Prestressed Composite Beam wizard is creating substructure at incorrect skew for curved bridge
Question:
We are attempting to use the Prestressed Composite Bridge wizard to quickly model a PSC bridge with a straddle bent. We were following a demo for a similar situation found on your website. The bridge is curved, the PSC beams are chorded, and the deck offsets are different for the left and right slab overhangs. It appears the wizard is correctly modeling the beams and slab. However, only abutment 1 shows a 0 degree skew. For some reason, all other bents are skewed, and each is skewed at a different angle. We like the idea of using this method to quickly model a straddle bent since it saves time, but no matter how we enter the data in the wizard, the bents are skewed. I've attached both the wizard file and the resulting model. What have we entered incorrectly?
Thank you.
Answer:Hi,
Your model file seems to be made with 'Same Spacing' option for 'Girder Alignment'.
Please try with 'Offset Spacing' option and use larger value for 'Spacing(a)' & 'Spacing(b)' because program would use the values only for the reference line and girders would be made with girder offset values on 'Section' tap based on the reference line.
Otherwise, the spacing might be minus and program cannot complete the model.
All ends of the girdirs will be aligned with a line perpendicular to the reference line placed at spacing (a) therefore a curvature of the bridge may cause an overlap of the girders if the spacing is not large enough and cause an error.
Thanks & Regards,
We are attempting to use the Prestressed Composite Bridge wizard to quickly model a PSC bridge with a straddle bent. We were following a demo for a similar situation found on your website. The bridge is curved, the PSC beams are chorded, and the deck offsets are different for the left and right slab overhangs. It appears the wizard is correctly modeling the beams and slab. However, only abutment 1 shows a 0 degree skew. For some reason, all other bents are skewed, and each is skewed at a different angle. We like the idea of using this method to quickly model a straddle bent since it saves time, but no matter how we enter the data in the wizard, the bents are skewed. I've attached both the wizard file and the resulting model. What have we entered incorrectly?
Thank you.
Answer:Hi,
Your model file seems to be made with 'Same Spacing' option for 'Girder Alignment'.
Please try with 'Offset Spacing' option and use larger value for 'Spacing(a)' & 'Spacing(b)' because program would use the values only for the reference line and girders would be made with girder offset values on 'Section' tap based on the reference line.
Otherwise, the spacing might be minus and program cannot complete the model.
All ends of the girdirs will be aligned with a line perpendicular to the reference line placed at spacing (a) therefore a curvature of the bridge may cause an overlap of the girders if the spacing is not large enough and cause an error.
Thanks & Regards,