Configurations

The Options Menu

In Ftool it is possible to configure:

Analysis type

In the current version of Ftool, the only type of analysis is linear-elastic:

Sizes of supports, hinges, loads, and text in the display

There are itens in Options menu that allow the configuration of sizes of supports, hinges, loads, and text in the display of a model on the screen:

For each type of entity, display size may be Small, Medium, or Large. An example of the results of this display size configuration may be seen in the model of a bridge:

Superposition of static load and load-train results

Ftool, by default, adds static load effects to the calculation of internal force envelopes due to load-trains. This option may be deactivated through one item of Options menu. The default configuration is reset when a new model is created or opened from a file.

Solver file

Ftool has an internal module to perform the analysis (solver) of current model. It is possible to save an auxiliary file with the data that is passed to the analysis module. In version previous to version 3.00, this file was the only option to feed the analysis. After version 3.00, this communication is done through RAM memory. However, there is an item in the Options menu that allows this file to be saved. The file has the same name as the current model file name, but with the extension ".pos". This option is deactivated when a new model is created or open from a file.

Formatting Units and Numbers

Through the sub-menu Units & Number Formatting, the user selects physical units for parameters used in the structural analysis and the format for the display of numerical values for these parameters. Options exist to specify units in SI (International System), US (American System), or units in kilo-Newtons and meters. To specify a system of units and the display format, select the corresponding button at the top of the box. The user can always switch the system of units or formatting as needed during an analysis.

Unit Systems

The following tables show the unit systems implemented in Ftool for each parameter and the corresponding factors of conversion for the units used internally by the program (indicated in bold-face).

The first unit of each parameter appears automatically when the user selects SI units (International System) or US units (American System).

The conversions for units that have ton-force (tf) are:
1 tf = 103 kg×g

The gravity acceleration adopted is g = 9.81 m/seg2.

Pascal Units:
1 Pa = 1 N/m2
1 kPa = 103 N/m2 = 1 kN/m2
1 MPa = 106 N/m2 = 103 kN/m2 = 1 N/mm 2
1 GPa = 109 N/m2 = 106 kN/m2 = 1 kN/mm2

Parameter

SI units

US units
  Symbol Name Factor of Symbol Name Fator da
      ref. SI unit     ref. SI unit
Distance m meter 1.0 ft foot 0.3048
and Length cm centimeter 0.01 in inch 0.0254
  mm millimeter 0.001      
Displacement mm millimeter 0.001 in inch 0.0254
  cm centimeter 0.01 ft foot 0.3048
  m meter 1.0      
Rotation rad radian 1.0 rad radian 1.0
  deg degree p/180.0 deg degree p/180.0
  mm millimeter 0.001 in inch 0.0254
Seção cm centimeter 0.01 ft foot 0.3048
  m meter 1.0      
Section Area mm2   0.000001 in2 inch2 0.02542
  cm2   0.0001 ft2 foot2 0.30482
  m2   1.0      
Section inertia mm4   1.0e-12 in4 inch4 0.02544
  cm4   1.0e-08 ft4 foot4 0.30484
  m4   1.0      
Force kN kilo-Newton 1.0 kip kilo-pound 4.448
  N Newton 0.001 lb pound 0.004448
  tf ton (weight) 9.81      
Moment kNm   1.0 ft-k kip×foot 1.356
  Nm   0.001 ft-lb foot×pound 0.001356
  tfm   9.81 in-k inch×kip 0.11298
  kNcm   0.01 in-lb inch×pound 0.00011298
  Ncm   0.00001      
  tfcm   0.0981      
  kNmm   0.001      
  Nmm   0.000001      
  tfmm   0.00981      
Distributed kN/m   1.0 k/ft kip/foot 14.593
Load N/m   0.001 lb/ft pound/foot 0.014593
  tf/m   9.81 k/in kip/inch 175.1
  kN/cm   100.0 lb/in pound/inch 0.1751
  N/cm   0.1      
  tf/cm   981.0      
  kN/mm   1000.0      
  N/mm   1.0      
  tf/mm   9810.0      
Temperature °C centigrade 1.0 °F Fahrenheit (T-32)×5/9
Elasticity MPa mega-Pascal 1000.0 ksi kip/inch2 6895.0
Modulus GPa giga-Pascal 1000000.0 psi pound/inch2 6.895
  tf/mm2   9810000.0 k/ft2 kip/foot2 47.878
  N/cm2   10.0 lb/ft2 pound/foot2 0.047878
  kN/cm2   10000.0      
  tf/cm2   98100.0      
  Pa Pascal (N/m2) 0.001      
  kN/m2 kilo-Pascal 1.0      
  tf/m2   9.81      
Specific Weight kN/m3   1.0 pcf pound/foot3 0.1571
  N/m3   0.001 k/ft3 kip/foot3 157.1
  tf/m3   9.81 lb/in3 pound/inch3 271.434
  kN/cm3   1000000.0 k/in3 kip/inch3 271434.0
  N/cm3   1000.0      
  tf/cm3   9810000.0      
  kN/mm3   1.0e+09      
  N/mm3   1000000.0      
  tf/mm3   9.81e+09      
Thermal Expan. 1/°C   1.0 1/°F   1.8
Translational kN/m   1.0 k/ft kip/foot 14.593
Spring N/m   0.001 lb/ft pound/foot 0.014593
Stiffness tf/m   9.81 k/in kip/inch 175.1
  kN/cm   100.0 lb/in pound/inch 0.1751
  N/cm   0.1      
  tf/cm   981.0      
  kN/mm   1000.0      
  N/mm   1.0      
  tf/mm   9810.0      
Rotational kNm/rad   1.0 ft-k/rad foot×kip/rad 1.356
Spring Nm/rad   0.001 ft-lb/rad foot×pound/rad 0.001356
Stiffness tfm/rad   9.81 in-k/rad inch×kip/rad 0.11298
  kNcm/rad   0.01 in-lb/rad inch×pound/rad 0.00011298
  Ncm/rad   0.00001 ft-k/deg foot×kip/deg 244.08/p
  tfcm/rad   0.0981 ft-lb/deg foot×pound/deg 0.24408/p
  kNm/rad   0.001 in-k/deg inch×kip/deg 20.3364/p
  Nm/rad   0.000001 in-lb/deg inch×pound/deg 0.0203364/p
  tfm/rad   0.00981      
  kNm/deg   180.0/p      
  Nm/deg   0.18/p      
  tfm/deg   1765.8/p      
  kNcm/deg   1.8/p      
  Ncm/deg   0.0018/p      
  tfcm/deg   17.658/p      
  kNm/deg   0.18/p      
  Nm/deg   0.00018/p      
  tfm/deg   1.7658/p