Buckling length
Use Buckling length to define and adjust buckling length factors for composite member design checks.
When you activate the tool, a tool palette opens.
The tool palette contains the main tools and parameter controls for assigning buckling settings.
Main tools
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Define – assign buckling length settings to selected bar elements.
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Properties – view or edit buckling length settings of existing definitions. Opens the Default settings dialogue for selected buckling length definitions.
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Reset – remove assigned buckling length settings from selected elements.
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Set β factor – apply user-defined β factor values to selected elements.
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Copy buckling lengths – copy buckling length settings from one element and apply them to others.
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Automatic β calculation – let the program calculate β factors automatically based on model conditions.
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Default settings – open default values used when you create new buckling length definitions.
Additional functions
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Flexural buckling, stiff direction – define settings for flexural buckling about the stiff axis.
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Flexural buckling, weak direction – define settings for flexural buckling about the weak axis.
Additional checkboxes
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Flex. buckling, stiff – enable or disable assignment of buckling settings in the stiff direction.
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Flex. buckling, weak – enable or disable assignment of buckling settings in the weak direction.
Parameters
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β – numeric field for the buckling length factor.
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> – opens a small menu with predefined β factors based on boundary conditions.
Default settings dialogue
When you press Default settings, a dialogue window opens for configuring default buckling parameters.
The dialogue contains the same β input logic as the tool palette.
- β – default β factor value for new buckling length definitions.
- > – opens the same menu of predefined β factors based on boundary conditions
- Sway – checkbox that controls whether sway conditions are considered in the default buckling setup