RFEM 5 Add-on Modules – Towers and Masts

The RF-TOWER Structure add-on module provides you with an innovative workflow simplification for generating geometrically complex 3D tower structures. You can easily create lattice and cell towers by entering parameters.

Furthermore, it is possible to modify the existing RFEM models with RF‑TOWER Structure.

The RF-TOWER Equipment add-on module for RFEM is a user-friendly and efficient software solution that allows you to quickly and precisely analyze and design complex structures. With this module, engineers and draftsmen can calculate and optimize the load-bearing capacity and stability of the tower equipment, such as antennas, signal transmitters, platforms, and ladders.

In the RF‑TOWER Equipment add-on module, you can easily generate transmitter systems with the relevant equipment.

RF-TOWER Loading is an add-on module for RFEM that generates design-relevant actions for lattice towers, such as wind, ice, and live loads. In this case, the objects created in RF‑TOWER Structure and RF‑TOWER Equipment are also taken into account.

The module allows for considering the self-weight of a tower, including equipment, as well as a determination of wind loads acting on the tower and the equipment while taking into account the structures prone to vibration (gust-effect factor), an assignment of the surface and concentrated loads to platforms, the option to reduce the total wind load on the selected objects, and the generation of traffic load cases with surface and maintenance loads.

The RF-TOWER Effective Lengths add-on module determines the buckling lengths of members used in lattice towers with square, rectangular, or triangular floor plans.

Both user-defined lattice towers created in the main program RFEM 5 as well as the lattice towers created in the add-on modules RF-TOWER Structure and RF-TOWER Equipment are considered in the input. After determining the effective lengths, you can export them to the RF-TOWER Design add-on module for further design.

The RF‑TOWER Design add-on module allows you to design lattice towers according to selected standards. The data from the other R‑TOWER modules, such as Structure, Equipment, Loading, and Effective Lengths, are also taken into account.

The software provides you with an automatic cross-section classification, design of triangular and quadrilateral lattice towers including National Annexes, a flexural buckling analysis of truss members, and the design of tower equipment. The results are clearly displayed in result tables, and it is possible to create a parts list and a verifiable printout report.

The RF-JOINTS Steel – Tower add-on module is specialized to design pinned joints with bolt connections for members used in lattice towers in accordance with the European standards.

The software provides you with a wide range of various joint options, such as bolted diagonal connections without gusset plates in 2D or 3D, as well as bolted column joints. T-, K-, and KT-joints are also considered for the diagonal connections.