3.4 Other Modeling

Most structures can be modeled by the  Top of Steel - Center approach except for a few members in the model. There are two approaches that can be taken for these members:

1. 1.       Optimize the model for ISM interoperability (use Include Member Offsetsand include rigid links)
2. 2.       Simplify the model for STAAD (do not use Include Member Offsets and no rigid links will be generated)

For these models, changes to the other node generation options have greater influence.

Using Offsets (Rigid Links)

If Include Member Offsets is used, STAAD.Pro will consider the ISM member’s Location, Placement Point, Orientation and Section to calculate an offset from the node so member can be located in the STAAD.Pro model in its true physical position. The following node generation settings are recommended:

Tip: In most models, the Plane Merging Tolerance can be set to a huge value (such as 10m) with no harm. You might try that value first and adjust it only if you do not like the resulting model.

If section sizes change in STAAD.Pro, STAAD.Pro will update the ISM model such that the ISM members’ centroid locations match the STAAD member locations. This may or may not be what is desired. If this results in undesirable Location changes, these changes can be rejected in Structural Synchronizer, or fixed in ProStructures.

Not Using Offsets (no Rigid Links)

If Include Member Offsets is not used, the STAAD.Pro member will be placed between its node locations, with no offsets. The following settings are recommended:

Tip– In most models, the Plane Merging Tolerance can be set to a huge value (such as 10m) with no harm. You might try that value first and adjust it only if you do not like the resulting model.

When Include Member Offsets is not used and the model is not centerline or centerline-top-of-steel, STAAD.Pro will attempt to move some members when updating the ISM repository. These movement changes can be rejected in Structural Synchronizer or fixed in ProStructures.

3.5 Inaccurate Modeling

If the structure is modeled in ProStructures “by eye” or not using snapping tools appropriately to create an accurate model, ISM may have greater difficulty in creating an appropriate set of nodes. Nodes that are slightly out of alignment may cause STAAD.Pro to break members into pieces, and may result in location changes when updating the ISM model from STAAD.

ISM must respect small intentional non-alignments (such as a roof that is sloped at 1%), and this prevents ISM from straightening accidental alignments of similar magnitude. We recommend a modeling accuracy of 1:1000. For example, two parallel beams should not be out of parallel by more than 1mm in a meter length.

When less accurate modeling is used, tolerances used in node generation may need to be increased, which risks unintended side effects.

4 Using Structural Synchronizer to Minimize Difficulties

Structural Synchronizer contains many features that facilitate efficient management of changes. For an overview of change management features, refer to Section 5 “Using The Structural Synchronizer” in the IsmQuickStart_en.pdf document that installs with the program. This Tech Note provides additional details and examples.

4.1 Levels Control

ISM files organize the contents into “levels” (levels  are the MicroStation term analogous to “layers” in AutoCAD™). The Levels control can be used to choose what is displayed graphically, which makes selecting items easier.

Levels Control in Structural Synchronizer

4.2 Sample Scenario – Brace Changes

In this scenario, a model has brace locations (in the physical structure that were not aligned by one of the centroid modeling options (refer to Section 3.2 and Section 3.3). When updating the ISM repository from the STAAD.Pro model, you might find unintended changes to the brace locations you want to reject. However, there may be other changes you may want to keep (e.g., material, section, etc.).

Use the following procedure to simplify rejecting changes:

1. Use the Levels control to show only the Braces level.
2. Select all the braces using the Element Selection tool. Alternately, you could select only the modified ones, and skip Step 3.
3. Select the Modified filter to show only modified items in the table. Now the properties pane will show the properties of all of the modified braces.
4. In the Properties table, reject the Location change.

Note: If the Location property is not editable (e.g., it is grayed-out and inactive), you will need to unselect any brace in the Objects pane that does not have the Location property changed before Step 4.

4.3 Sample Scenario – Brace Changes (another alternative)

For the same problem described in Section 4.2, if the braces all share the same section size, the following approach could be used:

1. Use the Element Selection tool to select a single brace in the graphical view window.
2. In the Properties pane, click on the section link (the Section property value is a hyperlink). The section will become selected.
3. Click on the Used By Curve Members link in the Properties pane. All the Curve Members (e.g., beams, columns, and braces) that use the section will be selected
4. If the selection is not appropriate, there are two options here for changing it.

