In the Stress-Strain Analysis add-on, you can define a component-dependent limit stress cycle and consider it for the design.
The Concrete Design add-on for RFEM allows you to perform the fire design of reinforced concrete walls and slabs according to the simplified table method (EN 1992‑1‑2, Section 5.4.2 and Table 5.8 and 5.9).
When generating shear walls and deep beams, you can assign not only surfaces and cells, but also members.
Get a better understanding of the stress distribution within member cross-sections by using clipping planes.
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 RFEM, the oriented strand board (OSB) material is available for the USA and Canada. The material parameters are taken from the "Panel Design Specification manual".
The "Bracing in Cells" function allows you to generate diagonal bracing with just a few clicks. You can find this feature under Tools → Generate Model – Members → Bracing in Cells.
In RFEM and RSTAB, you can visualize the flow field quantities of pressure, velocity, turbulence kinetic energy, and turbulence dissipation rate for the wind simulation.
The clipping planes are aligned with the respective wind direction.
In the ultimate configuration of the steel joint design, you have the option to modify the limit plastic strain for welds.
The "Base Plate" component allows you to design base plate connections with cast-in anchors. In this case, plates, welds, anchorages, and steel-concrete interaction are analyzed.
In RFEM, you can generate surfaces from members with the library cross-sections as well as from the members with the RSECTION cross-section.
You can neglect openings with a certain area in the building model calculation. This function can be activated in the global settings of the building stories. A warning message appears saying that the openings have been neglected.
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Use the "Independent mesh preferred" option in the FE mesh settings to create an independent FE mesh for the integrated objects.
This allows you to generate a significantly more detailed and precise FE mesh for individual objects that are integrated into one another.
In the "Edit Section" dialog box, you can display the buckling shapes of the Finite Strip Method (FSM) as a 3D graphic.
In RFEM 6 and RSTAB 9, you have the option to enter "Visual Objects" as guide objects. You can import the file formats 3ds, stl, and obj.
These objects allow you to create a better reference to the dimensions.
Do you have individual column sections and angled wall geometries, and need punching shear design for them?
No problem. In RFEM 6, you can perform punching shear design not only for rectangular and circular sections, but for any cross-section shape.
In the Construction Stages Analysis (CSA) add-on, you can use built-up cross-sections by means of what are known as phase sections. This allows you to activate and deactivate the parts of the "Parametric - Massive II" section type throughout the construction stages.
- Design of five types of seismic force-resisting systems (SFRS) includes Special Moment Frame (SMF), Intermediate Moment Frame (IMF), Ordinary Moment Frame (OMF), Ordinary Concentrically Braced Frame (OCBF), and Special Concentrically Braced Frame (SCBF)
- Ductility check of the width-to thickness ratios for webs and flanges
- Calculation of the required strength and stiffness for stability bracing of beams
- Calculation of the maximum spacing for stability bracing of beams
- Calculation of the required strength at hinge locations for stability bracing of beams
- Calculation of the column required strength with the option to neglect all bending moments, shear, and torsion for overstrength limit state
- Design check of column and brace slenderness ratios
The relevant input for the design is defined in the Seismic Configuration. Afterwards, a new Seismic Configuration can be defined by entering a descriptive configuration name, and then selecting the applicable SFRS frame type and member type.
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 Geotechnical Analysis add-on, the Hoek-Brown material model is available. The model shows linear-elastic ideal-plastic material behavior. Its nonlinear strength criterion is the most common failure criterion for stone and rocks.
You can enter the material parameters using
- Rock parameters directly, or alternatively via
- GSI classification.
Detailed information about this material model and the definition of the input in RFEM can be found in the respective chapter Hoek-Brown Model of the online manual for the Geotechnical Analysis add-on.
Using the "Beam Panel" thickness type, you can model timber panel elements in 3D space. You just specify the surface geometry and the timber panel elements are generated using an internal member-surface construct, including the simulation of the connection flexibility.
A "beam panel" provides you with the following advantages:
- Single-sided and double-sided sheathing is possible
- Automatic calculation of a semi-rigid coupling
- Boarded sheathing
- Stapled sheathing
- User-defined sheathing
- Representation as a complete geometric 3D object (frame, crosstie, column, sheeting, staples), including eccentricity
- Considering openings via surface cells
- Design of the structural elements utilizing the Timber Design add-on
- Independent of material (for example, drywall with cold-formed sections and gypsum fibreboards as the sheathing)
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Using the "Damper" member type, you can define a damping coefficient, a spring constant, and a mass. This member type extends the possibilities within the Time History Analysis.
With regard to viscoelasticity, the "Damper" member type is similar to the Kelvin-Voigt model, which consists of the damping element and an elastic spring (both connected in parallel).
For rigid links, it is possible to define line hinges. This allows for semi-rigid coupling of different elements, for example.
Using the "Rib" component, you can define any number of longitudinal ribs on a member plate. By defining a reference object, you can automatically specify welds on it.
The "Rib" component can also be arranged on circular hollow sections. Dafür wird zusätzlich die Vorgabe der Winkel zwischen den Rippen benötigt.
The building model is calculated in two phases:
- Global 3D calculation of the global model, where the slabs are modeled as a rigid plane (diaphragm) or as a bending plate
- Local 2D calculation of the individual floors
After the calculation, the results of the columns and walls from the 3D calculation and the results of the slabs from the 2D calculation are combined in a single model. This means that there is no need to switch between the 3D model and the individual 2D models of the slabs. The user only works with one model, saves valuable time, and avoids possible errors in the manual data exchange between the 3D model and the individual 2D ceiling models.
The vertical surfaces in the model can be divided into shear walls and opening lintels. The program automatically generates internal result members from these wall objects, so they can be designed as members according to any standard in the Concrete Design add-on.
For calculation diagrams, you can use the "2D | Hinge" diagram type. These hinge diagrams show the hinge response of load situations for nonlinear hinges.
For calculations with several load situations, such as the case with the pushover analysis and time history analysis, you can evaluate the hinge condition in each load step.
You have the option to perform the fire resistance design of surfaces using the reduced cross-section method. The reduction is applied over the surface thickness. It is possible to perform the design checks for all timber materials allowed for the design.
For cross-laminated timber, depending on the type of adhesive, you can select whether it is possible for individual carbonized layer parts to fall off, and whether you can expect increased charring in certain layer areas.