Release Date: September 12, 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.
The Amendments to BS 8110 have now been implemented. The changes in the program are primarily associated with Amendment 3 and the use of 500 Grade reinforcement and the change in m in Amendment 2 when using 460 Grade reinforcement. The amendments were partially implemented previously; with the completion of the implementation the design results may be slightly different than in the previous version.
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.
DXF BASE PLAN: In the base plan DXF drawing, columns defined with "other material" were drawn as 1X6 sections irrespective of the actual defined size in Modeler. Also, concrete columns were drawn rotated by 90 degrees with respect to their actual orientation.
Effect: Incorrect drawings.
CONCRETE WALL PROPERTIES: Changing the concrete properties of concrete walls using Change Properties or Change Material while in elevation view didn’t work.
Effect: Concrete material properties didn’t change, but there was no indication that the change failed.
LOADS ON CANTILEVER TIPS*: If a line load was oriented parallel to and aligned with a cantilever beam (but not on the beam) and the deck was also parallel to that beam such that the line load should have been distributed to the cantilever tip, the load was ignored.
Effect: This was a very rare error because it involved a very rare configuration. When it occurred it resulted in incorrect loads on cantilever beam and other supporting member and also may have affected the design of some members in the structure.
STEEL HANGER LOADS*: If a steel hanger extended down through a level that contained only a two-way slab to additional steel framing below, then the loads from hanger were not transferred to the supporting member for the hanger.
Effect: In an extremely rare configuration the loads on the supporting member were not transferred resulting in incorrect loads and design of supporting member. It also affected the loads and design of any hanging columns above the two way levels.
UNREDUCIBLE LIVE LOAD*: If the user assigned an explicit Live Load Reduction factor in the Modeler (rather than having the program calculate the Live Load Reduction factor), Unreducible live loads were being reduced by that user-specified percent.
Effect: In that case, Unreducible Live Loads were reduced. Note that the error did not occur if the option to use the calculated value of Live Load Reduction was specified (which is the normal condition).
WEB PENETRATION MOMENT: For beams with cantilevers or beams with upward-acting Live Loads, the moments used in design of web penetrations were incorrect. The contribution of partition loads to the moment at the location of web penetrations were not accounted for while the live load contribution to the moment was doubled.
Effect: The moments used in the design of web openings were incorrect if the beam had a cantilever or if the beam supported upward-acting Live Loads. Designs which would have otherwise passed the web penetration check may have been failed.
BS5950 LONGITUDINAL REINFORCEMENT: For composite beam designs where the user specified that rib spacing be ignored when determining stud spacing for the Split Deck condition, the reported Longitudinal shear, v, was incorrect.
Effect: Although beam designs were correct, the reported Longitudinal shear, v, under the Transverse Reinforcing Section of the BS5950 report was incorrect when the user specified that the rib spacing be ignored in the determination of stud spacing for the Split Deck condition. The results were conservative.
DYNAMIC REACTIONS WITH SIGN NOT INCLUDED*: Incorrect reactions were reported for dynamic load cases if the "Include sign" option for dynamic load cases was not selected.
Effect: The reported dynamic reactions were not correct. If the option was selected, the reported values were correct.
ASCE7-10 STABILITY COEFFICIENTS REPORT*: The reported stability coefficients were divided by the "Importance" factor.
Effect: The reported stability coefficients were not correct if the importance factor was not 1.0.
CANADA S16-01 CLAUSE 13.9(b)*: For members in axial tension and bending the weak axis bending interaction ratio with its associated axial term was erroneously included in the interaction of Clause 13.9(b).
Effect: If Eq 13.9(b) should have been the controlling design condition and the tension member had both strong and weak axis bending, the design may have been incorrect.
AISC 341-10 ASD SCWB*: The Strong Column – Weak Beam check performed for AISC 341-10 for ASD code was incorrect.
Effect: The 1.5 factor used with ASD was incorrectly applied in the column and beam summation equations needed for the SCWB ratio.
AISC 341-10 SCWB*: The Strong Column – Weak Beam check did not include load combinations with amplified seismic load terms.
Effect: Although all other design checks were correct, the SCWB check using the AISC341-10 specification failed to include load combinations that included an amplified seismic load term.
AISC 341-10 TABLE D1.1*: Limitations in Table D1.1 were not correctly enforced for single angles, double angles, Tees, Round HSS, Rectangular HSS and Channel sections.
Effect: Although all other member checks were correct, width/thickness ratio limitations per Table D1.1 were not correctly enforced.
AISC 341-10 Table D1.1* I-Sections: Footnote limitations in Table D1.1 were not correctly enforced for I-Sections.
Effect: Although all other beam checks were correct, limitations on beams, columns and braces were not correctly enforced.
AISC 341-05 IMF JOINT CHECK REPORT: The report section on Continuity Plates was omitted when the AISC 358-05 criteria option was selected.
Effect: Although the IMF Joint Check performed was correct, the report omitted the section on Continuity Plates when the AISC 358-05 criteria option was selected.
BEAM DEFLECTION*: The reported deflection at the end of stub cantilevers was incorrect.
Effect: Incorrect design for deflection for stub cantilevers.
LONG TERM DEFLECTION*: In the calculation of lambda per ACI 318-99 Eq (9-10), the program incorrectly based this calculation on the area of tension steel instead of compression steel.
Result: Incorrect calculation of long term deflections.