Anticipated Release Date: June 2023
This document contains important information regarding RAM SBeam. It is important that all users are aware of this information. Please distribute these release notes and make them available to all users of RAM SBeam.
Version Naming:
Bentley program versions are now identified by the year of release. This release is RAM SBeam 2023. Internally, the version number is v23.00.00.
Important Notices:
Unfortunately, it was necessary to change the format of the beam design files saved from the program. This means that any files saved previously are not compatible with this version and will not open; it will be necessary to reenter the information for those beams.
The previous steel tables supplied with the program will be replaced with new tables of the same name. If you have customized any Master or Design tables supplied with the program without changing the file names, those file names should be renamed from the original RAM table names prior to installation to prevent your changes from being lost.
Important License Information:
RAM SBeam is available through a Virtuoso Subscription, rather than a perpetual license. This is a subscription-based Bentley license providing a single user unlimited access to a product at a recurring annual payment. For more information, see: Introducing the RAM SBeam Virtuoso Subscription
The RAM SBeam Virtuoso Subscription can be purchased at virtuosity.com: http://virtuosity.com/product/ram-sbeam/
New Features and Enhancements:
RAM SBeam 2023 contains these powerful enhancements:
Canada S16-19 Design of Steel Structures
The steel design requirements for Canada CAN/CSA S16-19 have been implemented for gravity and frame beams, columns, and braces.
Updated Code Selection Dialog
The Code tab in the Design Criteria dialog has been streamlined to make it easier to select the desired code.
Updated UK Steel Design Tables
The UK Master Steel Tables and Design Tables have been updated, based on the Interactive Blue Book. The RAMUK and RAMUK_CF tables are identical except for the HS shapes; the RAMUK tables include the hot finished HS shapes, the RAMUK_CF tables include the cold finished HS shapes.
Castellated and Cellular Beams
Previously, if in Windows Settings – Time & Language the “Region” selection was anything other than United States or Canada, the option to design C-Beams (castellated and cellular beams) was hidden. This feature is now available regardless of region. Note that designs are only available based on AISC codes.
Invalid Load Warnings
In the Loads – Load Cases commands, if an attempt is made to add an invalid load such as a Concentrated load at a support or a load beyond the end of the beam, a warning is given and the addition prevented. However, it is possible, by adding or deleting a cantilever or by changing a span length after the loads have been defined, to create these invalid load conditions. The program now checks for these conditions when Design is invoked, issues a warning of the condition, and prevents the design from being performed until the condition is corrected.
Export from RAM Structural System
In the event that the deck table being used in RAM Structural System is different from that used in RAM SBeam, there may not be a match for the deck type assigned to the beam when the beam is exported from RAM Structural System. The program now detects that condition and sets the beam to noncomposite, with a notification. The user can, if desired, set the beam back to composite and specify the deck type and the composite properties in RAM SBeam.
Error Corrections:
Some errors in previous versions have been corrected in RAM SBeam 2023. The more significant errors are listed here. The error only occurred for the precise conditions indicated. Errors that may have resulted in un-conservative designs are shown with an asterisk. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
CONCENTRATED LOAD EXPORT*: When a beam was exported from RAM Structural System, concentrated loads may have been lost if there were negative Live concentrated loads (upward) defined at the same location as positive (downward) Live concentrated loads.
Effect: The export from RAM Structural System to RAM SBeam of point loads was not correctly performed when the number of concentrated loads included negative Live concentrated loads defined at the same location as positive Live concentrated loads.
COMPOSITE - UNSHORED DEFLECTION CRITERIA SAVE AS DEFAULT: Composite - Unshored Deflection Criteria would not be saved when Save As Default was selected on that tab.
Effect: Default changes for Composite - Unshored Deflection Criteria was not saved as expected.
MOMENT CAPACITY OF ASYMMETRIC I-SHAPED MEMBERS: In the calculation of the moment capacity of asymmetric I-shaped members in Section F4 of AISC 360-16, the reported moment capacity was erroneous when Iyc/Iy was greater than 0.23 (the program always used Rpc = 1.0 even when a larger value was permitted).
Effect: The program conservatively used a Rpc = 1.0 in the determination of the moment capacity.
BUILT-UP BOX SHAPES: The reported capacities of built-up box sections with slender elements designed according to AISC 360-05/10 Section F7 were incorrect.
Effect: Built-up box sections with slender elements designed according to AISC 360-05/10 reported incorrect capacities and consequently an incorrect interaction ratio when the design was governed by the limit states of Flange and Web Local Buckling.
SINGLY SYMMETRIC I-SECTIONS AND CHANNELS: For singly symmetric I-Sections and Channels with unequal flanges designed according to AISC 360-05/10, the reported bending capacity was conservative if Flange Local Buckling governed the design and the smaller of the unequal flanges was the compression flange.
Effect: When Flange Local Buckling of AISC 360-05 /10 governed the design of singly symmetric I-Sections and Channels with unequal flanges, the reported bending capacity of the governing section was conservative.
DEFLECTION LIMIT – SHORED COMPOSITE BEAM: The Dead Load deflection limit for shored composite beams listed in the Gravity Beam Design report was incorrect.
Effect: The design of shored composite beams was correctly performed but the report listed an incorrect Dead Load deflection limit. Report error only.
DEFLECTION LIMIT – NEGATIVE TOTAL DEFLECTION: The Negative Total deflection limit for the cantilever deflection of composite beams listed in the Gravity Beam Design report was incorrect.
Effect: Composite beams with cantilevers were correctly designed but the report listed incorrect limits for the Negative Total Deflection for the cantilevers. Report error only.
CAN/CSA S16 WWF SECTIONS: The table of steel shapes for Canada, RAMCAN.TAB, includes welded wide-flange (WWF) shapes. Due to a flawed symmetry test in the program, these WWF sections may have erroneously been determined to be asymmetric sections, and subsequently designed using the moment capacity equations applicable to asymmetric I-shapes.
Effect: The moment capacities of WWF shapes, which are symmetric, may have been erroneously (and conservatively) calculated using the requirements for asymmetric sections.
ASD 9TH USER-SPECIFIED DEMAND CAPACITY RATIO*: The controlling bending stress to allowable stress ratio for beams designed according to ASD 9th was not limited to the user-specified demand capacity ratio limit.
Effect: Although beams designed according to the ASD 9th Edition specification were correctly designed to the Code-based limits, a user-assigned demand capacity ratio limit other than 1.0 was not correctly enforced while checking the controlling bending stress to allowable stress ratio. Beam sizes that should have failed based on a user-specified DCR may have passed because the DCR was less than 1.0.