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SAPS^™ - Structural Analysis of Power and communication Systems

SAPS is a general structural analysis program that runs under Microsoft Windows. It can be used both as a stand-alone program and as a plug-in to supplement the sag-tension capabilities of our PLS-CADD program. Its primary intended uses are in the fields of transmission, substation and communication systems for which it has been found vastly superior to traditional nonlinear finite element programs both in performance and simplicity of use. Transmission, substation and communication systems often include cables in the form of conductors, ground wires, guys, suspension strings, etc. They can also include flexible bending elements which deflect significantly under design loads.

SAPS and its previous mainframe incarnations have been used for more than fifteen years by hundreds of utilities, consulting firms and fabricators worldwide. Structures with as many as 2500 joints, 6000 truss or fuse elements, 2500 cable elements, and 3000 beam elements can be handled. While this is sufficient to analyze most transmission, substation and communication structures, SAPS can be modified to support more elements.

SAPS is a completely integrated program with menu-based input, linear or nonlinear analysis capability and with easy to interpret text, spreadsheet or graphic summaries of your analysis results. The graphics displays deflected shapes (including load vectors) and can optionally show with user-selected colors the percent of capacity used for each component.

Typical applications

• Provide the finite element engine for PLS-CADD integrated finite element sag-tension
• Self-supporting transmission, communication or substation structures - latticed or framed
• Guyed transmission structures (delta, V-, Y-, chainette, etc.)
• Flexible single or multiple pole structures (concrete, steel or wood poles, H-frames, etc.)
• Unbalanced line tension calculations (various wind, ice, temperature conditions)
• Effects on sags and tensions from slack changes due to splices, offset clipping, support movement
• Detailed analysis of flexible line segments (several structures interconnected by cables)
• Guyed microwave or TV towers, large antenna arrays
• Suspended structures (roofs, bridges, etc.)

Summary of features

• Runs under Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista and 7 both 32 bit and x64 editions)
• Extreme ease of input through interactive menus
• Table headers in input menus or output reports can be customized, even in foreign languages
• Linear or nonlinear analysis capability
• Kinematic coupling or master-slave relationships between joints
• Truss, beam, cable, fuse, and substructure elements
• Automatic stiffness matrix condensation to a few connection points for substructure modeling
• Automatic calculation of dead, wind, ice and thermal loads on elements
• Adjustable wind velocity profile (increase with height)
• Effects of support settlements
• Control of convergence process (iteration strategy)
• Handling of tension-only members as fuse elements
• Automatic bandwidth minimization and ability to solve large problems (up to 9000 members)
• Detailed User's Manual with examples
• On-line/electronic user's manual linked in to provide context sensitive help
• US, SI (metric) or consistent units
• Powerful graphics (stress usages shown in different colors)
• Can be used as plug-in to add finite element sag-tension capabilities to PLS-CADD

True 3-Dimensional Power Line Modeling

Price List