Prokon’s Elastic Support Beam, also known as Beam on Elastic Support, is a powerful tool designed for the analysis of beams or slabs on soil. It proves to be user-friendly and straightforward, provided you grasp a few essential concepts.

The parameters are as follows:

• Lsec – Represents the length of the member and will be displayed on the screen. Multiple lengths can be defined for the same model, each representing different ‘sections.’
• Isec – Denotes the Cross-sectional Second Moment of Area. This pertains to the side of the model that is not visible to you as the user—the ‘in-screen’ cross-section. Typically, rectangular cross-sections are used. The formula for calculating Isec for rectangular sections is as follows:

• Bsec – Represents the support width, indicating the ‘in-screen’ depth of the supporting soil. If set to zero, it will leave a soil/support gap.
• Supports – Supports can be either vertical (Y) or rotational (R). There’s no obligation to define any supports.
• Loads – Loads can be defined as per usual.

• E modulus = Elastic (Young’s) modulus of the chosen beam material.
• K modulus = K modulus information can be found in “Prokon SUMO Subgrade Modulus – Part 1” and “Prokon SUMO Subgrade Modulus – Part 2.”
• Allow negative pressure = The option ‘Allow negative pressure’ determines whether soil will adhere to the underside of the slab/beam, resulting in negative moments similar to a hog.

With all of the parameters set, once you navigate to the Output tab, you will see the following results:

In conclusion, the Prokon Elastic Support Beam tool, equipped with its user-friendly interface and comprehensive parameters such as Lsec, Isec, Bsec, Supports, Loads, E modulus, K modulus, and Allow negative pressure, offers a robust solution for the analysis of beams or slabs on soil. With the ability to customize various settings and the provision of detailed output results, it proves to be a valuable resource for engineering professionals seeking accurate and efficient structural analyses.

People, Systems and Businesses Perform better with Micrographics.
Our highly experienced Application Engineers can assist you with:
Autodesk Support, Implementation & Training | Consulting | Troubleshooting | Custom App Development For Revit, Inventor, Fusion & Vault
Prokon Support, Implementation & Training
For all queries info@mgfx.co.za