ETFE
Glossary Term
ETFE is a high-performance plastic material with many favourable properties for membrane structures. The up to 95% translucent foils made of the ETFE material are mainly convincing due to their resistance to weather conditions and aging.
The material is often used for pneumatically supported foil cushions. Due to their low weight and the ability to compensate high loads by plastic deformations, these foil cushions under pressure are used for building roofs and envelopes.
The nonlinear material behaviour of ETFE dependent on the temperature and load exposure time can be simulated in RFEM by using the RF‑MAT‑NL add‑on module.
Keywords
ETFE Membrane Foil cushion Viscoelasticity Pneu
Downloads
Links
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The RF‑FORM‑FINDING add‑on module can be activated in the ‘Edit Model - General Data’ window, ‘Options’ tab. By activating the module, a new RF‑FORM‑FINDING load case is created and an additional menu appears in the main program, allowing for the definition of prestress conditions for membrane and cable elements.
Display of Topology on Deformed Structure
With the activated option "Topology on form-finding shape" in the Project Navigator - Display, the model display is optimized based on the form-finding geometry. For example, the loads are displayed in relation to the deformed system.
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Can I export my cutting pattern?
- How do I model a suspended membrane roof structure with line supports?
- How do I model a tent roof with two cone tips?
- I would like to calculate and design "temporary structures." What do I need for this?
- I have already divided my membrane roof into individual surfaces. Can I quickly create a cutting pattern from these surfaces?
- How is an inflatable object simulated in RFEM?
- How can I define a material allowance at the edge of a cutting pattern?
- I have modeled a structure made of outer and inner cables as well as membranes, and get a message about instability or the error message "Jacobi matrix is not positive definite" in the RF‑FORM‑FINDING add-on module. What should I do?
- Why does the FE mesh of my conical membrane look like angular after the form-finding?
- How to model a cable net structure in using the RF-FORM-FINDING add-on module?
Associated Products
Add-on Module
Form-finding of tensile membrane and cable structures
1,750.00 USD
Add-on Module
Consideration of nonlinear material laws
1,300.00 USD
