support services

Hot-line Support
Our dedicated hot-line technical support engineers are experts in providing sound
modelling and analysis advice to fellow bridge engineers in a friendly and informative
manner - helping you to meet your deadlines and to capitalise on your company’s
investment.

Web-based Support Quality Assurance

The LUSAS web site has a client User Area containing a wealth of technical The accurate and reliable results you
information. Tips and tricks, frequently asked questions and other useful details are get from LUSAS Bridge come not only
provided to assist you in your modelling and analysis tasks. Software scripts and the from our continuous development
latest versions of LUSAS Bridge can be downloaded for instant use. program but also from our use of an
automatic installation and testing
Training Services Product Range system. With our quality control
LUSAS training courses get you up-to- Whether your analysis requirements are procedures, designed to comply with
speed quickly and ensure that you have simple or advanced, LUSAS Bridge can ISO 9001, you can use each new
sufficient knowledge of the relevant be configured with various levels and improved version of LUSAS Bridge with
facilities in LUSAS Bridge to tackle the options to meet your needs, all of which the same confidence as the last.
types of analysis that you want to do. are fully integrated and easily
upgradeable. The configuration can also
Software Development
Consultancy Services provide for extra copies of the Modeller
If you need greater assistance than that Our policy of continuous
independent of the Solver and can be
available through the hot-line service, development ensures that LUSAS Bridge
made available as fixed or network
then our team of engineering consultants always contains the most up-to-date
(floating) licences over both LAN and
is here to help. Whether you have a facilities. Our industrial and academic
WAN for flexible access.
difficult analysis to carry out or need help collaborative projects are constantly
with a peak workload, our rapid and advancing the frontiers of current FE
cost-effective service will ensure you get technology giving both you and LUSAS
the best out of your designs. Bridge an important competitive edge.

Grant Smith
bridgeanalysis,
design,
Local distributor Find out more
LUSAS
Forge House, and assessment
66 High Street,
Clients worldwide are benefiting from Kingston upon Thames,
the commercial advantage that Surrey, KT1 1HN, UK.

LUSAS Bridge gives them. Contact Tel: +44 (0)20 8541 1999
Fax: +44 (0)20 8549 9399
LUSAS or your local distributor for more Email: info@[Link]
details or to arrange a demonstration. [Link]

Photographs and LUSAS plots courtesy of : Graeme Peacock, Gateshead Council, Scott Wilson Scotland Ltd, Whitby Bird & Partners, Cass Hayward & Partners, Northumberland County Council Technical
Services Consultancy, De Miranda Associati (DMA), Grant Smith. LUSAS is a trademark and trading name of Finite Element Analysis Ltd. All other products are trademarks of their respective owners.
LUSAS Bridge is used by thousands of bridge engineers worldwide to Easy to Use
modelling
analyse all types of bridge structures. The Windows User Interface, LUSAS Bridge has an easy to use Modeller for modelling and results processing and a
modelling wizards, comprehensive vehicle loading facilities, Vehicle fully integrated Solver which can be used independently if required.

Load Optimisation, and Smart Combinations provide for easy and Models are created using feature-based geometry with wizards provided for specific
rapid model generation, load application, and generation of results. applications. CAD import and export of model data are also provided. Model attributes
In short, it handles simple grillage and slab structures with ease and such as thickness, material properties, etc. can be named explicitly and are displayed in

Graeme Peacock
has a full range of additional features and options for more advanced a Treeview where they can be assigned to selected geometry of the model using the
‘drag and drop’ technique.
bridge structures.
Built-in associativity ensures that if the model Layers and Windows

for all geometry is amended all assigned loadings, supports Models are

types and other attributes are automatically moved to suit. formed of layers
of bridges ... where the
visibility and
An unrivalled range of analysis
properties of
facilities including seismic,
dynamic, prestress, nonlinear, each layer can be
and fatigue makes LUSAS Bridge controlled and
the clear leader for bridge accessed via the
analysis and design. layer name
which is held in
the Treeview.
Slab decks
As the model is built up, model
Slab/beam decks Increase Your Efficiency
features may be grouped together and
Whether for new design or assessment of
Plate girders manipulated to speed up data
existing bridges LUSAS Bridge provides a
preparation or to enable parts of the
Masonry arches complete solution. It is the prime choice
model to be temporarily hidden.
for organisations wanting to increase
Integral bridges efficiency by standardising on a single Multiple graphical windows allow
product for both global analyses of simultaneous displays of different parts
Ribbon bridges
complete bridges and local analyses of Model Building Wizards of the model at different orientations.
Moving bridges component parts. The grillage wizard, which requires the input of only a few parameters, enables you to Modifications made in one window are