Option 1 - Sort using the Objects pane (by Tag or Status)

And use the Clear All button and the checkboxes to select the appropriate members.

Option 2 – Click on the Isolate tool  and use the Element Selection tool to remove an undesired items.

        5. Reject the Location change.

Note: If the Location property is not editable (i.e., it is grayed-out and inactive), return to step 4.

5 Troubleshooting Common Issues

This section lists common issues which can arise when using STAAD.Pro in conjunction with an ISM repository. The solutions paired with each problem present notes on how to address each. Please refer to previous sections of this document for additional details.

Problem: A member does not move in STAAD.Pro, even though it has moved in the ISM repository.

Solution: Set the Node Member Separation Factor to a smaller value.

Appendix A – Descriptions of Individual STAAD.Pro Settings

A detailed description of each of the node generation options is given below

Include Member Offsets

For import from ISM into STAAD.Pro, the Include Member Offsets setting causes STAAD.Pro to consider the Location, Placement Point and Section of the ISM member and convert those values into appropriate offsets from the node locations to place the STAAD.Pro member at its true physical location. If the setting is not used, STAAD.Pro places the member directly between its nodes.

For export from STAAD.Pro to ISM, the Include Member Offsets setting causes STAAD.Pro to consider the offsets to calculate the ISM Location for the member. If the setting is not used, STAAD.Pro sets the ISM Location for the member to be between the STAAD.Pro nodes.

Method for Fixing Nodes

There are four options for fixing (correcting) the nodes generated by ISM.

None– This option does not perform any correction.

Move Nodes to Analytical Lines– This option aligns the nodes in each member such that all the nodes are located on a line between the first and last node.

Move Nodes to Common Planes– This option investigates the planes defined by the cross section axes for each member. Where connected members have parallel planes the members, their nodes and their planes are considered simultaneously. Once a collection of parallel planes and associated nodes is found, the best plane for fitting the nodes is determined, and all the nodes are moved to that plane.

Move Nodes to Analytical Lines and Common Planes– The option combines the previous two options, with the Common Plane adjustment occurring before the Analytical Lines adjustment.

Tolerances for Fixing Nodes

Connectivity Tolerance

This distance is the maximum separation between two member’s simplified (extruded rectangle) volumes that will trigger a node to be generated connecting the two members.

Node Merging Tolerance

This distance is the maximum separation between two nodes that will always be merged together into a single node.

Plane Merging Tolerance

This distance is the maximum distance a node will be moved when performing the Move Nodes to Common Planes adjustment.

Node Member Separation Factor

This factor is used to determine how far a node can be from a member and still be “reasonable” for the member. This reasonable test is used to determine if a member should be disconnected from a node (which may in turn cause the node to be deleted). The factor is multiplied by a distance based on the member’s largest cross section dimension, and the largest cross section dimension of any other member connected to the same node. The distances are measured from the centroid line of the members.

See Also

Capabilities and Limitations

Best Practices Documents

Modeling and Node Generation Best Practices

STAAD.Pro Loads and ISM 

ISM Revit Plug-in

ISM Import into Tekla Structures

ISM Change Management - Accepting Some Revised Properties but Rejecting Others

Installation

How can I find the ISM installer?

Can't Install the 32-bit Version on a 64-bit Operating System

Synchronizer Won't Install due to Prerequisites

ISM Toolbar Buttons Grayed out

Solutions

Boundary Is Not Valid Error

Cannot Find Suitable RSS Level for the given ISM Curve Member

Disable ProjectWise Integration with ISM

Error-Could not start a Responsive Engine

How to remove incorrectly mapped section properties while importing ISM repository into STAAD.Pro

ProStructures ISM Section and Material Mapping

ISM - IFC Import Details

ISM 8.11.09.130 crashes on startup

ISM Import or Export Unhandled Exception Occurred 

ISM Import to RAM Elements Beams Not Segmented

ISM Log Files

ISM Nodes into RAM Structural System

ISM Rotate RAM Model

ISM Section mapping and STAAD.pro

ISM Toolbar Buttons Grayed Out

Not a Valid ISM DGN Repository Exception

RAM Manager Crashes when using ISM - New From Repository

Ram SS - ISM Missing Rebar or Deleting All Objects on Update

SACS - ISM Import of Plates (Walls & Slabs)

