PROGRAM IN Mathcad TO THIN

RECTANGULAR PLATES USING

THE RECTANGULAR FINITE
ELEMENT "
INTRODUCTION

Viewing the current needs in the field of civil engineering, professional

should at least have some notions about computer programming language.
OBJECTIVES

objective is to develop a computer program that allows the user to get the
loads and reactions of structure plate subjected to perpendicular stresses
to its plane
GENERAL JUSTIFICATION

The requirements in the field of civil engineering are increasingly more

demanding regarding the use of technology, because they make more
efficient calculation processes while accelerating innovation projects for
socio-economic development.
PROBLEM

Analytical methods have now lost in the labor field due to the complex
application development posed many of these
PLATES: BASIC CONCEPTS

A plate in civil engineer it is a structure, which is in charge to transfer all

live loads and itself dead load to beams. Which transfer to columns until
the loads are transfer to the floor by others structures.
KIRCHHOFF

To unwrap the general equation of a plate

unstressed pure bending are considered the
following simplifying hypotheses:
It is limited to the case that the material that
comprises homogeneous, isotropic and
completely elastic.
The plate does not experience variations in
thickness due to deformation (_z = 0).
It is considered valid the hypothesis flat Bernoulli
deformations (normal average surface normal to
retain the deformed surface).
The arrow for any point of the plate is very small
relative to the thickness (w << t), the theory is
limited to small deformations, which suggests
that the average surface of the plate does not
undergo variations in their dimensions.
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

The finite element method is the most powerful in the analysis of structures
subjected to various external actions procedure.
VALIDATION PROGRAM

problem 8.1.3
Results of the problem 8.1.3

Analysis
Table 8.1 - 8 in the last column, we
find the error rate. In this case the
values of SAP2000 was adopted as
theoretical. You can guess that the
observed values of displacements
and rotations are valid, because sap
2000 is a program that has its basis in
the finite elements. What does not
ensure their complete agreement with
the theoretical value, enabling us to
take the results as good.
CONCLUSIONS

No doubt, the finite element method is a very important tool in civil

engineering, with appropriate programming and technological
advancement in computers, any engineering problem can be solved more
easily, rather than using the analytical method.
It is recalled that the displacement, rotation and reactions. They are
numerical approximations; the accuracy of these depends on the mesh
size, number of elements and user judgment when discretizing the
elements.
Classical plate theory was applied many years ago, today there are better
and more accurate methods for all types of plate. However, this is still quite
effective for thin plate thickness.
Thanks!!!!