Example: Creating the materials file

Here is an example of how to create a materials file, explained step by step:

• Create and edit the file (problem_type_name.mat in this example) inside the problem_type_name directory (where all your problem type files are located). As you can see, except for the extension, the names of the file and the directory are the same.
• Create the first material, which starts with the line:

MATERIAL: Air

The parameter is the arbitrary name of the material. A unique material name is required for this into this materials file (do not use blank spaces in the name of the material).

• The next two lines define a property of the material and its default value:

QUESTION: Density
VALUE: 1.0

You can add as many properties as you wish. To end the material definition, add the following line:

END MATERIAL

• In this example we have introduced some materials; the .mat file would be as follows:

MATERIAL: Air
QUESTION: Density
VALUE: 1.01
END MATERIAL
MATERIAL: AISI_4340_Steel
QUESTION: YOUNG_(Ex)
VALUE: 21E+9
QUESTION: SHEAR_MODUL
VALUE: 8.07E+9
QUESTION: POISSON_(NUXY)
VALUE: 0.3
QUESTION: ALPX
VALUE: 0.0000066
QUESTION: DENSITY_(DENS)
VALUE: 0.785
END MATERIAL
MATERIAL: Concrete
QUESTION: Density
VALUE: 2350
END MATERIAL

• The materials defined in the .mat file can be managed in the Materials window (found in the Data menu) in the Preprocessing component of GiD.