I didn't want to do it, but I imagined an OpenSees user somewhere out there converting OpenSees Tcl scripts to OpenSeesPy--either manually line by line or using a converter script--and ending up with lines of code that look something like this: ops.section('Fiber',5) ops.patch(...) ops.layer(...) # tag I J secI lpI secJ lpJ E A I … Continue reading A Nod to Backward Compatibility
Tag: Plastic hinge
Release the Plastic Hinge
How close to a true moment release can you make the plastic hinge at one end of an OpenSees beamWithHinges element? It's a question I've thought about before, and it came up again recently. A simple fixed-fixed beam can start to answer the question. Imposing a unit rotation at one end will produce moment reactions … Continue reading Release the Plastic Hinge
When a Deal Breaker Is Not a Deal Breaker
We often place too much emphasis on obtaining mathematically exact solutions for structural models. While it's important to obtain exact solutions, e.g., for element development and comparing softwares, it's not always necessary and definitely not always a deal breaker. The important thing is to know whether or not an exact solution is possible and the … Continue reading When a Deal Breaker Is Not a Deal Breaker
Behind the Elastic Interior
If VH1 expanded its list of the top one hit wonders of the 2000s to include journal articles in structural engineering, Scott and Fenves (2006) would be right up there with James Blunt and Gnarls Barkley. Actually, Google Scholar puts the article up there with some pretty nice company. Like all journal articles, there's something … Continue reading Behind the Elastic Interior