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• ### How does the calculation of the moments of inertia differ when the cross-section consists of several unconnected or connected partial cross-sections?

If the cross-section consists of several unconnected partial sections, the sum of the moments of inertia is calculated without the parallel axis theorem components. The cross-section shown in Figure 01 consists of two angle sections that are not connected to each other.

The individual angle sections have the following moments of inertia:

Iy,1,2 = 180.39 cm4 (referred to the centroidal axes y, z)

Iz,1,2 = 65.05 cm4 (referred to the centroidal axes y, z)

The moments of inertia of the entire cross-section result in:

Iy,1+2 = 2 ⋅ Iy,1,2 = 2 ⋅ 180.39 = 360.78 cm4 (referred to the centroidal axes y, z)

Iz,1+2 = 2 ⋅ Iz,1,2 = 2 ⋅ 65.05 = 130.11 cm4 (referred to the centroidal axes y, z)

If the cross-section consists of several connected partial sections, the sum of the moments of inertia is calculated with the parallel axis theorem components. The cross-section shown in Figure 02 consists of two connected angle sections.

The individual angle sections have the following cross-section properties:

A1,2 = 16.25 cm²

yS,0,1,2 = ±2.30 cm (referred to the zero point)

zS,0,1,2 = 3.07 cm (referred to the zero point)

Iy,1,2 = 180.39 cm4 (referred to the centroid axes y, z)

Iz,1,2 = 65.05 cm4 (referred to the centroid axes y, z)

The cross-section properties of the entire cross-section result in:

yS,0,1+2 = 0.00 cm (referred to the zero point)

zS,0,1+2 = 3.07 cm (referred to the zero point)

Iy,1+2 = 2 ⋅ Iy,1,2 + 2 ⋅ A1,2 ⋅ (zS,0,1,2 - zS,0,1+2

Iy,1+2 = 2 ⋅ 180.39 + 2 ⋅ 16.25 ⋅ (3.07 - 3.07)² = 360.78 cm4 (referred to the centroidal axes y, z)

Iz,1+2 = 2 ⋅ Iz,1,2 + 2 ⋅ A1,2 ⋅ (yS,0,1,2 - yS,0,1+2

Iz,1+2 = 2 ⋅ 65.05 + 2 ⋅ 16.25 ⋅ (2.30 - 0.00)² = 301.46 cm4 (referred to the centroidal axes y, z)

• ### Is it also possible to check the punching shear on vertical walls?

Yes, it is possible to also perform punching shear designs for vertical walls.

Please note, however, that this feature was not available in the first versions of RF‑PUNCH Pro. For this, you will need RFEM 5.08 or later.

• ### How are the properties of the elasticity and shear modulus of a membrane fabric with the usual force/length syntax transformed into the general force/surface syntax to be entered in RFEM?

The thickness of membranes is usually very thin compared to the planar extension. Due to these extreme geometric conditions, the stiffness of membrane fabrics is usually related directly to a strip width, that is the line (compare with a line spring), without considering the thickness.

In contrast, the general FEA software RFEM processes the material definitions (E, G, ν, and so on) and surface properties (shell, membrane, and so on) independently of each other. Thus, the pure definition of the material still does not clarify whether there is a rigid plate structure or a flexible membrane structure subjected to a tensile load. The final element specification is not clear until the surface properties are considered additionally for the simulation. Therefore, RFEM always requires the description of stiffness in the general unit syntax of force/surface, regardless of the geometric conditions of the structural component to be simulated.

Thus, the line-related membrane stiffness in the force/length syntax can be transferred to the force/surface syntax in RFEM by considering the reference thickness d:

$\frac{\mathrm F}{\mathrm A}=\frac{\left({\displaystyle\frac{\mathrm F}{\mathrm L}}\right)}{\mathrm d}$

where
F is the force,
L is the length,
d is the reference thickness,
A is the surface.

The stiffness transformed into the force/surface format in this way is thus related to the reference thickness and can convert the initially specified membrane stiffness in the force/length format in RFEM by specifying the reference thickness d as the membrane surface thickness.

• ### Where is the setting for displaying an axis system in the graphic window?

New

FAQ 004395 EN-US

You can find this setting in the Display navigator.

• ### Is it also possible to manually enter the load for the punching shear design in RF‑PUNCH Pro?

Yes, it is possible in Window "1.5 Punching Nodes."

For example, this can be used if the determination of the punching load by using the smoothed or unsmoothed distribution of shear forces in the control perimeter is negatively affected by singularities.

• ### Why can I specify a "creep-producing permanent load" in RF‑CONCRETE Columns and not in RF‑CONCRETE Members?

The RF‑CONCRETE Columns add-on module allows you to define a "creep-producing permanent load." You can find the corresponding tab in Window "1.1 General Data."

