In the case of rectangular cross-sections, you can usually achieve a direct connection by using welds. However, you can also connect them to other cross-sections in the same way. Furthermore, other components such as end plates help you to connect the rectangular cross-sections to other structural components.
In the Steel Joint add-on, you can design the connections of members with composite cross-sections. Furthermore, you can perform joint design checks for almost all thin-walled cross-sections in the RFEM library.
In the Timber Design add-on for RFEM, you can design members as well as surfaces according to Eurocode 5, SIA 265 (Swiss standard), CSA O86 (Canadian standard), or ANSI/AWC NDS (American standard); for example, cross-laminated timber, glued-laminated timber, softwood, mass timber, and so on.
Design of a frame connection with taper and stiffened members. A stress analysis and a buckling stability analysis were carried out for the connection. To display the buckling results, the connection was converted into a separate model.
Here, the weld design becomes child's play. Using the specially developed material model "Orthotropic | Plastic | Weld (Surfaces)", you can calculate all stress components plastically. The stress τperpendicular is also considered plastically.
Using this material model you can design welds closer to reality and more efficiently.
The program supports you: It determines the bolt forces on the basis of the FE analysis model and evaluates them automatically. The add-on performs the standard-compliant design of bolt resistance for failure cases, such as tension, shear, hole bearing, and punching, and clearly displays all required coefficients.
Do you want to perform weld design? The welds are modeled as elastic-plastic surface elements, and their stresses are read out from the FE analysis model. The plasticity criteria is set in the way that they represent failure according to AISC J2-4, J2-5 (strength of welds), and J2-2 (strength of base metal). The design can be performed with the partial safety factors of the selected National Annex of EN 1993‑1‑8.
The plates in the connection are designed plastically by comparing the existing plastic strain to the allowable plastic strain. The default setting is 5% according to EN 1993‑1‑5, Annex C, but can be adjusted by user-defined specifications, as well as 5% for AISC 360.
Using the "Connecting Plate" component, you can additionally and automatically create a new gusset plate in the Steel Joints add-on. This saves you separate components, and the other elements, such as a cap plate and a slide plate, are thus automatically taken into account with their dimensions.
Graphical display of the connection geometry that is updated in parallel with the input
The Steel Joints Template included in the add-on allows you to select from several connection types and, and once selected, it will be applied to your model.
Wide range of cross-section shapes: Includes I-sections, channel sections, angles, T-sections, built-up cross-sections, RHS (rectangular hollow sections), and thin-walled sections
The Template covers connections from three general categories: Rigid, Pinned, Truss
Automatic adaptation of the connection geometry, even if the structural components are subsequently edited, based on the relative relation of the components
If a weld seam connects two plates with different materials, it is possible to select from a combo box in the Steel Joints add-on which one of both materials should be used for the weld seam.
The "Member Editor" component allows you to modify the individual or several member plates in the Steel Joints add-on.
You can use the chamfer, notch, rounding, and hole operations with multiple shapes. It is possible to apply both operations, "Notch" and "Chamfer", for several member plates.
In this way, you can notch flanges from I-sections, for example (see the image).
The initial stiffness Sj,ini is a crucial parameter for evaluating whether a connection can be characterized as rigid, semi-rigid, or pinned.
In the "Steel Joints" add-on, you can calculate the initial stiffness Sj,ini according to Eurocode (EN 1993‑1‑8, Section 5.2.2) and AISC (AISC 360-16, Cl. E3.4) with regard to the internal forces N, My, and/or Mz.
The optional automatic transfer of initial stiffnesses allows for a directly transfer as member hinge stiffnesses in RFEM. The entire structure is then recalculated and the resulting internal forces are automatically adopted as loads in the analysis and design of the connection models.
This automated iteration process eliminates the need for manual export and import of data, reducing the amount of work and minimizing potential sources of error.
For timber surfaces with the "Constant" thickness type, the crack factor kcr and thus the negative influence of cracks on the shear capacity is taken into account.
