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.
With Dlubal Software, you always have an overview, regardless of whether your projects are from the reinforced concrete, steel, timber, aluminum, or other industry. The program clearly displays the design check formulas used in your design (including a reference to the used equation from the standard). These design check formulas can also be included in the printout report.
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.
When performing a design according to EN 1993‑1‑3, it is possible to graphically display a mode shape for the distortional buckling of a cross-section, and for the RSECTION cross-sections.
The mode shape can also be output in RSECTION 1 for library cross-sections.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The program can also help you here. It determines the bolt forces on the basis of the calculation on the FE model and evaluates them automatically. You can perform the design checks of the bolt resistance for the failure cases tension, shear, hole bearing, and punching shear according to the standard. The program takes care of everything else in this step. It determines all the necessary coefficients and displays them clearly.
Do you want to perform weld design? The required stresses are also determined on the FE model in that case. Then, the Weld element is modeled as elastic-plastic shell element, where every FE element is checked for its internal forces. (Plasticity criteria is set to reflect failure acc. to AISC J2-4 and J2-5 (weld resistance check) and also J2-2 (base metal capacity check). The design can also be carried out with the partial safety factors according to the selected National Annex.
You can perform the plate design plasticall by comparing the existing plastic strain to the allowable plastic strain. By default this is set to 5% for the AISC 360 but can be specified through user-definition 5% according to EN 1993-1-5, Annex C, or again, user-defined specification.
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, when selected, is applied to your model
In the Template, there are connections from 3 general categories: Rigid, Pinned, Truss
Automatic adaptation of the connection geometry, even if the members are subsequently edited, due to the relative relation of the components to each other
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 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.
Compared to the RF-/STEEL Warping Torsion add-on module (RFEM 5 / RSTAB 8), the following new features have been added to the Torsional Warping (7 DOF) add-on for RFEM 6 / RSTAB 9:
Complete integration into the environment of RFEM 6 and RSTAB 9
7th degree of freedom is directly taken into account in the calculation of members in RFEM/RSTAB on the entire system
No more need to define support conditions or spring stiffnesses for calculation on the simplified equivalent system
Combination with other add-ons is possible, for example for the calculation of critical loads for torsional buckling and lateral-torsional buckling with stability analysis
No restriction to thin-walled steel sections (it is also possible to calculate ideal overturning moments for beams with massive timber sections, for example)
You can perform the calculation of the warping torsion on the entire system. Thus, you consider the additional 7th degree of freedom in the member calculation. The stiffnesses of the connected structural elements are automatically taken into account. It means, you don't need to define equivalent spring stiffnesses or support conditions for a detached system.
You can then use the internal forces from the calculation with warping torsion in the add-ons for the design. Consider the warping bimoment and the secondary torsional moment, depending on the material and the selected standard. A typical application is the stability analysis according to the second-order theory with imperfections in steel structures.
Did you know that The application is not limited to thin-walled steel cross-sections. Thus, it is possible for you, for example, to perform the calculation of the ideal overturning moment of beams with solid timber cross-sections.
In the Steel Joints add-on, you can determine the initial stiffness Sj,ini according to Eurocode and AISC. This can be done for selected members with reference to the internal forces N, My, and Mz.
In the Members tab of the input dialog box of the Steel Joints add-on, you can select the desired internal forces via a checkbox. Multiple selection is possible. For these internal forces, the stiffness analysis is carried out with a positive and a negative sign.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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!
Consideration of 7 local deformation directions (ux, uy, uz, φx, φy, φz, ω) or 8 internal forces (N, Vu, Vv, Mt,pri, Mt,sec, Mu, Mv, Mω) when calculating member elements
Usable in combination with a structural analysis according to linear static, second-order, and large deformation analysis (imperfections can also be taken into account)
In combination with the Stability Analysis add-on, allows you to determine critical load factors and mode shapes of stability problems such as torsional buckling and lateral-torsional buckling
Consideration of end plates and transverse stiffeners as warping springs when calculating I-sections with automatic determination and graphical display of the warping spring stiffness
Graphical display of the cross-section warping of members in the deformation
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)