Whats the difference between ELASTIC MAT and PLATE MAT for spring support generation?
With the ELASTIC MAT you enter a list of joints from which STAAD will attempt to form a perimeter which encloses an overall area. This is done with a convex hull algorithm. Lastly, areas are assigned to each joint. If the convex hull rules are met, the algorithm works well. However for mats with irregular edges or holes, the algorithm may not do what the user expects and one may end up with springs with unreasonable spring constant values. Since many mat foundation problems have plates defining the entire mat, we have added the PLATE MAT option where you enter a list of plates that entirely define the mat. Roughly 1/4th of the area of each plate is assigned to each joint in the plate in the same manner as uniform pressure or self weight is distributed. So if you have the foundation support entirely defined by plates, then use the PLATE MAT option. Otherwise use the ELASTIC MAT option. With this option please observe the rules listed in the Tech Ref Manual. Avoid convex angles. You may