Tekla Structures v.20 ISM Mixed Mode Assembly Error

Not Able to Import/Export with ISM in STAAD.Pro

Unable to create host MainForm error in STAAD.Pro

Error Previous IsmStructuralPropertyCatalog initialization failed

Tuesday, 20 August 2013

The information in this document has been prepared for STAAD.pro SELECTseries 5 which has not been publically released yet.

Introduction

The STAAD.Pro analysis model can integrate with an ISM physical model using the StrucLink ISM module.  During development of the analysis model, STAAD.Pro will include loading data on the analytical elements.  This means that any update on the STAAD.Pro model using the menu option ‘File > Update from ISM Repository’ which includes changes in the physical model, can result in significant changes in the analytical model and the loading which was defined on one member may need to be redefined or moved to another location or member.  This document outlines the current scope of the changes that are managed automatically and highlights loading that will require user intervention.

When a STAAD.Pro model is updated from an ISM repository, changes from the repository will result in the following key changes in the STAAD.Pro model:-

1.      New physical members added into the ISM repository. 
These will be imported into STAAD.Pro and will create a one or more new analytical members to represent the new physical member.  Additionally, if they are found to lie on exiting analytical members, these members will be split and any loading defined on the original member will be evaluated and may be redefined or re-allocated to maintain the equivalent distribution.

2.      Existing physical members deleted.
The analytical members that represented the deleted physical members will be removed with any loading that was assigned to them.  If a deleted member was spanning between two supporting beams, then the supporting beam would have been divided into a number of analytical parts to ensure correct analytical connectivity.  If the removal of the member does not require the supporting beams to remain split, they will be merged and the loading re-defined to maintain the equivalent distribution.

3.      Existing members moved.
Moving of physical members can result in both the above effects taking place.

The following outlines the effects on the loading defined on the analytical model and describes what loading is handled automatically and what needs to be managed by the engineer after running an update.

Loading Types

Member Loads

There are 10 types of member load that can be defined on a STAAD.Pro model.  The STAAD.Pro ISM StructLink module currently automatically manages the following member load definitions during an update:

• UNI, uniform force
• UMOM, uniform moment
• CON, concentrated moment
• CMOM, concentrated moment
• LIN, linearly varying
• TRAP, trapezoidal

Loading of these types on members that are split or merged due to changes in the geometry of the physical model are managed and may be changed to provide an equivalent loading pattern.

Therefore, if a member is split due to the addition of a member or due to the move of a member so that it now interacts with an existing member line, any of the above loads will be positioned on the new set of members.

Action Required:- None

Example

Consider the following model which has loading on members which are affected by a change in the ISM model:

Updated model with cross member deleted, support beams combined:

Add a member that divides existing members:

Analysis model updated:

These other member loads are currently not managed during an update and should be managed by the engineer are less commonly used:

• TEMPERATURE
• PRE/POST STRESS
• FIX END
• STRAIN

Action Required:- Members that have been subject to these 4 load types should be reviewed and if modified by the update, should have the loading reassigned for the updated geometry.

Self weight

Self-weight can be used in STAAD.Pro either without a specific member list. 

a)    If the selfweight command is defined without a specific named list, then no action is needed.

b)    If the selfweweight command is defined with a specific named list, then:

1. If new members are created during an update, by the addition of a new member or by splitting an existing member, these are not automatically managed and will need to be manually added into the selfweight command.
2. If members are removed, say by merging a member, then they are removed from the selfweight list.

Action Required:- None

Node Loads

Nodes are always retained, thus node loads are also retained.  However, it may be that during the update, removal of members can leave nodes isolated from the main structure and will need to be manually re-located back on the structure. 

Recommendation, it may be better to use member concentrated loading instead of node loads so that it is clear what the intension of a load at a point which is a junction of several members so that if a member is moved, the load can move with the appropriate member.

