Contents

• Design beam as column
• Parametric reinforcement
• Preview of bar reinforcement
• Preview of surface reinforcement
• Automatic surface reinforcement design for fixed bar diameter
• PSB Peikko solution for punching design

Design beam as column

FEM-Design 20 lets you run RC design for slanted columns. Although slanted columns can only be modeled with the Beam tool, a new element-level option can be used to design beams as columns.
 

Parametric reinforcement

FEM-Design 20 provides a new, fast and easy way to define reinforcement of rectangular and circular bars with the most common reinforcement patterns (straight and prismatic). "Parametric" means that changes in dimensions of the bar (cross-section or length) automatically followed.
 

This new reinforcement definition command is also available in the graphic editor of Manual design. It can be used if the cross-section shape is rectangular or circular. 
 

Two common cross-sectional shapes can be handled on this new "parametric" way: rectangular and circular. 
 

We can set the reinforcement parameters at Default settings:

• Each parametric reinforcement has an identifier and a position number:
   

• Stirrups' specification is common for both section shapes:
   

• For longitudinal bars, column or beam pattern can be chosen in case of rectangular sections:
   

• In case of "Beam reinforcement", the longitudinal bars can be placed in rows: 2 rows on the top and 3 rows on the bottom. Main reinforcement bars can be set as running along the entire Beam, and additional reinforcements can be positioned on the left, the middle or the right:
   

• "Column reinforcement" is organized into three groups: corner ("C:"), side "1." (parallel with local y' axis - shorter side on the figure) and side "2." (parallel with local z' axis). Bars between corners are spread equally on the sides. All bars run on the total length of the Column: 
   

• Circular cross-section is always supposed working as a Column or compressed member:
   

Example

Preview of bar reinforcement

In FEM-Design 20, we can display the defined parametric reinforcement as applied reinforcement of RC bars independently from how it was created:
 

Preview of surface reinforcement

In FEM-Design 20, a quick realistic preview can be requested for applied surface reinforcement in addition to the simple symbolic display.

Preview by bar directions and positions:

Preview of all surface RC:

Automatic surface reinforcement design for fixed bar diameter

FEM-Design 20 provides the opportunity to design Surface reinforcement for fixed bar diameter, in addition to the "fixed space" option.
 

For both bottom and top face reinforcement, in addition to specifying the Shape of the mesh and the fixed diameter size, we only need to set the interval of bar distances (from "Min." to "Max.") and the Step spacing.
 

PSB Peikko solution for punching design

Punching design has been extended with Peikko's "PSB PLUS" solution, which can effectively increase the maximal concrete shear resistance (V_{Rd, max}).
 

This new feature is available for both manual and auto punching design (RC Design tab).

Manual design

Design edit tools has been extended with a PSB PLUS possibilty (checkbox and fast settings) and all major horizontal reinforcement (PSH) data (including the number of elements in each direction):

Auto design

In Auto design, diameter and number parameters can be designed by applying PSB PLUS solution. 

FEM-Design applied PSH layout consider the maximal distance (d/2) between the PSH stud and the length rules (at least 2d in free directions and 1d in constrained directions). Using these rules, the minimal length of the PSH studs can be calculated.
 

Detailed result

Shear section is calculated by the PSH studs intersected u₁ perimeter:

List

• PSB PLUS detailed data can be listed:
   

• PSH studs are counted in the Utilization table > Total weight field.
   

Parent topic: FEM-Design 20 New Features