Tutorial of CUFSM4

Objectives
- Introduce the basic methods of modeling thinwalled structures and calculating elastic critical
buckling load (Pcr) or elastic critical distortional
buckling moment (Mcr)
- Some discussion about the effect of boundary
condition and modal decomposition and
identification (cFSM)
Example
- C-section with lips
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Tutorial
General procedure
- Input the coordinates of each node on the cross-section
- Divide structural elements
- Set material properties
- Specify the boundary conditions, number of eigenvalues,

and a series of half-wave lengths

- Choose the basis vector and base vectors of various modes
in cFSM (Optional)
- Define loads on the cross-section
- Calculation and the post-process of results
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Example 1 C-section with lips

Welcome interface
- On the left side: load an existent file or save your work
- In the middle: input data, set boundary conditions,
add constraints on modes (cFSM) and halfwavelengths, submit your work for calculation, show
curves of the results
- On the right side: zoom in, zoom out, reset the
amplification, print, copy the screen, reset, info &
close the program
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Example 1 C-section with lips

Example 1 C-section with lips

Main interface

- Choose which properties you would like to be shown

on the screen by tick them out and click Update Plot
(here we choose no#, constrains, springs and origin)

Example 1 C-section with lips

Example 1 C-section with lips

Input coordinates of nodes
- For a concrete section, specify the coordinates of each
node, and input them respectively.
- A dof is given the value of zero for constraint; while
one for free movement (normally one).
- If you are not sure with the stress, just assume them as
uniform one. (We will do with them later)
- For some cross-section (like C and Z), template can be
used.
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Example 1 C-section with lips

Example 1 C-section with lips

Divide structural elements
- Mat# is the material that will be defined (there are
default values).
- The division of elements near the round corner should
be more refined.
- Some buttons (like Double Elem. and Divide Elem.)
helps, like to double your mesh or refine your mesh
further. A doubled mesh is shown in the next slide.

Example 1 C-section with lips

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Example 1 C-section with lips

Set material properties and element connections
- Material properties include Mat#, Youngs modulus,
Poissons ratio and Shear modulus (Usu. Youngs
modulus is 29500 ksi for CFS, and Poissons ratio is
0.3).
- The software also allows different Youngs moduli for
two principal axes.
- Elements should numbered and start and end nodes,
thickness and material number of each element
should be given.
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Example 1 C-section with lips

Set boundary conditions and a series of half-wave
lengths (traditional signature curve)
- After clicking boundary condition, traditional
signature curve means only one term of triangular series
will be used for a specified half-wave length (m is locked
to 1 for (my/L)). This is the only possible value of m in
past editions.
- The user are free to choose the boundary conditions, and
the curve of longitudinal shape functions are shown at
the lower-right corner. (Only pin-pin are available in the
past.)
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Example 1 C-section with lips

Set boundary conditions and a series of half-wave
lengths (traditional signature curve)
- The number of eigenvalues is exactly the number of
buckling load factors you would like the software to solve
for each half-wave length. For those who interested in
higher modes, you can choose a larger number.
- The number of half-wave lengths should be enough, or
you may miss some critical loads (can be modified after a
trial). Remember local, distortional and global bucklings
differ in half-wave lengths.
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Example 1 C-section with lips

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Example 1 C-section with lips

Set boundary conditions and a series of half-wave
lengths (general boundary condition solution)
- General boundary condition solution means a certain
number of terms of triangular series will be used for a
specified half-wave length (m can be larger than one for
(my/L)). Note that we choose m from 1 to 20 for 92 inch
half-wave length, and the shape functions are shown in
slide 17 with m = 2 highlighted by red line.
- The user are also free to choose the boundary conditions,
number of eigen-values and half-wavelengths (like
explained in slide 12 and 13).
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Example 1 C-section with lips

Set boundary conditions and a series of half-wave
lengths (general boundary condition solution)
- One key is that if you use m = 2 for half-wave length 2L,
with other conditions the same , you will get the same
results with m = 1, half-wave length L, since m and halfwave length are both doubled. Wisely choose them.
- The recommend m means a traditional signature curve
analysis will be run automatically, and the software will
suggest you the m which resolves the half-wave lengths
close to the critical half-wave lengths of local,
distortional and global modes.
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Example 1 C-section with lips

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Example 1 C-section with lips

Define loads on the cross-section
- Press Sect. Prop. the software will automatically
calculate the properties of the cross-section.
- In, Applied Load, input the yield stress, the software
will automatically calculate the axial force and
moment on the cross-section.
- Note that only the checked axial force or moment will
be used in calculation. Make sure before press
Generating Stress. Then there will be a stress
distribution at every node.
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Example 1 C-section with lips

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Example 1 C-section with lips

Calculation and the post-process of results
- Click Analyze will start the calculation.
- Then, click Post to show the results.
- The curve of buckling load-factor vs. halfwavelength contains all the information.

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Example 1 C-section with lips

About the curve of buckling load-factor vs. halfwavelength
- Critical buckling load of a certain buckling mode (local,
or distortional) is the local minimum on the curve. While
the global buckling half-wave length should be the
physical length of the member.
- There are cases where we have only one local minimum
(like on slide 23) or multiple local minima.
- Generally, we tell the modes apart by their halfwavelengths and mode shapes. A more physical way is to
use cFSM (we will explain later).
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Example 1 C-section with lips

About the curve of buckling load-factor vs. halfwavelength
- The Plot Shape button will let you see the mode
shape of buckling (2D or 3D) at a specific point on the
curve. Use the scroll bar to see every mode (less than
your number of eigenvalues) of every half-wavelength.
- You may also load another curve for comparison by
clicking load another file.
- This edition allow you to dump your results into
documents and can do modal classification and
decomposition.
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Example 1 C-section with lips

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Example 1 C-section with lips

cFSM - constrained fininte strip method, modal
decomposition and identification (details are in
the paper posted on Dr. Schafers website)
- If you click classify under cFSM Model classification
at the lower-left corner, their will be a pop-out
informing you to initiate cFSM.
- After choosing yes, you will be directed to cFSM
page. The first thing is to choose the base vector
(natural or orthogonal)
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Example 1 C-section with lips

cFSM - constrained fininte strip method, modal
decomposition and identification
- Select the categories of mode base (L, G, D, O), and click
on/off. You selection will be effective. You can also see
the 2D or 3D figures of each mode below.
- Go back to Post and click Classify.
- One way to understand the result is the color distribution
on the load vs. length curve. The dominant color portion
(also see the numbers below the mode figure) at a the
mode of certain half-wavelength corresponds with the
dominant mode.
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Example 1 C-section with lips

cFSM - constrained fininte strip method, modal
decomposition and identification
- You can also look at the load factor vs. node number
curve. The will let you know the modal participation
of each mode (less than the total number of
eigenvalues) at a fixed half-wavelength (supplemental
participation plot tells the same thing).

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Example 1 C-section with lips

cFSM - constrained fininte strip method, modal
decomposition and identification
- Advanced users can go to cFSM page and select the
mode set before submitting for analysis. This will find
the buckling loads of specified modes at the halfwavelengths. An example of this is limiting the mode
to G only to solve the global buckling loads of stocky
members which are much higher than local buckling
loads.

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Example 1 C-section with lips

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Example 1 C-section with lips

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Example 1 C-section with lips

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Example 1 C-section with lips

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Example 1 C-section with lips

Boundary condition and higher modes
- In fact, at a given half-wavelength in our code, there
are infinite buckling modes. However, the one with the
lowest critical load are most possible to happen. We
only solve designated number of eigenvalues.
- Constraints affect the buckling load since some
buckling mode will not happen if the component is
properly constrained.
- CUFSM allows you to add constraints: either by adding
springs at nodes or imposing equations (master-slave)
as constraints. (See the front panel)
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Example 1 C-section with lips

Boundary condition and higher modes
- Due to the constraints, some buckling mode will not
appear. However, the buckling load will point to a
certain higher mode. After all, the buckling load
indeed increases. This buckling load will be used if
necessary in our design.
- For example, after the torsion is restrained, the
distortional buckling would result in a local minimum.

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Conclusion
This tutorial is intended to show how CUFSM4
works.
You should be able to calculate the buckling load
of common cross-section and recognize the critical
ones with respect to their modes.
You can get an idea on more advanced functions
like using cFSM and adding spring or multi-pointconstraint to nodes on the section to model things

like sheathing stiffness.

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