Bentley’s RAM International Solutions Center has just released version 11.0 of RAM Structural System – Bentley’s modeling, analysis, and design software for engineers involved in the design of building structures of all types. To help structural engineers increase their productivity so they can produce better designs faster, the software provides powerful tools that are automated and fully integrated.
RAM Structural System Version 11.0 provides the following additional enhancements:
- Multiple Diaphragms – This feature allows structural engineers to model, analyze, and design structures that have any number of independent complete slab edges on a single story.
- Load Generators – Automatic wind and seismic load generators have been enhanced for multiple diaphragm models.
- Wind Exposure Report – New report displays the exposed area used by the program when automatically generating the wind forces.\
- CAN/CISC S16-01 – Latest Canadian steel design code has been added, including “Supplement #1 (S16S1-05). New steel grades and load combinations.”
- Self-Mass – New option provides automatic calculation of mass from beams, columns, and slab/decks if requested. Wall mass has been enhanced to give option to either split mass of walls between levels (half up and half down) or to apply all of the wall mass to the story above. Wall mass has also been enhanced to consider the slope of the walls (by using the average height rather than merely using the story height).
- Steel Table Editor – New interactive program can be used to edit or create steel master, beam, or column tables.
Modeler Enhancements
- Move Column – Command to move a column and all associated framing.
- Delete Cantilever – Ability to delete a cantilever without having to remove and remodel a beam.
- Layout Load Commands – Improved line and point load layout commands. Layout point loads on a beam at a percentage of the span length; single click to layout line loads along entire length of a beam.
- Show Depth Restriction – Command to display and view the assigned depth and size restrictions on a beam.
- Data Check Warnings – Data check warnings have been enhanced for multiple slab edges and to provide more information, such as story information along with wall opening data check errors.
RAM Frame Enhancements
- Display – New graphical display options in RAM Frame include options to show building story shear forces, slab edges, and all nodes and node numbers (including wall internal nodes).
- Disconnected nodes at ‘Ground Level’ – When a level other than the base is selected as the ground level, RAM Frame previously restrained all nodes at that level against horizontal translation. The program now only considers nodes within a diaphragm at the specified ground level as being constrained against translation.
- Reports – Updated reports provide more detailed information regarding multiple diaphragms.
RAM Steel Enhancements
- Ignore rib spacing – Stud placement is often dictated by the spacing of the deck ribs, especially when the angle between the beam and the deck is small. This can result in an insufficient number of studs on the beam to satisfy the minimum percent composite requirements. An option is now provided to ignore the rib spacing when determining the stud placement (either because the deck is split or the ribs are flattened), thereby allowing these beams to be designed compositely, with whatever quantity of studs is required.
Users of Bentley’s RAM International product line with a current support agreement or warranty will receive RAM Structural System Version 11.0 free of charge within the next 30 days. All other users may contact their Bentley Account Manager or Product Sales Specialist for upgrade information at 800 726 7789, or from outside the USA at +1 760 431 3610.
For more information, contact Gus Bergsma of Bentley’s RAM International Solutions Center, 2744 Loker Avenue West, Carlsbad, Calif. 92010 USA; phone: 800 726 7789 or 760 431 3610, ext. 110; fax: 760 431 5214; e-mail: gus.bergsma@bentley.com; or Web site: www.bentley.com/structural.