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Initial Sway via Table

The “Initial Sway via Table” imperfection type provides the option of defining floor areas and specifying a sway for each of them.

Define the floor areas by entering the ordinates in the “Initial Sway via Table” tab of the table. You can insert a new row using the Create New Effective Length button at the bottom of the table and the Insert New Imperfection Cases button above the currently selected row.

Info

Note that the stories are defined in ascending order (see the graphic in the dialog box) and the sign of the ordinate refers to the selected coordinate system.

Furthermore, you can select whether an inclination is to be applied for the x-direction, y-direction, or for both directions. The “Level direction” specifies the ordinate of the stories. This means that vertically directed initial sways are also possible. In the table, the inclination is displayed as a reciprocal of 1 or alternatively as a decimal number.

Calculation of Imperfection Case

After calculating the imperfection case, you obtain the result of the deformation that is applied as an imperfection. This type of imperfection is taken into account in the calculation using a displacement of the FE elements.

Usage

Tip

This imperfection type is well suited for large structural systems or mixed structures consisting of surfaces and members. Irrespective of the individual alignment of the elements, the misalignment can be easily defined for the global structure.

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