RAM Elements

Finite element analysis and design solutions that can tackle most structural analysis problems.

The finite element analysis and design capabilities of RAM Elements V8i have been utilized by thousands of engineering firms since its introduction in 1996. During this time, RAM Elements V8i has been enhanced and refined to provide unmatched productivity for modeling, optimizing, and designing structural elements and systems. Dozens of modeling tools make modeling even complex projects quick and easy, including: templates for trusses, frames, and sections, concurrent editing either graphically or through spreadsheets (complete with copy, cut, and paste capabilities), and a user customizable desktop environment so that you can place your favorite commands a mouse click away. Physical member modeling features allow users to design as engineers, not finite element specialists.

While RAM Elements V8i supports numerous design codes for wood, steel, concrete, and cold-formed steel, and advanced analysis capabilities such as dynamic analysis, 2nd order analysis, tension and compression only members, thermal loads, and much more, it is also part of a complete family of engineering analysis and design software that is completely scalable to meet your growing needs.

For more international design codes, a larger finite element library including 8-noded plates and solid elements, and more advanced analysis capabilities such as non-linear and push-over analysis, check out our STAAD.Pro V8i family of products.

Includes sophisticated design modules that can be run as integrated with the finite element model or in stand-alone design mode for structural elements such as retaining walls or isolated shear walls.

You can easily utilize the design toolkit to design a single structural element such as a tilt-up wall, or utilize its integrated analysis and design capabilities to design these components as part of your 2-D or 3-D finite element model, which will bring all the information into the tilt-up wall design module automatically from the model. In either case, the tilt-up wall module will assist you in designing and detailing all rebar requirements, perform all the necessary design checks, and produce complete drawings in DXF format along with detailed reports designed to go directly into your structural calculations.

Current design modules include: tilt-up walls, continuous beams, concrete shear walls, masonry walls with openings including lintel and column design, concrete spread footings, and concrete columns with interaction diagrams and retaining walls. More design tools will be added to each version.

Not just a single application. RAM Elements V8i is part of a comprehensive portfolio of structural engineering modeling, analysis, design and drafting software from Bentley.

RAM Elements V8i is part of Bentley’s complete line of engineering modeling, analysis, design and drafting portfolio, including Structural Modeler V8i for BIM and drawing production, RAM Structural System V8i for complete design of building structures, STAAD.Pro V8i for plant design and advanced finite element analysis,  RAM Concept V8i for reinforced or post-tension slab or mat design, RAM CADstudio for drawing production inside AutoCAD, and RAM Connection V8i for steel connection design.

As the leading supplier of structural engineering software and BIM tools, Bentley has the most productive software tools available with the highest level of interoperability anywhere, no matter what type of project you have.

Easy to learn, easy to use.

RAM Elements V8i is an intuitive program with a very short learning curve. All the tools work with the same principles and all the modules look alike. Context sensitive help, tutorials, online training, an extensive manual, and solved examples give you everything you need to quickly operate the software. RAM Elements V8i has a constant philosophy in the way all of its commands (actions) are applied in a model: once the desired elements (nodes, members or shells) are selected, you can apply any command that will only affect those elements. This “select and apply” principle is a unique and fundamental feature of the program that facilitates rapid model creation and output customization. All the provided tools for data input or generation together with the display and printing options adhere to this same principle.

Highest feature to cost ratio available anywhere.

Add up the costs of obtaining parallel solutions and compare it to what you get when you purchase RAM Elements V8i. The alternative would be one general purpose FE package and several specialty programs, yet RAM Elements V8i combines all these features into one affordable solution. Take a look at the feature set and do the math: you will no doubt be convinced that RAM Elements V8i has the highest feature to cost ratio available.

Large dedicated development and support team insures you receive timely upgrades and unmatched technical support.

When you purchase RAM Elements V8i you not only purchase a high-quality, productive, engineering desktop system, you also receive assurance that your purchase will continue to produce an excellent return on your investment. It is backed by the largest and most highly skilled and dedicated engineering software development and support staff in the world with over 120 engineers and programmers working on enhancing and supporting the software worldwide.

This ensures timely updates, including new features and updated design codes, as well as the industry’s most responsive technical support. While other vendors may take days to respond to technical questions, and some vendors do not even provide technical support via telephone, our goal is to provide expert advice in hours, not days, and help make sure you continue to be productive with our software tools.

Model quickly and accurately.

With 7 different ways to lay out nodes, 5 ways of modeling members, quick shell creation, import options, and plenty of tools to manipulate every object, you can accurately model to the detail and obtain the expected results.

Structure templates allow you to build a truss, a 3D frame, a tower or whatever structure you need in seconds. This allows you to create templates for structures you design on a regular basis and save even more time in every project. If you already have a 2D or 3D DXF, just import the centerlines of your model into RAM Elements V8i and accelerate the design process.

State-of-the art finite element analysis capabilities with out-of-core solver for large analytical problems.

RAM FE, the analysis engine utilized by all RAM products, has been used mainly for linear-elastic, nonlinear-inelastic and Eigen analysis of any type of framing systems. The analysis engine is built on a highly optimized matrix library that is particularly tuned for sparse matrix computation and is armed with a state-of-the-art bandwidth optimization technique based on Graph theory. The bandwidth optimization provides a substantial reduction in storage requirements and when combined with the direct sparse solver, the time to decompose large symmetric-profile matrices is greatly reduced.

No matter how small or how large, RAM Elements V8i can tackle it.

User customizable features enable you to design quickly, per your office standards.

RAM Elements V8i allows you to personalize almost every part of the program to your needs or company standards and rules-of thumb. From customizable toolbars and personalized general (for every project) or model views, to display options, U.S or U.K. nomenclature, units system, default folders, you can format your images and reports and decide what to print to get the information you really need and not tons of numbers that need more time to be read than to process.

Once everything is in place and according to your needs, your modeling/analysis/design process can be carried out even faster than before.