GeniE users will have the benefit of some new important features, such as FEM import, beam deflections and property update for the mesh, included in the current 5.3 release.

”This is a significant new release of GeniE, with many new and important features,” says Erik von Hall, DNV Software Head of Section Engineering Products.

Major and other important features are:

• Import of result file from Sestra for a GeniE model that is part of a super element analysis
• Ability to import FEM models and retain the node element numbers
• Improved modelling capabilities
• Beam deflection update to include effect due to local loads
• Property update for the mesh
• Windows 7 compatible

The changes in the mesh module have also brought other advantages, such as the ability to retain constant node and element numbers. There are many existing structural reanalysis systems (SRS) based on previous generations of Sesam. To ease the upgrade to the present version of Sesam, GeniE can now import a finite element model (frame models) and keep the numbering system. This makes it possible to import the model for super element analysis or for direct analysis where the finite element numbering system is identical to the original base model. It is even possible to change section and material properties. Previous generation result files for an SRS can be imported into GeniE. Results from complex or older analyses can be used as the basis for result processing.

“This answers customer needs in relation to continuity in the Sesam system, where the new code checks in GeniE can be used based on the result file from Sestra,” says von Hall.

The new support for property update for the mesh saves time and resources for users, and is part of a major reprogramming of the mesh module. This extensive work started in 2010 and will continue into 2011.

Users now have the ability to update mesh properties, like loads and plate thickness, without having to remesh. “This is a massive timesaver for large models,” says von Hall. Remeshing could previously take a few minutes for a thickness update. Now it will only take seconds.

Based on user feedback we have included new and improved modelling capabilities. In some cases three user operations can now be replaced by only one user operation. The new features include a much more powerful copy or move operation, as a vector can be used directly together with a length specification. The ability to do both scaling and offsetting will increase the speed of modelling as well as improve mesh controlling in critical parts.

Another timesaver based on customer requests is related to beam deflections. Users will significantly reduce the amount of work needed for required beam deflection reporting according to code of practices. We now use cubic interpolation together with the effect of local loads, comparing the deflection with pre-defined thresholds.

It is also possible to do scanning operations, where GeniE will automatically make an envelope listing the maximum and minimum result over all load cases, or selected load cases.

Author: Kaia Means

Date: 18 April 2011