Products
The CFS software and CFS60.dll are 32-bit Windows applications that run on Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP/Vista.
CFS Version 6.0
CFS is a comprehensive general-purpose cold-formed steel component design tool that performs calculations according to the AISI 2007 Edition of the North American Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members, and the 2002 Edition of the ASCE Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Stainless Steel Structural Members (ASCE-8-02). CFS Version 6.0 includes a number of enhancements over version 5.0.
Supported specification options:
- 2007 AISI - US & Mexico (ASD and LRFD)
- 2007 AISI - Canada (LSD)
- 2004 AISI - US & Mexico (ASD and LRFD)
- 2004 AISI - Canada (LSD)
- 2001 AISI - US & Mexico (ASD and LRFD)
- 2001 AISI - Canada (LSD)
- 1999 AISI - ASD and LRFD
- 2002 ASCE - ASD and LRFD
The Section Wizard makes it quick and easy to create the geometry for common shapes and the graphical interface allows you to create virtually any cold-formed steel shape, including closed shapes, built-up sections, and elements with holes. You may choose from a long list of predefined carbon and stainless steel materials, or customize the material properties as needed. Additionally, several libraries are provided for commonly available component shapes in the industry. Shape geometry can be output to a DXF file.
The Analysis Wizard assists in the creation of design problems such as beam-columns, continuous beams, and multi-span beams with laps. Analyses consist of members, supports, braces, loadings and load combinations. Transverse loads may be concentrated or distributed, and applied at any angle, thus producing biaxial bending. Axial loads may include eccentricities which induce additional moments. You can display and print diagrams for reactions, shears, moments, and deflection, including envelope diagrams for all load combinations.
Computations include:
- Full, net, and effective section properties using exact integrations
- Strengths for compression, tension, moments, shears, and web-crippling
- Strength increase from cold work of forming
- Member checks for combined axial/bending, bending/shear, and bending/ web-crippling
- Messages are given for exceeded limits such as w/t, D/t, KL/r, etc.
- Complete documentation is included as an integrated help file.
A powerful feature in Version 4.1 is the elastic buckling analysis of any cross-section using the finite strip method. Some shapes may be subject to a mode of buckling where the section distorts. This tool helps the engineer to evaluate this behavior, and provides a method of "rational analysis" as allowed by the AISI Specification.
CFS is free to download and install. It will run as the "light" version of CFS with a reduced set of features and limitations on section complexity. This mode is ideal for educational use and will give you a feel for what the full CFS application has to offer. You may then choose to purchase a license for the full version CFS. Here is a comparison of the light and full versions.
| Description | Light | Full |
| Feature | ||
| Maximum elements per part | 5 | 254 |
| Maximum parts per section | 2 | 254 |
| Holes in elements | · | |
| Access section libraries | · | |
| Save geometry to DXF files | · | |
| Carbon steel materials | · | · |
| Stainless steel materials | · | |
| Customization of material properties | · | |
| Create section libraries | · | |
| Calculations | ||
| Full section properties | · | · |
| Net section properties | · | |
| Effective section properties | · | · |
| Strength increase from cold working | · | |
| 1999 AISI - ASD and LRFD methods | · | · |
| 2001 AISI - ASD, LRFD, and LSD | · | · |
| Fully braced strengths | · | · |
| Axial/Bending member checks | · | · |
| Shear/Bending member checks | · | · |
| Web-crippling/Bending checks | · | · |
| Direct Strength Method | · | |
| Elastic buckling analysis | · | |
| Analysis Module | ||
| Beam-columns | · | |
| Continuous beams | · | |
| Multi-span beams with laps | · | |
| Axial loads and biaxial bending | · | |
| Numerous support and bracing options | · | |
| ASD and LRFD load combinations | · | |
| Diagrams for shear, moment, and deflection | · | |
| Locations of critical check points | · | |
CFS60.dll
For users of CFS Version 6.0, this dynamic link library provides the full computational engine of the CFS application for customized automation of cold-formed steel calculations in your own applications. There are numerous ways to use this library, including spreadsheet macros, creation of spreadsheet tables, automated design checks using external data, and even full-fledged structure design automation.
The functions in CFS60.dll use existing section libraries or any sections created with CFS. They perform operations such as retrieval of section information, computation of full section properties, net section properties, effective section properties, fully braced strengths, and unity checks for combined axial/bending and combined shear/bending.
The CFS60.dll product package includes complete documentation of the dll functions and Excel spreadsheet examples using Visual Basic declarations and subroutines. You can be up and running very quickly with your own application.
This product is currently incorporated into the structural analysis application VisualAnalysis, as a VisualDesign add-on module for cold-formed steel. The VisualAnalysis application is offered by Integrated Engineering Software.
RSG Software, Inc.
2803 NW Chipman Road
Lee's Summit, MO 64081
info@rsgsoftware.com