Challenge
The design of specialized steel structures and complex membrane architectures requires dealing with irregular geometries, strict regulatory requirements, and highly complex aerodynamic wind loads. For WAF GmbH, the biggest challenge was to establish a workflow that seamlessly integrates traditional structural engineering in steel construction with the sophisticated cutting patterns of textile membranes and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations—all while maintaining complete transparency.
Solution
Dlubal Software provided WAF GmbH with a perfectly integrated structural analysis software suite centered around the main program RFEM. By using RFEM 6, enhanced with add-ons for membrane design and torsional warping, the company was able to centralize its entire design process. In combination with RWIND for state-of-the-art wind analyses, WAF GmbH automates complex geometric calculations, provides verifiable detailed design checks including formula references, and benefits from maximum flexibility without a hardware dongle thanks to online licensing.
Advantages of Using Dlubal Software
- Consistent Material Workflow: The intuitive user interface and the dialog boxes for steel, timber, and concrete—which are designed in a very similar way—allow for a seamless transition between different materials without the need for lengthy familiarization.
- Complete Clarity for Structural Engineers: The detailed design checks are output in a clear and organized manner, with direct references to the relevant formulas in the standards, which significantly speeds up the external review and approval process.
- Unparalleled Precision in Steel Construction: The consideration of the 7th degree of freedom using the Torsional Warping (7th Degree of Freedom) add-on is directly integrated into RFEM 6 and offers significant advantages in stability analysis.
- Location-Independent Flexibility: Online licensing eliminates the need for physical dongles, allowing complex analyses to be performed flexibly from any location.