In the Steel Joints add-on, you can design connections according to the American standard ANSI/AISC 360‑16. The following design procedures are integrated:
As you probably know, the design checks for the selected members are carried out, taking into account the defined charring time. All necessary reduction factors and coefficients are stored accordingly in the program and are taken into account when determining the load-bearing capacity. That saves you a lot of work.
The effective lengths for the equivalent member design are taken directly from the strength entries. You do not have to enter them again.
After completing the design, the program presents the fire resistance design checks clearly and with all result details. This allows you to follow the results completely transparently. The results also contain all the required parameters, so you can determine the component temperature at the design time.
In addition to all these features, the program allows you to integrate all result tables and graphics, including the ultimate and serviceability limit state results,into the global printout report of RFEM/RSTAB as a part of the steel design results.
In addition to other predefined components in the design add-on for steel connections, the universal base component "General Weld" can be used to enter complex connection situations.
In RFEM and RSTAB, you can design members with the "Laminated Veneer Lumber" material type. The following manufacturers are available:
Pollmeier (Baubuche)
Metsä (Kerto LVL)
STEICO
Stora Enso
In the ultimate configuration, you can consider strength coefficients for increasing the strengths. The coefficients reducing the strengths are automatically taken into account regardless of this. Try it now!
You can graphically evaluate result sections for the timber surface design. This can be done in the RFEM graphic as well as in the result history window. The sections can be placed at any location in order to evaluate the design results in detail.
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 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.
Design of tension, compression, bending, shear, torsion, and combined internal forces
Consideration of a notch
Design of compression perpendicular to the grain on the end and intermediate supports with (EC 5) and without reinforcement elements (fully threaded screws)
Optional shear force reduction at the support (see the Product Feature)
Design of curved and tapered members
Consideration of higher strengths for similar components that are close together (factor ksys according to EN 1995‑1‑1, 6.6(1)-(3))
Option to increase shear resistance for softwood timber according to DIN EN 1995‑1‑1:NA NDP to 6.1.7(2)
To design a Steel connection, you must have the Steel Joints Add-on enabled. The Add-ons in RFEM 6 are activated in the Add-ons tab of the Edit Model - Base Data window. If the Add-on is active, it is displayed in the navigator.
Stability analyses for flexural buckling, torsional buckling, and flexural-torsional buckling under compression
Import of the effective lengths from the calculation using the Structure Stability add-on
Graphical input and check of the defined nodal supports and effective lengths for stability analysis
Determination of the equivalent member lengths for tapered members
Consideration of Lateral-Torsional Bracing Position
Lateral-torsional buckling analysis of the structural components subjected to moment loading
Depending on the standard, a choice between user-defined input of Mcr, analytical method from the standard, and use of internal eigenvalue solver
Consideration of a shear panel and a rotational restraint when using the eigenvalue solver
Graphical display of a mode shape if the eigenvalue solver was used
Stability analysis of structural components with the combined compression and bending stress, depending on the design standard
Comprehensible calculation of all necessary coefficients, such as the factors for considering moment distribution or interaction factors
Alternative consideration of all effects for the stability analysis when determining internal forces in RFEM/RSTAB (second-order analysis, imperfections, stiffness reduction, possibly in combination with the Torsional Warping (7 DOF) add-on)
In the Steel Joints add-on, you can classify the joint stiffness.
In addition to the initial stiffness, the table also shows the limit values for hinged and rigid connections for the selected internal forces N, My, and/or Mz. The resulting classification is then displayed in tables as "hinged", "semi-rigid", or "rigid".
Your options in timber design are diverse. You can consider cut-to-grain angles, transverse tension stresses, and volume-dependent radii of curvature for tapered and curved members. To design the area of the grain cut, the strength is adjusted accordingly in the case of bending tension or bending pressure. In order to also allow you to perform a stability analysis with the equivalent member method, the height to determine the effective and lateral-torsional buckling lengths is set at a distance of 0.65 × h to the actual design point.