All data in RFEM 6 can be documented in a multilingual printout report. The design of the printout report is modern and has been highly optimized with respect to the previous (RFEM 5) generation of the program. Some of its most significant features are discussed in this article.
You can use the selection options in the printout report to receive the detail results (in short or long form) to illustrate the individual buckling modes with the relevant buckling analysis.
RFEM and RSTAB save the input data, the FE mesh, the results, the printout reports, and the 3D gITF model preview, including all visual objects, in one file.
You can make various settings in order to achieve a clearly‑arranged display of the result values. For example, some users may not want the white background in text bubbles. You can adjust the background in "Display Properties" using the Transparent and Background color option.
The SHAPE‑THIN and SHAPE‑MASSIVE cross-section programs are suitable for determining the cross-section properties of common thin-walled or thick-walled sections. These cross-section properties are also available for further analyses in RSTAB and RFEM.
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.
The results of an FEM calculation are usually documented by means of isobands and isolines in the graphical display of results. In the following, we will look at creating the results graphic for the black-and-white printout.
In RFEM, RSTAB, and SHAPE-THIN, you can create user-defined print templates ("Printout Report Template") and printout headers ("Report Headers"). These templates can also be transferred to other computers and used there.
You can assign comments to each element in RFEM and RSTAB (structure element, load element, and so on). This can help to improve the overview and documentation of structures, as the comments appear in the printout report and, for example, certain objects can be filtered and displayed using the "Select Special" function.
User-defined visibilities facilitate program handling. Once created, any model groups can be quickly hidden or shown. This facilitates, among other things, the analysis of the results in larger 3D structures, as well as the creation of the report. When changing the geometry, the existing visibilities may have to be updated.
A PDF version of the printout report can be created in two ways. The most common way is to use a PDF printer that must be previously installed. The printer will be controlled like a real printer.
In many cases, it is necessary to filter the results for the display of values on surfaces so as not to show all the numbers. In displaying the reinforcement arrangement, you can, for example, hide values that are below the already used basic reinforcement.
The name of the project/model from the General Data is shown in the header of the printout report by default. In RFEM 5 and RSTAB 8, the model name can be changed manually in the printout report independently of the actual name.
RFEM, RSTAB, and SHAPE-THIN are localized in eleven languages. All languages are available at no extra charge. The language of the program interface can be defined in the menu "Options" → "Program Options".
For structural reasons, it may be necessary for a base plate not to be set centrically on a foundation. Therefore, an eccentric arrangement of the base plate is possible in RF‑/JOINTS Steel - Column Base by entering the parameters for the respective direction in Window 1.4.
In RF-PUNCH Pro, enlarged column heads can be arranged at point-supported punching shear points, thus increasing the shear force resistance of a reinforced concrete floor. In the following article, we will show the punching shear design with the optional application of an enlarged column head.
RFEM offers different options for the graphical display of results that have been determined in RF-CONCRETE Surfaces. This article gives an overview of these options.