Find a variety of structural analysis models of tensile membrane structures to download, which you can use for training purposes or for your projects.
Analysis & Design Software for Tensile Membrane Structures
Structural FEM Analysis and Design
The successful structural analysis program RFEM 6 by Dlubal Software is the basis of a modular program family that you can customize and combine according to your precise requirements. In the main program RFEM, you can define structures, materials, and loads of planar and spatial structural systems consisting of plates, walls, shells, and members. Furthermore, you can create combined structures as well as model solid and contact elements.
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Wind Simulation and Wind Load Generation
Do your structures have to withstand every gust of wind? Then it is best to use the Dlubal stand-alone program RWIND 2. It is particularly recommended for complex model shapes. There are wind flows around all structures simulated in a digital wind tunnel.
You can easily import your generated wind loads acting on these objects into RFEM or RSTAB. Thus, you can complete your project there.
Form-Finding of Membrane Structures
Leave your form-finding to the program: The corresponding Form-Finding add-on for RFEM 6 finds an optimal shape of members subjected to axial forces and surface models subjected to tension. The shape is precisely determined by the equilibrium between the member axial force or the membrane stress and the existing boundary conditions. The resulting new model shape with impressed force conditions is available for you as a universally applicable initial state for further calculation of the entire structure.
Consideration of Nonlinear Material Laws
When working with nonlinear material models, you can rely on the Nonlinear Material Behavior for RFEM 6 add-on module. It gives you the option to couple surfaces with the stiffness types “Membrane” and “Membrane Orthotropic” with the material models “Isotropic Nonlinear Elastic 2D/3D” and “Isotropic Plastic 2D/3D”. This functionality enables the simulation of the nonlinear strain behavior of ETFE foils, for example.
Cutting Patterns of Tensile Membrane Structures
The RF‑CUTTING‑PATTERN add-on module for RFEM 5 calculates and organizes cutting patterns for membrane structures. The boundary conditions of the cutting patterns on curved geometry are determined by boundary lines and independent planar cutting lines or geodesic cutting lines. The flattening process is performed according to the minimum energy theory.
Add-ons and Add-on Modules for Structural Analysis of Tensile Membrane Structures
For your structural analysis and design of tensile membrane structures or their substructures, we recommend you the add-ons and add-on modules of the Steel Structures and Aluminum and Lightweight Structures industries.
Interfaces for Data Exchange
The structural analysis software provided by Dlubal Software can be integrated seamlessly into the Building Information Modeling (BIM) process. The large number of interfaces allows you to exchange the data of digital building models with RFEM or RSTAB.
Use the Webservice (a programmable interface) to read or write the data from or to RFEM and RSTAB.
Support and Learning
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Further Information
Models to Download
Doctoral Thesis on Membrane Structure Design According to FEA
This doctoral thesis by Rostislav Lang deals with the design and analysis of membrane structures using FEA software.

Recommended for Tensile Membrane Structures