Release Notes
Release Date: March 4, 2013
This document contains important information regarding changes to the RAM Structural System. It is important that all users are aware of these changes. Please distribute these release notes and make them available to all users of the RAM Structural System.
In the calculation of the concrete volume the Shearwall Takeoff report now considers the openings in the walls and subtracts that volume of concrete from the total.
Improvements were made to the Out-of-Core solver to remove some limits on the size of models that RAM Frame is capable of handling. Larger models can now be accommodated.
Several of the load combination templates used by the program to generate load combinations in RAM Frame, RAM Concrete and RAM Foundation have been updated to include the combinations for dynamic Response Spectra load cases. The load combinations that include the dynamic load cases, if they have been included in the analysis, will now automatically be generated. Note that in existing models that use these templates, the combinations that include dynamic load case will now be generated; if this is not desired those dynamic load cases must be deselected in the load combination generation dialogs.
At the request of SidePlate the compatibility check between the beam width and column width has been modified. The widths must now satisfy the following relationship:
bfbm + 1.1 tfbm + ½” ≤ bfcol
The extension of the side plates beyond the column flange has been refined for beams that are W18 and shallower. The RAMSideplate.spl file has been modified to reflect this change.
A DataCheck warning has been added to warn if there are hanging columns that do not support any members below.
The Steel Column Design report has been enhanced to better indicate and show results when the provisions of Section H1.3 are being applied.
The ability to assign B1 and B2 factors to members for design per AISC LRFD 3rd Edition has been incorporated in the RAM Frame – Steel Standard Provisions module to account for P- and P- effects, respectively. Note that it is not necessary to apply the B2 factor if the P-delta option is selected in Criteria – General in RAM Frame.
ComFlor deck profiles, formerly produced by Corus but now by Tata, have long been available in the RAM Structural System and are included with the UK decks. However, with the change in ownership the labels of the ComFlor deck profiles have been changed from “Corus ComFlor” to “Tata ComFlor”. For any existing databases that use the profiles with the old “Corus” labels, it will be necessary to change from the old profiles to the new profiles in the PropTable – Decking command in the RAM Modeler.
Advance steel sizes, formerly produced by Corus but now by Tata, have long been available in the RAM Structural System and are included in the UK shapes. However, with the change in ownership of the Advance sizes the old table “CorusAdv.bms” has been renamed to “RAMTataAdv.bms”. For any existing databases that use that old table it will be necessary to select the RAMTataAdv.bms table in the Criteria – Design Steel Tables command in the RAM Manager.
Some program errors have been identified and corrected for Version 14.05.03. Corrections made to graphics, reports, Modeler functions, program crashes, etc that were considered minor are not listed here. The noteworthy error corrections are listed here in order to notify you that they have been corrected or to assist you in determining the impact of those errors on previous designs. These errors were generally obscure and uncommon, affecting only a very small percentage of models, or had no impact on the results. The errors, when they occurred, were generally quite obvious. However, if there is any question, it may be advisable to reanalyze previous models to determine the impact, if any. In each case the error only occurred for the precise conditions indicated. Those errors that may have resulted in unconservative designs are shown with an asterisk. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
CONSIDER SIGN FOR DYNAMIC ANALYSIS DEFAULT: The default set in the defaults utility for the option to Consider Sign for Dynamic Analysis was not used. The value was always defaulted to False.
Effect: The option to Consider Sign for Dynamic Analysis could not be selected as the default (although it could correctly be selected in RAM Frame where it was used). It is recommended that this option be selected as the default, and selected when performing designs using response spectra load cases.
ADD CONTINUOUS FOOTING: The Add Continuous Footing command incorrectly validated the footing's location against the top of sloping columns, instead of the bottom, so they were placed in the wrong location.
Effect: There was no way to properly model continuous footings under sloping columns.
CONSTRUCTION DEAD AND LIVE LOADS ON WALLS: If a composite beam was supporting a wall from the level above, the Construction Dead and Construction Live loads on the wall were being applied to the precomposite design of the beam. This was not consistent with the assumption, used in the case of composite beams supporting transfer columns, that the beam is acting compositely when the transfer column loads are applied.
