Add-on Module for RFEM 5
RF-JOINTS Steel - Rigid

General

• Beam to Column joint category: connection possible as joint of the beam to the column flange as well as joint of the column to the girder flange
• Beam to Beam joint category: design of beam joints as both moment-resisting end plate connections and rigid splice connections possible
• Automatic export of model and load data possible from RFEM or RSTAB
• Bolt sizes from M12 to M36 with strength grades 4.6, 4.8, 5.6, 5.8, 6.8, 8.8, and 10.9 as long as the strength grades are available in the selected National Annex
• Almost any bolt spacing and edge distances (a check of the allowable distances is performed)
• Beam strengthening with tapers or stiffeners on the top and bottom surfaces
• End plate connection with and without overlap
• Connection with pure bending stress, pure normal force load (tension joint), or combination of normal force and bending possible
• Calculation of connection stiffnesses and check if a hinged, semi-rigid, or rigid connection exists

End plate connection in a beam-column setup

• Joint beams or columns can be stiffened with tapers on one side or with stiffeners to one or both sides
• Wide range of possible stiffeners of the connection (for example, complete or incomplete web stiffeners)
• Up to ten horizontal and four vertical bolts possible
• Connected object possible as constant or tapered I-section
• Designs:
  • Ultimate limit state of the connected beam (such as shear or tension resistance of the web plate)
  • Ultimate limit state of the end plate at the beam (for example, T-stub under tensile stress)
  • Ultimate limit state of the welds at the end plate
  • Ultimate limit state of the column in the area of the connection (for example, column flange under bending – T-stub)
  • All designs are performed according to EN 1993-1-8 and EN 1993-1-1

Moment-resisting end plate joint

• Two or four vertical and up to 10 horizontal bolt rows
• Joint beams can be stiffened with tapers on one side or with stiffeners to one or both sides
• Connected objects are possible as constant or tapered I-sections
• Designs:
  • Ultimate limit state of the connected beams (such as shear or tension resistance of the web plates)
  • Ultimate limit state of the end plates at the beam (for example, T-stub under tensile stress)
  • Ultimate limit state of the welds at the end plates
  • Ultimate limit state of the bolts in the end plate (combination of tension and shear)

Rigid splice plate connection

• For the flange plate connection, up to ten bolt rows one behind the other possible
• For the web plate connection, up to ten bolt rows possible each in vertical and horizontal directions
• Material of the cleat can be different from the one of the beams
• Designs:
  • Ultimate limit state of the joint beams (for example, net cross-section in the tension area)
  • Ultimate limit state of the cleat plates (for example, net cross-section under tensile stress)
  • Ultimate limit state of the single bolts and the bolt groups (for example, shear resistance design of the single bolt)