TikZ Library for Structural Analysis

Purpose

At university it is always a very time consuming work to create new assignments, and tests; especially when those tasks include drawing graphics.

In the field of structural engineering those small structures are a key part for teaching. For this reason I developed, in cooperation with the Institute for Structural Analysis at the Graz University of Technology, a TikZ library for Structural Analysis.

With the package stanli, 2D and 3D structures can be created. In the following article only the 2D library will be discussed, but the principles and methods are the same for 3D structures.

Principles

TikZ is a very powerful tool; however, unfortunately not everyone is used to this part of LaTeX. Therefore, in addition to the creation of the library the second goal was to keep the usage as simple as possible. So that:

• anyone can use this library without (deeper) knowledge in TikZ
• skilled users can easily modify and customise the code
• the principle of this library can be used for any other library

Getting Started

LaTeX Environment

Like every TikZ graph, needs also this library the

       ...
     \end{tikzpicture}

environment.

Elements

Basic Commands

The library provides 10 different commands:

• point
• beam
• support
• hinge
• load or lineload and temperature
• internalforces
• dimensioning
• influenceline
• notation
• addon

For each element (command) are different options available. Obligatory options are marked with {curley brackets} and optional values are marked with square brackets. The first type is a must have criteria. In contrast, the optional input is not required to be entered.

An easy example is the following single force:

### Manual

More specific information about the elements and their options can be found in
the manual. The manual is written in English. Section 1 provides a table
with all elements and options; furthermore, the code is also given for each
picture in the manual.

### Examples

The easiest way to create a structure is the list above, starting with ``\point``
and ending with ``\addon``.

The following examples shall give a first impression how drawings can be
generated. In the manual the example is explained in more detail.

#### 2D Simplified Roof

By using the library ``stanli``, the following graph can be created
in a very short time:

begin{tikzpicture} scaling{.65};

 \point{a}{0}{1};
 \point{b}{3}{1};
 \point{c}{11}{3};
 \point{d}{19}{1};
 \point{e}{22}{1};
 \point{f}{3}{0};
 \point{g}{11}{-2};
 \point{h}{19}{0};

 \beam{1}{a}{b}[0][1];
 \beam{1}{b}{c}[1][1];
 \beam{1}{c}{d}[1][1];
 \beam{1}{d}{e}[1][0];
 \beam{1}{f}{b};
 \beam{1}{d}{h};
 \beam{2}{f}{g};
 \beam{2}{g}{h};
 \beam{2}{g}{c};

 \support{1}{f};
 \support{2}{h};

 \hinge{1}{f};
 \hinge{1}{h};
 \hinge{1}{g};
 \hinge{2}{c}[b][d];

 \lineload{2}{a}{b}[1][1][.5];
 \lineload{2}{b}{c};

 \dimensioning{1}{a}{b}{-2.5}[$3,0$];
 \dimensioning{1}{b}{c}{-2.5}[$8,0$];
 \dimensioning{1}{c}{d}{-2.5}[$8,0$];
 \dimensioning{1}{d}{e}{-2.5}[$3,0$];
 \dimensioning{2}{f}{a}{-1}[$1,0$];
 \dimensioning{2}{g}{f}{-1}[$2,0$];
 \dimensioning{2}{a}{c}{-1}[$2,0$];

 \influenceline{a}{e}{3}[.3];

 \notation{1}{a}{$1$}[left];
 \notation{1}{b}{$2$}[below right=2mm];
 \notation{1}{c}{$3$};
 \notation{1}{d}{$4$}[above];
 \notation{1}{e}{$5$}[above];
 \notation{1}{f}{$6$}[left=2mm];
 \notation{1}{g}{$7$}[below=2mm];
 \notation{1}{h}{$8$}[right=2mm];
 \notation{4}{f}{g}[$S$];

end{tikzpicture}

![2d-roof](http://www.latex-community.org/articles/2d-roof.png)


#### 3D Support Construction

By using the library ``stanli``, the following 3D structure can be created in a very short time with few lines of code:

setcoords{-25}{10}1 setaxis{2} %showpoint begin{tikzpicture}coords dpoint{a}{0}{0}{0}; dpoint{b}{3}{0}{0}; dpoint{c}{6}{0}{0}; dpoint{d}{9}{0}{0}; dpoint{e}{12}{0}{0}; dpoint{f}{0}{3}{0}; dpoint{g}{3}{3}{0}; dpoint{h}{6}{3}{0}; dpoint{i}{9}{3}{0}; dpoint{j}{12}{3}{0};

 \daxis{1}{a};

 \dbeam{1}{f}{b};
 \dbeam{1}{b}{h};
 \dbeam{1}{h}{d};
 \dbeam{1}{d}{j};
 \dbeam{3}{a}{e};
 \dbeam{3}{f}{j};
 \dbeam{3}{a}{f};
 \dbeam{3}{b}{g};
 \dbeam{3}{c}{h};
 \dbeam{3}{d}{i};
 \dbeam{3}{e}{j};

 \dsupport{1}{b};
 \dsupport{1}{h}[0][0];
 \dsupport{1}{d}[0];

 \dhinge{2}{b}[f][h][1];
 \dhinge{2}{h}[b][d][1];
 \dhinge{2}{d}[h][j][1];

 \dlineload{5}{0}{f}{b}[.5][.5][.11];
 \dlineload{5}{0}{b}{h}[.5][.5][.11];
 \dlineload{5}{0}{h}{d}[.5][.5][.11];
 \dlineload{5}{0}{d}{j}[.5][.5][.11];

 \ddimensioning{xy}{f}{g}{4.5}[$3~m$];
 \ddimensioning{xy}{g}{h}{4.5}[$3~m$];
 \ddimensioning{xy}{h}{i}{4.5}[$3~m$];
 \ddimensioning{xy}{i}{j}{4.5}[$3~m$];
 \ddimensioning{yx}{e}{j}{13}[$3~m$];

 \dnotation{1}{f}{$q=10~kN/m$}[above left=3mm];
 \dnotation{1}{b}{$A$}[below left];
 \dnotation{1}{h}{$C$}[right=2mm];
 \dnotation{1}{d}{$B$}[below left];

end{tikzpicture}

![3d-support-construction](http://www.latex-community.org/articles/3d-support-construction.png)


## Author

Copyright (c) 2016 [Juergen Hackl](mailto:hackl.j@gmx.at)