Modernize and Upgrade CANDE for Analysis and LRFD Design of Buried Structures (2008)

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5The research effort was carried out in three distinct phases: (1) planning, (2) development, and (3) testing and docu- mentation. The planning phase included a literature review, the development of GUI mockups and use cases for the input and output screens, theoretical developments for all new capabilities such as large deformation theory, and interpreta- tion of the AASHTO LRFD specifications to establish mech- anistically meaningful design criteria. An interim report documented the planning phase and a proposed work plan was prepared and sent to the NCHRP oversight panel for re- view. After providing suggestions and guidance, the oversight panel approved the work plan. Next, the development phase was undertaken to execute the approved work plan. CANDE-2007 was developed using Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 along with Intel FORTRAN 9.1 compiler. CANDE has been tested and may be installed on a personal computer with the following: • Microsoft Windows XP, service pack 2 or later. • Microsoft Windows.NET Framework 2.0. The language used for the development of the GUI was the Microsoft C# programming language. The CANDE analysis engine is written as a separate dynamic link library (DLL) using the Intel FORTRAN 9.1 compiler with a C# shell. Alpha testing by the research team resulted in improved concepts for the GUI as well as corrections to theoretical developments and coding. The final product of the develop- ment phase was the initial version of CANDE-2007 and draft documentation. The final phase consisted of beta testing and preparing final documentation. Beta testing was first undertaken by the NCHRP oversight panel followed by a group of 35 beta-tester volunteers from the culvert community. Beta testing pro- duced another round of improvements to the CANDE-2007 software and documentation. The final products are the CANDE-2007 software, both in executable and source form, and three stand-alone docu- ments in addition to this report. Short descriptions of the documents are provided below. Each document is available directly from the CANDE interface in PDF format with the User Manual also available in context-sensitive compiled HTML help format. An abbreviated table of contents for each document is provided in the Appendix of this report. CANDE-2007 User Manual and Guideline—This docu- ment provides a detailed description of all things related to the CANDE-2007 interface (both input and output). CANDE-2007 Solution Methods and Formulations—This document contains detailed information related to the solution methodology of the CANDE analysis engine. This document is intended for users who seek detailed information on how CANDE performs internal calculations. CANDE-2007 Tutorial of Applications—This document provides a variety of examples that detail the various features of CANDE-2007 and includes sections on providing input through the CANDE interface and interpreting output results. C H A P T E R 2 Research Approach