In order to create a surface model with failing supports close to reality, an option called "Failure if contact perpendicular to surfaces failed" is available in RFEM 5 for contact solids under "Contact Parallel to Surfaces".
In RFEM and RSTAB, there are various options to renumber the individual structural elements, such as nodes, lines, members, surfaces, or solids. Two options are available for renumbering: singly and automatically.
In RFEM, you can display the contact properties between two surfaces by means of contact solids. Among other things, you should ensure that both contact surfaces of a contact solid have the same integrated objects. Therefore, when modeling the contact surfaces, we recommend using the copy function in order to create the second contact surface.
Inserting holes in surfaces is very easy due to the large selection of tools. In order to insert holes or drilling in solids, it is necessary to keep in mind that an opening at the beginning and the end of a continuous hole must be created, as well as a surface that separates the hole from the solids.
For solids, there is another option for the FE mesh setting. You can arrange a layered FE mesh in addition to a holistic FE mesh refinement. For this option, you can perform a defined division of the solid with finite elements between two parallel surfaces. This option is particularly suitable for very large solid geometries with a low height.
If nonlinear effects - such as failing supports, foundations, member nonlinearities, or contact solids - are used in the model, you can deactivate them in the global calculation parameters.
With the orthotropic elastic-plastic material model, you can calculate solids with plastic material properties in RFEM 5 and evaluate them according to the Tsai‑Wu failure criterion. The Tsai-Wu criterion is named for Stephen W. Tsai and Edward M. Wu, who published it in 1971 for plane stress states.
The elastic‑plastic material model in RFEM 5 allows you to calculate surfaces and solids with plastic material properties and to carry out a stress evaluation. This material model is based on the classic von Mises plasticity.
With the nonlinear elastic material model in RFEM 5, you can calculate and carry out a stress analysis of surfaces and solids with nonlinear material properties.
The beam is resting on the column, and the beam ends at the outer edge of the column. These requirements can be fulfilled easily in an architectural model with solids. In member analysis, simplified line models are used in which center lines meet in a common node. In this article, the influence of member eccentricities on the determination of internal forces is shown on three simple models.
The "Result Beam" member type has been available since the release of RFEM 5. The result beam is a virtual member that does not have any stiffness nor require any support. It can be used in various situations in order to integrate the results from members, surfaces, and solids, and to display them as member internal forces.
Silos are used as large containers for storage of bulk materials such as agricultural products or source materials as well as intermediates of industrial production. The structural engineering of such structures requires a precise knowledge of the stresses due to particulate solids in the building structure. The standard EN 1991‑4 "Actions on Silos and Tanks" [1] provides the general principles and requirements for determining these actions.
If nonlinearities are used in a model (for example, contact solids), an error message may appear at the end of the calculation due to the locally unfulfilled convergence criteria. The reason for this is that the convergence of the global iteration conditions governs in the calculation.
If a slender component (member) is to be connected to a massive component (solid), it is necessary to pay attention to the correct connection of both elements.
When modeling a structure, irregular numbering of objects may occur due to copying, dividing lines and members, and so on. Automatic renumbering allows you to restructure the numbering and thus to improve the clear arrangement. This function is applicable to nodes and members as well as for lines, surfaces, and solids in RFEM.
Contact solids can be created between two flat surfaces or between two cylindrical shells. However, if the area of the contact problem is a little more complicated, it is necessary either to simplify the system so that the requirements of a contact solid can be met, or go back to the "old" modeling style using a rod model.
The load tables provide a simple option to control the applied loads. Dividing loads into individual lines is expedient. After dividing loads into the load table, the load data are displayed by a structural element (nodes, members, lines, surfaces, or solids). Thus, the load data analysis of each structural element is facilitated. The load case data can be compressed later.