CYPE 3D

The 2015.a version of CYPE 3D (Metal 3D) allows users to edit, check and design connections for its five joints modules (Joints I, Joints II, Joints III, Joints IV and Joints V). Additionally, baseplates can also be edited, checked and designed.

As of the 2015.a version, CYPE 3D allows users to:

• Check, design and generate the details of bolted or welded joints with rolled and welded I-sections (including the baseplates for these sections) if the user license contains the “Joints I, II, III and IV” modules.
• Check, design and generate the details of welded connections with hollow structural sections (circular hollow sections, rectangular hollow sections, square hollow sections and those created from two channels welded in a box) if the user license contains the “Joints V” module.
• Check, design and generate welded baseplates for any steel column arrangement (simple and composite steel sections; rolled, welded and cold-formed steel sections) if the user license contains the “Baseplates” module.
• Obtain the detailed check reports for each type of joint (including baseplates).

These new features imply the integration of CYPE-Connect in CYPE 3D (Metal 3D). CYPE-Connect was implemented in the 2014.f version and was designed to check, design and generate the details of welded and bolted steel connections with rolled I-sections. CYPE-Connect follows the same design procedure as CYPE 3D, but until now, CYPE 3D could not modify and automatically check the connections designed by the program.

CYPE-Connect also includes new features which allow for it to design and check joint types and baseplates which could only be designed until now with Metal 3D (now CYPE 3D) .

The Joints menu of CYPE 3D has been restructured so steel connections may be edited and checked. All these options affect the edit process, check and design of the joints and baseplates. The new options contained in the “Joints” menu of CYPE 3D are described below:

• Materials
• Options
  Allows users to configure the options the program will use to design the connections.
• New
  Creates a joint, for which users can create multiple connections at the same node. To create a joint, one of the following procedures must be followed:
  
  • To create a joint with all the bars at the node, select the node and press the right mouse button.
  • To create a connection at the end of a bar (a baseplate, for example), select the end of the bar and press the right mouse button, or select the node if it is the only element to be used and press the right mouse button.
  • To create a joint for a group of bars, select the bars by pressing with the left mouse button in an area close to the node at which the joint is to be creates, then press the right mouse button.

• Delete
• Edit
  Edits and checks a joint. When this option is activated, joints are displayed in different colours, depending on whether they fail any checks.
• Assign
  Copies a joint to another of the same type which is defined for a geometrically compatible group of elements (same number and type of elements, same relative positions between them and same fixity at the connection node).
• Group
  Allows users to group a joint with one of the same type which is defined for a geometrically compatible group of elements (same number and type of elements, same relative positions and rotations between them and same fixity at the connection node).
• Ungroup
• Block
  Blocks a joint so it cannot be modified during the design process.
• Unblock
• Search
• Generate
  Using this option, the program analyses all the nodes of the job and assigns, to those elements without any previously defined connections, the detected joints.
• Design
  Using this option, the program designs all the joints that have been defined.
• Rotational stiffness
  Users can consult and modify the values of the rotational stiffness of the joints applied by the program and for those whose rotational behaviour is to be analysed.
• Update the design results of the connections
  This option updates the design results of the rotational stiffness of the connections of the job once the joints have been edited.

Assign sections to bars

As well as the new section library management, the process undertaken to assign sections to the bars to be introduced and those already introduced has been improved:

• New (Bar menu)
  As of the 2015.a version, the “New” option in the “Bar” menu opens a dialogue box where users can:
  
  • Select the section of the bar that is going to be introduced. This can be done in two ways:
    
    • By selecting it from the libraries available in the job (the same way as with the “Describe section” option).
    • By selecting it from a list where the sections used in the job are displayed.
  • Establish the layout of the section (adjustment point and rotation angle)
• Describe section (Bar menu)
  A list of the sections that are being used in the job has been added to the dialogue box that opens upon selecting this option and then selecting a bar, from which users can select a section. Additionally, other options which already existed since previous versions (material selection, type of section, section series, section layout – simple, with haunches, double welded in a box...-, edit section series, access to library management) are located in the same dialogue box (without having to open other dialogues like in previous versions).
• Root radius and angle of the flanges of rolled sections
  By editing rolled sections, users can define:
  
  • For any rolled section:
    • The root radius between the web and flange
    • The root radius between the sides of the flanges
  • For I-sections and simple channels
    • Inclination of the flanges
• New welded section type
  I-sections with different flange lengths and variable depth have been added.

Layer management (bars and panels)

Three options have been created in the “Job” menu, which allow users to class bars and load panels in layers defined by themselves, so they may be viewed in their respective layers and for bars to only interact with the elements of the visible layers.

• Layer management
  Allows users to define layers or group views for elements or panels. Users will only be able to interact with elements belonging to layers which are visible. Elements and panels alike will be assigned to the active layer when created.
• Assign elements to layers
  Users can change the layer of the selected elements.
• Assign panels to layers
  This allows users to change the layer assigned to the selected load panels.

Select and edit loadcases (on bars, on nodes and surface loads)

To help users when editing loads, a dialogue box appears on screen (visible loadcase) when any of the load editing options are selected from the “Load” menu (see image).

The visible loadcase at any moment can be selected in this dialogue box.

Three new options have been implemented to modify the loadcase assigned to each load: “Edit loadcases on bars”, “Edit loadcases on nodes” and “Edit surface load loadcases”. These allow for the loadcases of several loads to be edited at the same time.

Move surface loads

The option “Move surface loads” allows users to move the selected load and, as of the 2015.a version, also move surface loads applied at the same zone belonging to other loadcases.

To do so, when this option is selected, a dialogue box appears allowing users to activate or deactivate this possibility. Once the dialogue box has been accepted, the selection can be modified by pressing the right mouse button.