Autodesk - Robot Structural Analysis - Steel Design

[MasterrrrBlasterrrr]

Hi

Does anyone know whether the structural software "Robot" performs a critical buckling analysis of a 3D steel frame, and if so how the results and available output compares to the more familiar softwares such as Microstran or SpaceGass.

Not having spent a lot of time using Robot - I dont understand why it wants the user to input effective lengths for column design, whereas under clause 8.4.2.2 of AS4100 (attached) - provided a 2nd order analysis is performed the effective length factor Ke of both braced and sway members can be taken as unity (sometimes less, but not going there in this question) - on the provision that the buckling capacity of the column is also checked for the "true" effective length under pure axial load only.

In Microstran and Spacegass (for example) these softwares run a frame buckling analysis, allowing the user to check the axial capacity of a column under its "true" effective length - where the "true" effective length comes from a complex analysis taken care of by the software. Apologies if this explanation is not entrely accurate - but you get my point (I hope).

With the above in mind I am looking to understand why "Robot" is asking the user to manually input the effective length factors. Am also wanting to understand if "Robot" performs the same (or similar) frame buckling analysis (as the other softwares) and allows the user to confirm whether a column meets the latter requirements of clause 8.4.2.2 noted above.


Thanks

 

[Staszkinson]

Hello,

ARSA performs buckling analysis, first of all You need to set buckling analysis for each one load case in "Analysis->Analysis Types->Change analysis type->buckling".

The results are available in "Results->Advanced->Critical Loads". In this area You can also get real buckling lenght too(You need to open table properties by right-mouse-click())

Hope that it was a little bit helpful.