RAM Structural System CONNECT Edition Version 17.04.03 SES Release Notes
Release Date: January 19, 2023
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.
This is a minor release, correcting some issues that affected some users of v17.04 and earlier.
The Release Notes for v17.04 contain important information not included here in these abbreviated Release Notes. They can be found at:
Installation Instructions:
If you have enabled the CONNECTION Client you will automatically be notified of the newest version and will be able to update through that service by simply selecting the update command. Otherwise, this version can be found on the Bentley Software Fulfilment web page by logging into CONNECT Center and selecting the Software Downloads icon. Search for “RAM Structural System” and select the latest version.
Important Notices:
Models created in this version are compatible with models created in v17.04; no conversion is necessary. This version automatically converts databases created in previous versions to the new database format. Note that a backup file is created automatically when a database is converted; the name of the database is the same, with “Orig” and the version number appended to the name. The file has an extension of “.zip” and is located in the same directory as the original database.
The previous steel tables and load combination templates supplied with the program will be replaced with new tables and templates of the same name. If you have customized any Master or Design tables or load combination templates 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.
No changes were made to the Manuals for this version.
Security Risk Advisory:
Not applicable to this release. Every effort is made to ensure that there are no security risks in the software. There are no known security issues, no issues were addressed in this version.
Error Corrections:
This version corrects some significant errors, described below. We know errors are disruptive, we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
iTWIN / ISM
CONCRETE BEAM REINFORCEMENT EXPORT: Concrete beam reinforcement would not be exported when creating a new iTwin/ISM Repository.
Effect: Repository would be created but would be missing all concrete beam reinforcement information.
Frame – Analysis
LOADS ON TWO-WAY SLABS FROM TRANSFER WALLS*: The program ignored the loads on transfer gravity walls supported by two-way decks.
Effect: Point loads and line loads on transfer gravity walls were not applied to two-way decks on which the gravity walls were supported.
CRASH DURING ANALYSIS: The program may have crashed if Eigenvalue and a Response Spectra load case are analyzed together when no other load cases are selected, for models with frame walls.
Effect: Program crash.
PANEL ZONE ELEMENTS: The program failed to insert user-assigned panel zone elements if a panel zone element was assigned to both strong and weak axis direction of a column. If only strong or only weak axis direction assignment was done, the program would successfully add the panel zone element.
Effect: Panel Zone elements could not be assigned to both axes of a column. The program produced a warning message indicating that it failed to insert the panel zone elements.
Concrete – Column
EUROCODE CONCRETE COLUMN SLENDERNESS DETERMINATION*: The determination of the C coefficient used in the determination of lamda-lim may have been incorrect. EN 1992-1-1 Section 5.8.3.1 states that the value of C is 0.7 for members braced against sidesway when the moment from the analysis is less than the eccentric moment. This would be the case, for example, when the moment from the analysis is 0.0. It also states that the value of C is 0.7 for members not braced against sidesway. The program did not apply these requirements.
Effect: Potentially incorrect determination of whether or not a column was Slender.