The RAM Concept PT Design Optimization feature is a cloud-based design tool that helps engineers save hours of engineering time while developing highly optimized post-tensioned concrete floor designs.

This article outlines the access and usage rules for this feature.

Current Access Rules

Currently, the PT Design Optimization feature is offered to all organizations with an active Bentley product license subscription. Although users have free access to the feature, Bentley Systems reserves the right to restrict access when usage is deemed excessive to control incurred cloud usage costs.

Bentley Systems does not invoice organizations for RAM Concept PT Design Optimization usage. If your organization has reached a cloud usage cap, you will not be invoiced for over usage at a later date but may be prevented from starting or resuming future optimizations. 

Access Rule History

The PT Design Optimization feature was first released as a general availability feature in RAM Concept v08.00.00. Between this release and the release of RAM Concept 2024, the feature was available to all organizations with an active qualifying Bentley product subscription. However, feature use was limited to a maximum monthly compute time restriction to protect Bentley System from incurring excessive cloud costs.

In RAM Concept 2024, significant updates were made to the cloud engine used by the PT Design Optimization feature, which significantly improved performance (faster calculation times), stability (fewer connection issues), and security (updated internal components). When RAM Concept 2024 was released, feature access was initially limited to organizations that were selected to participate in a limited feature access program. Following the release of RAM Concept v24.00.02, the access program was extended to all organizations with an active product license subscription.

The cloud engine used in RAM Concept v08.00.00 through RAM Concept v23.00.01 was deprecated at the time RAM Concept 2024 was released. This deprecation prevents users from opening the Optimization Manager or starting/resuming optimizations in versions older than RAM Concept 2024. A Bentley Cloud Services Sign In error is displayed in RAM Concept v08.00.00 through RAM Concept v23.00.01 when attempting to perform these operations.