Plate Attributes: Offset

Description

Offsets selected plate elements in the local +z direction relative to the nodes.

The offset is the distance between the nodes and the mid-plane of the plate. A positive offset moves the plate in the direction of the local +z axis.  A negative offset moves the plate in the direction of the local -z axis.

Offset attributes are independent of load and freedom cases.

If the Lumped Mass Matrix option for plates is used in Dynamic Analysis, Straus7 will automatically change this to the Consistent Mass Matrix option to account for offsets.

Dialog

Value

The offset.

Common Controls

• Components
• Equation Editor
• Retrieve from model
• Keep selection
• Scale / Add / Delete / Apply

Units

Length (e.g., m, in).

Common Uses

Some uses of the plate offsets includes:

• Modelling steel structures where different thickness plates are butt-welded together with one of their surfaces flush.
• Composite structures manufactured in moulds have a smooth outside surface. Any variation in the thickness of the laminate changes the position of the laminate mid plane with respect to the moulded surface.

See Also

• SOLVERS Parameters: ELEMENTS