Buildings are structures surrounded by wind. The flow around them creates specific loads on the surfaces, which are to be used for the design in structural analysis.
RFEM 5 provides the option to define a smoothing area in the "Results" → "New Average Region" menu. You can choose a rectangular, circular, or elliptical shape. With this tool you can, for example, "smooth" singularities due to nodal loads in a desired averaged region.
The shear resistance design value of a joint depends mainly on the formation or the roughness of the connection. When determining the ultimate limit state, this is considered by the factors µ (friction) and c (adhesion percentage of the contact area of the composite concrete).
A standard scenario in timber member construction is the ability to connect smaller members by means of bearing on a larger girder member. Additionally, member end conditions may include a similar situation where the beam is bearing on a support type. In either scenario, the beam must be designed to consider the bearing capacity perpendicular to the grain according to NDS 2018 Sec. 3.10.2 and CSA O86:19 Clauses 6.5.6 and 7.5.9. In general structural design software, it is typically not possible to carry out this full design check, as the bearing area is unknown. However, in the new generation RFEM 6 and Timber Design add-on, the added 'design supports' feature now allows users to comply with the NDS and CSA bearing perpendicular to the grain design checks.
A previous article presented different variants of surface elastic foundations in addition to the traditional subgrade reaction modulus method. The following article describes another method for surface foundation. This method considers the adjacent ground areas by means of a foundation overlap. In this case, foundation parameters refer to the continuing works by Pasternak and Barwaschow.
The Steel Joist Institute (SJI) previously developed Virtual Joist tables to estimate the section properties for Open Web Steel Joists. These Virtual Joist sections are characterized as equivalent wide-flange beams which closely approximate the joist chord area, effective moment of inertia, and weight. Virtual Joists are also available in the RFEM and RSTAB cross-section database.
The Steel Joist Institute (SJI) previously developed Virtual Joist tables to estimate the section properties for Open Web Steel Joists. These Virtual Joist sections are characterized as equivalent wide-flange beams which closely approximate the joist chord area, effective moment of inertia, and weight. Virtual Joists are also available in the RFEM and RSTAB cross-section database.
Singularities occur in a limited area due to the concentration of the stress-dependent result values. They are conditioned by the FEA methodology. In theory, the stiffness and/or the stress in an infinite size concentrate on an infinitesimally small area.
Users of RFEM and RSTAB already know the advantages of various visibilities that can be used to create user‑defined areas of the structure for further editing.
Cross-section properties in RFEM and RSTAB include different types of shear areas. This technical article explains the calculation and meaning of various values.