Action Required:- Check for isolated nodes using the menu item ‘Tools>Check Orphan Nodes’ and convert to member loads

Floor and Area Loading

STAAD.Pro supports two methods for creating loads on members using a definition of a zone which is used to calculate loads on members.

• FLOOR, this can create either 1 or 2 way or loading by defining either:-
  • A group of members which are then used to determine closed loops within which the loading is assigned and then a calculation performed to establish the loading to apply to these members.
  • A zone in 3D space and let STAAD.Pro find the members in that space, and use all these members to find closed loops of members in a given plane, then apply loading in that area, establish the loading that then gets assigned to the members of the loops.
• AREA, this is a legacy command and not a recommended method due to a number of significant limitations in the algorithm.

The update process manages members that are in load groups such that

1. If a member is removed from the model as it has been deleted, thus is removed from the group definition.
2. If members are merged into a new member, the resulting member is maintained in the group.
3. If members are split due to the introduction of a new member, then all the new parts are included in the group.  However, note that the analysis members formed from the new physical members are not considered part of the group.  If this is required, then it should be managed by the engineer.

Action Required:- Where a member is inserted into an area that has been defined as a member group for floor loading and intended as a load bearing member, add into the floor group definition.  Where the volumetric form of the floor load command is used and a whole structure move has been implemented, the definition of the volume should be updated by the engineer to suit the new location of the model.

Reference Loads

Reference load cases are similar to primary load cases, but not analysed.  These cases include similar load items to the primary load cases and should behave in the same way.  The same limitations exist for the equivalent load items that exist in Primary load cases.

Action Required:- Follow the same guidance as for the equivalent loading as in primary load cases.

Finite Element (Plate and Solid) and Surface Loading

STAAD.Pro does not support integration of finite elements (i.e. plates and solids) or the STAAD.Pro surface with ISM, thus loading on these entities is not an issue.

Action Required:- None

Seismic Loads

A seismic definition can include loading to determine the mass matrix.  These take the same form as the loading found in a regular load case and are managed with the same limitations.

Note that alternatively, the mass can be taken from a Reference Load case where the type is defined as MASS (see reference load cases above).

Action Required:- Follow the same guidance as for the equivalent loading as in primary load cases.

Dynamic Loads

The solution of a dynamic analysis is dependent on the geometry and a mass matrix.  The mass matrix is defined once and can be:-

1. A Reference Load Case classed as MASS (see Reference Load Cases above)
2. Loads included in the first Time History load case
3. Loads included in the first Response Spectrum load case

Therefore any loads that have been included in a Time History or Response Spectrum load case to determine the mass matrix will be affected in the same way as when used in the regular static loading condition.

Time History.  The definition of a time history forcing function is not affected by any changes by the ISM updates.  However, the forcing functions are assigned to nodes and any modification on nodes, such as deletion would impact this.  As nodes of deleted members are not deleted, the applied loads remain, but it may be that merging the member leaves nodes unconnected to the model which means they would need to be manually reintroduced into the model.

Response Spectrum.  No part of a Response Spectrum definition or application is dependent on the changes that take place during an ISM update.

Action Required:- Check any loaded nodes that may have been disconnected due to deletion or movement of members these may need to be reintroduced into the analysis model

Moving Load

Moving Loads are specified in 2 parts, the definition of the vehicle and the inclusion in a load case. 

The definition is an independent load definition, not affected by any modification by the ISM updates.  However, this definition is given an absolute starting point and direction, hence any global offset of the model would need to be replicated in the starting position.

Action Required:- None

Wind Load

Wind loads are defined in 2 parts, the definition of the wind, typically in terms of intensity over height, and then the inclusion of this in a load case.  The actual resolution of the loading onto the members is done at analysis time; hence changes in the model due to ISM update do not affect the result.

There is one area where a modification by ISM can impact on a wind analysis.  Part of the definition can be an EXPOSURE parameter; this is intended to allow local reductions (on increase) in forces due to the wind at specific nodes on the model.  If the nodes are modified/removed, these definitions will need to be reviewed.  This has to be a manual procedure.

Additionally, the extent of the structure subject to wind loading can be constrained by a number of dimensions in the global axes.  If the model has been modified with a global move, then this will need to be modified.

