In the Concrete Design add-on for RFEM 6, you can perform the fire design of reinforced concrete slabs and walls according to the simplified table method (EN 1992‑1‑2, Section 5.4.2 and Tables 5.8 and 5.9).
In the Concrete Design add-on, you have the option to define an existing vertically oriented punching shear reinforcement. This is then taken into account in the punching shear design.
In the Construction Stages Analysis (CSA) add-on, you can use built-up cross-sections by means of what are known as phase sections. Parts of a cross-section of the type "Parametric - Massive II" can be activated or deactivated gradually throughout the construction stages.
The seismic design result is categorized into two sections: member requirements and connection requirements.
The "Seismic Requirements" include the Required Flexural Strength and the Required Shear Strength of the beam-to-column connection for moment frames. They are listed in the ‘Moment Frame Connection by Member’ tab. For braced frames, the Required Connection Tensile Strength and the Required Connection Compressive Strength of the brace are listed in the ‘Brace Connection by Member’ tab.
The program provides the performed design checks in tables. The design check details clearly display the formulas and references to the standard.
In the Concrete Design add-on, you can perform the simplified fire resistance design according to Sections 5.3.2 and 5.6 of EN 1992‑1‑2 for columns and beams.
The following design checks are available for the simplified fire resistance design:
Columns: Minimum cross-sectional dimensions for rectangular and circular sections according to Table 5.2a as well as Equation 5.7 for calculating time of fire exposure
Beams: Minimum dimensions and center distances according to Tables 5.5 and 5.6
You can determine the internal forces for the fire resistance design according to two methods.
1 Here, the internal forces of the accidental design situation are included directly into the design.
2 The internal forces of the design at normal temperature are reduced by the factor Eta,fi (ηfi), then used in the fire resistance design.
Furthermore, it is possible to modify the axis distance according to Eq. 5.5.
With the Concrete Design add-on, you can perform the fatigue design of members and surfaces according to EN 1992‑1‑1, Chapter 6.8.
For the fatigue design, you can optionally select two methods or design levels in the design configurations:
Design Level 1: Simplified design according to 6.8.6 and 6.8.7(2): The simplified design is performed for frequent action combinations according to EN 1992‑1‑1, Chapter 6.8.6 (2), and EN 1990, Eq. (6.15b) with the traffic loads relevant in the serviceability state. A maximum stress range according to 6.8.6 is designed for the reinforcing steel. The concrete compressive stress is determined by means of the upper and lower allowable stress according to 6.8.7(2).
Design Level 2: Design of damage equivalent stress acc. to 6.8.5 and 6.8.7(1) (simplified fatigue design): The design using damage equivalent stress ranges is performed for the fatigue combination according to EN 1992‑1‑1, Chapter 6.8.3, Eq. (6.69) with the specifically defined cyclic action Qfat.
The Concrete Design add-on allows you to perform the seismic design of reinforced concrete members according to EC 8. This includes, among other things, the following functionalities:
Seismic design configurations
Differentiation of the ductility classes DCL, DCM, DCH
Option to transfer the behavior factor from a dynamic analysis
Check of the limit value for the behavior factor
Capacity design checks of "Strong column - weak beam"
Detailing and particular rules for curvature ductility factor
Detailing and particular rules for local ductility
In the Steel Design add-on, you can perform the stability and cross-section design checks of cold-formed sections according to EN 1993‑1‑3 in compliance with Sections 6.1.2 – 6.1.5 and 6.1.8 – 6.1.10.
In the Concrete Design add-on, you can design structural components made of fiber-reinforced concrete according to the guideline DAfStb Steel Fiber-Reinforced Concrete.
You can use this option for the design according to EN 1992‑1‑1. The design according to the DAfStb guideline is carried out once the concrete of the "Fiber Concrete" type has been assigned to the reinforced structural component.
In the "Shear Reinforcement" tab, you can select the option "Cross-ties over free rebars with active selection in graphic". It allows you to arrange additional cross-ties on free rebars of the longitudinal reinforcement.
You can activate or deactivate the position of the cross-ties in the Info Graphic. The cross-ties are applied for the ultimate limit state design and the structural design checks. They are available for the design according to EN 1992‑1‑1.
You can design any RSECTION cross-section in the Concrete Design add-on. Define the concrete cover, shear force, and longitudinal reinforcement directly in RSECTION.
After importing the reinforced RSECTION cross-section into RFEM 6 or RSTAB 9, you can use it for design in the Concrete Design add-on.
