ACES: All Versions Bugs & Known Problems as of 4 April 2008 ____________________________________________________________ To check on all updates made to previous versions of ACES refer to either "Version 6 Updates" or "ACES-BEAM updates". Both are down-loadable from the Client Support page of the ACES web site. ____________________________________________________________ ACES-BEAM Module 1. Settlement Sign Convention The sign convention displayed on the dialog boxes and stated in the on-line help files is incorrect. Downward settlements should be entered as negative DOWNWARDS and positive if UPWARDS. (Fixed on 2/2/06) 2. Program crash with Moment at end support The program would crash if a moment was applied at the end support. (Fixed on 8/2/06) 3. Loading saved CBM jobs - Browsing for previous ACES-BEAM job files. At times the system would not display all available jobs. A message will now appear with a work-around if this occurs. (Fixed in V1.1.10) - The program had a bug that prevented files with upper- case extensions from being loaded. (Fixed in V1.1.8) 4. Other Bugs - Loading reports of Max/min values + correspondings into EXCEL. This would not work correctly for reports of envelopes that were NOT polarised. (Fixed in V1.1.10) - Input data is no longer wiped out after analysing a previously loaded job where the clear form option on start-up was set to 'No'. (Fixed in V1.1.6) - Program no longer crashes when only span data is present and the 'Save' or 'Save As' options are invoked. (Fixed in V1.1.6) ____________________________________________________________ ACES SYSTEM BUGS 1. Windows NT Systems When model data is saved, any associated analysis results are not also being saved (although the results file from the current model are left behind). The system gives the impression that the results file has been saved and, when reloading the model in the future, that it has been successfully retrieved. In reality, it has neither been saved nor retrieved. Therefore, any new model loaded into ACES should first be analysed before attempting to interrogate results. Otherwise, you may be viewing the results file left over from the previous run. 2. Running Models Loaded from CDs Data files saved to a CD often have the access privilege set to "read" only once they saved to CD. This attribute remains set at this privilege level when they are subsequently downloaded onto a PC. If you wish to re-write to these files you will have to first reset the privilege attribute before saving to them through ACES. 3. OTHER - Errors would occur when a colour selection dialog box was closed by clicking the X icon and any of the left and right hand display options were invoked. (Fixed in V6.403) - When creating a grillage from scratch and nodes are deleted and new nodes added the system would, under some circumstances, assign the same node number to all new nodes. (Fixed in V6.401) - File names that included the period symbol (".") could not be read by ACES or ILB. (Fixed in V6.604) ____________________________________________________________ PARAMETRIC MODELLER 1. Culvert Headwall Template The parametric culvert headwall modeler does not generate elements in the headwall, producing an incorrect shape (part of front wall appears to be missing). (Fixed in V6.100) 2. Section Properties Module Section Properties Module: Box girder section. The overall depth of box section, Ds, was incorrectly shown in the diagram. (Fixed in V6.502) ____________________________________________________________ FINITE ELEMENTS 1. Certain definitions of finite elements could give rise to negative volumes and hence cause the solution module to crash. (Fixed in V6.007) 2. Member and element properties were only being saved to the model file to 3 significant figures. This has now been increased to 7. (Fixed in V6.007) 3. Problems may sometimes occurs when calculating shear in triangular elements. Generally this occurs when the local element axis points directly at a node. When this happens the calculation of the shears may become invalid. The work-around is to calculate the shears from the reactions. 4. Adding element loads. If a free node for hydrostatic loading was not selected in a load case, an error message would still be displayed even if adding/deleting uniform element loads in another load case. (Fixed in V6.603) ____________________________________________________________ ACTIVE VIEWS 3. Previous versions had a bug in the retrieval of saved active views. (Fixed in V6.007) 4. When trying to display node and member numbers within an active view the system would instead display all values. (Fixed in V6.007) ____________________________________________________________ CHANGING MODEL GEOMETRY If some of the original, parametrically generated, nodes are moved using the single node move option, ACES deletes the original, (selected), nodes and creates new nodes at the new positions. Once the original nodes are deleted, the moving load keys on either side of those nodes cannot take part in the vehicle load distribution