Action Required:- Check nodes that have been removed or added to ensure if they need to be included/removed from the exposure list.

Snow Loading

Snow loading is defined in 2 parts, a definition which is generic and not affected by the structure and an assignment in a load case in which the zone in which it is applied is defined by a FLOOR GROUP.  Hence the issue of floor loading defined above (i.e. groups that have members split with the introduction of new members not getting added to the GROUP) will impact on the snow loading.

Action Required:- Where a member is inserted into an area that has been defined as a member group for snow loading and intended as a load bearing member, add it into the floor group definition. 

Summary

The main loading types are automatically updated, but it is still prudent to review all the loading after an update to ensure that the loading on the updated geometry adequately reflects the specific engineering requirements for the analysis that is to be performed.

See Also

Capabilities and Limitations

Problem Description

Users are unable to install Structural Synchronizer V8i SELECT series 5 version  08.11.11.46, getting a message that indicates, "32-bit version of Structural Synchronizer cannot be installed on 64-bit Operating System."

Solution

There are 2 installers for Structural Synchronizer that can be downloaded and installed from My SELECT CD or the Fulfillment center. Only the 32-bit version (x86) can be installed on 32-bit operating systems, and only the 64-bit version (x64) can be installed on 64-bit operating systems.

When downloading some products that list Synchronizer as a dependency, the listed version of Synchronizer may not be the matching one for the computer where it's being installed.

See Also

Integrated Structural Modeling Home

Problem Description

Users are unable to install “Structural Synchronizer V8i version  08.11.09.130”, getting a message that indicates, "Check internet connection and restart the setup or provide proxy settings".

Solution

The Structural Synchronizer 08.11.09.130 installer tries to install several Microsoft components through an internet connection. If your system cannot reach the Microsoft domain in order to install these prerequisites, then the installation will stop.

One solution is to manually install all of the prerequisites, but those installations still must be obtained from Microsoft’s website.

Alternatively, Bentley Technical Support can send a very large installer with all of the prerequisites built in.

See Also

Integrated Structural Modeling Home

Problem Description

If the Structural Synchronizer SS5 is installed along with ProjectWise Navigator, then the ProjectWise Log in dialog will be presented by default when starting the Viewer, Editor etc. When ProjectWise Navigator is not installed this option will not appear.

To view an ISM repository from the local drive, simply click [Cancel] and the normal Windows file browser will appear.

Solution

To completely disable the ProjectWise integration, locate the file Structural synchronizer.exe.config normally located in the folder: 

C:\Program Files\Bentley\Engineering\StructuralSynchronizer V8i SS5\Bin\Synchronizer

and edit the file with any text editor (e.g Notepad).

Within the file, look for the line that says:

     <add key="disableProjectWiseIntegration" value="false" />

and change the "false" to "true". Then save and close the file.

See Also

Integrated Structural Modeling Home

 Problem Description

When trying to perform an ISM function, like Create Repository, from and ISM enabled application, the process fails with a message indicating, "An internal error occurred. Could not start a responsive Engine."

Solution

Reboot the PC. The problem may involve the current state of the .NET framework which was affected by another installation. Rebooting the computer generally solves it. 

See Also

Integrated Structural Modeling Home

Problem

The ISM Viewer application crashes when started reporting a problem with the Bentley Updater Component.

Solution

Update to SELECTseries 5 release 8.11.11.50 manually

See Also

[[How can I find the ISM installer?]]

[[Integrated Structural Modeling Home]]

Where can I find the ISM Log files?

The ISM applications keep a running log of activity on the local hard drive. These log files can be helpful in debugging application crashes in particular.

On a Windows 7 (or Vista) machine, the logs are located here:

C:\ProgramData\Bentley\Logs

On Windows XP the location is:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Bentley\Logs

These locations may be hidden from the user unless the Explorer option to "Show hidden files and folders" is selected.

When working with Technical Support on ISM related issues it's always helpful to include these log files.

See Also

Integrated Structural Modeling Home

Problem Description

When using the RAM Manager - ISM - New from repository, RAM Manager may crash and no model is generated.

