A stiffener is a component that allows you to insert a stiffening plate or plates into open section profiles.
To Stiffen
The first category of the component settings manages the definitions of a stiffened member and a reference member.
The stiffened member is obligatory. It can be chosen from among all the members connected to the node. The reference member is optional. That option is useful in cases where the position of stiffeners is related to the plates of a reference member.
Plate
The subsequent category controls the definition of the stiffening plate. Select the plate material from the defined materials or create a new material. Then, enter the thickness of the plate.
The initial shape and dimensions of the plate are created automatically depending on the profile of the stiffened member. The "Plate" category shows different items, which depends on whether a reference member is chosen or not.
If you have selected a reference member, there are several options to define the "Position" of the plate: "Center", "Upper", "Lower", and "Both". You can use them to move the stiffener with regard to the position of a reference member. Furthermore, the "Member plate" option allows you to align the stiffener with the reference member plates.
The "Direction" options allow you to choose whether the stiffener is inserted parallel to the reference member or perpendicular to it. If you want to position the stiffener along the stiffened member, you can define the adequate "Location offset".
If no reference member is selected, there are reduced options. The "Number | Distance" options allow you to choose the number of stiffeners and the spacing between them in the direction of the stiffened member center line.
Stiffener Settings
In this category, you can edit the stiffener position and shape.
Use the "Side" options to define which side of the member is to be stiffened: "Left", "Right", or "Both". If appropriate, you can rotate the stiffener by entering the "Inclination" angle.
You can use "Width offset" and "Height offset" to reduce the size of the stiffening plate(s) by offsetting them from the stiffened member plates. The "Chamfer" options allow you to modify the corners of the plates, which is typical for stiffeners.
Welds
The last category controls the welds that are globally used for all edges of the stiffener. If you clear the check box, no weld will be applied.
When you select the space to the right of the check box, you will find a list from which you can choose the type of weld. Several types of fillet welds and butt welds are available. For fillet welds, each thickness has to be defined.
