Answer:
The component-based finite element method (CBFEM) is a method for the computer-aided calculation and design of steel joints. It adopts the basic idea of the component method specified in EN 1993‑1‑8, where the properties of a connection are determined on the basis of the (nonlinear) stiffnesses and load-bearing capacities of the individual basic components. The component method can also be used to estimate the structural behavior of partially supporting and deformable connections with good accuracy. In many cases, this allows for a more cost-efficient design than by assuming a purely hinged connection or creating a rigid connection.
While in the conventional method, the stiffnesses and resistances of the basic components have to be calculated on the basis of semi-empirical formulas and then superimposed accordingly, the basic components in CBFEM are represented discretely by suitable finite elements and connected with each other. The stiffness of the connection and the exact distribution of forces in the individual basic components are then obtained by the (nonlinear) finite element analysis. The load-bearing capacity of the basic components can be checked, taking into account the relevant design rules (for example, EN 1993‑1‑8 or AISC 360). The advantages of the FE-based method in comparison with the conventional component method include, among others:
- Greater flexibility in the definition of basic components, their geometry, and material properties
- Greater flexibility when defining contact and coupling conditions between the basic components
- Greater flexibility in the design of joints; the basic components can easily be transferred to complex connection geometries
- No restrictions regarding the loading on the joint; the internal force distribution in the individual basic components results from the calculation on the detailed FE model
- Better understanding of the failure mechanisms by analyzing deformations, forces, stresses, and strains in all parts of the joint
The Steel Joints add-on, which is available as an extension for RFEM 6, uses the component-based finite element method (CBFEM) and seamlessly links the joint design with the structural analysis on the entire structure, thus always ensuring compatibility and interaction between the joint model and the framework model.
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