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Computer technology has a firm grip on digital structural analysis and design. With each new development, the planners involved are able to increase the limits of what is feasible.

Structures are naturally three-dimensional. However, because it was impossible to perform calculations on three-dimensional models easily in the past, the structures were simplified and broken down into planar subsystems. With the increasing performance of computers and related software, it is often possible to do without these simplifications. Digital trends such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and new options for creating realistic visualized models reinforce this trend. But do 3D models really offer an advantage, or are we just following a trend? The following text presents some arguments for working in 3D models.

In this article, you will learn how to model and design cable structures in RFEM 6 or RSTAB 9.

In the "Edit Section" dialog box, you can display the buckling shapes of the Finite Strip Method (FSM) as a 3D graphic.

In RFEM 6 and RSTAB 9, you have the option to enter "Visual Objects" as guide objects. You can import the file formats 3ds, stl, and obj.

These objects allow you to create a better reference to the dimensions.

Do you have individual column sections and angled wall geometries, and need punching shear design for them?

No problem. In RFEM 6, you can perform punching shear design not only for rectangular and circular sections, but for any cross-section shape.