The Method Used to Calculate Properties

The Method Used to Calculate Properties

In general terms the cut area through each element is computed as a flat 2D polygon, or series of polygons in the case of complicated beam sections, and transformed into 2D cut section XY space. The origin of the cut section is implicitly the origin of this 2D space system, its X axis becomes left/right and its Y axis becomes up/down. Properties are then calculated in that XY space system using standard mathematical formulae.

The way that PRIMER calculates cut sections through the various element types is described below.