CELL4

Legacy software from 1985 which based upon the finite element method and is particularly suited for the analysis of post-tensioned box girder bridges of constant depth which have arbitrary plan geometry and support conditions. Source code in FORTRAN and related reports can be downloaded from the earthquake engineering online archive maintained by University of California Berkeley.

CELL4: Elastic Finite Element Analysis of Prestressed Cellular Structures of Arbitrary Plan Geometry and Constant Depth

Chan, Esmond C.-Y.; Scordelis, Alex C.

Department of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1985,

CELL4 is a program based upon the finite element method and is particularly suited for the analysis of post-tensioned box girder bridges of constant depth which have arbitrary plan geometry and support conditions. The bridge can be straight, curved, or quadrilateral in plan. The longitudinal interior webs must be vertical, but the longitudinal exterior webs can be vertical, sloping, or curved. Transverse diaphragms can be modelled by vertical web elements or by special web elements in regions with sloping or curved webs. The top and bottom deck slabs as well as the interior and the exterior webs may be prestressed. Boundary conditions at any nodal point are arbitrary, allowing rigid supports as well as translational and rotational elastic supports, oriented in any arbitrary direction to simulate the stiffness of the supporting columns and bents. For prestressing analysis an automatic input has been provided to define the geometry of the two types of post-tensioned unbonded tendons which can be used. Each panel or slab tendon can be stressed either from one end or both ends, and losses due to friction and anchorage slip are accounted for. In order to facilitate the interpretation of output, an automatic integration of internal forces to give individual girder and total sectional force resultants is incorporated. This permits a better understanding of the load carrying mechanism in a complex bridge system, and can also be used to carry out equilibrium checks easily.