Member Shear Panels

Member shear panels allow you to determine the lateral support of a member or member set using the components, such as bracing or trapezoidal sheeting. A member shear panel in y is taken into account when determining the elastic critical moment or the critical load factor for lateral-torsional buckling if this is determined by the internal eigenvalue solver. A translational spring that is constant over the entire member or member set applies. However, a member shear panel in z has no influence on the elastic critical moment.

Definition Type

Various types of shear panels are available for selection in the list:

• Sheeting Trapezoidal Sheeting
• Bracing
• sheeting_Bracing Trapezoidal Sheeting and Bracing
• Defining S-prov

Trapezoidal Sheeting

The following information is required to determine the shear panel stiffness of trapezoidal sheeting:

• Trapezoidal sheeting name
• Fastening arrangement
• Shear panel length
• Beam length
• Beam spacing

You can select the trapezoidal sheeting from the library using the button (see the image Cross-Section Library – Trapezoidal Sheeting). After selecting the trapezoidal sheeting, the shear panel coefficients K₁ and K₂ are automatically transferred according to the approval. However, these can also be changed, if necessary.

The fastening arrangement for the trapezoidal section affects the shear stiffness that the sheeting provides to the beam. If the trapezoidal sheeting is only fastened in every second rib, the shear stiffness to be applied is reduced by a factor of 5.

You can enter the shear panel length and the beam spacing manually. As an alternative, you can also define this graphically by selecting the "Measure" function using the button. You can then select two snap points in the work window to apply the distance between them.

The beam length is automatically adopted from the member or member set. Deactivate the "Define length automatically" check box if you want to specify the beam length manually.

Bracing

The following information is required to determine the shear panel stiffness of a bracing:

• Material name
• Diagonals – cross-section name
• Posts – cross-section name
• Shear panel length
• Beam length
• Beam spacing
• Post distance
• Number of bracing

You can select the material from the library by clicking the button (see the image Material Library). The modulus of elasticity is automatically taken from the selected material. However, you can also define it manually.

The easiest way to define the cross-sectional areas of the diagonals and posts is to select the respective cross-sections from the library using the button. The cross-sectional area is automatically adopted. You can also enter this value directly.

You can enter the shear panel length as well as the beam and post spacing manually. As an alternative, you can also define this graphically by selecting the "Measure" function using the button. Finally, you can select two snap points in the work window to adopt the distance between them.

The beam length is automatically adopted from the member or member set. Deactivate the "Define length automatically" check box if you want to specify the beam length manually.

Furthermore, it is necessary to enter the number of bracing that stabilizes the roof level.

Trapezoidal Sheeting and Bracing

Use the "Trapezoidal Sheeting and Bracing" shear panel type to consider both trapezoidal sheeting and bracing as shear panels.

The following information is required to determine the shear panel stiffness:

• Material name
• Trapezoidal sheeting name
• Fastening arrangement
• Diagonals – cross-section name
• Posts – cross-section name
• Shear panel length
• Beam length
• Beam spacing
• Post distance
• Number of bracing

A description of the parameters can be found in the sections Sheeting Trapezoidal Sheeting and Bracing.

Defining S-prov

You can also specify the shear panel stiffness manually. The following information is required for this:

• Shear panel stiffness
• Beam length

The beam length is automatically adopted from the member or member set. Deactivate the "Define length automatically" check box if you want to specify the beam length manually.

Assignment to Member or Member Set

Member shear panels can be assigned to member supports. You can assign member shear panels to one or more member supports using the editing dialog box of the support. To do this, select the fictitious stiffness "Shear Panel in y" or "Shear Panel in z" in the "Nonlinearity / Fictitious Stiffnesses" list of the "Main" tab.

In the "Shear Panel – y" or "Shear Panel – z" tab, you can then assign the shear panel you want.

You can also graphically assign the member shear panel to a member support in the editing dialog box of the member shear panel by clicking the button. However, the shear panel needs to be already assigned to the member support.

The member supports with the member shear panels defined therein are then assigned either to the members or to the higher-level member sets. Assign the member support by using the editing dialog box of the member or member set, the selection from the Member Support dialog box, or via the input table.

Position of Shear Panel on Section

You can specify the position of the shear panel on the cross-section in the "Eccentricity" tab of the "Member Support" dialog box.

Nine "Reference" check boxes symbolize distinctive locations on the cross-section. The point in the middle represents the centroid, and the eight edge points represent the intersections of the member axes y and z with the edge lines of a rectangle circumscribing the cross-section.

In addition to the nine check boxes, you can also use the center of gravity and the shear center as a reference point.

You can define the "offset" manually in the text boxes below. The distances refer to the local member axes y and z.

The shear panel is positioned via the offset-defined distance to the selected reference point on the cross-section.