The three types of moment frames (Ordinary, Intermediate, Special) are available in the Steel Design add-on of RFEM 6. The seismic design result according to AISC 341-22 is categorized into two sections: member requirements and connection requirements.
The Steel Design add-on in RFEM 6 now offers the ability to perform seismic design according to AISC 341-16 and AISC 341-22. Five types of seismic force-resisting systems (SFRS) are currently available.
The three types of moment frames (Ordinary, Intermediate, Special) are available in the Steel Design add-on of RFEM 6. The seismic design result according to AISC 341-16 is categorized into two sections: member requirements and connection requirements.
Moment frame design according to AISC 341-16 is now possible in the Steel Design add-on of RFEM 6. The seismic design result is categorized into two sections: member requirements and connection requirements. This article covers the required strength of the connection. An example comparison of the results between RFEM and the AISC Seismic Design Manual [2] is presented.
The design of an Ordinary Concentrically Braced Frame (OCBF) and a Special Concentrically Braced Frame (SCBF) can be carried out in the Steel Design add-on of RFEM 6. The seismic design result according to AISC 341-16 and 341-22 is categorized into two sections: Member Requirements and Connection Requirements.
Both the determination of natural vibrations and the response spectrum analysis are always performed on a linear system. If nonlinearities exist in the system, they are linearized and thus not taken into account. They are caused by, for example, tension members, nonlinear supports, or nonlinear hinges. This article shows how you can handle them in a dynamic analysis.
Compliance with building codes, such as Eurocode, is essential to ensure the safety, structural integrity, and sustainability of buildings and structures. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) plays a vital role in this process by simulating fluid behavior, optimizing designs, and helping architects and engineers meet Eurocode requirements related to wind load analysis, natural ventilation, fire safety, and energy efficiency. By integrating CFD into the design process, professionals can create safer, more efficient, and compliant buildings that meet the highest standards of construction and design in Europe.
To be able to evaluate the influence of local stability phenomena of slender structural components, RFEM 6 and RSTAB 9 provide you with the option of performing a linear critical load analysis on the cross-section level. The following article explains the basics of the calculation and the result interpretation.
Custom sections are often required in cold-formed steel design. In RFEM 6, the custom section can be created using one of the “Thin-Walled” sections available in the library. For other sections that do not meet any of the 14 available cold-formed shapes, the sections can be created and imported from the standalone program, RSECTION. For general information on AISI steel design in RFEM 6, refer to the Knowledge Base article provided at the end of the page.
The design of cold-formed steel members according to the AISI S100-16 is now available in RFEM 6. Design can be accessed by selecting “AISC 360” as the standard in the Steel Design add-on. “AISI S100” is then automatically selected for the cold-formed design (Image 01).
Windbreak structures are special types of fabric structures which protect the environment from harmful chemical particles, abate wind erosion, and help to maintain valuable sources. RFEM and RWIND are used for wind-structure analysis as one-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI).
This article demonstrates how to structural design windbreak structures using RFEM and RWIND.
The effects due to snow load are described in the American standard ASCE/SEI 7-16 and in Eurocode 1, Parts 1 through 3. These standards are implemented in the new RFEM 6 program and the Snow Load Wizard, which serves to facilitate the application of snow loads. In addition to this, the most recent generation of the program allows the construction site to be specified on a digital map, thus allowing the snow load zone to be imported automatically. These data are, in turn, used by the Load Wizard to simulate the effects due to the snow load.
In accordance with Sect. 6.6.3.1.1 and Clause 10.14.1.2 of ACI 318-19 and CSA A23.3-19, respectively, RFEM effectively takes into consideration concrete member and surface stiffness reduction for various element types. Available selection types include cracked and uncracked walls, flat plates and slabs, beams, and columns. The multiplier factors available within the program are taken directly from Table 6.6.3.1.1(a) and Table 10.14.1.2.
In RFEM 5 as well as RSTAB 8 in RF-/FOUNDATION Pro, you can save the foundation dimensions for all five foundation types as foundation templates in a user-defined database and use them later in other models.
In RF-/FOUNDATION Pro, the foundation design requires the definition of the corresponding loading (load cases, load combinations, or result combinations) for different design situations (STR, GEO, UPL, or EQU).
In RF‑/FOUNDATION Pro, reinforcement drawings are displayed after designing the foundation, where you can record all necessary structures of the reinforcement steel.
In RF‑/FOUNDATION Pro, the available reinforcing steel diameters can be adjusted by the user. The adjustment of the available rebar diameters works similarly to the same function in the RF‑/CONCRETE (Members) and RF‑/CONCRETE Columns add‑on modules.
RF-CONCRETE Members for RFEM or CONCRETE for RSTAB propose an automatically created reinforcement to the user if the "Design the provided reinforcement" option is selected in Window 1.6 "Reinforcement".
In addition to the basic combination rules of EN 1990, there are other combination conditions for actions on road bridges specified in EN 1991‑2 that must be taken into account. RFEM and RSTAB provide automatic combinatorics that can be activated in the General Data when selecting the standard EN 1990 + EN 1991‑2. The partial safety factors and combination coefficients depending on the action category are preset when selecting the respective National Annex.
Utilizing the RF-STEEL AISC add-on module, steel member design is possible according to the AISC 360-16 standard. The following article will compare the results between calculating lateral torsional buckling according to Chapter F and Eigenvalue Analysis.
Both the determination of natural vibrations and the response spectrum analysis are always performed on a linear system. If nonlinearities exist in the system, they are linearized and thus not taken into account. Straight tension members are very often used in practice. This article will show how you can display them approximately correctly in a dynamic analysis.
In the existing standard, there were no regulations for the distribution of snow loads for elevated solar thermal and photovoltaic systems on roofs. Only distribution of the loads was advised. It was only with the National Annex DIN EN 1991-1-3/NA: 2019-04 that specific regulations were made for this.
With RF-/STEEL EC3, you can utilize nominal temperature-time curves in RFEM and RSTAB. The standard time-temperature curve (ETK), the external fire curve and the hydrocarbon fire curve are implemented. Moreover, the program provides the option to directly specify the final temperature of steel.
Using RF-CONCRETE Members, concrete column design is possible according to ACI 318-14. Accurately designing concrete column shear and longitudinal reinforcement is important for safety considerations. The following article will confirm the reinforcement design in RF-CONCRETE Members using step-by-step analytical equations as per the ACI 318-14 standard, including required longitudinal steel reinforcement, gross cross-sectional area, and tie size/spacing.
When introducing and transferring horizontal loads such as wind or seismic loads, increasing difficulties arise in 3D models. To avoid such issues, some standards (for example, ASCE 7, NBC) require the simplification of the model using diaphragms that distribute the horizontal loads to structural components transferring loads, but cannot transfer bending themselves (called "Diaphragm").