calculate cable tension due to wind loading

[blmce]

I need to calculate the tension forces in woven wire mesh. This mesh will be rectangular in shape and attached on the exterior of a building at the top and bottom only. This mesh will see wind and temperature loads. At the bottom of the mesh will be springs to keep the mesh tight. I also need to size these springs.

As a first step I need to analyze the mesh to get the tensile loads on the woven wires. I know how to trace those loads back to the springs.
Can anyone recommend a software program that can analyze woven wire mesh? I'm thinking it needs to be a FEA program but how to model wire in FEA? I looked into powerline programs but they are too specialized.
I thought of using STAAD and model the cable as a tension member but STAAD won't analyze cables with lateral loads. Please let me know if I am wrong with that statement as I already own STAAD.
Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Bhat165]

If your mesh is made up of fine grids of cable, you can model the mesh as a membrane and analyze the membrane against lateral load (a membrane can only take lateral load when axially stiffened). The initial membrane tension can be calculated from the profile. You can also use fem with this initial tension. If you want to model each cable, you have to use a software which can handle cable elements. I have not used STAD, but I know a software called LARSA which can handle almost any kind of problem with cables. Visit the web site:

http://www.larsausa.com/.

Also read the book "Cable Structures", by Irvin, Dover Publication. Its the only book availbale in market whicg covers fully on cable statics and dynamics. Read the last chapter on application of cable.

 

[blmce]

Thanks for your help. I will definitely research the software and book that you mentioned.

 

[trainguy]

I've seen some state of the art buildings (ie Montreal's Olympic Stadium) analyzed with COSMOS/M. This included the cable supported roof analysis.

tg