RCF-3D-Analysis

Overview

RCF-3D-Analysis is a comprehensive web-based application for creating three-dimensional reinforced concrete frame building models. Built with Streamlit and using OpenSeesPy and opseestools as backends, this tool provides an intuitive 11-tab interface for complete building model generation, from geometry definition to load application, with integrated visualization and preliminary analysis capabilities. A walkthrough of the app functionality is available at: https://youtu.be/VEi5oyEf1lU

Features

🏗️ Parametric Model Generation

• 3D Geometry: Define building dimensions with customizable X, Y, Z coordinates
• Grid-Based Layout: Rectangular building layouts with variable bay spacing
• Multi-Story Buildings: Support for buildings up to 10+ stories

🧱 Material & Section Design

• Material Library: Pre-defined concrete and steel materials (DES, DMO, PreCode standards)
• Custom Materials: Define new concrete and steel properties
• RC Section Builder: Create rectangular reinforced concrete sections
• Reinforcement Configuration: Detailed longitudinal reinforcement

🎯 Element Assignment

• Beam Layout: Configure beams by floor and direction (X and Y)
• Batch Operations: Copy configurations across multiple floors

👁️ Visualization & Verification

• Plan Views: 2D floor plans with section assignments
• Element Details: Hover tooltips with section and material information

🏠 Structural Components

• Rigid Diaphragms: Define floor slabs as rigid diaphragms
• Gravity Loads: Apply distributed loads to beams
• Load Cases: Separate floor and roof load specifications

🔬 Preliminary Analysis

• Modal Analysis: Eigenvalue analysis for natural frequencies
• Model Validation: Check for common modeling errors
• Analysis Integration: Seamless transition to pushover analysis

💾 Model Persistence

• Pickle Serialization: Save complete model configurations
• Metadata Storage: Include project information and timestamps
• Model Library: Organized storage in models/ directory

System Requirements

Software Dependencies

• Python 3.8+
• Streamlit
• OpenSeesPy
• Pandas, NumPy
• Plotly
• opseestools (custom utilities)

Hardware Requirements

• 8 GB RAM minimum
• Multi-core processor recommended

Installation

1. Install Python Dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Verify Installation:

   python -c "import streamlit, openseespy.opensees as ops; print('Dependencies OK')"

Usage

Running the Application

streamlit run RCF3D.py

Workflow Overview

1. Geometry (Tab 1): Define building dimensions and grid layout
2. Materials (Tab 2): Configure concrete and steel properties
3. Sections (Tab 3): Design reinforced concrete sections
4. Columns (Tab 4): Assign sections to column positions
5. Beams (Tab 5): Configure beam layouts
6. Visualization (Tab 6): Review 3D model and verify assignments
7. Slabs (Tab 7): Define floor diaphragms
8. Loads (Tab 8): Apply gravity loads
9. Modal Analysis (Tab 9): Preliminary dynamic analysis
10. Save Model (Tab 10): Export model for analysis
11. Model Info (Tab 11): Review complete model summary

Application Structure

The application consists of 11 sequential tabs:

Tab 1: Geometry Definition

• Input X, Y, Z coordinates
• Define building grid layout
• Set project metadata

Tab 2: Material Configuration

• Select or define concrete materials
• Configure steel reinforcement properties
• Choose detailing standards

Tab 3: Section Design

• Create rectangular RC sections
• Specify reinforcement layouts
• Define cover and spacing

Tab 4: Column Assignment

• Grid-based section assignment
• Visual column layout
• Batch operations

Tab 5: Beam Configuration

• Floor-by-floor beam setup
• X and Y direction beams
• Section assignment per span

Tab 6: Model Visualization

• Interactive 3D views
• Plan and elevation visualizations
• Element verification

Tab 7: Slab Definition

• Rigid diaphragm creation
• Material assignment
• Thickness specification

Tab 8: Load Application

• Gravity load definition
• Floor and roof loads
• Load distribution

Tab 9: Modal Analysis

• Eigenvalue computation
• Natural frequency display
• Mode shape visualization

Tab 10: Model Saving

• Project naming
• File export to models/ directory
• Metadata inclusion

Tab 11: Model Summary

• Complete model overview
• Component counts
• Validation checks

Output

The application generates complete building models saved as .pkl files containing:

• Geometric coordinates and grid
• Material properties
• Section definitions and assignments
• Load configurations
• Slab definitions
• Analysis-ready OpenSees model

Limitations

• Rectangular grid layouts only
• Rigid diaphragm assumption for floors
• Monotonic loading (gravity only)
• Rectangular RC sections only

Documentation

For detailed technical documentation, see Documentation.md

Support

For issues or questions:

• Check the documentation files
• Verify Python environment and dependencies
• Ensure models/ directory exists for saving

Citation

If you use RCF-3D-Analysis Model Creator in your research:

Arroyo (2025). RCF-3D-Analysis: Parametric Model Creation for 
Nonlinear Analysis of 3D Reinforced Concrete Frame Buildings.