RC Design Functions 9.0

Posted on 10/08/2022 by dougaj4

The RC Design Functions 9.0 spreadsheet is now available for free download from:

RC Design Functions9.zip

The main change is update of shear capacity calculations for the latest versions of the Australian codes; AS 3600 and AS 5100.

Shear data input now includes:

  • The option to use the simplified or refined design process
  • Provision for input of external and internal ties of different diameter
  • Provision for combined shear and torsion

Shear results can be returned from the UMom function with the output index (offs1) 11 or 12, with 11 returning a summary of shear capacities and 12 a detailed listing of data from the shear caalculation:

If the “Use Simplified” option is set to “False” (default) the bending capacities are also re-calculated with the available longitudinal reinforcement area reduced by the area required for the input shear and torsion:

The UMom function calls a new function, ASShear, for the shear capacity calculation. This function may also be called directly as a user defined function, which returns the full output listing as a single column:

Note that the provisions of the current versions of AS 3600 and AS 5100.5 are sometimes inconsistent, and a further revision of AS 5100.5 is expected later this year. Further details of the new requirements for shear and torsion calculations will be published in future posts.

The function returns my interpretation of the current requirements of each code. As always, the results must be independently checked before using for any real appication.

Posted in Concrete, Excel, Newton, UDFs, VBA | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dreamers’ Circus

Posted on 01/08/2022 by dougaj4

Dreamers’ Circus is a Danish folk/indie band who have been around since 2009, but I have only just discovered them.

Here is an example of their work, featuring the clog fiddle:

“About the clog-fiddle: You take an old clog shoe, cut away the upper part, and put some violin-stuff on top of it, like strings and most notably a violin neck. Popularized in the first decade of the last century by the famous Swedish string trio, Källnatrion, this instrument used to be the poor man’s alternative to the expensive and hard-to-get violin. Now Ale and a handful of other extreme enthusiasts are working hard to bring this noble instrument out to the world to share the masterworks of the clog-fiddle-luthiers från Skåne, Sweden. Ale was titled world champion of the clog fiddle at the 2017 championship in Skåne.”

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Microsoft blocking VBA in downloaded files (or do they?)

Posted on 12/07/2022 by dougaj4

Microsoft announced earlier this year that they would be automatically blocking macros in downloaded Office files (as a security measure), then recently they said they wouldn’t, then yesterday they said they would, but not right now.

For more details, plus numerous comments see:
Microsoft: Roll back of VBA macro block in Office is only temporary

For more details about what can be done about it, including details of how to add security certificates without spending a fortune see:
https://www.computerworld.com/article/3666951/nows-the-time-to-prep-for-microsofts-excel-macro-crackdown.html

How this will affect files downloaded from here, I am not sure, but if you have trouble using the VBA code in any of the download files, please let me know.

As for my opinion on how Microsoft have handled the whole thing, I’m appalled:

Posted in Computing - general, Excel, UDFs, VBA | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Two new old live recordings

Posted on 19/06/2022 by dougaj4

Two recordings of live concerts recently found on You Tube:

Sandy Denny singing Blackwaterside (BBC In Concert – Paris Theatre 16/3/72) :

The Pentangle, three songs recorded in Australia in August 1972:

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Installing PyPardiso and speed of Scipy spsolve

Posted on 12/06/2022 by dougaj4

I recently upgraded to Python 3.10, and because of some problems with my previous installation I decided to do a complete new installation using pip, which required installation of all the libraries needed for my various programs.

For my linear algebra functions based on the Scipy library I have also installed PyPardiso which provides substantially better performance than the Scipy functions for solving large sparse systems. As reported here I previously found I had to search for a non-standard conda library for the installation, but this time the latest documentation recommended installation with pip: pypardiso 0.4.1

Since PyPardiso calls the Intel MKL library, I installed this first, so my installation procedure was:

  • Install the MKL library: pip install mkl
  • Install PyPardiso: pip install pypardiso

Code for using the PyPardiso spsparse function (or optionally the equivalent Scipy.sparse function) can be found at: Installing PyPardiso.

Checking the performance of the equivalent functions, the pyPardiso spsolve function was found to be much faster than the Scipy equivalent, as previously reported at: Making Finite Element Analysis go faster – Update and PyPardiso.

The Scipy sparse.spsolve function was found to have reverted to the slower times reported at: Making Finite Element Analysis go faster … The change in performance is (probably) related to installation of the scikit-umfpack library, which I had not installed at the time of the tests, but even after umfpack is properly installed, the pyPardiso function is much faster than any option with the Scipy function.

Posted in Excel, Finite Element Analysis, Frame Analysis, Link to Python, Newton, NumPy and SciPy, PyXLL, UDFs | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments