How to create a Spiral Beam

How do i create a spiral beam?

Thanks Rob

Hello Rob,

Create a 3D polyline.

Press the Advance Steel "Beam, polyline" icon.

Type P (like Polyline) at keyboard, then press Enter

Select the 3D polyline, then press Enter

You can decide to delete (Y) or not (N) the 3D polyline

= > An Advance Steel polybeam is created instead of the previous 3D polyline.

Best regards

Philippe

Hello Rob,

Another possibility is to create an AutoCAD helix, then copy it to the top (the given value can be the height of the plate to be created), and use the "Create twisted folded plate" Advance Steel command to get a nice spiral plate.

See attached movie.

Best regards

Philippe

Attachment: AS - Create a spiral plate.avi

Hello Werner,

The idea is to change the Helix to a 3D polyline, and then to convert this 3D polyline to an Advance Steel beam.

Here is the procedure to follow (I am using Advance Steel 2011 with AutoCAD 2011) :

- Ribbon Tab Home > Draw > Helix, and then create your Helix

- Ribbon Tab Home > Modify > Explode,  then select the Helix and press Enter => the Helix becomes a Spline

- Double-click on the Spline, and press "P" to "convert to a Polyline" and specify the Precision (I recommand you not to enter a big number in order to keep correct performances ; on my side, I entered 1 as precision number) => the Spline becomes a 3D polyline

- Ribbon Tab AS Modeling > Beam, polyline ; type P (like Polyline) at keyboard, then press Enter ; select the 3D polyline, then press Enter ; you can decide to delete (Y) or not (N) the 3D polyline

As you can see, this is quite easy to convert an Helix to a Advance Steel beam :- )

Regards

Philippe

Hi,

New user resurrecting an old thread.

I am pricing a job with a curved ramp so I would need to create a spiral plate stringer.

I am using Advance Steel without a standalone AutoCAD license, can the Advance steel CAD engine draw Helix's (helices?) to then convert into spiral plates?

Or could I create a spiral stair with the correct width and radius, explode it and just keep the stringers?

How would I then form the deck plate of the ramp.

I have attached a cross section of the ramp.

Thank you

Attachment: [file not found]

 In reply to your question posted on the forum, you can create a spiral arrangement as follows:

1)Workout you basic geometry, radii, rise of ramp and radial set out.

2)The model some 2D circles and lines to represent the stat of the spiral set out in plan. ( 1St stage)

3)Then using Advance Transform elements, you can use the polar array to copy the objects around and also up in the vertical direction. ( see second stage in model attached)

4)Then using the spline option in utilities you can model a spline around these points.

5)Then copy it up the depth you require in the vertical plane.

6)Repeat as required at Radii.

7)Use the twisted folded plate tool (Object tab on ribbon, under Plates panel)  select the first spline and then the second spline above.  Set up plate as required for thickness and a number of segments)   try to set the segments as per the number of divisions/setting out points you set originally.)

8)Repeat for the inside stringer.

9)Then repeat for flat plate across the top of the stringers.

Sample model attached.

Thank you John, that's perfect.

Can't see the sample model attachment though.

Thanks