Results
Contents
FEM-Design 24 introduces powerful enhancements to result handling, enabling more detailed, customizable, and transparent analysis outputs.
Virtual bar improvements
The Virtual bar tool allows users to display integrated results, aggregating internal forces from multiple structural elements assigned to a defined line. This functionality simplifies the analysis and documentation of complex models, such as load transfer in building cores or lateral load-resisting systems, while also enabling the creation of comprehensive load take-down tables.
In FEM-Design 24, the Virtual bar tool has been significantly improved with the following new features.
Support for bars
Bars, including curved ones, can now be assigned as objects to Virtual bars, expanding the range of structural components that can be included in the analysis. Building cores, which typically contain columns and lateral bracings, can now be considered in Virtual bar sum calculations. This feature enables more accurate analysis of load paths and distributions, particularly for complex construction systems.
Examples of new use cases:
- Summarizing normal forces in core walls and columns:
- Summing up floor diaphragm actions for wind loads, including normal forces in beams:
- Calculating the total force in T-shaped concrete members by combining beams with shells for their composite action:
- Checking the bending moment of Virtual bars representing the combined action of stiffeners (beams) and shells:
- Displaying force distributions in trusses, showing the interactions of their bar members:
- Performing quick bending moment checks for façade and space trusses:
Enhanced integration point placement
For improved accuracy and better capture of critical load effects, calculation points are now automatically placed at the following locations:
- Intersections within the geometric system of bars and shells.
- Points on bar elements where concentrated forces or moments are applied.
- Intersections between Virtual bars and defined Storey levels and Axes.
These new implementations ensure comprehensive results even for models with complex geometries or unique floor heights.
Advanced listing possibilities
Thanks to the improved Virtual bar functionalities, we can now generate simple and transparent tabulated results for load transfer mechanisms. Examples include:
- ULS force distribution per storey for core wall:
- Lateral wind load distribution per storey for core columns:
Custom results for load cases and combinations
The Custom result library is a powerful tool that allows us to create tailored result labels for bars, supports, or connections. This feature significantly enhances result management, enabling us to efficiently annotate and present key data for better decision-making in structural analysis.
With the latest enhancements, Custom results can now also be requested and displayed for load cases and load combinations too, besides the maximum of load combinations and groups.
To display custom results, the first step is to define Custom result library templates by assigning a name and combining the following settings and result types:
- Calculation and Object type determine the type of calculation to display. Now, the new feature allows the selection of Load case and Load combination as target effect types.
- Object ID optionally displays the identifiers of the relevant objects (e.g., bars, supports, or connections).
- Text adds custom text to enhance labels or include separators between label values.
- Result represents the result components defined by the combination of Calculation and Object type.
Once a Custom result template is created, we can display the results in two simple steps:
- Selection of the Custom result template from the results selector list.
- Choosing the appropriate Load case or Load combination.
