Function
Copy existing nodes and elements of given conditions to create structural frames of high-rise buildings.
Call
From the Main Menu select [Structure] tab > [Building] group > [Building Generation]
Shortcut key : [Ctrl]+G
Input
Start Node Number
Assign a starting node number of new nodes that will be created with new elements in the Model Window. This number is automatically set to the largest node number currently used +1. Click the [...] button and select an option to enter a desired number.
Start Element Number
Assign a starting element number of the newly created elements. This number is automatically set to the largest element number currently used +1. Click the [...] button and select an option to enter a desired number.
Building Generation
Number of Copies : Number of stories to be copied
Distance (Global Z) : Copy distance in GCS Z-direction (Story height)
Material Inc. : Increment for Material property numbers to be created
Column Section Inc. : Increment for Column Section numbers to be created
Beam Section Inc. : Increment for Beam Section numbers to be created
Brace Section Inc. : Increment for Brace Section numbers to be created
Wall Section Inc. : Increment for Wall Thickness numbers to be created
Operation
The Add button : Enter or add Z-direction copy conditions
The Modify button : Modify previously entered copy conditions
The Delete button : Delete previously entered copy conditions
The Building Generation Table button : The copy conditions entered in the above Building Generation are displayed by stories in a table.
Note
When the increments for material properties or section numbers are widely varied, specify the copy conditions considering only the story heights first. Then, reflect the increments for material properties or section numbers in the Building Generation Table button.
Copy Node Attributes
Select the option whether to copy the nodal attributes during the copy process (nodal boundary conditions, nodal concentrated loads, etc.). Click the [...] button to copy attributes selectively.
Copy Element Attributes
Select the option whether to copy the element attributes during the copy process (element boundary conditions, element loads, etc.). Click the [...] button to copy attributes selectively.
Copy Building Attributes
Select the option whether to copy the building attributes during the copy process (Rigid Link and Assign Floor Loads, etc.). Click the [...] button to copy attributes selectively.
The Merging Tolerance button
Enter the merging tolerance in terms of a distance for merging newly created nodes and existing nodes.
Note
Application example for Building Generation
1. First, create a reference frame, which will become a basis for subsequent copying operation.
2. Using the copy conditions of Building Generation, generate copy conditions considering only the story heights.
'3' in Number of Copies, '11.5' in Distance + the Add button
'4' in Number of Copies, '13' in Distance + the Add button
Copy condition table is created as follows :
3. Click the Building Generation Table button to reflect the increments for material properties and section numbers by stories in the copy conditions. Increments for section numbers by different types of members (column, beam, brace, wall) can be separately selected.
4. Click the OK button, then the material property and section increments are reflected in the copy condition table below.
5. Select the elements to be copied and click the Apply button to create a building model as shown in the figure.
The Application example of the Install CD explains the procedure of using Building Generation to create Steel (15 stories) and RC (12 stories) structures.
Building Generation can be applied to complicated structures whereby, story heights, materials, sections and thicknesses vary from floor to floor. Only one copy operation is all that is required.