Section libraries contain the geometric and strength information for the sections they contain. This includes the section name, shape type, section properties, dimensions, fabrication type and material strengths. Section libraries are now capable of holding non-standard sections and sections built from up to 10 shapes.
When importing section data from another source into a SPACE GASS section library, if you are not sure what the correct format is, you should export one of the standard SPACE GASS libraries to a file and then open the file to see how it is formatted and then use that as a pattern for the file you wish to import.
Note the following requirements for section property data.
For sections that have webs or flanges, the y-axis is parallel to the web(s) and the z-axis is parallel to the flange(s). For other sections the y-axis is the vertical axis and the z-axis is the horizontal axis. The y and z axes generally correspond to the minor and major axes respectively, however this is not always the case.
Moments of inertia and plastic section modulii are for the principal axes.
The principal angle is positive when the principal axes are rotated anti-clockwise with respect to the non-principal axes when looking at the cross section from a member's node A end towards its node B end. Note that the sign of the principal angle is shown reversed in the shape builder.
The centroid dimensions are the distances from the shape's reference point to the centroid along the y and z axes. Reference points are shown as a red dot in the image for each shape type in the Shape builder.
For column Tee sections, the dimensions are orientated the same as for beam Tee sections (ie. the depth is parallel to the web) even though column Tees are rotated through 90 degrees compared to beam Tees when used in a SPACE GASS model.
The "Section type" field must conform to one of the following:
Circular Bar
Square Bar
Rectangular Bar
Circular Tube
Square Tube
Rectangular Tube
I or H Section
Plate Web Girder
Channel
Beam Tee
Column Tee
Equal Angle
Unequal Angle
Cruciform
Box Girder
Wedge
Slice
Fillet
Points Shape
LiteSteel Beam
LSB Back-to-Back
Lines Shape
Triangle
Cee Shape
Zed Shape
Top Hat
Double Angled Short
Double Angled Long
Double Angled Starred
Polygon
Polygon Tube
Equilateral Triangle
Schifflerized Angle