SFAP – Structural Frame Analysis Program: A Python-Based Educational Tool for First-Order Elastic Analysis of Planar Frame Structures

Resumo

This paper presents the development of SFAP (Structural Frame Analysis Program), na open-source educational tool implemented entirely in Python for the linear-elastic analysis of two-dimensional frame structures. SFAP is grounded in the Direct Stiffness Method and employs Euler-Bernoulli beam theory to evaluate structural responses under various loading and support conditions. The software features a user-friendly graphical interface built with Tkinter and CustomTkinter, allowing intuitive data input and efficient visualization of results, including displacements, internal forces, and support reactions. The program supports multiple load types (concentrated, distributed, thermal), diverse boundary conditions (rigid, elastic, prescribed displacements), and connection types (pinned, rigid, semi-rigid), with the latter modeled using rotational springs and fixity factors. Export capabilities include .xlsx, .docx, .pdf, and .txt formats, along with graphical outputs of the deformed configuration. Validation against benchmark results from the literature demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of SFAP. The program is intended as both a didactic resource for teaching structural analysis and a flexible foundation for future extensions, including nonlinear or 3D analyses.