RSTAB 8 Add-on Modules – Steel and Aluminum Structures

STEEL performs general stress analysis by calculating the existing stresses and comparing the results with limit stresses.

During the stress analysis, the add-on module determines the maximum stresses of members and sets of members. The governing internal forces are also documented for each member. In addition, there is the option of an automatic optimization of cross-sections or thicknesses, including the export of modified cross-sections or surface thicknesses to the main program RSTAB 8.

The add-on module STEEL EC3 for the RSTAB 8 program allows for a comprehensive design of steel members according to Eurocode 3. It provides an automatic import of materials, cross-sections and internal forces from RSTAB 8, and the steel design of thin-walled sections according to the relevant sections of the Eurocode.

Further features include the automatic classification of cross-sections, the integration of parameters from different National Annexes, and the calculation of required factors for stability analyses. The add-on module supports design by considering rotational restraints and shear panels, and offers extended features for plastic design and warping torsion.

The STEEL Warping Torsion add-on module is specially designed for lateral-torsional buckling analyses according to the second-order analysis with seven degrees of freedom. It is fully integrated into the STEEL EC3 and STEEL AISC add-on modules and allows for nonlinear design while taking imperfections into account as well as the visualization of buckling mode shapes, including warping.

You can enter the data in the same way as in the case of usual design, but need to activate the warping torsion analysis. The torsion design can be performed for entire sets of members, taking into account boundary conditions. The design results are displayed in result tables as usual, including the critical warping and torsional values, internal forces, and design summary.

STEEL Plasticity is an add-on module for the RSTAB 8 software that allows for plastic design of cross-sections according to various design concepts. It is fully integrated into the STEEL EC3 add-on module and allows the design of cross-sections subjected to tension, compression, bending, torsion, shear, and combined internal forces.

The design takes second-order effects into account and is intended for use with the STEEL Warping Torsion module extension. For plastic design checks, the internal forces of a cross-section are converted to a local coordinate system and the limit internal forces are determined. The design ratio of the cross-section is determined using a SHAPE-THIN calculation and an analytical nonlinear optimization procedure. The results of the plastic design are displayed in STEEL EC3, including internal forces and cross-section classes.

The STEEL AISC add-on module for RSTAB 8 performs ultimate and serviceability limit state design checks of steel structures according to the ANSI/AISC 360 standards. You can select the design method LRFD or ASD, and also have the option to define individual load cases and combinations.

The module provides automatic cross-section classification and optimized calculation methods for buckling and lateral-torsional buckling moments. The results are detailed and can be analyzed by extensive filtering and sorting options, while all module data is seamlessly integrated into the RSTAB printout report.

STEEL SIA is an add-on module that was specially developed for the design of steel members according to the Swiss standards SIA. The add-on module allows for design of members and sets of members, taking into account the compression, bending, shear, and combined actions.

It provides stability design checks for buckling and lateral-torsional buckling, whereby the critical buckling loads and lateral-torsional buckling moments are determined automatically via an integrated FEA program. The cross-section classification is performed automatically and the design of deformations is also supported. Furthermore, the module provides comprehensive result documentation and various filtering and sorting options for the results.

STEEL IS is an add-on module that was developed for the design of steel members according to the Indian standard IS 800. The module allows for the ultimate and the serviceability limit state design of members and sets of members.

The features include the design of tension, compression, bending, shear, and combined internal forces, stability analyses for flexural buckling and lateral-torsional buckling, the automatic determination of critical buckling loads and critical buckling moments, as well as the cross-section optimization. The module also provides you with a wide range of available cross-sections and comprehensive result documentation, including various filtering and sorting options.

The STEEL BS add-on module performs the ultimate and serviceability limit state design of steel members according to the British standards (Eurocode 3 with British Annex).

The add-on module allows for design of members and sets of members, taking into account the tension, compression, bending, shear, and combined internal forces. It covers stability analyses of flexural and lateral-torsional buckling, an automatic determination of critical buckling loads and lateral-torsional buckling moments, as well as the cross-section optimization. A wide range of available cross-sections and comprehensive result documentation completes the offer.

STEEL GB performs all required ultimate and serviceability limit state design checks of members according to the Chinese standard.

The add-on module allows for design of members and sets of members, taking into account the tension, compression, bending, shear, and combined internal forces. It features stability analyses for flexural buckling and lateral-torsional buckling, the automatic determination of critical buckling loads and overall stability factor for lateral-torsional buckling, as well as the cross-section optimization.

The STEEL CSA add-on module allows for a comprehensive design of steel members according to the Canadian standard CSA. The features cover the design of tension, compression, bending, shear, and torsion, as well as the stability analysis of buckling and lateral-torsional buckling.

The module allows for automatic determination of critical buckling loads and moments using a special FEA program, and also provides an automatic cross-section classification. The results provide you with detailed information on the utilization ratios and the design checks by load case, which can be easily integrated into the RSTAB 8 printout reports.