Effect: The Construction Dead and Construction Live loads from the transfer walls were unnecessarily applied to the precomposite design of the beam. This was conservative.
CANTILEVER BEAMS*: For the AISC360, LRFD 3rd and ASD 9th Edition codes, incorrect Cb values may have been used in the design of cantilevered beams when the user unchecked the option to "Use Cb = 1.0 on all Cantilevers" in the Design Defaults Criteria. The error likewise occurred for the mLT value per BS 5950, the C value per EN 1993, and the Moment Modification Factor per AS 4100.
Effect: The calculated values of Cb, mLT, Moment Modification Factor, and hence the moment capacity of the cantilever section, may have been unconservative. Note that the error did not occur when the option to "Use Cb = 1.0 on all Cantilevers" (or the equivalent option for the other codes), which is the common default, was selected.
SIDEPLATE CONNECTION WARNINGS*: The program failed to report compatibility warnings for beams with SidePlate connections if these beams were assigned new sizes whose widths were not compatible with the column widths.
Effect: The program may have failed to give compatibility warnings.
NBCC 2005 WIND LOADS*: For NBC of Canada 2005, the program failed to apply wind loads on diaphragms if the following conditions were met: diaphragm type was semirigid, diaphragms at different levels had different geometry and the wind load cases included the plus and minus eccentricities. If all these conditions were met, no loads were applied on the semirigid diaphragms for those load cases.
Effect: NBCC 2005 wind loads may not have been applied to semirigid diaphragms.
RESPONSE SPECTRA*: For the unusual condition of Response Spectra load cases using "+ Only" or "- Only" eccentricity for X or Y Direction for NBC of Canada 2005, AS 1170.4-2007 and China GB 50011-2001, the program did not use the eccentricity in the analysis
Effect: For those codes using those options, the Response Spectra analysis did not include the eccentricity effects. Load cases generated after selecting "+ And -" did correctly consider the eccentricity.
SLOPED BEAMS WITH CONNECTIONS: If a sloped beam was assigned a Beam Connection Type (such as RBS or SidePlate), and if the option to Include Effects of Rigid End Zones was selected, and if the beam was a part of a rigid diaphragm, the axial forces in the beam within the rigid end zones were incorrect (very large axial forces reported).
Effect: If all of the above conditions were met, the reported axial forces in the rigid end zones of the beams were excessively large. The error was obvious and conservative when it occurred. Note: in order to correct this error, if it occurred, it is necessary to remove the Connection assignment by assigning the Connection Type of “Standard”, perform the Analysis, and then re-assign the desired Connection Type.
BS 6399 WIND LOADS: The Loads and Applied Forces Report listed incorrect wind load pressures if only the Y-direction wind load case was run. This only affected the report, the calculated wind loads used in the program were correct even if only the Y-direction load case was run.
Effect: Report error only. If both X and Y-direction wind load cases were run, the report showed correct wind load properties for both direction.
STUB CANTILEVER DESIGN*: Member code checks for left stub cantilever beams with no connection type assigned were incorrectly performed.
Effect: Code check results for left stub cantilever beams with no connection type assignment were incorrect for all design codes. The error only affected left stub cantilevers, not right stub cantilevers or regular cantilevers that were extensions of beams, and only those that were defined as Frame members.
AISC 360-10 LOAD COMBINATIONS: The AISC 360-10 Load Combination template was based on ASCE 7-05 rather than ASCE 7-10. If the wind loads used in design were based on ASCE 7-10 the factors on wind loads in the combinations would have been incorrect.
Effect: Incorrect design loads due to an incorrect factor on wind loads if the AISC 360-10 combination was selected. Note that the AISC 360-10 templates have been removed; the appropriate IBC/ASCE 7 template should be selected and used.
OCCS, SCCS AND EBF COLUMNS AND BRACES*: For OCCS, SCCS and EFB columns and braces checked according to AISC 341-10, the calculated interaction followed the AISC 341-05 requirements instead of the AISC 341-10 requirements.
