computer science

RFEM

RFEM is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand RFEM rather than just read about it. In short: RFEM is a 3D finite element analysis software working under Microsoft Windows computer operating systems. RFEM can be used for structural analysis and design of steel, concrete, timber, glass, membrane and tensile structures as well as for plant and mechanical engineering or dynamic analysis and analysis of steel joints.

Key takeaways

RFEM belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect RFEM to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of RFEM from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

RFEM is a 3D finite element analysis software working under Microsoft Windows computer operating systems. RFEM can be used for structural analysis and design of steel, concrete, timber, glass, membrane and tensile structures as well as for plant and mechanical engineering or dynamic analysis and analysis of steel joints. The API technology Web Services allows you to create your own desktop or web-based applications by controlling all objects included in RFEM. By providing libraries and functions, you can develop your own design checks, effective modeling of parametric structures, as well as optimization and automation processes using the programming languages Python and C#. RFEM is used by more than 13,000 companies, 130,000 users and many universities in 132 countries. As part of the research project "Thermal Imaging and Structural Analysis of Sandstone Monuments in Angkor", RFEM was used to create numerical models and for structural analysis.

BIM Integration RFEM offers numerous interfaces for data exchange within the BIM process. All relevant building data is digitally maintained within a three-dimensional model, which then is used throughout all of the planning stages. As a result, the various CAD and structural analysis programs are using the same model, which is directly transferred between the programs. Besides direct interfaces to Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit Structure, Autodesk Structural Detailing, Bentley Systems applications (ISM), Tekla Structures, Rhino and Grasshopper, RFEM has interfaces for Industry Foundation Classes, CIS/2 and others.

Materials and cross-section libraries, load generation RFEM's library of materials includes various types of concrete, metal, timber, glass, foil, gas and soil. RFEM's cross-section library includes rolled, built-up, thin-walled, and thick-walled cross-sections for steel, concrete, and timber. In addition, any open and closed thin-walled or massive cross-sections are available from the program RSECTION. With tools integrated in RFEM, wind, snow, opening and other loads can be generated and surface loads can be converted into member loads. Through integrated CFD wind simulation, wind loads can also be generated using the RWIND program.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with RFEM

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what RFEM claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to RFEM before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about RFEM ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of RFEM

In research: RFEM appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses RFEM in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: RFEM is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Building information modeling, Computer-aided design software, Computer-aided design software for Windows, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for RFEM outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study RFEM in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what RFEM means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain RFEM out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is RFEM in simple terms?

Why does RFEM matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study RFEM?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on RFEM.