Sloping Columns
Sloping columns can now be modeled, analyzed, and designed. They are modeled by first adding columns to the desired locations, and then by simply moving either the top or the bottom of the column.
Sloping columns can be of concrete, steel or any material; they can be gravity columns or frame columns. The effects of the slope on the unbraced length, self weight, joint face dimensions, and others, are automatically considered.
Semirigid Diaphragms:
In addition to the options to specify diaphragms as rigid, flexible or “pseudo-flexible”, an option to specify a diaphragm as semirigid has been incorporated in RAM Frame. The modeler has been enhanced to allow the specification of the diaphragm properties associated with each deck or slab. These properties are then used for the diaphragms that are specified as semirigid when an analysis is performed in RAM Frame. This allows the interaction between the diaphragms and the frames to be considered when determining the distribution of the story forces to the frames.
The diaphragm is automatically meshed; the density of the mesh can be controlled by the user and viewed in RAM Frame.
Wind story forces are applied to the diaphragms as windward and leeward loads on the mesh nodes around the perimeter of the structure. Seismic story forces are applied to each mesh node based on the tributary mass to that node.
ProjectWise:
The RAM Structural System has now been integrated with ProjectWise, Bentley’s project management software. For clients with ProjectWise, this functionality can be accessed using the File – ProjectWise command in the RAM Manager.
ACI 318-05 Concrete Design:
The requirements of ACI 318-05 have been incorporated for concrete beam and column design in RAM Concrete, and for foundation design in RAM Foundation.
Australia Concrete Design:
The requirements of AS 3600, the Australian Concrete design specification, have been incorporated for concrete beam and column design in RAM Concrete.
Model Status:
The Model Status feature, which shows the current state of the model, has been enhanced. The use of the status lights has been made consistent for all modules. In the RAM Manager the Model Status command, which can also be launched directly from the Manager screen, now includes a key to the status light colors. The status light now shows as light blue for modules for which some action or additional data must be entered before analysis and design can be performed in that module. Modules for which there are no pertinent members now show as gray.
Tutorial Wiki:
The tutorial manual has been put on a wiki on the Be Communities site. It can be accessed from the program from the Help menu in the RAM Manager.
Modeler:
- The Column – Move command has been enhanced. Previously the new coordinates or offset had to be entered numerically; now the new location can be selected graphically by clicking on that location. The ability to move the top and bottom of the columns independently has also been incorporated, providing a means of modeling sloping columns.
- The Column - Text command has been enhanced such that when the coordinates of the top of a column are changed, the beams that frame into that column also move to the new location. The ability to move the top and bottom of the columns independently has also been incorporated, providing a means of modeling sloping columns.
- The deck properties command for noncomposite floor systems has been enhanced to allow the specification of multiple noncomposite decks. Previously only a single noncomposite deck type was allowed. A label has also been added to distinguish between the various noncomposite deck types.
- Deck diaphragm properties for use when the deck/slab is specified as semirigid in RAM Frame can be specified.
- The dialogs listing the deck properties when using the deck Change and Show commands have been improved and reorganized to better show the deck properties.
RAM Steel Beam:
- A Find Beam command has been added. The beam briefly flashes when the
beam number is entered.
- The beam design program, RAM SBeam, can now be launched directly from the RAM Structural System using the Export to SBeam command. When invoked, the geometry, loads, and criteria of the selected beam are exported to RAM SBeam. Using the same design algorithms as RAM Steel Beam, RAM SBeam is a powerful yet economical utility program for the design of composite and noncomposite steel beams. Contact your regional engineer for more information on RAM SBeam.
RAM Steel Column:
The calculation of the unbalanced moment was slightly modified. In the general case the unbalanced moment is split between the top of the column and the bottom of the column above. Previously if there was a change in shape at a level (for example, from I-shape to HSS) the program assumed that the splice essentially behaved as a pin connection, and no portion of the moment was applied to the bottom of the column above; the full moment was applied to the top of the column under consideration. Now, in addition to the change in shape, a change in column orientation or material is treated the same way; the unbalanced moment is not split between the column under consideration and the column above, it is all applied to the top of the column under consideration.
RAM Frame:
In addition to the semirigid diaphragm capability, RAM Frame has been enhanced with new features, including:
- A new, faster solver has been incorporated. There is now an option to select between the direct solver and the sparse solver. Both solvers have the option of running in-core or out-of-core. The direct solver is that which was used previously, and gives more detailed messages when error conditions are encountered; the sparse solver runs significantly faster but gives less detailed information when error conditions are encountered.
- In the calculation of loads and masses from walls, the presence of openings in the walls is now considered and subtracted from the total loads and masses.
- Braces can be designated as buckling restrained braces, and an axial stiffness multiplier assigned to account for the fact that the section area varies between the brace ends and the restrained zone. In the code checks for those braces the stress and capacity equations based on the buckling modes are ignored, and the design is based on tension and compression yielding.