Effect: The reported interaction and some calculated parameters for OCCS, SCCS and EBF columns and braces code checked according to the AISC 341-10 code were incorrect and rather reflected AISC 341-05 code requirements.
SECTION D1.4a COLUMN CHECK: For OCBF, OCCS, and SCCS Moment Frame columns the check for Section D1.4a of the AISC341-10 report sometimes incorrectly reported whether the axial ratio was OK or NG.
Effect: The overall pass or fail check for Section D1.4a of the AISC341-10 column report did not correctly show whether the axial ratio interaction was OK or NG. The reported values were correct.
IMF JOINT CODE CHECK COLORS: Joint code check colors displayed for valid IMF joints using the AISC 341-05 and AISC 341-10 codes were incorrect.
Effect: Although joint code checks performed using the AISC 341-05 and AISC 341-10 codes were correct, the joint node colors displayed were incorrect for valid IMF joints.
STAR SEISMIC SUMMARY REPORT: The Star Seismic Summary report was missing from the Reports menu, and could not be accessed when there were Star Seismic Buckling Restrained Braces in the model.
Effect: Report was not available.
BEAM SHEAR CAPACITY*: The steel contribution to the concrete beam shear strength was not capped at the value 8sqrt(f'c) as required by ACI codes.
Effect: The shear strength of concrete beams and coupling beams may have been overestimated in some cases.
GRAVITY LOADS ON LATERAL MEMBERS*: Live loads on lateral members when gotten from RAM Frame were incorrect if there were both positive Live Load and negative Live Load cases but only one or the other of those cases was analyzed in RAM Frame.
Effect: The error, when it occurred, was very obvious and the loads used in design were very large.
VIEW UPDATE: The value of As Provided that corresponds to the cursor position in the moment diagram was not being updated to reflect the edited bars.
Effect: This affected all beams with edited reinforcement designed in any code except ACI. The design reports were correct.
VIEW UPDATE: Modifications to bar sets were not reflected in the View/Update dialog results.
Effect: This error occurred with spans having multiple bar sets where the user modified the bars. This only impacted BS 8110 and did not impact the design reports, which were correct.
GRAVITY LOADS ON LATERAL MEMBERS*: Live loads on lateral members when gotten from RAM Frame were set to 0.0 if there were both positive Live Load and negative Live Load cases but only one or the other of those cases was analyzed in RAM Frame.
Effect: Column Live Load was zero when the error occurred.
CLEAR COVER: A clear cover value of 1.57" rather than the expected 1.50" was being used when designing per ACI.
Effect: Very slightly smaller than expected flexural capacities due to the slightly farther placement of vertical steel from the face of the column.
COUPLING BEAMS*: The coupling beam design report showed an incorrect stirrup size if the coupling beam criteria were not set to use a uniform layout.
Effect: Incorrect stirrup size may have been listed on the report.
COUPLING BEAM SHEAR DESIGN SHEAR FORCES*: Coupling beams designed according to ACI 318-11, in which the special provisions are used, and in which diagonal reinforcing is not required: The design shear force Ve required per 21.5.4.1 (via 21.9.7.1) was not considered and instead the coupling beam was designed for the factored shear forces.
Effect: The design may have been incorrectly deemed adequate if coupling beam shears from the RAM Frame analysis were small enough that the shear Ve controlled.
EUROCODE EN 1992-1-1:2004 BAR SPACING*: Bar spacing requirements per EC 2 were implemented incorrectly. In some cases they may have been slightly in error.
Effect: Bar spacing checks for EC 2 may have been performed using incorrect limits.
MATERIAL TAKEOFF REPORT: Values reported for weight of concrete and weight of reinforcement for SI and Metric units were incorrect.
Effect: Report error only. Design was correct.
SHEAR WALL CUSTOM COMBINATIONS: Once custom combinations were created, they could not be deleted.
Effect: To ignore unwanted custom combinations it was necessary to deselect them before designing since they couldn’t be deleted.
Several errors were corrected in the commands to create new ISM repositories or to import from or to ISM repositories. These errors ranged from user interface errors to errors in creating or updating data. This version’s implementation of the ISM capabilities is much more robust than previous versions.