process. Hence any axles that land on members lying between those nodes will not be taken into consideration when the loading is generated. The current solution is to either use a denser original mesh when creating the model or to use the because these two move options do not delete the original nodes. ____________________________________________________________ MEMBER PROPERTIES Member Properties, List Box for 'E': The density for timber is now correctly shown (previously all values were displayed as “25”). (Fixed in V6.602) Whenever a new “E” value is selected, its corresponding density is now also unconditionally loaded. Previously the density value was only loaded if all density values were zero. (Fixed in V6.602) ____________________________________________________________ LOADINGS - Member Loads: The program would crash if the model contained trapezoidal member loads that extended over part of a member. (Fixed in V6.011) - Adding element loads. If a free node for hydrostatic loading was not selected in a load case, an error message would still be displayed even if adding/deleting uniform element loads in another load case. (Fixed in V6.603) - Leading & Trailing Patch Loads: If the vehicle was travelling parallel to the x-axis, the lead- ing patch would be distributed correctly but the trailing patch would be offset by one half of the patch width. If the vehicle was travelling at an angle to the x-axis, then both the leading and trailing patches would be interpreted incorrectly, and the degree of error increased as the path became more skewed. Fixed in V6.605. ____________________________________________________________ VEHICLE LOADINGS 1. T44 Loading The reference line associated with the T44 loading in earlier versions of V6 may be offset from the bottom line of wheels. This will be evident from the display if you select a load case containing the vehicle. To correct, this edit the T44 vehicle using menu options: and select the T44 vehicle from the database list. In the dialog box select "Wheel spacings", ensure that "ALL" is active and click "Select". Accept the number of wheels per axle as shown (2) then in the next dialog box change the spacing of the first wheel to 0. Finally, exit from the dialog box and resave the vehicle. (Fixed in V6.005) 2. S1600 Loading The vehicle name is shown incorrectly (as M1600) when either edited or when applied to the structure as a loading. To rectify, edit the S16.VEH file and replace relevant entries with the correct VEHICLE NAME and Vehicle Description. (From the menu bar select "Loads/ Create-edit vehicles/Edit a vehicle" and select S16.VEH from the list). 3. Moving Nodes in the Model If some of the original, parametrically generated, nodes are moved using the single node move option ACES deletes the original, selected, nodes and creates new nodes at the new positions. Once the original nodes are deleted, the moving load keys on either side of those nodes cannot take part in the vehicle load distribution process. Hence any axles that land on members lying between those nodes will not be taken into consideration when the loading is generated. The current solution is to either use a denser original mesh when creating the model or to use the because these two move options do not delete the original nodes. ____________________________________________________________ RESULTS 1. WINDOWS NT Analysis results may not sometimes be saved (refer to the first item on "System Bugs" for further details). 2. ROTATIONS & DEFORMATIONS When viewing both rotations & deformations together on 3D models values for rotations were all being displayed as zero. (Fixed in V6.009) 3. DISPLAY RESULTS & RH MENU - Range selection & clearing using the LH results Menu caused member local axes to be displayed. Could not be cleared using the right-hand member attribute icons. (Fixed in V6.401) - 'Reports' option on Main Menu Bar: The sequence ‘Reports/Moments & Shears/Sort by loadings’ and ‘…/Single load case’ could not be closed, even if X was repeatedly clicked. (Fixed in V6.603) ____________________________________________________________ ILB (INCREMENTAL LAUNCHING MODULE) 1. Variation in Iz Unpredicatable results were being generated in situations where the Moment of Inertia at the start and end of the launching nose varied by only a very small amount (typically less than 0.2%). (Fixed in V6.010) 2. ACLAUNCH.MSG If the ACLAUNCH.MSG is not current the labels on the nose property dialog box will be incorrect and very misleading. Please check that the date on the ACLAUNCH.MSG file is 26/05/2003. 3. SAVING MODEL DATA File names that include the period or multiple instances of a file extension (e.g., "Project 5.3.1x.ace") can now be read (e.g., "Job XXX.ILB.ILB") ____________________________________________________________ DYNAMICS MODULE 1. Nodal Loads Nodal loads cannot be applied simultaneously with body forces (densities). Only one of the two loading types is allowed. (All versions up to 6.202) ____________________________________________________________