Computer Programs

Design and Analysis Computer Programs:

Beams:

• Composite box beams. Includes transverse shear effects.
• Composite I-beams. Includes transverse shear effects.
• Composite hat beams. Includes transverse shear effects.
• Advanced beam theory where the curvature is not small for large deflections.
• Bimetallic beams for thermal and mechanical loading.
• 3D-Beam from Grape software. A finite element program for beams. Used for flexibility analysis of piping systems and stack design and analysis.
• A General Beam Program for finding natural frequencies for determining critical wind speeds for vortex shedding.  The inputs can include variable cross sections, properties, and boundary conditions at any elevation.

• Sandwich  and isotropic plates with central loading, self weight, and uniform pressure. Includes transverse shear effects.  Programs are available for both small and large deflections and various boundary conditions.

• Isotropic with uniform pressure or hydrostatic loads.
• Sandwich with uniform pressure or hydrostatic loads. Includes transverse shear effects in core.
• Sandwich with unequal face thicknesses.
• Buckling for axial loads for isotropic and sandwich plates including transverse shear effects.
• Stiffener and top flange requirements for uniform pressure or hydrostatic loads.
• Plates with initial curvature and uniform load.
• Timoshenko strip analyses for both SS and FF boundary conditions. MathCad and Excel versions.
• FF by SS plate with uniform pressure. Both in MathCad and Excel.
• Circular sectors with uniform pressure and simply supported edges.

• Knuckle discontinuity analysis.
• Buckling of isotropic, orthotropic, and sandwich shells due to external pressure, lateral pressure, axial load, bending, or combined loads. Laminated plate theory and classical shell theory are used. Results are per ASME RTP-1, ASME Section X, SMACNA, Baker et al, and NASA SP-8007.
• Half round, filament wound band, and trapezoidal stiffener sizing for vacuum loading including the difference in stiffener and shell properties.
• Composite cylinder analysis (COMPCYL) using classical laminated plate theory for axisymmetric loads. Includes Halpin-Tsai and MIL HDBK 17 micro-mechanics and Tsai-Wu strength analysis per ASME RTP-1.
• Stresses in cylinders due to point shear forces or bending moment.

Laminated Plate Programs:

• Laminated Plate Theory (LPT) for stress, strain, and strength calculations. Includes thermal and moisture effects and calculates coefficient of thermal expansions and effective mechanical properties.
• COMPCYL is a simplified LPT for composite cylinder analysis of axisymmetric loads. Includes CTE calculations. Current version has built in micro-mechanics per MIL HDBK 17 and Tsai Wu strength calculations.

• Commercial laminate programs used are The Laminator and CEDEC.

• Advanced Laminated Plate Theory for unbalanced lay ups. The ABD matrix is recalculated for the shift in neutral axis and bending stresses are collected based on the neutral axis. Includes buckling calculations per RTP-1, Section X, SMACNA, and a macro which runs NASA SP-8007 for the first 30 by 30 modes. This is in spreadsheet format and includes all mechanical, moisture, thermal, stress, and strength calculations.  Versions include both 24 and 48 layers.
• A Laminate Builder that performs the micro-mechanics to simplify the inputs to the Laminated Plate Theory program.  This is in spreadsheet format with pull down menus for materials.  The output is copied and pasted into the LPT program or is linked directly.
• Micromechanics for particulate filled composites such as sand filled resins used in some piping.

Other Design and Analysis Programs:

• Horizontal tank design including saddle rings.
• Stress distributions about round or elliptical holes in isotropic or composite plates for designing local reinforcements about manways or skirt accesses.
• Pipe stiffness per ASTM-D-2412.
• Hold down lugs per ASME RTP-1.
• Lift lugs per ASME RTP-1.
• Guy wire analysis for stacks including preload and thermal expansion.
• ABD matrix calculation for orthotropic materials.
• Pressure losses in pipe, duct, and fittings due to friction.
• Ellipse analysis for internal pressure.
• Torisphere analysis for internal pressure.
• Torisphere analysis for external loading, point load, and a load over a small spherical area including buckling.
• Stack wind load analysis per UBC, BOCA, and ASCE 7-93, 7-98, 7-05, and 7-10 codes. Includes vortex shedding effects.
• Pipe and Duct support spacing per SPI and SMACNA guidelines including the effects of SG, wind, seismic, weight, snow, vacuum, and pressure.
• Flange analysis per ASME RTP-1 and ASME Section X.
• Seismic load analysis per most building codes including UBS, IBC, and ASCE 7.
• Gusset and bracket analysis.
• Laminate costs including RTP-1 micro-mechanics for stiffness and strength.
• Micro-mechanics of composites to predict overall material properties based on constituent properties. Halpin-Tsai, Hahn, U of D, MIL HDBK 17, and Tsai-Hahn formulations. MathCad and spread sheet versions. 2D and 3D versions. Includes mechanical, thermal, and moisture predicted properties.
• General Finite Element Analysis with commercially available programs.
• AutoCad for creating or editing drawings.
• Tank design program for static head pressure, pressure, vacuum, wind, temperature, and seismic loads.
• Calculates thicknesses in shell and heads and hold down lugs per RTP-1 based on the properties of the lay ups. The design information is then used in cost estimating programs.
• Butterfly damper design. Plates (monocoque and sandwich) and shafts calculations.
• Blast gate damper design.
• SMACNA duct programs for round and rectangular FRP duct.
• SMACNA duct programs for round and rectangular metallic duct.
• Pipe design per ASTM D 6041.
• Insulated tank calculations.
• Snow load on pipe.
• HDB (Hydrostatic Design Basis) regression analysis per ASTM D 2992 for pipe pressure class qualification.

Filament winding pattern machine sheet generation.

• Chop / Hoop lay up machine sheet generation.
• Dome contour analysis for filament wound  geodesic isotensoid and planar domes.