Articles
Ultimate Guide to Material Properties
MecaStack has a built in database for stack material properties, which are intended to help the designer. There are some common questions and problems that we see when it comes to the use of the stack material properties. Material Properties are NOT Automatically Updated: The first step when adding a material to your MecaStack model is to go…
Base Reactions in MecaWind
There can be confusion from users on how to read and interpret the MecaWind Base Reactions that are provided by the MecaWind software program. There is a lot of data presented, and it can become overwhelming. This article is intended to help explain how MecaWind calculates base reactions and how to interpret the results. I should clarify…
Life is a Breach
Updated April 16, 2020: The method of breach analysis discussed in this article is referred to as the “Section Property” method in MecaStack. As of v5506 there is now a method available called the “Troitsky” method, and an article discussing that method is in another article, click here to view the Troitsky article. A breach is…
ASCE 7 Flexible Gust Factor
When I was a new Engineer my boss had his stack design questioned by a client. My boss responded “Sir, I will serve you tea on the downwind side of that stack on the windiest day of the year.” That line (and disturbing image) has never left my mind. Designing tall and slender structures, such…
One Click Components & Cladding
Would you like to be able to calculate all of your Components & Cladding (C&C) values with one Click? In this article that’s what we are going to show you. Component and Cladding Summary: The normal way of analyzing C&C in MecaWind is to enter each individual component, and then the software calculates the pressures…
Add Some Guy Wires
When and why should I use guy wires on a stack? When a stack has a vortex shedding problem there can be many factors that determine which solutions are the best. Guy wires aren’t always the most conventional solution, but its always an option to consider. How do Guy Wires Help? By adding guy wires…
I Feel the Need to Change Wind Speed
It was Tom Cruise in “Top Gun” who once said, “I feel the need, the need for speed”. I sometimes wonder if Tom Cruise is on the ASCE 7 committee, because it feels like they have the need to change the wind speed basis with every new release of ASCE 7. I’m not complaining, because…
Slow Down
I’ll bet “Slow Down” isn’t an expression you hear much in your business. I dream of a day when a customer tells me, “Slow down, we really don’t care when you finish your design.” I can’t get you more time on your deadline, but I can tell you one instance that slowing down will actually…