Numerical Simulation and Application of Radial Steel Gate Structure Based on Building Information Modeling under Different Opening Degrees

Abstract

The safe and stable operation of the radial gate is highly essential for hydropower stations. As the dynamic load of gate, water flow generally causes the irregular distribution of strength, stiffness, and the stability of the gate structure. Traditional simulation technology is usually used to investigate the impact of water flow on gate structure; however, there is a lack of integration and interaction of building information modeling (BIM) and numerical simulation technology to study this issue. Therefore, this paper proposed a computational framework combing BIM and numerical simulation to calculate and analyze the large complex hydraulic radial steel structure. Firstly, the 3D model of the radial gate was established by MicroStation2020, then, the finite element model was output by using it. Secondly, the change laws of strength, stiffness, and stability of the radial gate were analyzed by Ansys-Workbench2020R2 under different opening degrees. The numerical simulation results show that the maximum equivalent stress value was 142.19 MPa, which occurred at the joint between the lower longitudinal beam and the door blade. The maximum deformation was 3.446 mm, which occurred at two longitudinal beams’ middle in the lower part of the panel. When the opening degree is 0.0 m–9.0 m, the natural vibration frequency increases irregularly with the increase in the opening of the gate. Three main vibration modes of the gate vibration were obtained. It proves that it is feasible to analyze the structural performance of radial gates by using BIM and numerical simulation. Finally, the BIM and numerical simulation information management process was established to make the simulation results more valuable. This study expands the application value of BIM and provides a new research idea for large complex hydraulic steel structural analysis. The information management process described in this research can serve as a guide for gate operation and maintenance management.