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Vulcan
Solutions Software
| September
2005
Vulcan
was presented with two of the 2005 Professional
IT Awards by the British Computer Society at their annual
dinner at the Park Lane Hilton Hotel in London. They were
...
- Award
for Technology: Applications (sponsored by
Mercury)
-
The BT Innovation Flagship Award for Technology
Click
on the icon at top left of the screen to see a gallery of
photos from the ceremony. |
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Vulcan
is a finite element analysis (FEA) program, which is capable
of modelling the global 3-dimensional behaviour of composite
steel-framed buildings under fire conditions. The
analysis considers whole structure action and includes geometrical
and material non-linearity within its beam-column and slab
elements, with full membrane action in the slabs.
Standard stress-strain
curves and full thermal expansion characteristics are incorporated
as functions of temperature for both steel and concrete, with
uniform or non-uniform temperature distributions. The
orthotropic nature of composite deck slabs is represented using
an effective-stiffness concept, and options for semi-rigid connections
and partial interaction between steel sections and slabs are
provided.
Vulcan software has been
developed specifically for the analysis of building performance
in fire conditions. It differs from traditional, commercial
FEA packages in its simplicity and speed of use. Users do not
need to be experts in finite element analysis, and a graphical
user interface makes data input and interpretation of results
quick and easy.
To
view a complete set-up for a real project click here.
Visual
representation of a deflected shape
Vulcan output has been
extensively validated against a range of data including the
test results of the fire test programme at BRE's large scale
test facility at Cardington, UK.
Vulcan has been developed
at one of the world's leading structural fire engineering
institutions, the University of Sheffield, and is probably
the most up to date, comprehensive and extensively validated
code for its intended use.
Vulcan
is a unique Structural Fire Engineering tool which delivers
technical excellence in an easy to use Windows format on a desk-top.
It represents an excellent synergy between engineering software
and academic research.
Some
key features
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Geometries
and user inputs are created visually in a Windows based
user interface |
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Users are able
to input models directly or import them from CAD |
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The user interface
is fully functional and provides graphical output |
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It is not necessary
to edit complex data files |
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Vulcan
models are edited in Windows based format. |
Download
a demonstration version of Vulcan
You can download
a demonstration version of Vulcan
in .ZIP form below. This allows you to examine the interface
and the capabilities of the software on problems of limited
size and complexity. This
demonstration version of Vulcan is freely available and
should enable you to see the capabilities and functionality
of the software. Some of its features have been limited
for security, so it is not suitable for real projects
and its use for commercial work is strictly forbidden.
The demonstration version is fully interfaced, but is
subject to the following restrictions:
| Limits
on elements: |
Maximum
of 500 nodes
No spring elements
No shear connector elements |
| Limits
on numbers of properties: |
Maximum of
1 beam material
Maximum of 3 beam section types
Maximum of 1 concrete section
Maximum of 1 concrete material
Maximum of 2 temperature curves
Maximum of 2 temperature patterns
No fire-protection schemes
Only 1 type of rebar - cannot be edited |
Beam
Sections:
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Only 5x5 segments
for cross-sections
No general cross-sections |
Slab
Sections:
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Cannot edit
layer thicknesses (only evenly spaced layers allowed) |
| Temperature
Curves: |
One
ambient type, one linear type. Cannot be edited. |
| Temperature
Patterns: |
One
flange-web-flange, one bi-linear type. Cannot be edited. |
| Loads: |
Only
point- or area-loads (cannot define moment- or line-loads) |
| Results: |
No
save-animation of deflection results |
| Tools: |
No
geometry transform (move, copy, rotate, scale)
No “Check duplicates” function
No “Remove free nodes” function
No “Refine mesh” function
No “Model generation wizard” |
Download
the demonstration version of Vulcan
(5Mb)
(updated
27 March, 2008
) |
Using
the demonstration version
Although
the software is designed to be very easy to
use, buyers of the full version of the software
will normally undergo a short period of intensive
training, and have access to technical support.
The demonstration version is only intended
to provide an overview and a taste of the
software. However you can use the on-screen
Help system for assistance and to learn something
of how to use it.
You
may also find it helpful to view the Powerpoint
file Vulcan.ppt which, although intended to
introduce the full version, will also give
you some understanding of how the software
functions.
Download
the Powerpoint presentation(5Mb)
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