Solution

In some cases the problem is limited to complex structures where the generation of additional nodes causes an exception. To rule this out, step through the import process again, and on the second screen of options called "operation Settings" uncheck the first option on the left to "Add missing nodes"

If the process still crashes, send the repository to the technical support group through a forum post or Service Request and reference this article.

See Also

Integrated Structural Modeling Home

Support Solutions

RAM | STAAD Support Solutions including links for Release Notes, documented Defects and Enhancements and more.

Structural Analysis and Design products

See Also

• Structural Integration and the Structural Dashboard
• Structural Detailing products
• Bridge Analysis products
• Pipe Stress Analysis products

Resources

• Structural Support Solutions
• Bentley Structural Team Blog
• Structural Analysis Product Forums

Hello all,

I am looking for an ISM 5.0 revit exporter as my company is is using RAM steel which only seems to be compatible with ISM 5.0 and below.

The tech notes and FAQs in this section cover various topics that pertain to Structural DocumentationCenter.

• [[Manually Creating Plan Views in Structural DocumentationCenter TN]]
• [[Grid Systems in Structural DocumentationCenter TN]]
• [[Sheet Model Titles in Structural DocumentationCenter TN]]
• [[Editing Callout Text Fields in Structural DocumentationCenter TN]]
• [[Scaling the Drawing Title Label in Structural DocumentationCenter TN]]
• [[View Clipping in Structural DocumentationCenter TN]]
• [[Starting a New Project in Structural DocumentationCenter TN]]
• [[Controlling Joist Visibility in Structural DocumentationCenter TN]]
• [[Member Label Appearance in Structural DocumentationCenter TN]]
• [[Linking Callouts to Typical Details in Structural DocumentationCenter TN]]
• [[If Callout Number Don't Fill In in Structural DocumentationCenter TN]]
• [[Modifying Links to Callouts in Structural DocumentationCenter TN]]
• [[Manipulating Element Labels in Structural DocumentationCenter TN]]

Eigen Value Error Messages

The Eigen Value (eigenvalue) error message is given when the program cannot calculate all the requested mode shapes of the building.

The most common cause is an instability in the model. It is also possible to get an instability error instead. 

The first step is to analyze the Dead Load or any single gravity load case individually and correct any reported instabilities.

The error can also occur when there is an extreme inequality between the mass and stiffness at different levels. In buildings with partial levels, this is common, as there are some levels that do not have many lateral members framing to the diaphragm. Often, the mass for these levels is small, but highly eccentric in relation to the adjacent levels. Sometimes, the masses can be lumped with adjacent levels, either above or below, in order to simplify the model and allow the program to run. This can be done using the Loads - Masses command, and changing the value in the Combine cell for such levels.

A model will sometimes run with a reduced number of modes. The program default is to solve 3 modes per rigid diaphragm in the model. The first 3 modes are typically the controlling modes so running the analysis with fewer modes may be acceptable. To do this create a new load case called "Modes" of the type, Dynamic - Eigen Solution. When you click [Add] you will be prompted to select the desired number of modes (see illustration).

Sometimes these problems are caused from having highly flexible or unstable structures. If the exact modes shapes are not required, you can solve the problem by assigning the period (or frequency) for the lateral load case(s) explicitly, so that the program does not have to calculate it.

For seismic loads, this is done by setting T=Ta (or "Use Method A" in the UBC code) under the "T" heading in the load case definition (see illustration). The program will then use the approximate period of the building, and will not have to calculate the modes. If you analyze the building using the approximate period, you can observe the deflection at each level, and also review the loads and applied forces so that you can see how much load is being applied at each level.

For wind loads per IBC or ASCE, the same type of thing can be done in relation to the building frequencies. Set the frequency of the building in both directions to n=1 Hz (or some other estimated value) and also set the Gust Factor = 0.85 to avoid having wind loads which require an eigen solution (see illustration).

Please note that performing the eigen solution to calculate the period in conjunction with P-Delta can be more difficult for the program to solve. The softening of the stiffness matrix performed as part of the P-Delta analysis can even lead to an instability for the eigen solution where the second order effects are large. Likewise, solving the eigen solution for a dynamic load case with eccentricity requires 4 times as many modes compared to concentric analysis. When tension-only braces are used in a model, 50% of those members stiffness are considered in the eigen solution.

