This article presents the basic concepts in structural dynamics and their role in the seismic design of structures. Great emphasis is given to explaining the technical aspects in an understandable way, so that readers without deep technical knowledge can gain an insight into the subject.
The data exchange between RFEM 6 and Allplan can be done using various file formats. This article describes the data exchange of a determined surface reinforcement using the ASF interface. This allows you to display the RFEM reinforcement values as level curves or colored reinforcement images in Allplan.
When wind-induced surface pressures on a building are available, they can be applied on a structural model in RFEM 6, processed by RWIND 2, and used as wind loads for static analysis in RFEM 6.
Creating a validation example for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a critical step in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of simulation results. This process involves comparing the outcomes of CFD simulations with experimental or analytical data from real-world scenarios. The objective is to establish that the CFD model can faithfully replicate the physical phenomena it is intended to simulate. This guide outlines the essential steps in developing a validation example for CFD simulation, from selecting a suitable physical scenario to analyzing and comparing the results. By meticulously following these steps, engineers and researchers can enhance the credibility of their CFD models, paving the way for their effective application in diverse fields such as aerodynamics, aerospace, and environmental studies.
When it comes to wind loads on building type structures as per ASCE 7, numerous resources can be found to supplement design standards and aid engineers with this lateral load application. However, engineers may find it more difficult to find similar resources for wind loading on non-building type structures. This article will examine the steps to calculate and apply wind loads as per ASCE 7-22 on a circular reinforced concrete tank with a dome roof.
In order to correctly design a downstand beam or a T-beam in RFEM 6 using the Concrete Design add-on, it is essential to determine the flange widths for the rib members. This article describes the input options for a two-span beam and the calculation of the flange dimensions according to EN 1992-1-1.
CFD calculations are in general very complex. An accurate calculation of wind flow around complicated structures is very demanding on time and computational costs. In many civil engineering applications, high accuracy is not needed and our CFD program RWIND 2 enables in such cases to simplify the model of a structure and reduce the costs significantly. In this article, some questions about the simplification are answered.
The Geotechnical Analysis add-on provides RFEM with additional specific soil material models that are able to suitably represent complex soil material behavior. This technical article is an introduction to show how the stress-dependent stiffness of soil material models can be determined.
In this article, a lap joint of a ZL purlin on a monopitch roof is modeled and designed using the Steel Joints add-on, and compared with the load-bearing capacity table of the manufacturer.
When calculating regular structures, data input is often not complicated but time-consuming. Input automation can save valuable time. The task described in the present article is to consider the stories of a house as single construction stages. Data is entered using a C# program so that the user does not have to enter the elements of the individual floors manually.
The response spectrum analysis is one of the most frequently used design methods in the case of earthquakes. This method has many advantages. The most important is the simplification: It simplifies the complexity of earthquakes so far that the design can be performed with reasonable effort. The disadvantage of this method is that a lot of information is lost due to this simplification. One way to moderate this disadvantage is to use the equivalent linear combination when combining the modal responses. This article explains this option by describing an example.
Our webservice offers users the opportunity to communicate with RFEM 6 and RSTAB 9 using various programming languages. Dlubal's high-level functions (HLFs) allow you to expand and simplify the WebService's functionality. In line with RFEM 6 and RSTAB 9, using our WebService makes the engineer's work easier and faster. Check it out now! This tutorial shows you how to use the C# library by means of a simple example.
If you want to use a pure surface model, for example, when determining the internal forces and moments, but the structural component is still designed on the member model, you can take advantage of a result beam.
In many frame and truss structures, it is no longer sufficient to use a simple member. You often have to consider cross-section weakenings or openings in solid beams. In such cases, you can use the "Surface Model" member type. It can be integrated into the model like any other member and offers all the options of a surface model. The present technical article shows the application of such a member in an existing structural system and describes the integration of member openings.
The modal relevance factor is a result of the linear stability analysis and qualitatively describes the degree of participation of individual members in a specific mode shape.
Large-scale models are models which contain multiple dimensional scales and thus are demanding on computational power. This article will show you how to simplify and optimize the calculation of such models with respect to the desired results.
Steel connections in RFEM 6 can be created by simply entering predefined components in the Steel Joints add-on. The collection of these components is constantly being improved to make your work even easier even when modeling steel connections. In this article, the connection plate component is introduced as a component recently added to the add-on's library.
The goal of using the RFEM 6 and Blender with the Bullet Constraints Builder add-on is to obtain a graphical representation of the collapse of a model based on real data of physical properties. RFEM 6 serves as the source of geometry and data for the simulation. This is another example of why it is important to maintain our programs as so-called BIM Open, in order to achieve collaboration across software domains.
As you may already know, RFEM 6 offers you the possibility to consider material nonlinearities. This article explains how to determine internal forces in slabs modeled with nonlinear material.
Surfaces in building models can be of many different sizes and shapes. All surfaces can be considered in RFEM 6 because the program allows to define different materials and thicknesses as well as surfaces with different stiffness and geometry types. This article focuses on four of these surface types: rotated, trimmed, without thickness, and load transfer.
The Nonlinear Material Behavior add-on enables the consideration of material nonlinearities in RFEM 6. This article provides an overview of the available nonlinear material models, which are available after activating the add-on in the model’s Base Data.
This article shows how the “Time-Dependent Analysis” add-on is integrated in RFEM 6 and RSTAB 9. It describes how to define input data such as the time-dependent characteristics of the material, how to determine the type of analysis and how to specify loading times.
In computational fluid dynamics (CFD), complex surfaces that are not completely solid can be modeled using porous or permeability media. In the actual world, examples of such things include windbreak fabric structures, wire meshes, perforated facades and claddings, louvers, tube banks (stacks of horizontal cylinders), and so on.
In this paper, a novel approach was developed to generate CFD models at the community-level by integrating building information modeling (BIM) and geographical information systems (GIS) to automate the generation of a high-resolution 3-D community model to be employed as an input for a digital wind tunnel using RWIND.
This article will show you the Building Model add-on, which has been enhanced with one important advantage: calculating the center of mass and center of rigidity.
The “Modal Analysis” add-on in RFEM 6 allows you to perform modal analysis of structural systems, thus determining natural vibration values such as natural frequencies, mode shapes, modal masses, and effective modal mass factors. These results can be used for vibration design, as well as for further dynamic analyses (for example, loading by a response spectrum).
In RFEM 6 it is possible to define multilayer surface structures with the help of the “Multilayer Surfaces” add-on. Hence, if you have activated the add-on in the model’s Base Data, it is possible to define layer structures of any material model. You can also combine material models of, for example, isotropic and orthotropic materials.
The recently introduced Webservices gives users the ability to communicate with RFEM 6 using their programming language of choice. This feature is enhanced with our High Level Functions (HLF) Library. The libraries are available for Python, JavaScript, and C#. This article looks at a practical use case of programming a 2D Truss Generator with Python. "Learning by doing," as the saying goes.