Dear ATENA users and prospects,

we hope you are doing well and that you spent a beautiful summer holidays.

We are very glad to come up with our newsletter right after the release of a brand new ATENA 5.9.0.
As we would like to share its main feaures with you first, we decided to organize two webinars on October 14th and 21st, 2021.
You are cordially invited to take part in both events. Both webinars are free of charge for you and the registration information is provided in the subsequent sections of this newsletter.

If you think your institution or company will need more detailed information on how ATENA can help you, you can request a special online demonstration or training.

As the covid pandemic has made us all a bit isolated throughout the last couple of years, we strongly hope we can see you in person on one of the events organized next year. For example, the fib conference organizers announced their next symposium would take place in Oslo.

We look forward to hearing from you soon and meeting you personally at some of the international events we are planning to attend next year.

With best regards from Prague

Your ATENA team

ATENA v5.9 new features

We have released the official ATENA version 5.9.0f, which contains many exciting new features. All users with valid maintenance support are eligible for downloading and evaluating this new step in ATENA development.

Among others it contains the following major new developments and changes:

- ATENA Center is a new frontend interface, which provides an easy navigation through various ATENA system software tools, tutorials, documentation and example problems.

- 3D printing modelling of concrete can be simulated by ATENA now. In addition to the numerical model, the user can provide the printing path and printing speed along with time dependent material properties to simulate the printing process. This new feature can be used to simulate and verify the structural stability during the printing process or the behavior of the final structure taking into account the effect of the printing process on its final strength, reliability or durability (see Fig. 2).

- APIS FRC – new tool for the automatic determination of input data for Fibre-reinforced concrete materials (FRC) from standard three or four point bending tests.
 

Fig. 1: Snapshot and example of the automatic report generated from ATENA analysis

Fig. 2: Example of a 3D model for the simulation of 3D printing of concrete with the dialog for the definition of age dependent material parameters

- Automated report generation allows for tailored generation of typical reports that can be further customized or enhanced based on the requirements of each project you are working on (Fig. 1).

- Durability and corrosion modelling has been enhanced and input dialogs are simplified with generation wizards and help tools for easier definition of input parameters for chloride ingress, carbonation and corrosion modelling.

- New reinforcement cycling material was implemented on the basis of Dodds & Restrepo model, which supports more intuitive definition of input parameters for dynamic and seismic analysis of RC structures. In addition, the cycling reinforcement models are available now also for the smeared reinforcement model.

- Improved reinforcement bond model can consider the effect of reinforcement corrosion or high temperatures during fire analysis on the bond strength. This means the provided slip law is scaled by temperature and corrosion dependance laws.

- Software hardlocks are available for ATENA in addition to the standard USB protection hardlocks. This simplifies the distribution as there is no need for any shipping, and this option can be also advantageous for network installations.

- Plus many other minor improvements, additional increase in analysis and post-processing speed for large scale models, and various bug fixes.

Fig.3: Simulation of 3D printing of a concrete wall showing the wall collapse if the printing speed is too fast

We continue to develop ATENA Cloud, a web application enabling the use of ATENA and our other tools without any hardware and software requirements or even a license. Two new features have been added this September:

• More powerful cloud computers are available now with up to 8 CPU and 30 GB RAM.
• Another new feature, the Remote Calculation allows you to execute ATENA input files remotely in the cloud. You can run up to 20 tasks in parallel. This is useful for example if you are performing parametric studies or running probabilistic simulations in SARA Studio.

If you are not using ATENA Cloud already, register now and get 25 EUR of initial credit for your calculations.

Fig.4: Shows display of strain monitors from several ATENA analysis executed remotely in parallel in ATENA Cloud

ATENA Webinar 3/2021

We are glad to invite you for a virtual event taking place in the middle of this October (14th, 2021), 10-11 a.m. CEST.

Topic of the webinar: Overview of ATENA version 5.9.

You will have an opportunity to learn more about:
- ATENA Center
- 3D printing modelling
- APIS FRC
- Automated report generation
- Durability and corrosion modelling
- New reinforcement cycling material
- Improved reinforcement bond model
- plus other information about analysis and post-processing speed, software hardlock, etc.

The webinar on Thursday, October 14th, 2021, 10-11am CEST is free of charge. It will be also recorded and available on CervenkaConsulting YouTube channel.

To attend the webinar, please register here.

Fig.5: Example of modelling of tank anchorage in ATENA showing comprassive concrete strains and interior cracks

Fig.6: Another example of tank anchorage in concrete slab showing principal stresses, contact opening, cracking and yielding of the vertical steel anchors

ATENA Webinar 4/2021

The next webinar will focus in more detail only on 3D printing modelling in ATENA as it is one of the main new features in version 5.9.

The webinar on Thursday, October 21st, 2021, 10-11 a.m. CEST is free of charge. It will be also recorded and available on CervenkaConsulting YouTube channel.

To attend the webinar, please register here.

Mechanical Finder Webinar

Another webinar we are planning this month is about the software:

Mechanical Finder - Quantitative CT-based Finite Element Analysis Software.

• Simple and user-friendly software for physicians and researchers
• Prediction of fractures, analysis of the interaction of bone tissue with implants
• Import in the form of specific CT data, real reconstruction of bone material

This unique software is developed by RCCM (Japan) and Cervenka Consulting s.r.o. is the European distributor.

