SHAPE‑THIN determines the effective cross-sections according to EN 1993‑1‑3 and EN 1993‑1‑5 for cold-formed sections. You can optionally check the geometric conditions for the applicability of the standard specified in EN 1993‑1‑3, Section 5.2.
The effects of local plate buckling are considered according to the method of reduced widths, and the possible buckling of stiffeners (instability) is considered for stiffened sections according to EN 1993‑1‑3, Section 5.5.
As an option, you can perform an iterative calculation to optimize the effective cross-section.
You can display the effective cross-sections graphically.
Read more about designing cold-formed sections with SHAPE-THIN and RF-/STEEL Cold-Formed Sections in the technical article "Design of Thin-Walled, Cold-Formed C-Section According to EN 1993‑1‑3".
Design of Thin-Walled, Cold-Formed C-Section According to EN 1993-1-3 More about RF-/STEEL Cold-Formed Sections- Available for cold-formed L, Z, C, channel, top-hat, and CL sections from the cross-section database, as well as for general cold-formed (non-perforated) SHAPE-THIN-9 sections
- Determination of the effective cross-section considering the local buckling and the distortional buckling
- Cross-section ultimate limit state, stability, and serviceability limit state designs according to EN 1993‑1‑3
- Design of local transverse forces for webs without stiffening
- Available for all National Annexes included in RF-/STEEL EC3
- Module extension RF-/STEEL Warping Torsion (license required) for stability analysis according to second-order analysis as stress analysis including consideration of the 7th degree of freedom (warping)
In SHAPE-THIN 8, the effective cross-section of stiffened buckling panels can be calculated according to EN 1993-1-5, Cl. 4.5.
The critical buckling stress is calculated according to EN 1993-1-5, Annex A.1 for buckling panels with at least 3 longitudinal stiffeners, or according to EN 1993-1-5, Annex A.2 for buckling panels with one or two stiffeners in the compression zone. The design for torsional buckling safety is also performed.
The material database in RFEM, RSTAB and SHAPE-THIN contains steels according to the Australian standard AS/NZS 4600:2005.
- Cross-section optimization
- Transfer of optimized sections to RFEM/RSTAB
- Design of any thin-walled cross-section from SHAPE-THIN
- Representation of a stress diagram on a section
- Determination of normal, shear, and equivalent stresses
- Stress results of individual internal forces types
- Detailed representation of stresses in all stress points
- Determination of the largest Δσ for each stress point (for example, for fatigue design)
- Colored display of stresses and design ratios for a quick overview of the critical or oversized zones
- Parts lists and quantity surveying
- Modeling of the cross-section via elements, sections, arcs, and point elements
- Expansible library of material properties, yield strengths, and limit stresses
- Section properties of open, closed, or non-connected cross-sections
- Ideal section properties of cross-sections consisting of different materials
- Determination of weld stresses in fillet welds
- Stress analysis including design of primary and secondary torsion
- Check of c/t-ratios
- Effective cross-sections according to
- EN 1993-1-5 (including stiffened buckling panels according to Section 4.5)
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EN 1993-1-3
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EN 1999-1-1
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to DIN 18800-2
- Classification according to
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EN 1993-1-1
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EN 1999-1-1
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- Interface with MS Excel to import and export tables
- Printout report
All results can be evaluated and visualized in an appealing numerical and graphical form. Selection functions facilitate the targeted evaluation.
The printout report corresponds to the high standards of RFEM and rstab/rstab-9/what-is-rstab RSTAB. Modifications are updated automatically.
SHAPE-THIN calculates all relevant cross‑section properties, including plastic limit internal forces. Overlapping areas are set close to reality. If cross-sections consist of different materials, SHAPE‑THIN determines the effective cross‑section properties with respect to the reference material.
In addition to the elastic stress analysis, you can perform the plastic design including interaction of internal forces for any cross‑section shape. The plastic interaction design is carried out according to the Simplex Method. You can select the yield hypothesis according to Tresca or von Mises.
SHAPE-THIN performs a cross-section classification according to EN 1993-1-1 and EN 1999-1-1. For steel cross-sections of cross-section class 4, the program determines effective widths for unstiffened or stiffened buckling panels according to EN 1993-1-1 and EN 1993-1-5. For aluminum cross-sections of cross-section class 4, the program calculates effective thicknesses according to EN 1999-1-1.
Optionally, SHAPE‑THIN checks the limit c/t-values in compliance with the design methods el‑el, el‑pl, or pl‑pl according to DIN 18800. The c/t-zones of elements connected in the same direction are recognized automatically.
SHAPE-THIN includes an extensive library of rolled and parameterized cross-sections. They can be composed or supplemented by new elements. It is possible to model a section consisting of different materials.
