Release Date: October 5, 2009
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 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.
This version can only be installed by downloading the installation file from the Bentley SELECT web site. It can be found on the Bentley SELECT Services Downloads and Updates web page at:
http://selectservices.bentley.com/en-US/Support/Downloads+And+Updates/
Select "Search Downloads" and log in using your User Name and Password. Perform a Search by searching for the "RAM Products", and select the latest version of the RAM Structural System.
CoreBrace™ Buckling Restrained Braces
CoreBrace™ buckling restrained braces are now available in the RAM Structural System. This enhancement to RAM Frame's buckling restrained brace capabilities allows the engineer to directly and easily assign the CoreBrace™ shapes to the braces. See [[CoreBrace™ Buckling Restrained Braces]] which outlines the procedure for using this feature.
Improved Analysis in RAM Concrete
Some modifications have been made to the Analysis in RAM Concrete that give better results. Two-way slab, wall and surrounding member force results may be affected by these changes:
Some program errors have been identified in V14.00.0x and corrected for Version 14.00.03. 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 un-conservative designs are shown with an asterisk. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Tables
CANADIAN MASTER STEEL TABLE*: The Flatbar section of the Canadian master steel table, RAMCAN.TAB, was missing the "rolled flag" column. This resulted in the dimensions being read in incorrectly which caused the section properties to be calculated incorrectly.
Effect: In RAM Frame, analysis and design of flat bar members using the Canadian master steel table were incorrect.
Framing Tables
MISSING WALL LOADS*: Any line or point load on a one-way deck that should have been distributed to a wall end directly would not get applied. This rare occurrence would only happen if the deck angle was such that a line or point load on the deck was aligned such that it should have been distributed directly to a wall end.
Effect: Any such point or line load would not be applied and included in the analysis.
MISSING COLUMN LOADS*: Any line load on a one-way deck that should have been distributed to branching columns (that is, where two or more columns slope together at the same point) directly would not get applied correctly; the full load was applied to one of the columns, it was not getting split between each of the columns. This rare occurrence would only happen if the deck angle was such that a line load on the deck was aligned such that it should have been distributed directly to branching columns.
Effect: Only one column got loaded in such a case and may have resulted in an unconservative design of the other columns.
TRANSFER COLUMN LOADS: When transfer columns were modeled such that they did not lie precisely on the intended beam, but were within 1" of the beam, and when the deck was one-way deck, the loads due to the transfer columns were getting applied twice on the beam.
Effect: Duplicate transfer column load applied to beams.
USER POINT LOAD: When user-assigned Point loads were modeled such that they did not lie precisely on the intended beam, but were within 1" of the beam, and when the deck was one-way deck, the loads due to the Point load were getting applied twice on the beam.
Effect: Duplicate user point load applied to beams.
MISSING LOADS*: If a layout type had more than one diaphragm, and at least one of those diaphragms had two-way deck and at least one of those diaphragms had one-way deck, the program failed to perform the load distribution for the beams, walls and columns in the diaphragm with one-way deck.
Effect: Obvious error, no loads were applied to the beams, walls and columns in that diaphragm.
RAM Frame - Analysis
TRANSFER LOADS*: Any transfer column base not lying within 0.01" of the supporting girder/wall and not sitting on a slab deck would be assigned as a foundation node for frame analysis.
Effect: Transfer column loads would not get transferred to beams and walls for such cases effecting member forces/ displacements in Frame Analysis. This only affected models where the columns were not modeled precisely.
RAM Concrete - Analysis
MISSING COLUMN LOADS*: Any line or point load on a one-way deck that should have been distributed to a column directly would not get applied. This rare occurrence would only happen if the deck angle was such that a line or point load on the deck was aligned such that it should have been distributed directly to a column.
Effect: Any such point or line load would not be applied and included in the analysis.
SURFACE LOAD DISTRIBUTION*: The surface load on two-way decks was sometimes not getting applied to the mesh nodes in the right proportion.
Effect: Slight error in member forces may have occurred. No loads were missing from the analysis, they were only applied to the mesh nodes incorrectly.
AS3600 MODULUS OF ELASTICITY*: When AS3600 (Australia) was selected, the modulus of elasticity was incorrectly based on the British Standard value.
Effect: Slightly incorrect modulus of elasticity values according to the AS3600 code.
RAM Concrete - Column Design
COLUMN DESIGN MOMENTS*: An incorrect minor axis design moment may have been used for design in certain instances. This error might have produced unconservative results only if the lower end minor axis moment was larger than the upper end minor axis moment.
Effect: Incorrect minor axis moment. This error did not occur if ACI 318 was the selected code.
COLUMN SLENDERNESS: When AS3600 (Australia) was selected, the column slenderness ratio was calculated incorrectly, leading to some short columns being classified as slender.
Effect: This could have resulted in overdesigned sections.
BIAXIAL MOMENTS: When AS3600 (Australia) was selected, for columns loaded with biaxial moments, the aspect ratio of the cross-section was being checked to not exceed a certain limit. This check does not apply since a rigorous biaxial interaction check is being performed according to AS3600 10.6.5.
Effect: Some columns were not getting designed.
INTERMEDIATE MOMENT FRAMES*: The design of columns in Intermediate Moment Frames according to ACI 318-05, 21.12.3 contained two errors: 1) the larger of the shears defined in (a) and (b) were used for the design shear force rather than the smaller of (a) and (b), and 2) The E term was not multiplied by 2 as directed by (b).
Effect: Incorrect design of IMF columns.