For additional information related to semi-rigid diaphragms and the eigen solution, please refer to the links below.

Ritz Vectors - Version 14.06.00 and later

In version 14.06.00, an alternate method for calculating modal results using Ritz vectors was added as a feature in RAM Frame. Ritz vectors use an approximate method that produces results that are the same or nearly the same as the Eigen analysis. Generally, Ritz vectors are faster and more reliably converge to the solution. Because Ritz vectors converge more reliably, they are another tool that can be used to resolve Eigenvalue errors.

In version 15.00 a third option for performing the Eigenvalue analysis (periods and modes) was added, Lanczos Eigenvalue solver. The new solver has some remarkable advantages over the other two solutions: the new solver is faster than other two solutions (i.e., subspace iteration and Ritz vectors solution) and it consumes significantly less memory and it is a very robust solution (the Lanczos implementation is an open source code developed by Rice University and widely used in academia and in industry).

When eigenvalue errors occur, we suggest starting with the Ritz vector option and trying the others as needed. 

The Eigenvalue analysis option is selected in RAM Frame - Analysis mode - Criteria - General:

See Also

RAM SS Semirigid Diaphragms

RAM Instability In Finite Element Analysis

[[RAM Frame - Dynamic Analysis FAQ]]

From the Release Notes we know that STAAD Foundation Advanced Version 8.2.0.31 replaces STAAD.foundation 5.3. Now with a STAAD.Pro license we can run the STAAD Foundation limited version which allows us to design a limited number of general foundation types.

What are specific type of General Foundation can be designed with STAAD Foundation Limited Version ?

The following Release Notes are provided as a reference by Bentley's Technical Support Group.

RAM Elements

Latest Major Version

• RAM Elements CONNECT Edition v14.0.0.240 Release Notes

Previous Versions

• RAM Advanse V9.6.x Release Notes
• RAM Elements V10.0.1 Release Notes
• RAM Elements V10.0.2 Release Notes
• RAM Elements V10.5 Release Notes
• RAM Elements V11.0 Release Notes
• RAM Elements V12.0 Release Notes
• RAM Elements V12.1 Release Notes
• RAM Elements V12.5 Release Notes
• RAM Elements V12.5.1 Release Notes
• RAM Elements V12.5.2 Release Notes
• RAM Elements V13.0 Release Notes
• RAM Elements V13.0.3 Release Notes
• [[RAM Elements V13.2.0 Release Notes]]
• [[RAM Elements V13.3.0 Release Notes]]
• RAM Elements v13.4 Release Notes (full version)
• RAM Elements v13.4.1.208 Release Notes
• RAM Elements v13.5.0.227 Release Notes

RAM Elements CONNECT Edition v14.0 Release Notes

RAM Elements CONNECT Edition v14.00.00.240 Release Notes – Updated August 2017

Enhancements:

1. CONNECT Edition. This release is part of the new Bentley product generation called CONNECT Edition, which succeeds the V8i generation that has been in place for the past several years. While not all Bentley products will move to CONNECT Edition this year, the RAM products are part of the first wave of applications moving to this exciting new release. In addition to a new name, the product icon has a new look as shown below. Aside from this, the software looks and feels the same way it always has. As the name suggests, the theme of the CONNECT Edition is a set of new features and services that will better connect project team members within and across organizations and enable easier access to resources such as learning materials. This collective set of services is called Bentley Cloud Services. The portal to this can be accessed from the RAM Elements new backstage. The set of cloud-based services available in the first CONNECT Edition releases will represent just a fraction of what will become available over the coming months and years.
2. RAM Elements now includes ACI 318-14: Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete for the design of beams, columns, shear/bearing walls, tilt-up walls, retaining walls and footings.
3. Update to the TMS 402-13/ACI 530-13/ASCE 5-13: Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures, including ASD, SD and Seismic Requirements.
4. Addition to AISC 360-10 for the analysis and design of structural members subjected to torsional loading per Design Guide 9: Torsional Analysis of Structural Steel Members.
5. Addition to AISC Seismic Provision of the Column-Beam Moment Ratio according to AISC 341-05 Section 9.6 and/or AISC 341-10 Section E3.4, otherwise known as the “strong column – weak beam check”.
6. This version includes design and corresponding database for ASTM A1085: Specification for Hollow Structural Sections (HSS).
7. Incorporates AISI S100-12: North American Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members
8. Improvement to the member load that come from a load area distribution, since they now follow the shape of their tributary area accurately instead of always being uniform
9. Support for built-up sections in the ISM 6.0 interoperation.
10. New and improved version of the analysis engine Bentley.Str.FEALib.
11. New option to view member description by color in 3D (before this was just possible in wireframe).
12. New colors for member and shell stresses based on discriminable colors for people with color vision deficiency.
13. New ribbon style with cleaner look.
14. New Backstage view to manage models, file operations, interoperate with other software, adjust personal information and setting options.
15. RAM Elements now includes Bentley CONNECT Advisor v10.1.0 which is a CONNECT service enabling Bentley users to have real time access to LEARN content, recommendations for more productive workflows and the ability to embed an Expert Engineer to their CONNECTED project.

