Examples of Improper beam-plate connectivity

Example 1 :

In the above figure Beam 71 is connected between nodes 531 and 532. Plate element 217 is connected between nodes 428 42! 43" 431 #he beam and $late element have no nodes in common. %ence& even though node 532 lies along one edge of element 217& and node 428 lies within the s$an of beam 71& there is no $ossibilit' of load transfer between the two. Remedy : (ivide the beam into two segments. )e$lace the *uadrilateral element with 3 triangular elements as shown below

+ember 71 has been s$lit at node 428. #his is easil' done b' going to the ,eometr' menu and choosing Brea- Beams at .elected /odes.

#he *uad element was deleted and re$laced with 3 triangular elements. #riangular elements can be added b' going to ,eometr' 0 1dd Plate 0 #riangle. Example 2 :

In this e2am$le& one node of the beam lies within the boundar' of the $late. It ma' seem as though the beam is connected to the surface of the element. But& in the stiffness method& 2 entities are considered to be connected onl' when the' have a node in common in their incidence list. Remedy : .$lit the beam at the $oint where it crosses the element edge. )e$lace the *uadrilateral element with 5 triangular elements.

#here is a sim$le wa' to s$lit the beam without going through com$le2 handculations to find the location of the s$lit. 3irst& add a dumm' member along the edge of the element

that the beam crosses. #hen& select those two beams and create an intersection $oint using ,eometr' Intersect .elected +embers Intersect. /e2t& select the 2 segments of dumm' member. 4hen deleting the *uadrilateral element& ma-e sure 'ou do not delete an' nodes which ma' become or$han as a result of the deletion. #his will leave behind the corner nodes so that adding the triangular elements becomes an eas' tas-. #o add the triangular elements& go to ,eometr' 1dd Plate 0#riangle. Example 3 :

#he a2is of beam 123 $asses through the element 85 without being connected to an' of the edges of the $late or within the $late area. Remedy : .$lit the beam at the $oints where it meets the 2 edges of the element. )e$lace the element with 2 triangular and one *uadrilateral element.

Example 4 :

#he beam a2is is concurrent with one of the edges of the element. #hough the lines overla$& there are no common nodes connecting the two. Remedy : .$lit the beam at the $oints where it meets the element. #o do this& select nodes 52 and 53& go to the ,eometr' menu& and choose Brea- Beams at .elected /odes.