Beamdyn properties converter

[ariff-alzakri]

Hi,

I have been going through the beam converter scripts and would like to ask on some questions for clarification as a beginner user.

Is my understanding correct in that beam.py is essentially used to compute and transform the 6x6 matrix into one compatible with beamdyn, which are decoupled properties? And is it possible to get the 6x6 timoshenko beam properties using precomp with MM and KK functions, on the basis that we know the shear centre?

[jjonkman]

Dear @ariff-alzakri,

BeamDyn can accept fully populated 6x6 stiffness matrices for composite material-based cross sections. However, for composite cross sections composed of orthotropic materials (without off-axis plies), bending and axial terms are decoupled from torsion and shear terms, each forming independent 3x3 submatrices of the 6x6 stiffness matrix, with the other 3x3 submatrices zero-valued. The beam.py script can form the 6x6 stiffness matrix with this independent 3x3 submatrices based on bending+axial properties and torsion+shear properties (including knowledge of the tension center and shear center). Likewise, the beam.py script can form the 6x6 mass matrix based on the sectional mass, center of mass, and inertia terms.

Best regards,