In this example you create a beam-to-beam end plate custom connection. You can easily adjust the variables of the connection to suit different situations.
The example consists of the following sections:
Defining an end plate connection (p. 25)
Opening the end plate connection in custom component editor (p. 27) Creating distance variables to control the top notch (p. 28)
A custom connection creates component objects and connects the secondary part end to the main part. The component symbol is green.
Creating variables to control the end plate width and thickness (p. 37) Defining the end plate material (p. 39)
Adjusting the end plate to a new beam size (p. 40) Creating variables to control the bolts (p. 43) Defining bolt size and bolt standard (p. 45) Defining bolt distances (p. 46)
Testing the end plate connection (p. 47)
Defining an end plate connection
To define an end plate connection:
1. Click Detailing > Component > Define Custom Component... to open the Custom Component Wizard.
2. Select Connection in the Type list.
3. Enter a name for the connection in the Name box.
4. Click Next.
5. Select all the objects that belong to the connection.
Before you start, ensure that you have the example model End_Plate open.
Use area selection (left to right) to select the objects.
Make sure you select all the cuts and fittings and so on that you want to include in the component.
6. Click Next.
7. Select the first beam as the main part.
8. Click Next.
9. Select the second beam as the secondary part.
10. Click Finish.
Tekla Structures displays a component symbol for the new component and the end plate connection is added to the component catalog.
Opening the end plate connection in custom component editor
Use the custom component editor to modify the end plate connection.
To open the end plate in the custom component editor:
1. Right-click the custom component in the model.
2. Select Edit Custom Component in the list.
The custom component editor opens showing the custom component editor toolbar, the component browser and four views of the custom component.
Creating distance variables to control the top notch
First create the distance variables that control the notch.
To create distance variables for the top notch:
1. Select the notch cut.
Before you start, ensure that the part representation is set to rendered.
Part surfaces and available planes can be selected only in rendered views.
2. Hold down the Alt key and use area selection (from left to right) to select all the handles of the cut.
3. Right-click and select Bind to Plane in the list.
4. Move the mouse pointer over the top of the beam to highlight it.
5. Select the plane.
Distances appear in the custom component editor views.
You can select either the Boundary planes or Outline planes option in the custom component editor toolbar to be able to highlight and select the planes.
6. Select both front handles and bind them to the edge of the beam flange.
7. Select both rear handles and bind them to the beam web.
Make sure you have set the plane type as Outline planes.
Editing the top notch distance variables
Edit the top notch distance variables to make some of them hidden in the end plate dialog box.
1. Click the Display variables button in the custom component editor toolbar.
The Variables dialog box opens and shows the distance variables that you have created by binding the planes.
2. Change Visibility of variables D1 - D6 to Hide.
Creating variables to control the notch depth and notch clearance
Create variables to control the notch depth and the notch clearance from the secondary beam flange.
To create variables to control notch depth and notch clearance:
1. Click the Add button twice in the Variables dialog box to create two new variables.
2. Enter Notch Depth in Label in dialog box of variable P1. 3. Enter Notch Clearance in Label in dialog box of variable P2. 4. Change Formula to 30 for variable P1.
5. Change Formula to 10 for variable P2.
The variables created by the user get the prefix P (parameter).
6. Change Formula of variables D3 and D4 to =P1, and of variables D5 and D6 to =P2.
Adjusting the end plate length to beam depth
Adjust the end plate length to suit the beam depth.
To adjust the end plate length:
1. Select the end plate top handle.
2. Bind the handle to the upper side of the beam.
3. Select the end plate bottom handle and bind the handle to the underside of the beam.
4. Open the Variables dialog box and change Visibility of the new variables to Hide.
5. Change Formula of the new variable D9 to =P1.
The plate upper side now automatically follows the notch depth and the plate underside follows the beam depth.
Creating variables to control the end plate width and thickness
To create variables to control the end plate width and thickness:
1. Add new variables P3 and P4 for Plate Width and Plate Thickness.
2. Copy the plate width and plate thickness values from the custom component browser to the corresponding Formula.
3. Add a new variable P5 for Plate Profile.
4. Edit the formula of variable P5 to ="PL"+P4+"*"+P3 and change Value type to Profile.
5. Change Visibility of variable P5 to Hide.
6. Select the end plate in the model to highlight it in the custom component browser.
7. To link variable P5 to Profile in the custom component browser, right-click Profile and select Add Equation.
8. Set Profile to =P5.
Defining the end plate material
To define the end plate material:
1. Add a new variable P6 for Plate material.
2. Copy the plate material from the custom component browser to Formula. 3. Change Value Type to Material.
4. To link variable P6 to material in the custom component browser, right-click Material and select Add Equation.
5. Set Material to =P6.
Adjusting the end plate to a new beam size
Link the end of the secondary beam to the end plate by binding the fitting to the end plate. Then link the end plate to the main beam so that possible changes in plate or web thickness are taken into account.
To adjust the end plate to a new beam size:
1. Select the fitting.
2. Bind the fitting to the back of the end plate.
3. Select the plate to link the end plate to the main beam.
4. Hold down the Alt key and use area selection (from left to right) to select both the end plate handles.
5. Bind the handles to the face of the main beam web.
Select the Outline planes option in the custom component editor toolbar.
6. To make the variables follow the end plate thickness, change Formula to =P4.
7. Change Visibility of variables D12 and D13 to Hide.
Creating variables to control the bolts
Allow the bolt group to follow the changes in the end plate values. This way you can decrease the risk of unexpected clashes that may result from bolt positioning.
To define the distance from the top flange to the first bolt:
1. Select the bolt group and the top handle.
2. Bind the handle to the top of the secondary beam flange.
3. Change Visibility of the new variable D14 to Hide.
4. Add a new variable.
5. Enter Top flange to 1st Bolt in Label in dialog box. 6. Change Formula of variable P7 to 70.
7. Change Formula of variable D14 to =P7.
Defining bolt size and bolt standard
To define the bolt size and bolt standard:
1. Add two new variables.
2. For the first variable, change Value type and Label in dialog box to Bolt size. 3. For the second variable, change Value type and Label in dialog box to Bolt standard. 4. Copy bolt size and bolt standard values from the custom component browser to the
corresponding Formula.
5. Edit the variable names so that they have the same prefix.
6. Link the variables to Size and Bolt standard in the custom component browser.
Bolt size and bolt standard variables must always have the same prefix, otherwise they do not work. In this example, the prefix is P8 for both.
Testing the end plate connection
Save the end plate connection and then test it.
To test the end plate connection:
1. Save the connection and close the custom component editor.
2. Double-click the end plate in the model.
The end plate dialog box opens.
3. Change the properties in the end plate dialog box and click Modify to see the changes in the model.