Basic Add-ons
If you design steel structures, you need the following add-ons in addition to RFEM or RSTAB:
- Steel Design
- Stress-Strain Analysis
- Stability
- Steel Joints
The Steel Design add-on allows you to perform stability analysis (lateral-torsional and torsional-flexural buckling) in addition to the normal cross-section design.
The Stress-Strain Analysis add-on calculates not only stresses, but also strains in members, surfaces, and solids.
Steel structures are usually slender structures so the stability plays an important role. Use Structure Stability add-on to calculate the effective lengths and critical load factors for a precise stability analysis.
Model the connections between members precisely and flexibly using the Steel Joints add-on that is based on FEA. The connections need to be loaded not only in the main load-bearing plane. Even if the connection is loaded about the "minor axis", you can dimension the connection using this add-on.
Additional Add-ons
If you have special requirements for steel design checks, there are other add-ons and additional programs available to support you in solving your special tasks.
To use a cross-section that is not included in the extensive cross-section library of RFEM 6 or RSTAB 9, the RSECTION program helps you when modeling the cross-section and calculating the section properties.
If you want to analyze the lateral-torsional buckling with the more accurate and cost-effective method with 7 degrees of freedom, you will need the Torsional Warping (7 DOF) add-on.
If it is necessary to consider the plastification of the material when determining the internal forces, you can use Nonlinear Material Behavior add-on.
The Modal Analysis add-on enables the calculation of natural frequencies, and in combination with the Response Spectrum Analysis add-on, you can also perform seismic analysis according to numerous standards.
If you are designing a building with a complicated shape, so that the wind load calculation according to the relevant standards reaches its limits, then the RWIND program will help you: Using a CFD analysis, it can determine wind loads even for the most complicated building shapes.
If the construction stages affect the final internal forces in a structure, or if the governing internal forces for the structural design result from certain construction stages, you can model this using the Construction Stages Analysis add-on.
The Building Model add-on allows you to easily enter large multi-story concrete structures.
For your design of lightweight steel structures, containing cables and membranes, the Form-Finding add-on can help you to determine the shape of the structure.
