How do I envelope results to find the maximum forces from a series of load cases?
Extended Question: I am running sevel time histories for a large and complicated bridge structure. I would like to obtain the maximum forces which occur in each member. How should I post-process results to report maximum forces and the corresponding time step and load case?
ANSWER: The most efficient approach may be to use the software OAPI. For example, the FrameForce API function, documented in the CSi OAPI Documentation.chm file, enables you to extract results for a desired load case and step type. To report the governing force for each member, create several nested loops which post-process results for each force type, member, load case, and time step.
A similar approach may be applied to tabular results using an alternate programming platform.
