Designing Frame Base Plates with Hilti PROFIS Engineering in RAM Structural System


The design of Frame column base plates can be obtained using the link to the Hilti PROFIS Engineering program in the RAM Structural System. This document describes the use of this feature.

Hilti PROFIS Engineering

The Hilti PROFIS Engineering software provides several design capabilities, including the design of base plates and anchor rods. A command has been added to the RAM Structural System to invoke PROFIS Engineering and to facilitate the transfer of material, geometry, and load information from the structural model to PROFIS Engineering for the design of base plates, particularly Frame column base plates.

The full PROFIS Engineering program is available by subscription through Hilti. However, RAM Structural System users that prefer not to obtain a subscription have access to a free limited version through this feature (you will first need to sign up for the 30-day Trial, after which you will be able to switch that to the free Standard version or to one of the subscription plans). The limited version limits the number of Load Combinations to 10 as explained below, while the full version permits virtually any number of combinations.

Before proceeding, you need to create an account for PROFIS Engineering, if you have not already done so. Hilti has prepared extensive documentation on the registration process and on the use of this feature. PROFIS Engineering and RAM Structural System Step-by-Step Guide can be found at: https://ask.hilti.com/article/profis-engineering-and-ram-structural-system-step-by-step-guide/gluuvj

With RAM Structural System 2024 the Hilti Profis tool also needs to be downloaded and installed in the RAM Program directory. See: RAM | STAAD | ADINA - RAM SS 2024 and Hilti Profis - Communities (service-now.com) 

Modeling and Analysis in RAM Structural System

No special modeling is required in RAM Structural System, except that the foundations must be included in the model.

Perform the analysis and design in the various modules as is typically done, including the analysis in RAM Frame.

Perform the design of the footings in RAM Foundation. The design of the footings is necessary in order to invoke the design of the base plates.

Invoking PROFIS Engineering

First, log in to PROFIS Engineering at https://profisengineering.hilti.com/ as explained in the PROFIS Engineering and RAM Structural System Step-by-Step Guide, referenced above.

In RAM Foundation, invoke the Process - Export to PROFIS Engineering - Connect and Export command, or select the Export command on the tool bar: 

Select the column for which the base plate is to be designed.

In the Load Combinations for PROFIS Engineering dialog select the desired Design Code:

The current options are AISC LRFD, AISC LRFD with Omega factored seismic forces (STEEL_SP_LRFD), Eurocode, Canada, Australia/New Zealand, and India LSD.

Select the desired Code for Combinations, specify the parameters and options as necessary, and Generate the Load Combinations:

Note that a large number of load combinations may have been generated. Often it is obvious which subset of those combinations is likely to control the design of the base plate; for efficiency it is recommended that the combinations that will obviously not control be unselected. The selection of combinations can be done either by selecting or deselecting the load combinations in the Use column in the Load Combinations for PROFIS Engineering dialog, or later in the Hilti PROFIS Engineering program itself. Note that for the free version of PROFIS Engineering the number of combinations is limited to 10.

Select OK.

A message will appear indicating that the process of connecting to and exporting the data to the PROFIS Engineering program has been initiated:

From this point on you will be in the Hilti PROFIS Engineering program, with the data for the base plate design extracted and exported from the RAM Structural System. See the PROFIS Engineering documentation referenced above for information on the use of that program: PROFIS Engineering and RAM Structural System Step-by-Step Guide.

It may take a few minutes for the file for the selected column base to appear under the FILE IMPORT section of PROFIS Engineer.

Any number of column bases can be selected, one at a time; they will be queued under the FILE IMPORT section of PROFIS Engineer, where they can then be selected for design at any time.

As explained, when using the Standard version the number of load combinations is limited to 10. If it is necessary to investigate more than that you can select one set of load combinations and obtain the design, and then go back and select a different set of load combinations and obtain the design. Repeat as necessary to come to the controlling design.

Tip: For Frame columns, when selecting the load combinations to be investigated, it is generally not necessary to include the combinations that are based on load cases not acting in the plane of the frame. For example, when designing a base plate for a column in a Frame oriented in the X-axis, it is generally not necessary to include the Y-direction Wind and Seismic load combinations. For Gravity columns, only the gravity load combinations need to be considered.