- China GB50011-2001 has been incorporated for the generation of wind and seismic forces.
RAM Frame Steel Standard Provision:
Values of unbraced length used in the design for bending and for axial loads can now be assigned to beams, columns, and braces. Options are given to either use the assigned value or to calculate the value based on the geometry and the flange bracing criteria specified by the user.
RAM Concrete Column:
The graphics in the view/update have been enhanced to show the column cross section with the design reinforcing.
RAM Concrete Shear Wall:
- Boundary element design is now performed per the ACI concrete specifications.
- Multiple vertical reinforcing zones may be assigned to the wall panels, allowing greater control of the reinforcing patterns along the length of the wall.
- Shear wall material takeoff report has been incorporated.
- Shear wall DXF is available in the RAM Manager.
New Features and Enhancements in V12.1
In addition to the new features in V13.0, a number of powerful enhancements were added to V12.1, as previously announced:
AISC 341-05 Seismic Provision:
The requirements of AISC 341-05 seismic provisions have been incorporated for member and joint design in RAM Frame in the Steel – Seismic Provisions mode.
Concrete Shear Walls:
The following enhancements have been made to the concrete shear wall design module:
- Drastic improvements have been made to the speed of the design process when executing Design-All or View-Update.
- An option to save the design results for only the most critical load combinations has been added in the general criteria. Choosing to save design results for fewer load combinations will reduce file size and program run time.
- The engineer now has control over how vertical reinforcement is placed at wall corners through use of the Assign - Wall Panel Priority command.
- A new calculation sheet “Boundary Elements” has been added to the View/Update dialog when ACI 318-05 is used. This page reports information related to the special boundary element calculations of chapter 21 for any load combinations containing an earthquake load case.
- For the ACI 318-05 design code, the option to calculate wall shear strength according to section 11.10.6 has been provided. Section 11.10.6 may now be used in lieu of section 11.10.5.
Live Load Reduction:
The live load reduction requirements for AS/NZS 1170.1 (Australia and New Zealand), GB 50009-2001 (China) and Hong Kong Building Regulation have been incorporated.
File commands:
A File – Close Model command has been added. This is useful when working with external programs (such as RAM Concept or RAM Connection) that require the model to be closed in order to access the information in the database.
Consistent Window Sizing:
Rather than always come up in full screen mode, the RAM Modeler and the design module windows will maintain a consistent window size and location on the screen.
RSS Feed:
The RSS (really simple syndication) feed items on the lower portion of the RAM Manager screen can now be directed to specific regions. Feed items directed to regions other than the region that the user is in can be filtered out using the Tools – RSS Feed Options command. Note that the worldwide feed items and the feed items directed to the region that the user is in cannot be filtered out; those will always be received.
Modeler:
Deck polygons and snow load polygons that have been laid down can be modified using the Change Polygon command. Polygon vertices can be dragged to new locations, adjacent vertices can be merged, and new vertices added by splitting a side into two sides. This feature was implemented for surface loads previously.
RAM Frame:
In addition to the requirements of the AISC 341-05 seismic provisions, the following enhancements have been incorporated:
- An option to include the requirements of supplement #2 of ASCE 7-05 has been added when generating seismic story forces per ASCE 7-05.
- Notional loads per BS 8110 can be generated.
- The ASCE 7 stability coefficients report has been added. This report calculates and lists the stability coefficient for each ASCE 7 and IBC seismic load case.
- Crack factors for each of flexural, axial and torsional stiffness of concrete beams, columns, and braces can be assigned in the modeler, and applied to frame members in the analysis performed in RAM Frame. Previously only a flexural crack factor could be assigned. Note that for models created in previous versions the cracked factors for axial and torsional stiffness of columns, beams and braces will be set to 1.0 when they are opened in V12.1, to be consistent with the values used previously, but they can be modified in the modeler as desired.
- K-factors can now be assigned to braces even when the design code is AISC 360-05 (when K is normally considered to be 1.0). This allows, for example, the assigning of K = 0.5 to cross braces to account for the bracing effects of the cross braces.
- Clicking the right mouse button now brings up the previous dialog, making it consistent with the modeler and the other design modules.
- The Wall Group Force Summary report command has been enhanced to allow selection of specific walls and wall groups to be included in the report. Previously the report always included the results for all wall groups.
RAM Concrete:
- For large models the option of using the out-of-core solver is now available.
- The Singapore concrete design code, CP65, has been added to RAM Concrete.
- In addition to the option to consider gravity columns pinned at the base at foundations, an option to consider the columns pinned at the base at transfer girders has also been implemented. An option to consider gravity columns pinned at the top has also been implemented.
- Previously there was an option to specify a reduced torsional stiffness on beams. There is now a capability to assign a torsional crack factor in the modeler, so that command has been enhanced to allow the user to either specify the use of that factor or the use of the factor explicitly specified in the command.