of shear and moment diagrams.
Macros, basic programming, or the Application Programming Interface (API) may help expedite this process. Discretization should be refined to adequately define section cuts.
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A new feature, collection of section cuts along a line, is in development. This control will enable the plotting of response quantities for a series of section cuts within the software interface. |
Section cuts defined by a cutting plane
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Answer: Section-cut forces may be different on either side of a section cut because they are based on joint forces which occur in the global system. Globally, these forces are in equilibrium, but their relation to a section cut is arbitrary and does not necessarily serve the function and conditions of a free-body diagram. As an example, consider a section cut located in the middle of a cantilever beam modeled by a single frame element and loaded by its self-weight only. The results on the side of the section cut that includes the fixed end will represent the beam reactions, while the results on the side of the section cut that includes the free joint will be zero.
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How is the plane of the section cut defined when drawn in a 3D view?
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Integrated forces are reported either on the left or right side of the section cut, according to the right-hand rule. Take, for example, a section cut drawn from left to right along the horizontal plane within a X-Z view. Integrated forces on the left side represent behavior above the section cut, while those on the right side, below. Using the right-hand rule, these forces are expressed in the section-cut coordinate system (1,2,Z).
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Why are section-cut integrated forces shown in 1,2,Z and not 1,2,3 directions?
Answer: For section cuts drawn within the graphical user interface, the section-cut 3 axis is always parallel to the global Z axis, therefore integrated forces are shown in 1,2,Z directions since this notation is more precise.
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TO BE VERIFIED Related Incidents:
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What is the section-cut force output convention when drawn in the graphical interface (Draw > Draw Section)?
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