Building Model for RFEM 6

Creation, Analysis, and Evaluation of Building Models

Special Solutions

Advantages

Building Model

Automatic generation and modification of individual stories
Consideration of story stiffness using a rigid plane
Calculation of slabs as 2D position
Automatic result generation in walls using sections
Story center of mass
Forces, deformations, and resultants of each story separately

Special Solutions

If you are planning a building with several stories, the Building Model add-on for RFEM is the perfect tool for you. It allows you to define a building by means of stories at specified elevations. You can also adjust the stories in many ways afterwards – exactly the way you need. You can always rely on RFEM. It displays all the result information, such as story mass, center of rigidigy, shear wall internal forces, and much more, both in tabular and graphical form.

Features

Consideration and display of story masses
Listing of structural elements and their information
Automated creation of result sections on shear walls
Output of section resultants in global direction for determining shear forces
Optional definition of rigid diaphragm by story (story modeling)
- Stiffness type Floor Slab - Rigid Diaphragm
- Defining floor sets,
- for example, calculation of slabs as a 2D position within the 3D model
Shear walls: Automatic definition of result members with any cross-section
- Design of rectangular cross-sections using the Concrete Design add-on
definition of deep beams, design possible using the Concrete Design add-on
- Tabular output of story actions, interstory drift, and center points of mass and stiffness, as well as the forces in shear walls
Separate result display of the floor and stiffening design

Input

You have two options for a building model. You can create it when you start modeling of the structure or activate it afterwards. In the building model, you can then directly define the stories and manipulate them.

When manipulating the stories, you can choose whether to modify or retain the included structural elements using various options.

RFEM does some of the work for you. For example, it automatically generates result sections, so you don't need to perform a lot of calculations.

Floor Analysis as Detached 2D Structures

The building model is calculated in two phases:

Global 3D calculation of the global model, where the slabs are modeled as a rigid plane (diaphragm) or as a bending plate
Local 2D calculation of the individual floors

After the calculation, the results of the columns and walls from the 3D calculation and the results of the slabs from the 2D calculation are combined in a single model. This means that there is no need to switch between the 3D model and the individual 2D models of the slabs. The user only works with one model, saves valuable time, and avoids possible errors in the manual data exchange between the 3D model and the individual 2D ceiling models.

The vertical surfaces in the model can be divided into shear walls and opening lintels. The program automatically generates internal result members from these wall objects, so they can be designed as members according to any standard in the Concrete Design add-on.

Results

You can display the results as usual via the Results navigator. Furthermore, the dialog box of the add-on shows you the information about the individual floors. Thus, you always have a good overview.