You can use the Property module to create the following types of sections:

• Homogeneous solid sections

• Generalized plane strain sections

• Eulerian sections

• Composite solid sections

• Electromagnetic solid sections

• Homogeneous shell sections

• Composite shell sections

• Membrane sections

• Surface sections

• General shell stiffness sections

• Beam sections

• Truss sections

• Fluid sections

• Gasket sections

• Cohesive sections

• Acoustic infinite sections

• Acoustic interface sections

To create a section, select SectionCreate from the main menu bar. A Create Section dialog box appears in which you can name the section and specify the type of section that you want to create. Once you have specified a section name and type, click Continue in the Create Section dialog box to display the section editor, which allows you to create and edit sections.

The format of the section editor varies according to the type of section you are defining. For example, the homogeneous shell section editor is shown in Figure 12–5.

Some editors contain a Rebar Layers option ( icon), as shown in Figure 12–5. If you click this icon, another dialog box appears in which you can enter data concerning rebar layers, as shown in Figure 12–6.

Once you have entered all the data necessary to define the section, you can click OK to close the section editor and to save the section.

For detailed instructions on using section editors, see the following sections :

• “Creating homogeneous solid sections,” Section 12.13.1

• “Creating generalized plane strain sections,” Section 12.13.2

• “Creating Eulerian sections,” Section 12.13.3

• “Creating composite solid sections,” Section 12.13.4

• “Creating electromagnetic solid sections,” Section 12.13.5

• “Creating homogeneous shell sections,” Section 12.13.6

• “Creating composite shell sections,” Section 12.13.7

• “Creating membrane sections,” Section 12.13.8

• “Creating surface sections,” Section 12.13.9

• “Creating general shell stiffness sections,” Section 12.13.10

• “Creating beam sections,” Section 12.13.11

• “Creating truss sections,” Section 12.13.12

• “Creating homogeneous fluid sections,” Section 12.13.13

• “Creating fluid sections for porous media,” Section 12.13.14

• “Creating gasket sections,” Section 12.13.15

• “Creating cohesive sections,” Section 12.13.16

• “Creating acoustic infinite sections,” Section 12.13.17

• “Creating acoustic interface sections,” Section 12.13.18

• “Defining rebar layers,” Section 12.13.19

• “Creating profiles,” Section 12.13.20

• “Defining sections,” Section 12.2.3

• “Creating and editing sections,” Section 12.13