Drawing section cuts...

[ugoveri]

When drawing section cuts for example aplied to a slab, something that at first case seemed to solve the problem of slabs, it was quite a desillusion, since the diagrams shows with the right shape, but you only have access to the integration of the total forces on the left and right sides of the section cut.

Isn't there a way of showing the same diagram, like if it was a beam, in which you could get points along that line?

As far as I've seen section cuts only integrate forces, so it doesn't make it easy to get the combined mx = mxx + |mxy| or my = myy + |mxy| moments and or other forces.

I always wondered why don't they put that option on SAP2000. It's because they have to justify SAFE?

 

[stressed]

If you mesh you shells, SAP2000 integrates not only forces, but moments are integrated as well. A section cut combines forces and moments at a point, not along the length of an element.

I may be mistaken, but what you seem to be looking for is not a section cut, but a moment diagram for a shell element, kind of like the moment diagram results available for frame objects. If so, i agree with you that this would be a useful feature to have. In the meantime, you could divide/mesh your shell elements such that you can get results where you want them

 

[ugoveri]

Well basically it was 2 questions actually...

If I just draw a section cut in one portion of the desired shells, of course i will have the integration i'm pretendind (for example if you want to have the negative moment at the support)...

But yes basically what you've written is completeley right and i completely agree...

What I am kind of complaining is that after they had the work to put the section cut avaiable, although they already got the integration (very good functionality), it wouldn't be to difficult to have the diagram like if it was a beam. It already appears qualitatively, but it shouldn't be too difficult to have values in it

The other complementary function, is the diagram that you can get coloured in the plane that could also be combined, for moments or forces with the crossed term m12 or f12 for example... So that way you would get the needed design forces and moments

I already sent them an email an they say it would be avaiable in the next versions of SAP 9... Let's wait and see...