Resolved Issues:

1. Fix to the AISC 360 steel member compression design for WT sections. The critical segment for classification was being selected according to moment which was incorrect. The whole section is considered under compression, thus, the critical segment should be the same regardless of the moment.
2. The Concrete Wall module was incorrectly reporting that boundary elements were required for some load combinations. The calculation for the boundary conditions is fixed and now it properly shows the warning just for the load combinations that demand it.
3. For tapered members with compact and non-compact sections, lateral torsional buckling was not being checked. This is fixed and the lateral torsional buckling is now calculated for all tapered members regardless of its section slenderness classification.

RAM Connection CONNECT Edition v11.1 Release Notes

RAM Connection CONNECT Edition v11.01.01.240 Release Notes – Updated August 2017

Enhancements:

1. New ribbon style with cleaner look.
2. New Backstage view to manage models, file operations, interoperate with other software, adjust personal information and setting options.
3. RAM Connection now includes Bentley CONNECT Advisor v10.1.0 which is a CONNECT service enabling Bentley users to have real time access to LEARN content, recommendations for more productive workflows and the ability to embed an Expert Engineer to their CONNECTED project.

Resolved Issues:

1. In the anchor design for base plates, the load eccentricity (e'N) was sometimes being calculated as a negative value. Although the calculation was correct, the design code specifies that this value should always be considered as positive. This is now corrected.
2. Base plates were not being optimized for ASD design method, because Appendix D of ACI 318 only works with LRFD. This is fixed and the base plate is optimized regardless of the anchor design, since the base plate optimization can be ASD or LRFD.
3. For BS 5950 or EN 1993, the Structural Integrity check was a global (model based) parameter. Now it is a local (joint bases) parameter since in a model, there can be connections that require it and connections that do not.

The following Release Notes are provided as a reference by Bentley's Technical Support Group.

RAM Connection

Latest Release:

• RAM Connection CONNECT Edition Update 1 (v11.1.1) Release Notes

Previous Releases:

• RAM Connection CONNECT Edition Update 1 (v11.1.0) Release Notes
• RAM Connection CONNECT Edition (v11.0.11) Release Notes
• RAM Connection CONNECT Edition (v11.0.0) Release Notes
• [[RAM Connection V9.2 Release Notes]]
• [[RAM Connection V9.1 Release Notes]]
• RAM Connection V9.0 Release Notes
• RAM Connection V8.0 Release Notes
• RAM Connection V7.3.2 Release Notes
• RAM Connection V7.3.1 Release Notes
• RAM Connection V7.0 Release Notes
• RAM Connection V6.5 Release Notes
• RAM Connection V5.5.x Release Notes

Problem Description

Foundations with top and bottom reinforcement and governed by the minimum reinforcement provision are under designed. Foundations with bottom reinforcement only are designed correctly.

Reason

In foundations with both top and bottom reinforcement, the program added the top and bottom reinforcement and applied the total area of steel to meet the minimum flexural reinforcement requirements in ACI 318 10.5.4, which refers to 7.12. The minimum flexural reinforcement requirement in 10.5.4 should be applied separately to the top and bottom reinforcement. This is clarified in ACI 318-14.

Solution

This issue corrected in version 15.05.00/41 and after.