Fig.7: Example of modelling dental implants and spinal cord fixation in Mechanical Finder

You can learn more about this software during the virtual event on October 26th, 2021, 10-11 a.m. CEST.
To get connection link to webinar, please send an e-mail to lubos.rehounek@cervenka.cz.

Tambusay, A., Suprobo, P., Suryanto, B., Don, W.: Application of Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis on Shear-Critical Reinforced Concrete Beams, https://doi.org/10.5614/j.eng.technol.sci.2021.53.4.8

The paper presents the application of a smeared fixed crack approach for nonlinear finite element analysis of shear-critical reinforced concrete beams. The experimental data was adopted from tests undertaken on twelve reinforced concrete beams by Bresler and Scordelis in 1963, and from duplicate tests undertaken by Vecchio and Shim in 2004. To this end, all beams were modeled in 3D using the software package ATENA-GiD. In the modeling, the nonlinear behaviors of the concrete were represented by fracture-plastic constitutive models, which were formulated within the smeared crack and crack/crush band approaches.

Fig.8: Comparison of load displacement graphs and crack development in shear critical reinforced concrete beams

Fig.9: Comparison of final failure modes in shear critical reinforced concrete elements

The applicability of nonlinear analysis was demonstrated through accurate simulations of the full load-deflection responses, underlying mechanisms, crack patterns, and failure modes of all 24 beams. Detailed documentation of the results is presented to demonstrate the potential and practical value of nonlinear finite element analysis in providing an informed assessment of the safety and performance of reinforced concrete structures.

KITES - Kuwait Institute for Training and Engineering Simulations: Structural Analysis Study of NAYEF PALACE

This project demonstrates the investigation and testing of the Naif Palace with regards to the structural integrity and its depreciation using Finite Element Analysis and evaluation of current bearing conditions of the structure. The study performed on the structure involves a series of steps, to understand the current state of the Palace and validate the measures needed to apply preventive measures to the structure in order to preserve the historical building. These steps involve on-site inspection, physical testing, structural modeling which is followed by FEM analysis testing of the model through applied boundary conditions and loading in a specialized testing platform to simulate the effects and study the deterioration of the model over time.

Fig.10: Displacement contours and crack development in ATENA analysis of Nayef Palace by KITES (Kuwait)

Fig.11: Deformation of the and crack development of the staircase structure at the ultimate load

Hulkova, G., Smejkal, F., Cervenka, J.: Assessment of load-bearing capacity of stair arms

The subject of this research was the assessment of prefabricated stair arms using nonlinear analysis. A more accurate assessment by non-linear calculation verifies the behavior of the structure and determines the ultimate load before the collapse of the structure. 

To check the quality of the model, a sensitivity analysis was performed, during which the influence of linear and quadratic elements was examined.
Based on the results of this research was found that the proposed stair arms have sufficient load-bearing capacity.

Dear users of ATENA software,

we would like to invite you to our ATENA Advanced User Seminar 2022. The seminar will take place in Prague, the Czech Republic on February 17-18 in Czech language.

The content of the seminar is arranged such that it concentrates on fewer topics, but provide a deeper coverage and more hands on experience with particular problems. Based on the feedback from our hotline support, we selected several topics, where we expect that ATENA users could benefit most from more in-depth explanation or background information:

- Overview of new ATENA version 5.9
- Modelling of degradation effects: chlorides, carbonations, ASR, corrosion
- Modelling of dynamic problems, free vibration and seismic accelerograms
- Modelling of 3D printing
- Modelling using 1D/3D beam elements and 2D/3D shell elements

Fig.12: Prague Castle in the sunlight

November 24-25, 2021
Concrete Days
Prague, Czech Republic
Event website

March 27-31, 2022
ACI Spring
Orlando, FL, USA
Event website

June 12-16, 2022
fib Symposium
Oslo, Norway
Event website

July 4-6, 2022
CESB22
Prague, Czech Republic
Event website

September 21-23, 2022
IABSE Congress
Nanjing, China
Event website

CERVENKA, J., Models for nonlinear analysis of concrete structures, Seminar at Prince Sultan University, Riadh, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 15th, 2021

CERVENKA, J., Modeling of Reliability and Durability of Reinforced Concrete Structures, Seminar at Australian Concrete Institute, Oct. 14th, 2021

CERVENKA, J., Modelling and nonlinear analysis of offshore structures, ASRANet, Structural Integrity 2021, Nov. 15-16, online

CERVENKA, J., PUKL, R., Advanced modeling of concrete bridges, IABSE Symposium Prague, May 25-27, 2022

CERVENKA, J.; SMEJKAL, F.; CAGGIANO, A.; KOENDERS, E., Evaluation of Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Demonstration Wall utilizing Phase Change Cementitious Materials, Central Europe towards Sustainable Building, July 4-6, 2022, Prague

PUKL, R.; CERVENKA, J., Advanced Modeling Of Concrete Structures For Improved Sustainability, Central Europe towards Sustainable Building, July 4-6, 2022, Prague

REHOUNEK, L., CERVENKA, J., PUKL, R., Analysis for Optimization of Spiral Reinforcement in Pre-Fabricated Bridge Columns, IABSE Congress Ghent 2021 - Structural Engineering for Future Societal Needs, Sep. 22 - 24