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000340
2016-11-20

RF-FORM-FINDING | Features

  • Form-finding of:
    • tension-loaded membrane and cable structures
    • compression-loaded shell and beam structures
    • mixed tension- and compression-loaded structures
  • Consideration of gas chambers between surfaces
  • Interaction with supporting structure (substructure design according to various standards)
  • Surfaces as a 2D and members as a 1D element
  • Definition of different prestress conditions for surfaces (membranes and shells)
  • Definition of forces or geometrical requirements for members (cables and beams)
  • Consideration of individual loads (self‑weight, inner pressure, and so on) in the form‑finding process
  • Temporary support definitions for the form-finding process
  • Automatic preliminary form-finding of membrane surfaces (more information...)
  • Definition of isotropic or orthotropic material for structural analysis
  • Optional definition of free polygon loads
  • Transformation of form‑found shape elements into NURBS surface elements
  • Possibility of combined form-finding by integration of preliminary form-finding
  • Graphical evaluation of the new form using colored coordinates and inclination plots
  • Complete documentation of the calculation including user-defined adaptive evaluation figures
  • Optional export of the FE mesh as a DXF or Excel file
RFEM RF-FORM-FINDING Add-on Module | Form-Finding of Membrane and Cable Structures
RFEM RF-FORM-FINDING Add-on Module | Form-Finding of Membrane and Cable Structures
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Knowledge Base Articles
Basic Shapes of Membrane Structures [1]
This paper is focused on the specific aspects of designing membrane structures that have specific requirements, such as form-finding and cutting pattern generation. An integral part of the design of these structures is the process of finding suitable prestressed shapes and generating cutting patterns. The text briefly describes two basic processes in the design of membrane structures. The physical principles are explained and the individual theses illustrated by examples.
KB 001879 | Influence of Bending Stiffness of Cables
This article describes and explains the influence of bending stiffness of cables on their internal forces. Furthermore, the text provides information on how this influence can be reduced.
KB 001848 | Timber Column Design as per 2018 NDS Standard in RFEM 6
Using the Timber Design add-on, timber column design is possible according to the 2018 NDS standard ASD method. Accurately calculating timber member compressive capacity and adjustment factors is important for safety considerations and design. The following article will verify the maximum critical buckling strength calculated by the Timber Design add-on using step-by-step analytical equations as per the NDS 2018 standard including the compressive adjustment factors, adjusted compressive design value, and final design ratio.
RWIND 2 is a program for generating wind loads based on CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics). The wind flow numerical simulation is generated around any building, including irregular or unique geometry types, to determine the wind loads on surfaces and members. RWIND 2 can be integrated with RFEM/RSTAB for the structural analysis and design or as a stand-alone application.
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Product Features
Feature 002423 | Displaying Results in Solids

The results of solid stresses can be displayed as colored 3D points in the finite elements.

Improved Calculation Performance by Optimized Consideration of Nodal Degrees of Freedom in RFEM

The number of degrees of freedom in a node is no longer a global calculation parameter in RFEM (6 degrees of freedom for each mesh node in 3D models, 7 degrees of freedom for the warping torsion analysis). Thus, each node is generally considered with a different number of degrees of freedom, which leads to a variable number of equations in the calculation.

This modification speeds up the calculation, especially for models where a significant reduction of the system could be achieved (for example, trusses and membrane structures).

Extended Display of Surface Strains

Display extended strains of members, surfaces, and solids (for example, the important principal strains, equivalent total strains, and so on) in the Project Navigator - Results in RFEM as well as in Table 4.0.

For example, you can display governing plastic strains when performing the plastic design of connections with surface elements.

Export RFEM or RSTAB Models to *.glb or *.glTF Format

RFEM and RSTAB models can be saved as 3D glTF models (*.glb and *.glTF formats). View the models in 3D in detail with a 3D viewer from Google or Babylon. Take your VR glasses, such as Oculus, to "walk" through the structure.

You can integrate the 3D glTF models into your own websites using JavaScript according to the instructions (as on the Dlubal website Models to Download): "Easily display interactive 3D models on the web & in AR" .

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Where can I find the update reports for RFEM 5, RSTAB 8, SHAPE-THIN, SHAPE-MASSIVE, RX-TIMBER, CRANEWAY, PLATE-BUCKLING, COMPOSITE-BEAM?

For my NVIDIA graphics card, I need to select between a driver from the "Production Branch" and a "New Feature Branch." Which driver is best suited for RFEM/RSTAB?
Is it possible to quickly evaluate whether the mesh used is fine enough?
Why do the min/max values of the total displacement not match the deformations when working with result combinations?

Why do I get an error message about invalid material when defining timber surfaces?
Does RFEM 5 include a surface contact?
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