In this example you create a custom component that connects a skewed beam to a shear plate of a beam. As the connection is intelligent, you can adjust the variables of the skewed beam to suit different situations.
The example consists of the following sections:
Defining a skewed beam connection (p. 84)
Opening the skewed beam connection in custom component editor (p. 86) Creating variables to control clearance from the beam flange (p. 87)
A custom connection creates component objects and connects the secondary part end to the main part. The component symbol is green.
Creating a variable to control the plate profile (p. 89)
Creating variables to control the vertical position of the plate and bolts (p. 90) Creating variables to fix the plate on the beams (p. 92)
Creating a dummy part and variables to control the plate length (p. 94) Testing the skewed beam connection (p. 99)
Defining a skewed beam connection
To define a skewed beam connection:
1. Click Detailing > Component > Define Custom Component... to open the Custom Component Wizard.
2. Change Type to Connection and enter a name for the connection.
3. Click Next.
4. Select all the objects (plates, bolts, weld, fitting and beams) that belong to the component.
Before you start, ensure that you have the example model Skewed_Beam open.
Use area selection (right to left) to select the objects.
5. Click Next.
6. Select the first beam as the main part.
7. Click Next.
8. Select the second beam as the secondary part.
9. Click Finish to finish defining the connection.
Tekla Structures displays a component symbol for the new component and the skewed beam connection is added to the component catalog.
Opening the skewed beam connection in custom component editor
Use the custom component editor to modify the skewed beam connection.
To open the skewed beam in the custom component editor:
1. Right-click the skewed beam connection 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 variables to control clearance from the beam flange
Create variables to control the clearance from the beam flange so that it maintains its value if the slope of the beam changes.
To create the variables:
1. Select the fitting.
2. Hold down the Alt key and use area selection (left to right) to select all the fitting handles.
3. Right-click and select Bind to Plane in the list.
Before you start, ensure that the part representation is set to rendered.
Part surfaces and available planes can be selected only in rendered views.
4. Select Boundary planes in the Custom component editor toolbar.
5. Move the pointer over the main beam face to highlight it.
6. Click the face to bind the handles.
Dimensions appear in the custom component editor views.
7. Click the Display variables button to open the Variables dialog box.
8. Change Visibility to Hide for the three distance variables.
9. Click Add to create a new variable.
10. Change Formula to 10 and enter Clearance in Label in dialog box for the new variable.
The variables created by the user get the prefix P (parameter).
11. Change Formula to =P1 for the three distance variables to link them to variable P1.
You have created the variables that control the beam flange clearance.
Creating a variable to control the plate profile
To create a variable:
1. Create a new variable in the Variables dialog box.
2. Change Value type to Profile for the new variable.
3. Change Formula to PL10*180 and enter Plate Profile in Label in dialog box.
4. Select the plate in the custom component editor to highlight it in the custom component browser.
5. Browse to Profile under Part (the plate) in the custom component browser.
6. Right-click Profile and select Add Equation in the list.
7. Enter P2 to link the profile to variable P2.
You have created the variable that controls the plate profile.
Creating variables to control the vertical position of the plate and bolts
To create the variables:
1. Select the plate.
2. Hold down the Alt key and use area selection (left to right) to select the plate handles.
Dimensions appear in the custom component editor view.
4. Change Visibility of the two new variable to Hide. 5. Click Add to create a new variable.
6. Change Formula to 50 and enter Beam Top to Plate in Label in dialog box. 7. Link distance variables D4 and D5 to variable P3.
You have created the variables that control the vertical position of the plate.
8. Select Center planes in the toolbar.
9. Select the bolts.
10. Hold down the Alt key and use area selection (left to right) to select the bolt handles.
11. Bind the handles to the plate center.
Dimensions appear in the custom component editor view.
You have created the variables that control the vertical position of the bolts.
Creating variables to fix the plate on the beams
Bind the start handle of the plate to the web face of the main beam and both plate handles to the web face of the secondary beam.
To create the variables:
1. Select the start handle (yellow) of the plate.
3. Select both plate handles and bind them to the outline plane of the secondary beam web.
There are now three new distance variables in the Variables dialog box.
4. Change Visibility of the three new variables to Hide.
5. Browse to Flange thickness1 under Part (plate) in the component browser.
6. Right-click Flange thickness1 and select Copy Reference in the list.
7. Paste the reference value to Formula of variables D9 and D10.
You have created the variables that fix the plate on the beams. The plate now maintains its position relative to the face of both beams, even if the slope of the beam or the thickness of the plate changes.
Creating a dummy part and variables to control the plate length
You can control the plate length but this is not very straightforward because of the slope. Also, A warning about cycle may appear. You can ignore the warning.
1. Create a concrete beam in the position as instructed in the images below.
2. Bind both handles of the concrete beam to the web of the secondary beam.
3. Bind both handles of the concrete beam to the flange of the main beam.
4. Change Visibility to Hide for the four new variables.
5. Change Formula to =P1 for the variable that controls the distance between the concrete beam start point and the main beam flange.
6. Click Refresh in the custom component browser to show the dummy part in the browser.
Now the concrete beam does not appear in the model.
8. Select the plate and the bolts.
9. Bind the three handles to the start face of the concrete beam as shown below.
10. Change Visibility to Hide for the three new distance variables.
11. Create three new variables.
12. Change Visibility to Show and enter names and the required values for the new variables.
Hide the main beam to see the start face of the concrete beam.
13. Change Formula values for distance variables D15, D16 and D17 to link the distance variables to variables P4, P5 and P6.
14. Link the Bolt Spacing variable to the bolt group in the custom component browser.
15. Bind the bolt handles to the plate face.
16. Create three new variables.
17. Change Name, Formula, Value type, Visibility and Label in dialog box for the new variables.
18. Link the three new variables to the bolt properties in the custom component browser.
You have created the dummy part and the variables that control the beam length.
Testing the skewed beam connection
Test the skewed beam connection by changing values in the skewed beam dialog box.
To test the skewed beam connection:
1. Save the skewed beam connection in the custom component editor.
2. Exit the custom component editor.
3. Double-click the skewed beam connection to open the skewed beam dialog box.
4. Change values in the dialog box and click Modify to see the changes in the skewed beam connection.