A User-Friendly 3D FEA Program to Analyze I-Shaped Beams and Columns

This paper presents and illustrates some of the capabilities of UT Bridge V2.0, a user-friendly 3D FEA program developed at the University of Texas at Austin. While the target audience of the software is mainly steel bridge designers and erectors, this paper demonstrates that the program is also a useful tool for researchers in structural stability evaluating the stability of I-shaped structural elements (columns and beams) and investigating concepts such as lateral-torsional buckling, torsional buckling, lateral bracing, moment magnification factors, load height effects, brace stiffness behavior and other factors.

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