Using CBFEM To Validate Rigid and Non-Rigid Base Plate Assumptions

In the current design of anchorage per the American Concrete Institute’s Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318) a non-rigid baseplate assumption is rare. This is due to the anchorage design codes mandating that anchor forces be determined based on a rigid plate assumption. Component Based Finite Element Modeling (CBFEM) assumes a non-rigid plate behavior and provides an alternative to the classical rigid base plate design methodology. This methodology can handle any combination of base plate loading and profile eccentricity and is not as limited as the classical rigid plate methodology. Since steel design codes mandate loads to be calculated using rigid plate assumption, understanding the parameters around CBFEM is important for a designer in validating whether their base plate acts as non-rigid or Close-to-Rigid.

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