The STEEL AS add-on module for RSTAB 8 is a powerful tool for the structural analysis and design of steel structures according to various international standards. This software extension allows engineers and designers to perform fast and reliable analyses of steel components and connections, thereby optimizing the design process and ensuring the safety of steel structures. STEEL AS allows engineers to efficiently design steel structures in compliance with the current codes and standards.

The STEEL NTC‑DF add-on module performs the ultimate and serviceability limit state design of members according to the Mexican standard NTC‑RCDF (2004), section Steel Structures.

It covers stability analyses of buckling, torsional buckling, and lateral-torsional buckling, including an automatic determination of critical buckling loads and critical buckling moments. Furthermore, the add-on module offers options for cross-section optimization, a large selection of available profiles, and comprehensive result documentation.

The STEEL SP add‑on module performs the ultimate and the serviceability limit state design of members and sets of members according to the standard SP 16.13330.2017 (Russian standard).

It provides you with stability analyses of flexural buckling and lateral-torsional buckling, including automatic determination of stability factors according to Annexes E, F, and G of the standard. Furthermore, the add-on module includes options for cross-section optimization and a wide range of available cross-sections, as well as comprehensive result documentation.

The STEEL SANS add-on module performs ultimate and serviceability limit state design checks of members and member sets according to the South African standard SANS 10162‑1:2011.

It covers stability analyses of buckling, torsional buckling, and lateral-torsional buckling, including an automatic determination of critical buckling loads and critical buckling moments. Furthermore, the add-on module provides you with options for cross-section optimization and a wide range of available cross-sections, as well as a comprehensive result documentation.

STEEL NBR is an add-on module for RSTAB 8 that allows for the design and analysis of steel structures according to the Brazilian standards (NBR). This module provides advanced features for the design and analysis of steel structures to ensure they comply with the specific requirements of the NBR standards.

The STEEL HK add‑on module designs steel members and sets of members for the ultimate and the serviceability limit state according to the Code of Practice for the Structural Use of Steel 2011 (Buildings Department – Hong Kong).

The add-on module allows for the design of tension, compression, bending, shear, and combined internal forces, and provides an option to perform a stability analysis of flexural and lateral-torsional buckling. It also includes automatic cross-section classification and optimization, detailed result tables, and comprehensive result documentation.

The STEEL Fatigue Members add-on module allows you to perform fatigue design checks of steel members and sets of members according to EN 1993‑1‑9. The fatigue design checks according to EN 1993‑1‑9 are based on the nominal stress concept. The internal forces are determined according to the structural analysis for members. The stresses are calculated according to the mechanics of materials at the location where the crack formation is expected. This means that in the fatigue design, the nominal stress ranges Δσ and Δτ are compared to the design values of the fatigue strength ΔσR and ΔτR due to the actions.

The STEEL Fatigue Members add-on module includes an extensive cross-section library and an extensible material library with the standard-specific strength values.

The ALUMINUM ADM add‑on module performs the ultimate and the serviceability limit state design checks of members according to the American standards ADM 2010, ADM 2015, and ADM 2020. It covers the design methods according to Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) or Allowable Stress Design (ASD).

It performs the ultimate and serviceability limit state design checks, and provides various features, such as the design of tension, compression, bending, shear, torsion, and combined internal forces. The module covers stability analyses, an automatic determination of the effective radius of gyration, the cross-section optimization options, a comprehensive selection of cross-sections, and a detailed result documentation. It supports both metric and imperial units.

The ALUMINUM add-on module for RSTAB 8 allows the design of aluminum members and sets of members according to Eurocode 9. It covers a wide range of design situations, including tension, compression, bending, shear, and combined internal forces. The module provides advanced features, such as stability analyses of flexural buckling, torsional buckling, and lateral-torsional buckling, an automatic determination of critical buckling loads and flexural-torsional buckling moments, as well as various cross-section options.

ALUMINUM is integrated seamlessly into RSTAB 8, allowing for efficient workflow. It also includes comprehensive result documentation, which allows you to follow the design checks in detail.

PLATE-BUCKLING is an add-on module for RSTAB 8. It allows for a plate buckling analysis of rectangular plates.

The plates can have horizontal or vertical stiffeners (flat steel, angles, T-stiffeners, trapezoidal sections, channels). You can apply almost any load on the plate edges, which can also be imported from RSTAB 8. In PLATE-BUCKLING, the buckling analysis is always carried out on the total buckling panel, as the possible stiffeners are considered in the FE model. Thus, design checks for single and partial panels are omitted.

STEEL Cold-Formed Sections is an add-on module for the design of cold-formed steel members according to the Eurocode standards. This add-on module is an extension of STEEL EC3 and provides special functions for the design of cold-formed sections, such as L-sections, Z-sections, C-sections, channels, hat sections, and CL-sections.

The FE-LTB add-on module allows you to extract planar RSTAB substructures and calculate them according to the torsional second-order analysis while considering warping. The geometry, support, and load data are automatically transferred to an FE‑LTB model. After the calculation, the deformations, internal forces, support forces, and stresses are displayed. Since warping torsion is used in the calculation, the bimoment curve and the primary and secondary torsion curves are also obtained.