SHAPE-THIN - Thin‑Walled and Cold‑Formed Cross‑Sections

Properties and Stresses of Thin‑Walled and Cold‑Formed Sections

Cross-Section Properties

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Image - Cross-section properties program SHAPE-THIN

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Image - Cross-section properties program SHAPE-THIN

Dlubal cross-section programs: SHAPE-THIN 8

Design Cold-Formed Steel According to EN 1993-1-3 with Dlubal Software

Further Information

Cross-Section Properties

The stand‑alone program SHAPE‑THIN determines section properties of open or closed thin‑walled cross‑section as well as cold-formed sections and performs the stress analysis and plastic design.

SHAPE-THIN provides the option of interface with RFEM and RSTAB: SHAPE‑THIN cross‑sections are available in the library of the FEA or frame analysis software, and vice versa, it is possible to import and design the internal forces from RFEM and RSTAB in SHAPE‑THIN.

The structural data can be entered graphically, in tables, or by means of a DXF file.

Features
- Modeling of the cross-section via elements, sections, arcs and point elements
- Expandable 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 A_y, A_z, A_u, and A_v
- Centroid position y_S, z_S
- Moments of inertia I_y, I_z, I_yz, I_u, I_v, I_p, I_p,M
- Radii of gyration i_y, i_z, i_yz, i_u, i_v, i_p, i_p,M
- Inclination of principal axes α
- Cross-section weight G
- Cross-section perimeter U
- Torsional constants J, J_St.Venant, J_Bredt, J_s
- Location of the shear center y_M, z_M
- Warping constants I_ω,S, I_ω,M or I_ω,D for lateral restraint
- Max/min section moduli S_y, S_z, S_u, S_v, S_ω,M with locations
- Section ranges r_u, r_v, r_M,u, r_M,v
- Reduction factor λ_M
Plastic Cross-Section Properties
- Axial force N_pl,d
- Shear forces V_pl,y,d, V_pl,z,d, V_pl,u,d, V_pl,v,d
- Bending moments M_pl,y,d, M_pl,z,d, M_pl,u,d, M_pl,v,d
- Section moduli Z_y, Z_z, Z_u, Z_v
- Shear areas A_pl,y, A_pl,z, A_pl,u, A_pl,v
- Position of area bisecting axes f_u, f_v
- Display of the inertia ellipse
Statical Moments
- First moments of area Q_u, Q_v, Q_y, Q_z with location of maxima and specification of shear flow
- Warping coordinates ω_M
- Warping areas Q_ω,M
- Cell areas A_m of closed cross-sections
Stresses
- Normal stresses σ_x due to axial force, bending moments and warping bimoment
- Shear stresses τ due to shear forces as well as primary and secondary torsional moments
- Equivalent stresses σ_eqv with customizable factor for shear stresses
- Stress ratios, related to limit stresses
- Stresses for element edges or center lines
- Weld stresses in fillet welds
Shear Wall Sections
- Section properties of non-connected cross-sections (cores of high-rise buildings, composite sections)
- Shear wall shear forces due to bending and torsion
Plastic Design
- Plastic capacity design with determination of the enlargement factor α_pl
- 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 this technical article: Design of a 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 archs, 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.

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