Seismosoft | Earthquake Engineering Solutions

Dear Seismo Members,

I modeled a composite bridge using SeismoStruct and it was straight forward compared with other softwares I used in the past. However, I have faced few challenges that made me drop the model to look for an alternative programme. Seeing this forum live and kicking, someone may be able to give me tips that will help me resume form where I stopped.

1. Modelling Live Loadings, I need to load the deck. In some software you can create a deck surface that allows point or uniform loads to be placed anywhere within the deck. Seismo loading seems to be restricted to the nodes and elements. When dealing with many load cases, the idea of manually calculating load distribution to the members or nodes is cumbersome. Please advise if there is a tool that allows loading anywhere in the deck.

2. Usually with other software analysis, I use excel to check the detail of the output results. It is easier to filter and extract the relevant data, with Seismo the output was not easy to manipulate (that was the experience with the few attempts). Any advice or pointers on the input/output of data used in Seismo.

Many Thanks
AOsman

Dear AOsman,

The ways of applying loads in SeismoStruct are those you have already described. Unfortunatelly, there is not still available the option of applying loads in the manner you have asked.
As far as the second part of your post is concerned, according to SeismoStruct Help System: "Input data created in spreadsheet programs, such as Microsoft Excel, may be pasted to the SeismoStruct input tables for easier pre-processing.", also "the Post-Processor area features a series of modules where results from different type of analysis can be viewed in table or graphical format, and then copied into any other Windows application ". Hence, you may copy and paste the results of the analysis to an excel file and process it.

Thanks Zoi, it would make Seismo more attractive software if features to load slabs outside members and nodes are included, as in most analysis they are needed.