WeStatiX Documentation EN

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Steel truss footbridge

In this tutorial we show you how to create the model of a footbridge with a steel truss structure and wooden deck.

It is possible that in this tutorial too many elements are created for your current plan. In this case, you can switch to a higher plan, or simplify the model geometry, which is available in WeStatiX.

It will be useful to show you the interaction between members elements and shells elements.

Start by creating the nodes. Activate the GEOMETRY Tab and proceed.

When you are finished, create the members to build the reticular structure.

And lastly, create shells for the deck.

Create the properties of the model. Activate PROPERTIES and click on Materials.

Below you can see how steel is defined.

…and here the wood.

Proceed by creating members sections on Members sections.

In the model you have two sections: that of the uprights of the truss structure, which you can see defined above, and that of the bracing, shown below.

Assign properties to elements on Member properties. Here below read the section summary table

To assign those properties, we show you in the following images how to fill in the Data panel fields.

Don’t forget to attribute thickness and material to shell elements. Move to Shell properties and fill in the proposed fields.

Move to CONSTRAINTS.

Fit the four nodes at the ends of the bridge fixing their degrees of freedom of movement and leaving the rotations free.

Lastly, attribute the gravity load in the z direction. To do so, tap on ACTIONS and then on Gravity, then fill in the fields as shown in the figure! By entering -1 in Gz, attribute gravity in the Z direction with the opposite direction of the axis.

Now, start the analysis on CALCULATE.