Graphical tools and functions allow for modeling complex section shapes in the usual way common for CAD programs. The graphical entry provides the option of setting point elements, fillet welds, arcs, parameterized rectangular and circular sections, ellipses, elliptical arcs, parabolas, hyperbolas, spline, and NURBS. Alternatively, it is possible to import a DXF file that is used as the basis for further modeling. You can also use guidelines for modeling.
Furthermore, parameterized input allows you to enter model and load data in a specific way so they depend on certain variables.
Elements can be divided or attached to other objects graphically. SHAPE-THIN automatically divides the elements and provides for an uninterrupted shear flow by introducing dummy elements. In the case of dummy elements, you can define a specific thickness to control the shear transfer.
SHAPE-THIN determines the section properties and stresses of any open, closed, built-up, or non-connected cross-sections.
- Section Properties
- Cross-sectional area A
- Shear areas Ay, Az, Au, and Av
- Centroid position yS, zS
- moments of area 2 degrees Iy, Iz, Iyz, Iu, Iv, Ip, Ip,M
- Radii of gyration iy, iz, iyz, iu, iv, ip, ip,M
- Inclination of principal axes α
- Cross-section weight G
- Cross-section perimeter U
- torsional constants of area degrees IT, IT,St.Venant, IT,Bredt, IT,s
- Location of the shear center yM, zM
- Warping constants Iω,S, Iω,M or Iω,D for lateral restraint
- Max/min section moduli Sy, Sz, Su, Sv, Sω,M with locations
- Section ranges ru, rv, rM,u, rM,v
- Reduction factor λM
- Plastic Cross-Section Properties
- Axial force Npl,d
- Shear forces Vpl,y,d, Vpl,z,d, Vpl,u,d, Vpl,v,d
- Bending moments Mpl,y,d, Mpl,z,d, Mpl,u,d, Mpl,v,d
- Section moduli Zy, Zz, Zu, Zv
- Shear areas Apl,y, Apl,z, Apl,u, Apl,v
- Position of area bisecting axes fu, fv,
- Display of the inertia ellipse
- First moments of area Qu, Qv, Qy, Qz with location of maxima and specification of shear flow
- Warping coordinates ωM
- moments of area (warping areas) Sω,M
- Cell areas Am of closed cross-sections
- Normal stresses σx due to axial force, bending moments, and warping bimoment
- Shear stresses τ from shear forces as well as primary and secondary torsional moments
- Equivalent stresses σv with customizable factor for shear stresses
- Stress ratios, related to limit stresses
- Stresses for element edges or center lines
- Weld stresses in fillet welds
- Section properties of non-connected cross-sections (cores of high-rise buildings, composite sections)
- Shear wall shear forces due to bending and torsion
- Plastic capacity design with determination of the enlargement factor αpl
- Check of the c/t-ratios following the design methods el-el, el-pl or pl-pl according to DIN 18800
- Full integration in RFEM/RSTAB, including import of all relevant loads
- General stress analysis with warping torsion according to elastic-elastic method
- Stability analysis of planar continuous members for buckling and lateral-torsional buckling
- Determination of critical load factor and thus of Mcr or Ncr (the factor can be used in RF-/LTB for the el/pl design)
- Lateral-torsional buckling analysis of any cross-section (also the SHAPE-THIN cross-sections)
- Design of members and sets of members with applied torsion (for example, crane girder)
- Optional determination of the limit load factor (critical load factor)
- Display of eigenmodes and torsional modes on the rendered cross-section
- Wide range of tools for determining shear panels and rotational restraints (such as corrugated sheets, purlins, bracings)
- Easy determination of discrete springs such as warp springs from end plates or rotational springs from columns
- Graphical selection of load application points on a cross-section (upper chord, centroid, lower chord, or any other point)
- Free arrangement of eccentric nodal and line supports on a cross-section
- Determination of value for inclination or precamber by means of eigenvalue analysis
- Special warping releases applicable for definition of warping conditions on transitions
- Full integration in RFEM/RSTAB including import of all relevant internal forces
- Intelligent presetting of flexural buckling-specific design parameters
- Automatic determination of the distribution of internal forces and classification according to DIN 18800, Part 2
- Optional import of buckling lengths from the RF-STABILITY/RSBUCK add-on module. For this, a comfortable graphical selection of the relevant buckling mode is possible
- Optimizing Cross-Sections
- Optional calculation according to both design methods of DIN 18800, Part 2
- Automatic determination of the most unfavorable design location, also for tapered members
- Check of c/t-limit values according to DIN 18800, Part 1
- Design of any thin-walled RFEM/RSTAB or SHAPE-THIN section for compression and bending without interaction according to the elastic-plastic method
- Design of I-shaped rolled and welded sections, I-like sections, box sections, and pipes subjected to bending and compression with iteration according to the elastic-plastic method
- Clearly arranged, comprehensible design checks with all intermediate values in the short and long forms
- Parts list of members and sets of members
- Direct export of all results to MS Excel
- A manual with manually calculated examples