The new ‘Sweep Bars Along Path’ tool

Using the new Sweep Bars Along Path tool in the Bar Reinforcement module, you can easily reinforce doubly curved structures with varying cross-sections - such as bridges - in no time at all. The resulting reinforcement is both BIM-compliant and a 3D model. This tool places reinforcing bars, which you defined in one or more cross sections, along any sweep path. Using various paths, this sweep path describes the transitions between the cross-sections. You can formulate various rules defining how to create benching or splices, for example.

In addition to Extrude Bars Along Path, this freeform reinforcement tool is the counterpart of the Sweep Path tool in the 3D Modeling module.

Requirements for placing reinforcing bars

The following requirements must be met so that the program can place the reinforcing bars:

• You have created one or more associative sections from 3D solids or architectural components.
  Hide the visible edges so that you can only see the edges in the clipping plane.
• You have created the bending shapes of transverse reinforcement and defined longitudinal reinforcement using the Straight bar bending shape and the Straight bar as a point option in the associative sections.
  To get bending shapes with identical mark numbers in different sections, you have copied individual bending shapes using the Convert, Match Elements tool.
• You have created the reinforcement in Reinforce with 3D model mode, but you have not placed the reinforcement yet.
• The reinforcing bars you want to place together are in the same drawing file.
• If several sections include longitudinal reinforcement, the number of pieces and mark numbers are identical.
• The bending shapes of transverse reinforcement have a matching part in each section.
• The paths of the sweep path intersect all selected surfaces of the section objects.
• If you want to place the reinforcement across several 3D solids or architectural components, you have used 3D elements to define the polygonal paths. As an alternative, you can use any component edge as a path.

General parameters

You can place transverse reinforcement and longitudinal reinforcement, which you defined in one or more cross-sections, along any sweep path. This sweep path consists of at least one path. It may be useful to place the transverse reinforcement and the longitudinal reinforcement separately. In this case, it is sufficient to define the longitudinal reinforcement only in one cross-section. If the cross-sections include transverse reinforcement with an identical mark number, the segment lengths of the bar shape remain unchanged. Otherwise, the program creates a polygonal placement.

Use the Rotation option to place the transverse reinforcement so that it is always perpendicular to the first path of the sweep path. Otherwise, the program interpolates the position of transverse reinforcement between neighboring sections.

Use the First path is sweep path option to define the path clicked first as being part of the sweep path. In this case, the program will take this path into account when interpolating the bending shape points. Note that the first path is the path along which the program will apply the placement parameters.

Use the Interpolation option to control how far transverse reinforcement will be placed from the component edges. If this option is not selected and there are several paths, only the main path will be used for all bending shape points.

Parameters for transverse reinforcement

Define the spacing for Transverse reinforcement. Allplan will apply this spacing along the first path. By defining a value for the Bar offset, you create an offset between the bending shapes of transverse reinforcement.

You can create two regions with different spacing at the start and end of the placement. Define the length and spacing for each region. Allplan places the first or last bending shape of transverse reinforcement with the defined concrete cover in the first or last region respectively. The first bending shape of the other region follows at the offset specified for this region. Allplan places transverse reinforcement in the remaining region so that the reinforcement is centered.
To avoid excessive spacing in the areas where the regions meet, Allplan creates an additional bending shape of transverse reinforcement. This bending shape is outside the length you defined for the region.

In addition, you can enter a Benching length and a Benching angle for transverse reinforcement. This way, you can reduce the number of different marks.

Parameters for longitudinal reinforcement

Longitudinal reinforcement combines all bars with the same mark number to form one group. and take you from group to group. You can define the following settings for each group:

• You can enter the Overlap at start and end of the placement or have Allplan calculate the overlap.
• You can choose to supply the building site with straight or bent longitudinal bars. If you select straight bars although the building site requires bent bars, the bars will be bent on site.
• You can enter any value for the Overlap length or have Allplan calculate the overlap length. If the bars of longitudinal reinforcement exceed the maximum bar length defined in the Options, Allplan creates placements of maximum length. If this results in different bar lengths for the group, Allplan creates a polygonal placement.
• Use and to toggle between the bars of the current group. You can define the starting length for each bar, thus creating offset placements. If this results in different bar lengths for the group, Allplan creates a polygonal placement.