Intuitive

Within PowerFrame’s user-friendly environment, you define model geometry, boundary conditions and loads graphically.

An extensive set of tools (conveniently grouped in an icon toolbox) provides smooth access to PowerFrame’s modeling power: automatic generation of wind and snow loads, elastic supports, variable cross-sections, ... are just a couple of typical examples.

Powerful

PowerFrame is built on state-of-the-art finite element solver technologies. PowerFrame provides you with a rich set of solution sequences, including first-order and second-order static analysis and dynamic analysis.

Built-in design rules for steel, reinforced concrete and timber empower you to optimally design portal frames, trusses and beams in a short time period.

Limit state design verifications can be done according to Eurocodes 2 and 3, and according to a wide range of national standards.  

Flexible

PowerFrame is flexible. Thanks to its ingenious license structure and its innovative network licensing system, PowerFrame will give you at any instant of time the optimal answer to changing design analysis needs. Each PowerFrame version offers structural and loads modeling capabilities, static and dynamic analysis, limit state design verification and reporting capabilities, and can be extended with advanced dynamic analysis capabilities or with fire resistance analysis capabilities.

• Graphical definition of model with built-in model tools or import of Diamonds model.
• Extensive material library, fully customizable by the user. Several material types can be defined using an appropriate set of material properties: idealized fire buffers, fire protection materials, general construction materials and several steel, concrete & timber grades.
• Efficient definitions of composite sections using an embedded section utility tool, perfectly integrated with the material library.
• Fast assignment of reinforcement areas within concrete sections of arbitrary shape.
• Modal analysis (calculation of eigenfrequencies and eigenmodes).
• Seismic analysis based on the design spectrum (PS92 and Eurocode 8).
• Dynamic analysis using modal superposition method for harmonic and periodic loads.
• Definition of fire loads through an appropriate fire curve and the imposed fire resistance requirements. Choose between ISO 834, external, hydrocarbon and parametric fire curves.
• Thermodynamic analysis of structural members subjected to fire loads, accounting for heat radiation, convection and conduction. Automatic selection of most appropriate analysis strategy depending on cross-section type (solid vs. slender cross sections).
• Calculation of indirect actions (tension, compression, bending,...) caused by a global temperature increase and/or temperature gradient, considering imposed deformation restraints. Indirect action can be limited to account for plastic behaviour of nodes.
• Evaluation of impaired mechanical properties as a function of temperature.
• Verification of steel member resistance and stability considering fundamental and accidental loads combinations. Impaired mechanical properties are automatically accounted for within the verifications for accidental loads combinations.
• Calculation of reinforcement quantities for concrete members, considering fundamental, accidental & serviceability loads combinations. Effective area of concrete section and impaired mechanical properties of reinforced bars are automaticallly accounted for when considering accidental loads combinations.
• Access to CAD software packages through DXF and DSTV.
• Integration with Tekla Structures through COM-interface.
• Complete and concise reports, ready for printing or for export as RTF-file.

(possibilities depend on license)