Fachwerk — The Complete Guide: Free Strut-and-Tie Models for Reinforced Concrete Design
Fachwerk is open-source software (GPLv2) dedicated to the strut-and-tie method. That is the method for designing regions of reinforced concrete where beam theory does not hold (D-regions).
Fachwerk
Fachwerk (open-source project)
Strut-and-tie model solver for reinforced-concrete design — deep beams, corners, openings and anchorage zones.
Get it from the vendorWhat you get
- Drawing the strut-and-tie network — nodes, compression struts and tension ties, laid over the member geometry.
- Solution from equilibrium alone — no assumption of elastic behaviour, in line with the plastic basis of the method.
- Force in every member — compression in struts and tension in ties, from which you derive the required reinforcement.
- Typical cases — deep beams, corbels, openings in beams, frame corners and anchorage zones.
- Three interface languages — English, German and French.
Who it suits
Concrete engineers designing non-standard details, and lecturers and students learning the method: you see at once how changing the network geometry changes the forces. The program does not check to a code — checking struts, nodes and anchorage is done to your own standard.
Related tools
For analysing the 2D frames around the region — Ftool or PlenFrem. For a finite element analysis of the whole detail, as a complementary check — PrePoMax with CalculiX.
Ftool
PUC-Rio, Tecgraf
2D frame and beam analysis — fast to enter, aimed at learning and order-of-magnitude checks.
Get it from the vendorPlenFrem
Ensel Software
Linear static analysis of 2D frames and trusses, no node limit, with the matrix steps shown for learning.
Get it from the vendorPrePoMax
University of Maribor
Full graphical front end for CalculiX — meshing, materials, loads and results in one window.
Get it from the vendor
CalculiX
CalculiX Project
Open-source FEA with syntax close to Abaqus. The solver behind the FreeCAD FEM workbench.
Get it from the vendorThe bottom line
Fachwerk turns the strut-and-tie method from a tedious hand exercise into a quick working tool — completely free, including for commercial work.