As usual, you enter the structural system and calculate the internal forces in the programs RFEM and RSTAB. You have unlimited access to the extensive material and cross-section libraries. Did you know that you can create general cross-sections using the RSECTION program? That saves you a lot of work.
Don't be afraid of additional windows and input chaos! Aluminum Design is completely integrated into the main programs and automatically takes into account the structure and the available calculation results. You can directly assign further entries for the aluminum design, such as effective lengths, cross-section reductions, or design parameters, to the objects to be designed. You can simply and efficiently select the elements graphically using the [Select] function.
Was your design successful? Very good, now comes the relaxed part. Because the program gives you the performed design checks in a table. You can display all result details in detail here. The clearly presented design formulas ensure that you will be able to understand the results without any problems. There is no black-box effect with Dlubal Software.
The design checks are carried out at all governing locations of the members and displayed graphically as a result diagram. You can find more detailed graphics in the result output. This includes the stress distribution on the cross-section or the governing mode shape, for example.
All input and result data are part of the RFEM/RSTAB printout report. You can select the report contents and extent specifically for the individual design checks.
Also, on the rendered model, you see your results in a clear color display. This allows you to precisely recognize the deformation or internal forces of a member, for example. If you want to set the colors and value ranges, you can do so in the control panel.
The form-finding process gives you a structural model with active forces in the "prestress load case" This load case shows the displacement from the initial input position to the form-found geometry in the deformation results. In the force or stress-based results (member and surface internal forces, solid stresses, gas pressures, and so on), it clarifies the state for maintaining the found form. For the analysis of the shape geometry, the program offers you a two-dimensional contour line plot with the output of the absolute height and an inclination plot for the visualization of the slope situation.
Now, a further calculation and structural analysis of the entire model is performed. For this purpose, the program transfers the form-found geometry including the element-wise strains into a universally applicable initial state. You can now use it in the load cases and load combinations.
The load cases of the type Response Spectrum Analysis contain the generated equivalent loads. First, the modal contributions have to be superimposed with the SRSS or CQC rule. In this case, you can use the signed results based on the dominant mode shape.
Afterwards, the directional components of earthquake actions are combined with the SRSS or the 100% / 30% rule.
You can display all essential results on the FE model. In this case, you can filter the results separately according to the respective components.
Furthemore, RFEM delivers you all design checks in a tabular form, including the display of the formulas used. If you wish, you can transfer the result tables to the RFEM printout report.
As soon as the program has completed the calculation, the eigenvalues, natural frequencies and periods are listed. These result windows are integrated in the main program RFEM/RSTAB. You can find all mode shapes of the structure in tables and also have an option to display them graphically and to animate them.
All result tables and graphics are part of the RFEM/RSTAB printout report. In this way, you can ensure clearly arranged documentation. You can also export the tables to MS Excel.
Dlubal Software makes many of your work steps easier to support you. Thus, the surfaces, members, member sets, materials, surface thicknesses, and sections defined in RFEM/RSTAB are preset to facilitate the data input. You can use the [Select] function at many places of the program to select the elements graphically. Furthermore, you have an access to the global material and cross-section libraries.
You can group surfaces or members into "Configurations", each with different design parameters. This way, it is possible for you to efficiently calculate design alternatives with different boundary conditions or modified cross-sections, for example. You will be amazed how much faster everything works with RFEM/RSTAB.
Do you want to perform the bending failure design? To do this, analyze the governing locations of the column for axial forces and moments. For the shear resistance design, you can also consider the locations with extreme values of shear forces. During the calculation, you determine whether a standard design is sufficient or whether the column with the moments has to be designed according to the second-order theory. You can then determine these moments using the previously entered specifications. The calculation is divided into three parts:
Load-independent calculation steps
Iterative determination of governing loading taking into account a varying required reinforcement
Safety determination of all acting internal forces, including the designed reinforcement
After a successful calculation, the results are displayed in clearly arranged tables. Each intermediate value is absolutely traceable, making the design checks transparent.