Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis (NLFEA) is taking a flight. The standards and codes are still lagging behind. MC2020 should make the difference in prescribing all the aspects to setup, perform and check a NLFEA.
For this purpose, many known experiments have to be analysed to prove the safety concepts and show the reliability of advanced nonlinear approaches. DIANA is a multipurpose software package that can be used for the automatic analysis of huge sets of experiments, which were not able to be automated in the past. In order to process this huge amount of data we have focused, among others, on a workflow for beams in particular. The beam experiments that have been carried out all over the world, have all kind of different geometries, materials, loading and supports. Via a simple interface, the different user inputs can be input very quickly. Running the model will result in an automatic workflow, creating the model geometry. The next step, without interference of the user is adding the materials based on the MC2010 and or the EC2. After that, supports and loading positions are created and an analysis set up is made. The complete model is ready in just a few minutes and based on the choices of the user it can be in 2D, 2.5D or full 3D. In this way, a comparison between modelling approaches can be done without man-hour impact (the different models are created based on only information that the user supplied).
The user can check the model and press the run analyses button.
After the completion of the full nonlinear calculation with experimental values and or design SLS/ULS values a report is automatically generated containing the overview of the input, analysis and output checks. In this way, the safety margins between experiments and ULS design analyses, against a current code, and or future MC2020 propositions, are shown in the paper.