The design of cold-formed steel members according to the AISI S100-16 / CSA S136-16 is available in RFEM 6. Design can be accessed by selecting “AISC 360” or “CSA S16” as the standard in the Steel Design Add-on. “AISI S100” or “CSA S136” is then automatically selected for the cold-formed design.
RFEM applies the Direct Strength Method (DSM) to calculate the elastic buckling load of the member. The Direct Strength Method offers two types of solutions, numerical (Finite Strip Method) and analytical (Specification). The FSM signature curve and buckling shapes can be viewed under Sections.
The new steel sections according to the latest CISC Handbook (12th edition) are available in RFEM 6. The sections are listed in the Standardized library. In the filter, select “Canada” for the region and “CISC 12” for the standard. Alternatively, the section name can be directly entered in the search box located at the bottom of the dialog box.
You have the option to automatically design the existing surface reinforcement to cover the required reinforcement. You can also select whether to automatically define the reinforcement diameter or the member spacing.
Do you work with the structural components consisting of slabs? In that case, you have to perform the shear force design with the requirements of punching shear design, for example, according to 6.4, EN 1992‑1‑1. In addition to floor slabs, you can also design foundation slabs in this way.
In the Ultimate Configuration for concrete design, you can define the punching design parameters for the selected nodes.
The Aluminum Design add-on provides you with further options. Here you can also design general cross-sections that are not predefined in the cross-section library. For example, create a cross-section in the RSECTION program and then import it into RFEM/RSTAB. Depending on the design standard used, you can select from various design formats. This includes, for example, the equivalent stress analysis.
With a license for RSECTION and "Effective Sections", you can also perform the design checks while taking into account the effective cross-section properties according to EN 1993‑1‑5.
You know for sure that when connecting tension-loaded components with bolted connections, you need to consider the cross-section reduction due to the bolt holes in the ultimate limit state design. The structural analysis programs also have a solution for this. In the Aluminum Design add-on, you can enter a member local section reduction for this. Enter the reduction of the cross-section as an absolute value or as a percentage of the total area at all relevant locations.
The Torsional Warping (7 DOF) add-on allows you to perform the calculation of member structures in RFEM and RSTAB, taking into account the cross-section warping. You can consider all internal forces (N, Vu, Vv, Mt,pri, Mt,sec, Mu, Mv, Mω) determined in this way in the equivalent stress analysis of the aluminum design. Note: This feature is not yet available for the design standard ADM 2020.
Did you use the eigenvalue solver of the add-on to determine the critical load factor within the stability analysis? In this case, you can then display the governing mode shape of the object to be designed as a result.
The program does a lot of work for you. For example, the load or result combinations required for the serviceability limit state are generated and calculated in RFEM/RSTAB. You can select these design situations for the deflection analysis in the Aluminum Design add-on. Depending on the specified precamber and reference system, the program determines the deformation values at each location of a member. They are then compared to the limit values.
You can specify the deformation limit value individually for each structural component in Serviceability Configuration. In this case, you define the maximum deformation depending on the reference length as the allowable limit value. By defining design supports, you can segment the components. In this way, you can determine the corresponding reference length automatically for each design direction.
And that's not all. Based on the position of the assigned design supports, the program allows you to automatically determine the distinction between beams and cantilevers. The limit value is thus determined accordingly.
You can find the serviceability limit state design checks in the result tables of the Aluminum Design add-on. They are already fully integrated there. You have the option to display the design results with all the details at each location of the designed members. You can also use graphics with the result diagrams of the design ratios.
You can integrate all result tables and graphics into the global printout report of RFEM/RSTAB as a part of the aluminum design results. RFEM/RSTAB also allows you to display and document the deformations of the entire structure independently of the add-on.
Do you prefer it clear? So do we! That's why all performed design checks for the design standard are displayed for you in a clear way. You determine a design criterion for each design check. You get design details, which include the initial values, intermediate results, and final results, arranged in a structured way for each design check. You can find the calculation process with the applied formulas, standard sources, and results in great detail in an information window in the design details.
You can find the design checks displayed in tables in the Aluminum Design add-on. Moreover, you can display the distribution of the design ratios graphically. Extensive filter options are available for you both in the table as well as in the graphical output. You can thus specifically display the desired design checks by limit state or design type in the program.
When calculating the deflection limit, you have to consider certain reference lengths. You can define these reference lengths and the segments to be checked independently of each other, depending on the direction. For this, define design supports at the intermediate nodes of a member and assign them to the respective direction for the deformation analysis. Thus, the segments are created where you can define a precamber for each direction and segment.