In the case of plate structures, it is always necessary to consider realistic definition support conditions. Depending on the way of defining the flexibility of the supports, clear differences may occur in the results.
The RF-PIPING and RF-PIPING Design add-on modules allow you to design piping systems according to EN 13480-3 [1], ASME B31.1 and B31.3. In the case of the European standard, the determination of pipe stresses is based on the formulas of Section 12.3 Flexibility Analysis. Depending on the stress type, one or more resulting moments is applied without regard to each other. This differentiation occurs when determining the stresses due to occasional loads, for example.
The boundary conditions of a plate support can be entered quickly as singular and line supports in the FEA software. However, if the flexibility of the supports is not considered when modeling the structure, it is often necessary to take a closer look at the support definitions during the design using stresses or the determination of the required reinforcement, at the latest.
In RF-JOINTS Timber – Steel to Timber, you can consider the possible minimum slippage of bolts in the case of guide pins. In RFEM, this slippage is taken into account using the flexibility in member end releases.