This window is displayed when you create a new section or open an existing section. It is displayed as a floating window separate from the main application window. Closing this window will not close the section itself and will not lose any information about the section. To redisplay this window (when a section is open), select Section Inputs from the View menu, or press F3.
Parts are made up of elements, each defining the geometry and behavior of a flat segment of the shape. This tab contains the inputs for elements, one part at a time. See also Section Tab, Part Tab, and Direct Strength Tab.
| Part Name | The name of the part whose elements are currently displayed in the grid. |
| Length | The distance measured parallel to the element between the outside intersection points, or between the centerline intersection points if using centerline dimensions. To add an element to an open part, enter its length on the blank row after the last element. To add an element to a closed part, modify the length (or angle) of the last element. The length and angle of the added element on a closed part will always be determined by the program to close to the beginning of the first element. |
| Angle | The direction of an element from the preceding element. An angle of 0 is horizontal to the right. Positive angles are measured counter-clockwise. |
| Radius | The inside radius of the bend between the current element and the preceding element. The radius of the first bend on an open part has no relevance. The radius of the first bend on a closed part is the radius between the last element and the first element. |
| Web | Indicates the type of shear and web crippling behavior of the element. All web types other than 'None' have shear and web crippling strength. 'Cee', 'Zee', 'Hat', and 'Deck' are used for the web elements in those types of sections. 'Double' is used for webs restrained against rotation such as back-to-back Cees. 'Nested' is used for 'Zee' shapes that are overlapped at a support. 'Single' is a generic type for all other elements that should contribute to the shear and web crippling strength. |
| k Coefficient | The plate buckling coefficient used to determine the effective width of the element under compression. This should typically be the default value of 0, which indicates the program should determine the appropriate value (see Element Behavior). It can be useful for unusual situations not covered explicitly by CFS, and is also used to indicate a cover plate with intermittent fasteners (see Element Behavior). If you enter a non-zero plate buckling coefficient (maximum value of 4), it is applied using the compression width of the element and the average compressive stress in the element. This will be treated as a rational analysis using the more conservative safety and resistance factors. You may not define a plate buckling coefficient and a hole in the same element. |
| Hole Size | The size of the hole in the plane of the cross section. The default hole size of 0 indicates the element has no hole. The maximum hole size is the flat width of the element. You may not define a hole and a plate buckling coefficient in the same element. |
| Distance | The distance from the beginning of the element to the center of the hole, measured from the outside intersection point, or from the centerline intersection point if using centerline dimensions. |