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SHAPE-THIN - Thin‑Walled and Cold‑Formed Cross‑Sections
Properties and Stresses of Thin‑Walled and Cold‑Formed Sections
Further Information
The SHAPE‑THIN stand‑alone program determines the section properties of open or closed thin‑walled and cold-formed cross-sections, icluding stress analysis and plastic design.
You can enter the data graphically, in tables, or by importing a DXF file.
Features
- Modeling of the cross-section via elements, sections, arcs, and point elements
- Expansible library of material properties, yield strengths, and limit stresses
- Section properties of open, closed, or non-connected cross-sections
- Effective properties of cross-sections consisting of different materials
- Determination of weld stresses in fillet welds
- Stress analysis including design of primary and secondary torsion
- Check of c/t-ratios
- Effective cross-sections according to
EN 1993-1-5 (including stiffened buckling panels according to Section 4.5)
EN 1993-1-3
EN 1999-1-1
DIN 18800-2
- Classification according to
EN 1993-1-1
EN 1999-1-1
- Interface with MS Excel to import and export tables
- Printout report
Cross-Section Properties and Stresses
SHAPE-THIN determines the section properties and stresses of any open, closed, built-up, or non-connected cross-sections.
Cross-Section Properties- Cross-sectional area A
- Shear areas Ay, Az, Au, and Av
- Centroid position yS, zS
- Moments of area 2. Degree Iy , Iz , Iyz , Iu , Iv , Ip , Ip, M
- Radii of gyration iy, iz, iyz, iu, iv, ip, ip,M
- Principal axis inclination α
- Cross-section weight G
- Cross-section perimeter U
- Torsional area moments 2. Grades IT , IT, St.Venant , IT, Bredt , IT, s
- Location of the shear center yM, zM
- Warping resistances Iω, S , Iω, M or Iω, D for a tied torsional axis
- Max/min section moduli Wy , Wz , Wu , Wv , Wω, M with position indication
- Section ranges ru, rv, rM,u, rM,v
- Decay factor λM
- Axial force Npl,d
- Shear forces Vpl,y,d, Vpl,z,d, Vpl,u,d, Vpl,v,d
- Bending moments Mpl,y,d, Mpl,z,d, Mpl,u,d, Mpl,v,d
- Section moduli Zy, Zz, Zu, Zv
- Shear areas Apl,y, Apl,z, Apl,u, Apl,v
- Position of area bisecting axes fu, fv
- Display of the inertia ellipse
- First moments of area Qu, Qv, Qy, Qz with location of maxima and specification of shear flow
- Warping coordinates ωM
- Moments of area (warping surfaces) Sω, M
- Cell areas Am of closed cross-sections
- Normal stresses σx from axial force, bending moments, and warping bimoment
- Shear stresses τ from shear forces as well as primary and secondary torsional moments
- Equivalent stresses σv with adjustable factor for shear stresses
- Stress ratios, related to limit stresses
- Stresses for element edges or center lines
- Weld stresses in fillet welds
- Section properties of non-connected cross-sections (cores of high-rise buildings, composite sections)
- Shear wall shear forces due to bending and torsion
- Plastic calculation with determination of the enlargement factor αpl
- Check of the c/t-ratios following the design methods el-el, el-pl or pl-pl according to DIN 18800
Cold-Formed Sections
SHAPE‑THIN determines the effective cross-sections according to EN 1993‑1‑3 and EN 1993‑1‑5 for cold-formed sections. You can optionally check the geometric conditions for the applicability of the standard specified in EN 1993‑1‑3, Section 5.2.
The effects of local plate buckling are considered according to the method of reduced widths, and the possible buckling of stiffeners (instability) is considered for stiffened sections according to EN 1993‑1‑3, Section 5.5.
As an option, you can perform an iterative calculation to optimize the effective cross-section.
You can display the effective cross-sections graphically.
Read more about designing cold-formed sections with SHAPE‑THIN and RF‑/STEEL Cold-Formed Sections in the technical article "Design of Thin-Walled, Cold-Formed C-Section According to EN 1993‑1‑3":
Input
SHAPE-THIN includes an extensive library of rolled and parameterized cross-sections. They can be combined or complemented by new elements. It is possible to model a cross-section consisting of different materials.
Graphical tools and functions allow for modeling complex cross-section shapes in the usual way common for CAD programs. The graphical entry provides the option of setting point elements, fillet welds, arcs, parameterized rectangular and circular sections, ellipses, elliptical arcs, parabolas, hyperbolas, spline, and NURBS. Alternatively, it is possible to import a DXF file that is used as the basis for further modeling. You can also use guidelines for modeling.
Furthermore, parameterized input allows you to enter model and load data in a specific way so they depend on certain variables.
Elements can be divided or attached to other objects graphically. SHAPE-THIN automatically divides the elements and provides for an uninterrupted shear flow by introducing dummy elements. In the case of dummy elements, you can define a specific thickness to control the shear transfer.
Calculation
SHAPE-THIN calculates all relevant cross‑section properties, including plastic limit internal forces. Overlapping areas are set close to reality. If cross-sections consist of different materials, SHAPE‑THIN determines the effective cross‑section properties with respect to the reference material.
In addition to the elastic stress analysis, you can perform the plastic design including interaction of internal forces for any cross‑section shape. The plastic interaction design is carried out according to the Simplex Method. You can select the yield hypothesis according to Tresca or von Mises.
SHAPE-THIN performs a cross-section classification according to EN 1993-1-1 and EN 1999-1-1. For steel cross-sections of cross-section class 4, the program determines effective widths for unstiffened or stiffened buckling panels according to EN 1993-1-1 and EN 1993-1-5. For aluminum cross-sections of cross-section class 4, the program calculates effective thicknesses according to EN 1999-1-1.
Optionally, SHAPE‑THIN checks the limit c/t-values in compliance with the design methods el‑el, el‑pl, or pl‑pl according to DIN 18800. The c/t-zones of elements connected in the same direction are recognized automatically.
Results
All results can be evaluated numerically and graphically and displayed in a visualization. Selection functions facilitate the targeted evaluation.
The printout report corresponds to the high standards of the FEA software RFEM and the frame analysis software RSTAB. Modifications are updated automatically.
Contact
Do you have any questions about our products or which are best suited for your design projects? Contact us via phone, email, chat or forum or search the FAQ page, available 24/7.
Customer Projects
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In RFEM, RSTAB, and SHAPE-THIN, you can use formulas to determine a numerical value.
- How can I show or hide the printout report navigator?
- Can I import a SHAPE‑THIN cross-section into RFEM 6 or RSTAB 9?
- Where on the Dlubal extranet can I download my RFEM / RSTAB authorization file?
- What is the difference between SHAPE‑THIN 9 and SHAPE‑THIN 8?
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How can I find overlapping elements and revise the modeling?
- After installing SHAPE-THIN, I receive Error 1000: Error in Material Library. How do I resolve this?
- After calculating the cross-section data, an ellipse is displayed in the cross-section. In addition, wide lines above the x- and y-axis can be seen next to the coordinate system. Which displays are we talking about here? How can I deactivate it?
- I cannot manage to correctly import the cross-section from a dxf file into the SHAPE‑THIN program; the imported cross-section is in the wrong plane. What can I do?
- In which drawing plane must a cross-section be drawn in a CAD application so that it can be imported into SHAPE‑THIN using the dxf import?
- The installation of a Dlubal Software program is not possible due to the following message: "Program unsafe, protection by Microsoft Defender SmartScreen". How can I install the program?
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