Box girders
and much more ... rapidly generate a wide variety of orthogonal, skewed and curved grillage automatically updated in other
arrangements. An allowance for cracked sections is included. windows.
Cable stayed bridges Ideal for Bridge Assessment
Libraries of Section Properties and Materials Powerful cursor selection, full pan
When the load capacity of an existing bridge fails to comply with the
Suspension bridges Libraries of section properties for a variety of standard sections are provided. Other and zoom and dynamic rotation allow
assessment code criteria then LUSAS Bridge can be used for a more detailed
standard sections and user-defined sections can be added with a section property for easy viewing of your model.
analysis. In many cases bridge load carrying capacity has been proved using
calculator providing section data for any arbitrary section. A library of common
LUSAS Bridge, saving costly strengthening, remedial works and traffic
material properties is included and others can be user-defined.
management.

LUSAS Bridge is ideal for:- .Desktop Integration and Customisation

Plate girder buckling The user interface is a full native Windows 9x/NT/2000 implementation providing an
U-Frame action Open Interface to ActiveX compliant Windows software such as MS Excel, Access,
Local analysis of welds and stiffeners Word and other engineering software. Customisation of menus, toolbars and dialogs
Solid modelling of box diaphragms and the ability to create your own wizards with Visual Basic Scripting provide limitless
Ultimate load analysis potential to tailor the system to your company’s specific requirements.
vehicle loading viewing results
Comprehensive vehicle loading
Graphing
facilities make load generation very
The graphing wizard provides a step by
straightforward, significantly
step means of selecting which results are
speeding up the task of defining the
to be plotted. Numerical data used to
loading on a bridge deck.
create the graph is displayed in a grid
Many standard design code vehicles style alongside the graph.
are included. In addition, a moving
Animations
vehicle load generator automatically
Animations of results - which are Results Facilities
generates the required loadcases for a
particularly useful for animating mode A whole host of facilities and wizards is
vehicle as it tracks across a bridge.
shapes and investigating the spread of available to help you evaluate your results.
Results can be enveloped to provide
yielded material - can be created and
the worst resultant effects. Results can be combined, enveloped
saved in AVI file format for display in
and viewed using separate layers for
For special heavy vehicles an other Windows applications.
diagram, contour, vector and discrete
Abnormal Indivisible Load generator is
included which can generate the load
Slab Design value data.
The RC slab/wall design facility calculates
pattern for all possible combinations Bending moments, shear forces and
the reinforcement requirements for slabs
of vehicles/axle load/axle spacing. deflections can be plotted with peak
Vehicle Load Optimisation or panels. Contours of steel area, or bar
values also being displayed.
Significant amounts of time can be saved with the optional Vehicle Load diameter and spacing can be plotted to
Optimisation facility which generates the worst combination of live loading. help with the detailing process. Contour ranges and vector/diagram
A series of dialogs requiring only the input of a few parameters enables the scales can be controlled locally in each
optimised load pattern to be generated in accordance with a chosen code of window or set globally to apply to all
practice. windows.

Loadcases are selected on a window

load combinations Design Code Support

LUSAS Bridge supports many worldwide
basis allowing multiple views of the
model with each window displaying
The Basic, Smart and Code-specific load combination facilities are a key feature of bridge design codes including UK codes results for different loadcases.
LUSAS Bridge and allow for manual or fully automated assembly of design load BD21/97 and BD37/88 (Road and Rail),
Results can be displayed in global or
combinations. From these, envelopes, contour and deflected shape plots, and results BS5400 Rail, Swedish code BRO94,
local directions, in element directions, or
graphs can be readily obtained for any loadcase under consideration. Korean codes, Malaysian JKR, Hong
at any specified orientation.
Kong, Austroads and AASHTO to name
Basic and Smart Combinations Load Combination Wizards just a few. Multiple slices may be cut through the
Basic load combinations allow for Predefined bridge loadcases for design model on arbitrary planes and made
manual definition of loadcases and load codes help to automate the definition of Report Wizard visible or invisible in any window.
factors. The Smart Combinations facility, load combinations. When The report wizard allows model and results data to be selected on an element, feature
unique to LUSAS Bridge, automatically used in conjunction with a type, group, and loadcase basis for output into an easy to read report for model
generates maximum and minimum load design code template, checking purposes and for listing of results.
combinations from the applied loadings combinations of load
to take account of adverse and relieving combinations are Output to 3rd Party Software
effects. This enables the number of automatically created to give The contents of a model window can be saved or copied for use in creating reports in
combinations and envelopes required to the resultant applications such as MS Word. All results can be output for use in spreadsheet
model a bridge to be substantially maximum and applications such as MS Excel where additional graphing or calculations can be carried
reduced, saving time and reducing the minimum ULS or out.
chance of user errors. SLS loadcases.
analysis capabilities advanced capabilities
LUSAS Bridge will comfortably meet your everyday analysis needs. Nonlinear Analysis
Unrivalled state-of-the-art element libraries, isotropic and Local and global nonlinear analysis ensures that bridges are designed economically and
orthotropic material models, together with direct and eigen solvers, safely for any imposed loading. LUSAS Bridge handles: geometric nonlinearity (large

