Note: To open and modify the databases it is necessary to have a Microsoft Access installed.
“Windbracing AG1” and “Windbracing AX1” joints are generally used as bracing solutions in steel structures which are designed to withstand the lateral forces generated by the wind loads and not seismic loads; structures with low gravitational loads and large surface areas (warehouses, steel structured houses, advertising panels, etc.)
Various manufacturers offer different solutions for the special parts that are needed in creating such a bracing system. In Advance Steel, the 2 joints already contain member systems found in different countries. To add more, you can choose between modifying an existing table, adding new diameters, or create new member system tables.
To add tables with new member systems and special parts perform the following steps:
1. Open AstorRules.mdb database from the “C:\ProgramData\Graitec\Advance Steel\2012\Steel\Data” folder on Windows7 or Vista and “C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Graitec\Advance Steel\2012\Steel\Data” on Windows XP.
2.In the filter field, from the top left side of the tables, write “AG1” (1.). Select the “RULE_WindBracingAG1_Round” table and create a copy of it (2, 3). Give the copied table a name with the same name format; change only the “member system name” after the underscore, for example “RULE_WindBracingAG1_FAQexample” (4).
3. Open the “RULE_WindBracingAG1_MemberSystems” table and add a new line with a unique number in the “Key” column. Also fill in the “SystemTable” column with the member system table name, created in Step 2, and the “RunName” column with the name you want to display in the joint interface for this group of members.
4. Open the member's system table; delete all the existing entries and add new ones, or just customize the existing configuration.
The columns in the table are:
Key: Unique number for each line, preferably consecutive.
RunName: The name of the member, this value is displayed in the joint interface, in a drop-down list with all the other members in this table.
SectionName: Value composed from 3 components (Example: “Round nach DIN#@§@#RD30”). The 1st value (Round nach DIN) is taken from the “TypeNameText” column in “ProfileMasterTable” from “AstorProfiles”. The 2nd value (#@§@#) is a symbol that takes part in the expression format. The 3rd value (RD30) is taken from the “Section Name” column from the profile definition table in the “AstorProfiles” database (in this case “EXT_Round” table in “AstorProfiles”).
HoleDiameter: The width of the slotted hole, created in the beam, for the member to pass without collisions.
SlotLength: The length of the slotted hole, created in the beam, for the member to pass without collisions.
AdditionalLength: The extension of the bracing member, taken from the center of the beam web to the end face, along the internal x-axis.
Block, Pad, Nut: The symbol .dwg name where the 3D solid part is saved, inserted without the extension. These files must be stored in “C:\ProgramData\Graitec\Advance Steel\2012\Shared\Support\Symbols”.
BlockCommodity, PadCommodity, NutCommodity: The commodity number which the user wants to display in BOM lists. The 3D solid parts saved in the .dwg files do not have any property which Advance Steel can display. The information added in these fields is assigned to the 3D solid part, when inserted automatically as special part by the joint, and will help the user to understand where the part comes from.
Diam_Block: The width of the circular special part, taken from the flat surface to the top of the arc (red line in the following picture).
Thick_Pad: The smallest thickness of the special washer (blue line in the following picture).
