Foundation element

Foundation elements are elements that connect body type structural components to the ground, e.g. a foundation slab to the ground, whereby the stiffness of the elements can be adjusted via spring constants for each direction during input or later in the properties window.

For their definition, foundation elements require the position of the foundation element to be defined via a docking point on a surface of the body.

The Winkler foundation is currently supported in the program.

The foundation constants CNx, CVy,W and CVz,W (W=Winkler components) are defined as standard in relation to the coordinate system of the docking point of the surface of the body to be bedded (RLocal (R=reference system)), whereby the x-direction is always orientated normally from the surface into the interior of the body. The unit of the foundation constants is analogous to the spring constants but is defined per unit area, e.g. kN/m per m2). To better illustrate this, the program uses the notation kN/m/m2, which corresponds to the unit kN/m3.

To interactively create a new foundation element

1. Right-click the Static connections menu to call up the shortcut menu, then select New foundation element.
2. In the input window that opens, optionally edit the name and description and select the desired coordinate system of the foundation for the definition of the foundation constants.
3. Define the foundation constants for the 3 dimensions of the foundation element.
4. Click OK to confirm the entries.

   A new foundation element is created in the directory tree in the Static connections menu.

5. When in the 3D model viewport click the docking point on which the foundation element should be created.
6. When in the viewport click on the area of the body that should be bedded.

Note: In the case of bodies that are part of a union set for Boolean operations of bodies (referred to as "external type"), the foundation element cannot be created directly at a docking point of such a body for programming purposes and must be referenced via its parent body (referred to as "left operand"). However, this is done automatically in the background when defining the foundation element, which means that the user does not have to take this into account when defining it. This is just to explain why, in such a case, the name of the selected docking point has the extension "-ref" (for "referenced") and displayed accordingly.