CADRE Pro

CADRE Pro 5.2 3D Finite Element Structural Analysis

CADRE Pro 5 is was a major upgrade to take advantage of the features of the Microsoft dot Net framework. The framework provides improved graphics and controls for Windows applications.

CADRE Pro 5.2 is designed for the .Net version 2.0 and later.

Evaluation version

CADRE Pro 5.2 evaluation (~5 Mb) (a fully functioning version of CADRE Pro 5)

Overview

CADRE Pro is a structural engineering application for Windows 98/NT/2000/XP and Vista with the Microsoft .Net 2.0 framework or later installed.

CADRE Pro allows any frame, beam, and plate type structure (or integrated beam and plate structure) to be modeled and solved for loads and stresses or for vibration modes and frequencies. It is designed by practicing professional engineers to be a general and practical application that will allow the user to tackle a large variety of structural engineering projects from the very large to the very small.

The main emphasis is on understanding and predicting the behavior of structures under load. CADRE Pro is a structural analysis application, not a CAD application, consequently, the graphical interface is designed to render a structural model in a fashion that closely represents the physical assumptions and the underlying mathematical equations.

Advanced analyses features include buckling analysis, beam-column effects and incremental solutions for large displacements as well as shock and seismic solutions.

Technical features

	3D finite element models structural loads and stresses
	Beam load diagrams
	Thermal loads & pre-loads
	Stability and buckling
	Beam-columns (P-delta)
	Internal load and stresses
	Von Mises, principal, traverse, and planar stresses
	Ranking and coloring of stresses and loads
	Functional coloring schemes
	Plate bending and in-plane loads and stresses.
	Boundary conditions include springs and specified displacements
	Special structures insertion such as arcs, circles, Bezier, parabolic, pivot joints and others
	Vibration modes and frequencies (ANIMATED)
	Export vibration animation video clips
	Shock load analysis
	Seismic spectrum analysis
	AISC steel and Aluminum Association section property databases
	Beams (tapered, pinned, or flexible pins), deep shear beams.
	Springs, tension elements (cables), compression elements, and plate elements
	DXF file import and export
	Geodesic modeling
	Modeling templates for walls, wire frame meshes, plate meshes, boxes, spheres, cones, cylinders, rings, helical coils, and more.
	Special features for setting up elastic foundations

Water tower with hydrostatic loads

Element types include

	standard fixed constant section beams
	tapered beams
	pinned beams
	tension-only elements
	springs
	deep (shear) beams
	triangular in-plane stress plates
	full triangular (inc. bending) plate
	compression-only element
	eccentric beam element (offset beam)
	line element (no influence on the model)

With these elements many structures such as trusses, houses, bridges, guyed towers and mechanical devices, can be modeled.

CADRE Pro is particularly useful for modeling combinations of beams and plates to form sheet/stringer structures and box beams.

Petroleum tank under snow loads

Special beam types

Amphitheater steel structure with roof cable mesh

One way elements (tension only and compression only can be used to represent cable supports or beams on one-way reaction points.

Pinned beams can be defined with a variable degree of pin restraint from free to fully restrained providing an easy means of specifying end fixity.

A tapered beam can be initially defined with just the end properties and then divided into segments maintaining the continuity of the taper.

Eccentric beam element

Eccentric beam elements allow offset end loads

that facilitates the solving of structures like the lifting crane at the right.

	This element is also very useful for modeling plate panels with integrated beam stiffeners.
	The Help module includes several detailed sample exercises with the eccentric beam element.

Simple crane with eccentric axial load

Planel with stiffeners represented by eccentric beams

Beam Section Properties

There are many methods of deriving and inputting beam element stiffness properties:

	Simply type the information directly into the element library from published standards
	Importing from another CADRE finite element model
	Using the Basic Shapes wizard in CADRE Pro feature to derive properties of basic geometric shapes (round and rectangular bars and tubes, "L", "T", "Z" and "I-beam" shapes) in any system of units desired.
	Importing from the extensive database of AISC steel, Aluminum Association, and Wood data bases as well as European and Australian standards provided with the application.
	Using CADRE Analytic's application CADRE Profiler to derive custom section properties.

Plate elements:

Plane stress 2D triangular plate element that is especially designed to be integrated into 3D frame structures or stand alone for 2D plane stress solutions.

DKT triangular (Kirchoff plate) element that accepts out-of-plane loads (bending) as well as in plane loads and provides both planar and traverse stress.

Built-up box beam with integrated beams and plates

Loading the model:

Loads can be applied to any selected node, or group of nodes, directly on the screen by selecting and pointing with the mouse.

Distributed loads: CADRE Pro has wizards for automatically applying distributed pressure loads, dead weight (or structural mass) and applying loads based on projected lengths or areas of defined elements. Projected loads are useful for loading conditions such as wind and snow.

Load Sets: Load sets can be derived in components and saved, merged, and recombined (with load factors) in any desired fashion.

