IfcRelConnectsStructuralMember

Definition from IAI: The entity IfcRelConnectsStructuralMember defines all needed properties describing the connection between structural members and structural connections (nodes or supports).

> NOTE: The specification of frequently used connection properties is done by using through the AppliedCondition attribute. Rarely needed connection properties, such as slippage or failure, should be specified by using the attribute AdditionalConditions.

> HISTORY: New entity in Release IFC2x Edition 2.

Use Definition

Point Connection
Instances of the entity IfcRelConnectsStructuralMember shall be used to describe a connection between an instance of IfcStructuralPointConnection and either an instance of IfcStructuralCurveMember or IfcStructuralSurfaceMember. The RelatedStructuralConnection for point connections has to be of type = 'IfcStructuralPointConnection'.

Curve Connection
Instances of the entity IfcRelConnectsStructuralMember shall be used to describe a connection between an instance of IfcStructuralCurveConnection and an instance of either IfcStructuralCurveMember or IfcStructuralSurfaceMember. The RelatedStructuralConnection for curve connections has to be of type = 'IfcStructuralCurveConnection'.

Surface Connection
Instances of the entity IfcRelConnectsStructuralMember shall be used to describe a connection between an instance of IfcStructuralSurfaceConnection and an instance of IfcStructuralSurfaceMember (or an instance of a volumetric member, if defined in future extensions). The RelatedStructuralConnection for curve connections has to be of type = 'IfcStructuralSurfaceConnection'.

Coordinate System for Applied Conditions
All values defined by AppliedCondition or AdditionalConditions are given within the coordinate system provided by ConditionCoordinateSystem, which is defined in relation to the local coordinate system of the structural member. If the ConditionCoordinateSystem is not defined, the local placement of the structural member is used instead.

Supported Length
Optionally a supported length can be given, which gives the length (or width) of the physical connection along a curve connection.

Illustration of the appropriate definition of support lengths.

EXPRESS specification:

ENTITY IfcRelConnectsStructuralMember
SUPERTYPE OF | (IfcRelConnectsWithEccentricity)
SUBTYPE OF ( | IfcRelConnects);
RelatingStructuralMember | : | IfcStructuralMember;
RelatedStructuralConnection | : | IfcStructuralConnection;
AppliedCondition | : | OPTIONAL IfcBoundaryCondition;
AdditionalConditions | : | OPTIONAL IfcStructuralConnectionCondition;
SupportedLength | : | OPTIONAL IfcLengthMeasure;
ConditionCoordinateSystem | : | OPTIONAL IfcAxis2Placement3D;
END_ENTITY;

Attribute definitions:

RelatingStructuralMember | : | Reference to an instance of IfcStructuralMember (or its subclasses) which is connected to the specified structural connection.
RelatedStructuralConnection | : | Reference to an instance of IfcStructuralConnection (or its subclasses) which is connected to the specified structural member.
AppliedCondition | : | Reference to an instance of IfcBoundaryCondition which is used to define the connections properties. NOTE The boundary condition applied to a member-connection-relationship is also called "release"
AdditionalConditions | : | Reference to instances describing additional connection properties.
SupportedLength | : | Defines the 'supported length' of this structural connection. See Fig. for more detail.
ConditionCoordinateSystem | : | Defines a new coordinate system used for the description of the connection properties. The usage of this coordinate system is described more detailed in the definition of the subtypes of this entity definition.

Inheritance graph

ENTITY IfcRelConnectsStructuralMember;
ENTITY IfcRoot;
GlobalId | : | IfcGloballyUniqueId;
OwnerHistory | : | IfcOwnerHistory;
Name | : | OPTIONAL IfcLabel;
Description | : | OPTIONAL IfcText;
ENTITY IfcRelationship;
ENTITY IfcRelConnects;
ENTITY IfcRelConnectsStructuralMember;
RelatingStructuralMember | : | IfcStructuralMember;
RelatedStructuralConnection | : | IfcStructuralConnection;
AppliedCondition | : | OPTIONAL IfcBoundaryCondition;
AdditionalConditions | : | OPTIONAL IfcStructuralConnectionCondition;
SupportedLength | : | OPTIONAL IfcLengthMeasure;
ConditionCoordinateSystem | : | OPTIONAL IfcAxis2Placement3D;
END_ENTITY;