Has anyone tried modelling semi-rigid diaphragms in buildings using grillages ?

[FE_struct1]

Hello all,
Very much a theoretical question at this stage. I came across E.C. Hambly's book 'Bridge deck behaviour' a while ago and it lists out some very useful theory/equations for modelling grillages in bridge decks. I was wondering if those same equations could also be used for modelling floor diaphragms in buildings. The main advantage would be that getting design forces/moments would become much easier (though admittedly it's a lot of work for a somewhat minor gain).

Has anyone here tried anything like this before ? If yes, what was your experience ?

 

[MotorCity]

Have not used grillage as a diaphragm, but we use horizontal trusses all the time to "act" as a diaphragm and transfer lateral load to the vertical resisting elements like moment frames, braced frames, or shear walls. Certainly grillage could be designed in a similar manner as horizontal trusses to transfer lateral loads. I typically think of diaphragms as planar elements, so with that logic I would not consider the two to be interchangeable when referencing code requirements. If you have a building with grillage and a slab, you would have to consider the stiffness of each, with the stiffer of the two being the mechanism to transfer lateral forces.

 

[HTURKAK]

My points are,

- The grillage analysis , one of the modelling of plates which could be used for gravity loading .
- The semirigid diaphragm analysis should be performed with finite element analysis program.( For modelling , thin-shell
elements could be used ).
- I searched the web for ' E.C. Hambly Bridge deck behavior ' and found the following paper .At the introduction , (In the conclusion to the chapter on the finite element method in “Bridge Deck Behaviour”, Edmund Hambly wrote:
“The finite element method is the most powerful and versatile analytical method available at present because with a sufficiently large computer, the elastic behaviour of almost any structure can be analysed accurately...)
- I would suggest you to search the forum for grillage analysis .





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Make it do, or do without.

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[Trenno]

The Kiwi's came up with the Pseudo Equivalent Static Analysis (PESA), which might fit the bill. Have a google and see what you think.

I stumbled upon these Koup Engineering on Linkedin the other day which they seem to made inroads in tackling the tediousness of the method.