RF-/STEEL Cold-Formed Sections | Features

Compliance with building codes, such as Eurocode, is essential to ensure the safety, structural integrity, and sustainability of buildings and structures. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) plays a vital role in this process by simulating fluid behavior, optimizing designs, and helping architects and engineers meet Eurocode requirements related to wind load analysis, natural ventilation, fire safety, and energy efficiency. By integrating CFD into the design process, professionals can create safer, more efficient, and compliant buildings that meet the highest standards of construction and design in Europe.

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.

Windbreak structures are special types of fabric structures which protect the environment from harmful chemical particles, abate wind erosion, and help to maintain valuable sources. RFEM and RWIND are used for wind-structure analysis as one-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI). This article demonstrates how to structural design windbreak structures using RFEM and RWIND.

Since RF-/STEEL Cold-Formed Sections is fully integrated in RF-/STEEL EC3, the data are entered in the same way as for the usual design in this module. It is only necessary to select the design option for cold-formed cross-sections in the Details dialog box.

The design results are displayed in RF-/STEEL EC3 in the usual way.

Among other results, the corresponding result windows include the effective cross-section properties due to axial force N, bending moment My, bending moment Mz, internal forces, and design summary.

The Ponding load type allows you to simulate rain actions on multi-curved surfaces, taking into account the displacements according to the large deformation analysis.

This numerical rainfall process examines the assigned surface geometry and determines which rainfall portions drain away and which rainfall portions accumulate in puddles (water pockets) on the surface. The puddle size then results in a corresponding vertical load for the structural analysis.

For example, you can use this feature in the analysis of approximately horizontal membrane roof geometries subjected to rain loading.

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