Tensile structures

How are you? Hope you are doing well.

Do you have any recommendations regarding the modeling of tensile membrane structures in midas Gen? Is it possible or should I use another software? These are tension loaded membranes such as the following:

Thank you very much for your help!

Best regards,

Hi,

Beautiful picture, indeed!

midas Gen or midas Civil cannot handle this type of structure. Design of the tensile membrane structure requires two major features.

1. Shape finding

    To find the deformed shape under permanent loads is a very complex task because the deformed shape depends on the stiffness of the membrane, while the stiffness is dependent on the deformed shape. The same condition is happening between main cable and deformed shape in the suspension bridge for which midas Civil provides a shape finding feature called "Suspension Bridge Analysis Control". However, the shape finding of membrane structure is not provided in either midas Civil or Gen.

2. Geometric nonlinear analysis considering geometric stiffness of plate elements. 

This is possible in midas Gen.

Regards,

DK