allow all types of bridge engineering problem to be solved. deformations, finite rotations and large strains); material nonlinearity (concrete, steel,
rubber and geotechnical material models); and contact nonlinearity (point and
for all surface). Automatic nonlinear solution procedures simplify the analysis process for
types applications such as lift-off of bridge bearings, collapse of bearings, lead-rubber Nonlinear Analysis Option

of analysis ... bearing analysis, elasto-plastic large deflection plate buckling, large deflection cable Geometric nonlinearity
analysis, and large finite Material nonlinearity
Linear Static Analysis rotation moving bridge Contact nonlinearity
analysis, to name but a Automatic nonlinear solution
Natural Frequency Analysis few. procedures

Linear Buckling Analysis Dynamic Analysis Dynamic Analysis Option

LUSAS Bridge excels in solving seismic
Fatigue Analysis Spectral and forced response
and dynamics problems. The natural
Transient implicit dynamics

from simple ...

Interactive Modal Dynamics frequency of structures, the effect of dynamic
Nonlinear dynamics
loading with time, such as pedestrians on
footbridges, and the response due to earthquake loading Modal or Rayleigh damping
Linear Static Stress Analysis
can all be readily calculated. By combining the Dynamic and
Stresses, strains, displacements, moments, Interactive Modal Dynamics (IMD)
Nonlinear options, nonlinear dynamic problems can be solved using IMDplus Option
shears and axial forces that result from static The IMD facility provides a way of rigorously analysing the linear dynamic
implicit solution techniques. Multiple event evaluation
loading are easily calculated. Loads are response of a bridge for a large number of transient loads such as trains crossing
assumed to be applied instantaneously in order at different speeds, or seismic events, without the long analysis solution times Fast solution times

to develop the state of internal

stress, and transient
associated with traditional time domain analysis. Forces, moments,
displacements, response time histories, and peak response summaries, both for
... to advanced Linear dynamics effects

effects are the whole structure and at selected nodes or elements, can be obtained. Results Thermal / Field Analysis Option
ignored. can be graphed, and contour, vector, or peak value feature plots can be Staged Construction Steady state and transient analysis
produced. For staged construction analysis such as in balanced cantilever structures, cable stayed Temperature distribution / dissipation
and suspension bridges, and the excavation of material, elements can be activated and
Welding effects
Pre-stress and Post Tensioning deactivated to accurately model the construction sequence.
Coupled thermal-structural analysis
A pre-stress post-tensioning facility enables the forces equivalent to a prestress
tendon to be automatically computed and applied to a model in any orientation. Soil-structure interaction
Fast Multifrontal Solvers Option
Natural Frequency Analysis Losses due to wobble, friction, anchorage slip, creep, shrinkage and relaxation Useful geotechnical capabilities make use of a wide range of soil models. Residual soil
Direct Solver
Natural frequencies and structural are all accounted for. stress varying with depth can be accommodated providing useful facilities for soil-
structure interaction for integral bridges and culverts. Rock joints, pore water pressure Block Lanczos Eigensolver
mode shapes from wind, fluctuating
loads and other induced loadings can Fatigue Analysis dissipation, consolidation modelling, geotechnical problems involving long term
be determined. The fatigue response of a structure or excavation, construction in clays, and temporary works can all be solved.
structural component can be evaluated
Linear Buckling Analysis in accordance with all major design
Advanced Element Libraries
For relatively ‘stiff’ structures such as plate codes.
girders, diaphragms and U frames, the Plate and shell elements for slab decks
maximum load that can be supported prior to Beams and shells for prestressed, steel and composite construction
structural instability or collapse occurring can Cable elements for suspension structures
be readily obtained. Solid elements for studying local effects