The reason for the entry is that RF‑CONCRETE Columns can apply this "creep-producing permanent load" for the automatic determination of the effective creep ratio according to EN 1992‑1‑1, 5.8.4.

In contrast, there is no explicit input option for this creep-producing permanent load in RF‑CONCRETE Members. In RF‑CONCRETE Members, the stability analysis of reinforced concrete columns by means of nonlinear design does not automatically reduce the effective creep ratio. You can find the background to the effective creep ratio applied in RF‑CONCRETE Members in Chapter 2.4.6 of the RF-CONCRETE Members manual.

The same applies to the CONCRETE Columns or CONCRETE add-on modules for RSTAB.

• ### I would like to use the CRANEWAY add-on module to design a suspension crane. Where are the design points 0, 1, and 2 for the stress analysis on the bottom flange and for the fatigue design?

The design points in CRANEWAY have been adopted in compliance with the standard. In this case, the stresses are calculated for the following locations:

• Design Point 0

A periphery of the flange at the web edge or at the fillet start

• Design Point 1

A flange at load application point (this can be checked as wheel spacing in Window 1.4)

• Design Point 2

The flange edge
These points are not displayed in the resulting cross-section graphic in the CRANEWAY program. However, there is always a stress point at the design points 0 and 2 for which the result values can be directly displayed.
• ### Does RWIND Simulation apply a boundary layer model?

New

FAQ 004391 EN-US

In RWIND Simulation, each model surface in the wind flow is treated as a "smooth" wall. This definition results in a boundary layer in the areas around the flow close to the walls, which has an influence on the velocity profile perpendicular to the wall depending on the air viscosity. This boundary layer is created in RWIND Simulation according to the so-called "wall law." This law describes the velocity profile perpendicular to the wall and can be represented by the dimensionless variables u+ and y+.

Dimensionless variable u+:
$\mathrm u^+=\frac{\mathrm U}{{\mathrm u}_{\mathrm\tau}}$
where
U is the velocity on the wall,
uτ is the frictional velocity.

Dimensionless variable y+:
$\mathrm y^+=\frac{{\mathrm u}_{\mathrm\tau}\cdot\mathrm y}{\mathrm\nu}$
where
y is the wall distance,
uτ is the frictional velocity,
ν is the kinematic viscosity of the air.

Using the friction velocity uτ:
${\mathrm u}_{\mathrm\tau}=\sqrt{\frac{{\mathrm\tau}_{\mathrm w}}{\mathrm\rho}}$
where
τw is the shear stress,
ρ is the air density.

By describing the boundary layer model in the viscous partial layer directly next to the wall
$\mathrm u^+=\mathrm y^+$

and in the subsequent logarithmic layer
$\mathrm u^+=\frac1{\mathrm\kappa}\cdot\ln\;\mathrm y^++\mathrm C$

you obtain the following velocity distribution,

where
κ is the Kármán constant (κ = 0.41 for the simulation of a smooth wall),
C is the constant (C = 5 for the simulation of a smooth wall).

To ensure that the solution process is relatively fast and robust, the program specifies the corresponding boundary layer model directly in the first cell next to the model surface. The remaining part of the boundary layer results from the solution of the globally applied Navier-Stokes equations.

• ### The attempt to print the window filling shows that there is much more space in the printout report for the graphic. Is it possible to change this?

New

FAQ 004390 EN-US

Sometimes, it is not possible to print the graphics bigger as the lighting of the structure is controlled by a box in the background. Therefore, some space is lost in the printout report.
• ### What is the formula used to calculate the ASCE 7 wind velocity profile?

The wind velocity profile in RWIND Simulation according to the ASCE 7-16 standard [1] is calculated based on Eq. 26.10-1. The coefficients and basic wind speed in this equation below are incorporated in the wind pressure equation.

Velocity wind pressure (imperial): qz = 0.00256 Kz Kzt Kd Ke V2

We must reference this equation to calculate the inlet velocity relative to elevation for the RWIND Simulation CFD wind tunnel. To consider only velocity rather than pressure from this equation, the basic wind speed is multiplied by the square-root of each coefficient. Notice the velocity variable in Eq. 26.10-1 is squared which requires the square root of the coefficients to be considered.

$Inlet\;velocity\;=\;V\sqrt{K_e\;\cdot\;K_{d\;}\cdot\;K_z\;\cdot\;K_{zt}}$

Because the ASCE 7-16 standard does not address wind CFD analysis and magnitude of the required inlet velocity, it is difficult to draw comparisons. Therefore, this is the closest estimate for calculating the RWIND Simulation inlet wind velocity per the code.

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#### First Steps

We provide hints and tips to help you get started with the main programs RFEM and RSTAB.

#### Wind Simulation & Wind Load Generation

With the stand-alone program RWIND Simulation, wind flows around simple or complex structures can be simulated by means of a digital wind tunnel.

The generated wind loads acting on these objects can be imported to RFEM or RSTAB.

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