The FAQ page lists the answers to frequently asked questions provided by hotline engineers of Dlubal Software as well as the solutions to commonly encountered problems.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do you have any questions?
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The description of load cases, load combinations, or result combinations is often longer than fits into the drop‑down combo box "Current Load Case, Load Combination, Result Combination or Module Case" in the toolbar of RFEM or RSTAB.
"A good tool is half the job done": This proverb could be applied equally to the software industry. The more a program is task-tailored, the more efficiently the tasks can be solved. The variety and complexity of today's problems, especially in structural engineering, require specifically tailored solutions. Creating your own programs by means of textual programming requires in-depth knowledge and a great ability to abstract. Understandably, only very few engineering offices face this challenge. For this reason, there are additional software solutions providing the user with a visual development environment.
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The calculation of structures based on digital twins is becoming an everyday task in the engineering office. If a digital building model already exists, you want to continue to use the information contained in it as seamlessly as possible. This states extensive requirements with regard to modeling and interfaces for BIM-compatible structural analysis software.
The "Page and Sheet Numbering" dialog box allows you to add a prefix to page and sheet numbering. It can be an abbreviation that specifies by chapter all model data in the numbering (for example, with "MO").
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In the "Edit Section" dialog box, you can display the buckling shapes of the Finite Strip Method (FSM) as a 3D graphic.
- Design of five types of seismic force-resisting systems (SFRS) includes Special Moment Frame (SMF), Intermediate Moment Frame (IMF), Ordinary Moment Frame (OMF), Ordinary Concentrically Braced Frame (OCBF), and Special Concentrically Braced Frame (SCBF)
- Ductility check of the width-to thickness ratios for webs and flanges
- Calculation of the required strength and stiffness for stability bracing of beams
- Calculation of the maximum spacing for stability bracing of beams
- Calculation of the required strength at hinge locations for stability bracing of beams
- Calculation of the column required strength with the option to neglect all bending moments, shear, and torsion for overstrength limit state
- Design check of column and brace slenderness ratios
The seismic design result is categorized into two sections: member requirements and connection requirements.
The "Seismic Requirements" include the Required Flexural Strength and the Required Shear Strength of the beam-to-column connection for moment frames. They are listed in the ‘Moment Frame Connection by Member’ tab. For braced frames, the Required Connection Tensile Strength and the Required Connection Compressive Strength of the brace are listed in the ‘Brace Connection by Member’ tab.
The program provides the performed design checks in tables. The design check details clearly display the formulas and references to the standard.
In the Concrete Design provides an option to perform seismic design according to AISC 341-16 for steel members.
Five SFRS types (Seismic Force-Resisting Systems) are available for this.
Does RFEM integrate with Autodesk Inventor?
What is the fastest way to make sure that the load combinations generated by the program are calculated according to the geometrically linear analysis, for example?
When starting PLATE‑BUCKLING as a stand‑alone program or as an add‑on module within RFEM/RSTAB, the "from RFEM" or "from RSTAB" button is grayed out.
Where can I find the log files created during the import or export?
Why are the results in RFEM/RSTAB sometimes deleted when exporting the data to Revit?
When performing fatigue design, I obtain very little or no design ratio for the members.
What can be the reason?
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