Software Specification

LUSAS Bridge plus

An extended bridge analysis system which includes all of the elements, material models, modelling, analysis and results processing capabilities of LUSAS Bridge and has additional advanced elements allowing increased analysis capabilities.

Analysis capabilities

• Linear static stress analysis

• Linear buckling

• Linear cable tuning

• Natural frequency / eigen analysis

• Linear dynamics including forced response

• Interactive Model Dynamics

• Fatigue analysis

Includes these software options for new orders:

• Fast solvers

• Vehicle load optimisation

And when used with these purchased LUSAS Bridge plus software options also allows:

• Steel frame design

• RC frame design

• RC slab / wall design

• Composite Deck Design

• Advanced Interactive Modal Dynamics (IMD Plus)

• Nonlinear analysis

• Dynamic analysis

• Thermal / Field analysis

• Geotechnical analysis / Soil-structure interaction analysis*

• Heat of hydration analysis

• Rail track analysis

* when used with appropriate additional software option(s) - Nonlinear, Dynamics, etc

See below for more details.

LUSAS Bridge plus software options

Included for new orders:

Fast Solvers

• Fast Multifrontal Direct Solver
• Fast Multifrontal Block Lanczos Eigensolver
• Complex Eigensolver
• Fast Parallel Direct Solver
• Fast Parallel Iterative Solver

Vehicle Load Optimisation

• Rapidly reduces load assessment times
• Extends vehicle loading capabilities of LUSAS Bridge
• Identifies critical vehicle and train (rail) loading patterns for a selected design code

Available for purchase to increase the analysis and design capabilities of LUSAS Bridge plus:

Steel Frame Design

• Design code-based results visualised as Utilisation ratios on members
• Design summary results produced for selected members and loadcases
• Generate formatted design reports, showing calculations made and referencing clauses and equations from chosen code

RC Frame Design

• Design checking of regular and arbitrary shaped reinforced concrete members subject to bending and axial force
• Design code-based results visualised as Utilisation ratios on members
• Produce a tabular summary of results for selected members and loadcases, view detailed results and generate interaction diagrams

RC Slab / Wall design

• Comprehensive design checks to a large range of international Codes of Practice
• Strength/ULS and SLS checks based on flexural, twisting and in-plane effects, shear, stress limits, minimum and maximum areas of reinforcement and crack widths or spacing considerations as appropriate for all supported codes
• Allows for defining load combinations for each design check separately and produces contoured results, detailed table results and rendered calculations for adding to reports

Composite Deck Design

• Design checking of design members / multiple sections on steel and steel/composite bridge decks

IMDplus Analysis

• Multiple event assessment
• Linear dynamics effects

Nonlinear Analysis

• Large displacement, large rotation and large strain geometric nonlinearities
• Material nonlinearity including plasticity, concrete, damage, volumetric, geotechnical, rubber, creep, temperature dependent, and user supplied models
• Incremental, iterative (MNR or NR), line search and arc length solution procedures
• Follower forces
• Slideline/slidesurface contact algorithms

Dynamic Analysis

• Spectral and forced response
• Modal or Rayleigh damping
• Transient dynamics
• Automatic time step selection
• Nonlinear dynamics
• Time dependent materials and loading

Thermal / Field Analysis

• Steady state and transient
• Linear, nonlinear and field dependent material models
• Automatic time steps
• Link, line, plane, axisymmetric and solid field elements

Geotechnical analysis

• Provides a range of soils-specific analysis facilities to enable finite element modelling in 2D or 3D of both ground and structure in a single model.

Heat of Hydration Analysis

• Models the heat of hydration of concrete for a variety of cement types. 
• Includes effects due to the addition of fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag
• Permits hygro-thermal analysis to determine time- and age-dependent deformations, stresses, crack-widths and more...

Rail Track Analysis

• Track/bridge interaction analysis to Union of Railways code UIC774-3
• Automatic building of models
• Calculates stresses and forces in track from thermal and train loading

Composite FRP

• For structural and bridge applications, modelling of Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP), laminated glass, reinforced concrete using the smeared reinforcement technique, and gradual through-thickness masonry arch cracking assessments can be carried out using advanced layered shell elements.