Beam End Offsets

Define Rigid End Offset Distance or take into account the Joint Eccentricity with respect to GCS or element's local coordinate system at both ends of beam elements.

Beam End Offsets can be specified in conjunction with (Beam End Release).

Note
This function cannot be used with truss elements and can be applied to beam elements only. If truss elements are changed into beam elements (Model > Elements > Change Element Parameters), Beam End Offset can be applied. To describe the behavior of truss elements, rotational degrees of freedom of beam elements should be released. This can be done using Model > Boundaries > Beam End Release.

Note
If this function is used along with section offset then the offset of the section will be automatically changes to Center-Center.

From the Main Menu select Boundary > Release/Offset > Beam End Offsets.

Click to the right of Beam End Offsets : Display the Beam End Offsets Table

Boundary Group Name

Select a Boundary Group in which the specified boundary condition is included. Select "Default" if Group assignment is unnecessary. Click to the right to prompt the "Define Boundary Group" dialog box to add, modify or delete Boundary Groups.

Options

Add/Replace: Enter or replace end offset distance and joint eccentricity for selected beam elements

Delete: Delete previously entered end offset distances and joint eccentricities for selected beam elements

Beam Offset

Type

Global: GCS

Element (SYMMETRY): Element's local x-direction

(If the end offset distance in the element's local y,z- direction is entered as same value)

Element (ASYMMETRY): Element's local x-direction

(If the end offset distance in the element's local y,z- direction is entered respectively)

1) When Type = 'Global'

Enter the end offset distance represented by a vector in the direction from the node to the offset point with respect to GCS.

RGDXi: Component of the end offset distance vector at N1 end in GCS X-direction

RGDYi: Component of the end offset distance vector at N1 end in GCS Y-direction

RGDZi: Component of the end offset distance vector at N1 end in GCS Z-direction

RGDXj: Component of the end offset distance vector at N2 end in GCS X-direction

RGDYj: Component of the end offset distance vector at N2 end in GCS Y-direction

RGDZj: Component of the end offset distance vector at N2 end in GCS Z-direction

Note
If the end offset distance is entered, all the data related to the element (element's local coordinate system, element length, element stiffness) are adjusted according to the Offset conditions.

2) When Type = 'Element (SYMMETRY)'

Enter the end offset distance with respect to element's local x-direction if the end offset distance in the element's local y,z- direction is entered as same value.

RGDi: End offset distance in the element's local (+) x-direction at N1 end

RGDj: End offset distance in the element's local (-) x-direction at N2 end

Positive values must be entered for RGDi and RGDj. The beam element length will be then adjusted to reflect RGDi and RGDj.

Element length: L = L0 - (RGDi + RGDj)

Where, L0: original length of beam element (distance between the ends, N1 and N2)

3) When Type = 'Element (ASYMMETRY)'

Enter the end offset distance with respect to element's local x-direction if the end offset distance in the element's local y,z- direction is entered respectively.

RGDyi: End offset distance in the element's local (+) x-direction at N1 end (for y-direction)

RGDzi: End offset distance in the element's local (+) x-direction at N1 end (for z-direction)

RGDyj: End offset distance in the element's local (+) x-direction at N2 end (for y-direction)

RGDzj: End offset distance in the element's local (+) x-direction at N2 end (for z-direction)

Positive values must be entered for RGDi and RGDj. The beam element length will be then adjusted to reflect RGDi and RGDj

Element length: L = L0 - (RGDi + RGDj)

Where, L0: original length of beam element (distance between the ends, N1 and N2)