Reinforced Concrete Column

• Backward compatibility for files from previous versions
• Setting for calculation of load-bearing effect in x-z plane or spatially
• Automatic calculation of the proposal for the size of the pre-deformation
• Consideration of new reinforcement schemes
• Consideration of self-weight with a separate load case
• New combination formation for cold and hot design as well as GzG checks
• Selection between design (experienced As) and verification mode (existing As) without design
• Free selection of the flamed edges for the zone method of the fire protection verification
• Checking the system conditions for the tabular fire protection check
• Tabular fire protection verification for selected fire combinations
• Quick verification overview before generating the result output

• Material grading for concrete and reinforcing steel in user-defined column sections
• Economic design for high-strength steel SAS670 due to creep redistribution
• Deformation check in GzG, which can be performed with the selected combinations (rare, frequent, quasi-permanent). The calculation is non-linear with average values of material properties and without imperfection.

• New thermal analysis with finite difference method for rectangular cross sections
• Exact temperature determination for each individual reinforcement position
• New hot design with differentiated temperature-dependent material characteristics for each reinforcement position

BEST is a program for the design of columns in building construction. It offers a common graphical-interactive interface, which can be extended with additional modules for the particular engineering task.

•     Graphical-interactive program environment for input and output
•     Modern program environment with menu ribbon, object tree, property and input tables
•     Load-bearing effect optionally planar or spatial
•     Rigid or elastic supports with any arrangement of displacement or torsion springs
•     Automatic foundation restraint based on soil properties and foundation dimensions
•     characteristic input of loads per load case with clear assignment of a load case attribute
•     Partial safety factors and combination coefficients can be preset and changed for each load case attribute according to standards
•     Loads can be entered as point loads, as eccentric point loads and as linearly variable line loads as well as as specified displacements and rotations
•     column dead weight is automatically taken into account with a separate load case
•     All possible design combinations are automatically formed using group-based combination formation and offered for calculation selection
•     User-defined creation of load combinations
•     Load transfer of all basic combinations and exceptional combinations for the component checks of the subsequent foundation according to EN 1992-1-1 and corresponding NAs
•     Load transfer of all characteristic (rare) combinations and positional safety combinations for the earth static verifications of the subsequent foundation according to EN 1997-1 and corresponding NAs
•     Direct interface to the RIB program FUNDA
•     Configurable list output with verification overview, quantity takeoff, preview function and office interfaces

The Reinforced Concrete Column module enables the verification of single-story or multi-story reinforced concrete columns in the ultimate limit state due to structural deformations (buckling safety analysis and design) and in the serviceability limit state. The calculation is basically performed biaxially according to the 1st and 2nd order theory, taking into account effective stiffnesses in state II. The program application additionally supports the following calculation options:

•     Regular cross-sections can be graded by storey and arranged eccentrically
•     Reinforcement can be arranged using predefined reinforcement schemes
•     Reinforcement can remain constant along a column or be graded by section
•     Different static systems can be investigated in support conditions and in the final state (not in the transport state) in a closed calculation cycle
•     The pre-deformation is assumed to be affine to the buckling figure
•     The direction of the pre-deformation is determined automatically
•     Creep is assumed as additional strain at the cross-section level
•     Calculation as verification with specified reinforcement to determine the utilization or as design with determination of required reinforcement
•     Design for permanent, exceptional and earthquake situations in one calculation step
•     design for biaxial bending with normal force and shear force optionally according to DIN 1045-1, EN 1992-1-1 and corresponding NAs for DE, AT, SK/CZ and UK
•     Structural fire protection according to the tabular method for non-displaceable columns

The extension module for reinforced concrete extends the application possibilities to demanding engineering tasks that go beyond the standard scope. These include:

•     Grading of materials used for multi-story columns (concrete class and reinforcing steel grade).
•     Economical design of high-strength reinforcement (e.g. SAS reinforcing steel) by taking into account the cross-sectional creep redistribution from the concrete to the reinforcing steel
•     Deformation check in the serviceability limit state

This module extends the functionality of the BEST Reinforced Concrete Column program by the design for high temperature loading of columns due to fire exposure. The verifications are performed according to the simplified calculation method, the further developed zone method according to EN 1992-1-2 and corresponding NAs for DE, AT, SK/CZ and UK. In addition to the application possibilities already mentioned under BEST Reinforced Concrete Column, BEST-CFDGN contains the following supplementary performance features:

•     Hot design according to the zone method is performed for columns with a rectangular cross section.
•     The fire exposure can be all-sided, one-sided, two-sided or three-sided
•     Transient temperature field distribution is determined numerically based on thermal analysis
•     High temperature material properties or reduced stress-strain curves for concrete and steel
•     Temperature-dependent cross-section reduction, i.e. consideration of the zone width damaged by hot gas action
•     Consideration of different temperatures for each reinforcement position according to the reinforcement scheme
•     Design for system and cross-section load capacity

The option for a consideration of high temperature stresses allows a significant extension of the functionality compared to the regular column design and offers in particular the following advantages:

•     Efficient consideration of the standard fire load according to ETK
•     Simple detection of displaceable columns with any type of support
•     Continuous checks for columns with unrestricted component heights or slendernesses
•     Clear output of the results from thermal and mechanical analysis as well as hot design

The steel column module for standard cross-sections can be used under Windows® to check single-story or multi-story steel columns in the ultimate limit state and serviceability limit state according to 1st and 2nd order theory and with consideration of imperfections. The graphical-interactive working environment allows an efficient input of the system and the load with automatic formation of the load case combinations. The nonlinear calculation can be performed uniaxially or biaxially. The output of the results can be configured as desired via a preview option and output as a list with graphics. The program application also supports the following calculation options:

•     Control cross sections can be graded by storey and arranged eccentrically
•     Specification of section-wise constant member cross-sections
•     Profile types: Double-T, rectangular tube, round tube, as rolled or welded sections
•     Profile database for rolled sections
•     Structural steel according to DIN EN 1993-1-1 and EN 10025-2
•     Design for permanent, exceptional and earthquake situations in one calculation, optionally according to DIN 18800, EN 1993-1-1 and corresponding NAs for DE, AT, SK/CZ and UK
•     Approach of imperfections affine to the 1st eigenmode with user-defined specifications
•     Internal forces according to 1st order theory
•     Internal forces according to 2nd order theory considering the imperfections
•     Determination of the ideal branching load
•     Elastic stress analysis
•     Plastic cross-section bearing capacity with interaction relations
•     Stability check by equivalent imperfection method according to EN 1993-1-1, 5.2.2(7a)
•     taking into account the stability failure due to bending buckling or torsional bending buckling
•     Deformation check in the GzG
•     Tabular output of internal forces, stresses, stress ratios, deformations and support forces according to 1st and 2nd order theories
•     Graphical output of internal forces, stresses, stress ratios, deformations, 1st eigenmode