Construction Stage Analysis in RFEM 6

The Construction Stages Analysis (CSA) add-on allows for the design of member, surface, and solid structures in RFEM 6 considering the specific construction stages associated with the construction process. This is important since buildings are not constructed all at once, but by gradually combining individual structural parts. The single steps in which structural elements, as well as loads, are added to the building are called construction stages, whereas the process itself is called a construction process. Thus, the final state of the structure is available upon completion of the construction process; that is, all the construction stages. For some structures, the influence of the construction process (that is, all the individual construction stages) might be significant and it should be considered so that errors in the calculation are avoided. A general overview of the CSA add-on is given in the Knowledge Base article titled “Consideration of Construction Stages in RFEM 6”.

The calculation of complex structures by means of finite element analysis software is generally performed on the entire model. However, the construction of such structures is a process carried out in multiple stages where the final state of the building is achieved by combining the separate structural parts. To avoid errors in the calculation of overall models, the influence of the construction process must be considered. In RFEM 6, this is possible using the Construction Stages Analysis (CSA) add-on.

In this article, you will learn how to model and design cable structures in RFEM 6 or RSTAB 9.

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.