Online Manuals RFEM 6 | Tutorial - Steel Joints - Search Term: Visibility...

In this article, a lap joint of a ZL purlin on a monopitch roof is modeled and designed using the Steel Joints add-on, and compared with the load-bearing capacity table of the manufacturer.

The advantage of the RFEM 6 Steel Joints add-on is that you can analyze steel connections using an FE model for which the modeling runs fully automatically in the background. The input of the steel joint components that control the modeling can be done by defining the components manually, or by using the available templates in the library. The latter method is included in a previous Knowledge Base article titled “Defining Steel Joint Components Using the Library". The definition of parameters for the design of steel joints is the topic of the Knowledge Base article “Designing Steel Joints in RFEM 6".

Steel connections in RFEM 6 are defined as an assembly of components. In the new Steel Joints add-on, universally applicable basic components (plates, welds, auxiliary planes) are available for entering complex connection situations. The methods with which connections can be defined are considered in two previous Knowledge Base articles: “A Novel Approach to Designing Steel Joints in RFEM 6" and “Defining Steel Joint Components Using the Library".

The "Base Plate" component allows you to design base plate connections with cast-in anchors. In this case, plates, welds, anchorages, and steel-concrete interaction are analyzed.

Using the "Rib" component, you can define any number of longitudinal ribs on a member plate. By defining a reference object, you can automatically specify welds on it.

The "Rib" component can also be arranged on circular hollow sections. Dafür wird zusätzlich die Vorgabe der Winkel zwischen den Rippen benötigt.

You can now insert a cap plate in steel joints with only a few clicks. You can enter the data using the known definition types "Offsets" or "Dimensions and Position". By specifying a reference member and the cutting plane, it is also possible to omit the Member Section component.

This component allows you to easily model cap plates on column ends, for example.