Thermal loads and Initial loads: CADRE Pro can solve for temperature differential effects and for the effects of initial tensile or compressive loads in members.

The graphical interface

The graphical interface allows the magnifying, moving, and rotating the 3D finite element model about three axes. The model can be examined in perspective or isometric views. For dynamic analyses, the model is displaced in the form of the vibration mode shapes and animated for a visual vibration effect. Any element or node can be selected on the screen for a quick display of all its properties and available calculated information such as displacement, internal loads, and stresses.

Parts of the model can be hidden by a variety of conditions or made semitransparent to simplify the access and visibility of other parts of the model.

Entering and Editing data is accomplished in a variety of ways. The models can be constructed directly on the screen. The models can be constructed in CAD programs and imported through the DXF import feature. Models can be initiated using a CADRE Pro Quick Modeler template and then finished by editing on the screen with the model editing utilities that allow expanding, replicating, and merging and a variety of other operations.

Modeling templates and model generators

This Quick modeler is a utility that allows the creation of several types of basic models and meshes.

It can make beams in any orientation with any desired number of nodes and elements providing a quick means of creating continuous beam models so that shear, torsion and bending moment diagrams along the beam can be determined.

The Quick Modeler can make meshed models of plates and wire. This includes planar disks, rectangles, cylindrical, conical, toroidal, or box structures.

Other utilities allow the cutting of holes and insertion of special structures such as B�zier curves, scissor connections, parabolas, arcs, and circles.

CADRE Pro contains a complete geodesic generator for making true geodesic type models and special low profile domes (see tank cover in the the oil tank picture above).

Pipeline choke plate diaphragm under pressure load

Displaying and evaluating results

CADRE Pro provides several features for examining the results of calculations. The main output are the model graphics, the displacements and internal loads in the elements and the reactions at the boundary conditions. The internal loads can be ranked in any chosen fashion in order to find the most critical members. For plates, the normal, principal, Von Mises, and traverse stresses are provided. The data can be displayed on the screen, plotted, sent to a printer, copied to the clipboard, or sent to a text file.

Beam load or plate stress diagrams can be created to display any of the 6 degrees of loading in a beam element or any of the stresses for a plate element.

Or a displacement diagram of any selected line of nodes can be presented (e.g. a displacement plot across a joisted floor under pressure)

Stress maps

Circuit board with assembly loads and reactions

Stress & load colors:

CADRE Pro provides a continuous rainbow palate for stresses and loads for plate elements and beam elements.

Stress includes principal and planar components of normal and shear stress as well as traverse shear and von Mises stress.

Dynamic analyses:

Dynamic analyses features: Vibration analyses are conducted on restrained or completely free structures.

Structures are solved for vibration frequencies and mode shapes which are displayed and ANIMATED on the screen.

Vibration analyses can be conducted with an initial static loading in order to include the effects of axial compression and tension on vibrating members.

Modal participation factors and as well as generalized and effective mass data are provided.

Click to animate this model!

Modal displacement color coding

(14th mode of a vibrating rectangular plate)

Shock and Seismic Loads:

Shock and Seismic loads are calculated using a response spectrum. The program provides construction of UBC and IBC seismic spectrums and has a general spectrum editor. Modal combinations use either the CQC method (complete quadratic combination) or the SRSS method (square root of sum of squares). The seismic loads can be merged and superimposed on other loading conditions such as wind, snow, and dead or live weight.

RESCOL: Rescol is an optional compatible program that can be used with CADRE Pro. It will provide spring constants for foundations and footings as well as the period for stratified soil and seismic spectrums. Rescol permit's one to calculate these values, and automatically introduces the numerical results to CADRE PRO for the purpose of investigation soil-structure interactions.

Help: The context sensitive help system provides instruction in the finite element method, help for using CADRE Pro and help in getting started with 24 step by step practice exercises.

Administrative aspects:

Small business friendly: Up to 3 installations included in the License for the basic price for CADRE Pro 5.

License duration: All CADRE Analytic granted software licenses are perpetual (no maintenance fees).

Technical support: Reasonable technical support on engineering projects by practicing professional engineers is free of charge.

Software support: Support for installation and operation is free and provided by real people on the telephone.

The best way to resolve support issues is to send us your problem model file as an email attachment so we can look at it while discussing it with you.

CADRE Pro 5.2 evaluation

Capability: CADRE Pro 5 is virtually unlimited in nodes or elements. Limits result from the allocation of memory by your computer and operating system.

Requirements:

Minimum:

250 MB of RAM
Windows 98/2000/NT/XP/Vista
2 button mouse.
Hard disk with 20 megabytes of free space.
CD ROM Drive

Recommended:

Windows XP or later with 1GB of RAM.

Prices

Professors and students, inquire about the Educational Discount.

Order CADRE Pro

Internet mail: CADRE Analytic

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This page updated: Sunday, March 09, 2008