Generator

The lateral-system generator

Rendered here at the parameters it defaults to, with every essay that calls it — which is the same list as the blast radius of changing it.
Two shapes that are the wrong way up for each otherDeflected shapes of a 20-storey building under a uniform wind, drawn to the same scale. The wall alone bends: its shape is flattest at the base and steepest at the top, reaching 146 mm. The frame alone shears: it is steepest at the base where the storey shear is largest, reaching 140 mm. Tied together at every floor they reach 58 mm — less than a quarter of either, and less than the 72 mm two springs in parallel would give, because each is stiff exactly where the other is not.wall 146 mmframe 140 mmtogether 58 mm20 storeys at 3.5 m · 40 kN per floor

Two shapes that are the wrong way up for each other. Deflected shapes of a 20-storey building under a uniform wind, drawn to the same scale. The wall alone bends: its shape is flattest at the base and steepest at the top, reaching 146 mm. The frame alone shears: it is steepest at the base where the storey shear is largest, reaching 140 mm. Tied together at every floor they reach 58 mm — less than a quarter of either, and less than the 72 mm two springs in parallel would give, because each is stiff exactly where the other is not.

1 essay calls lateral-system. The drawing above is what it returns with no arguments at all; every call below passes it something, because a placement that passes nothing draws whichever member of the family the generator happens to default to rather than the one its essay argues about.

Where it is called

Changing this generator changes every one of these figures.

The library, page 2 of 5 — where lateral-system sits