Problem Description

There is a problem with Ram Connection 12.0 integration with RAM SS (Ram Modeler version 15.08).

1.Take any RAM SS model
2.Go to Ram Connection
3.Make any change in RAM SS (add a column, delete a beam, change a member size, etc)
4.Reopen Ram Connection - changes in step 3 are not there.

Depending on the type of change you can get an error, e.g.
"Node [30]" does not exist. Error at N1: Initial node

When a connection was assigned to a node /member that was deleted.

The geometry may also looks all wacky (spider web) or all members can disappear.

Reason

This is a new problem being corrected for the next release of Ram Connection.

Solution

Purge the model of the file.rcsx file and start over. To do this:

1. Rename the file.rss to file.zip.
2. Open the .zip archive.
3. Locate the file.rcnx file and delete it.
4. Rename the file back to file.rss and reopen it in Ram Manager. 

Or revert to Ram Connection 11.2.

Problem Description

There is a error regarding "Other' material in Ram Connection 12.0 integration with RAM SS (Ram Modeler version 15.08) for any models that include horizontal braces.

(Error 6131) Error reading section properties for material type 'Other'.

Please confirm sections for material 'Other' have been created in RAM Modeler.

In other cases the error I is, "(Error 25613) Feature not Implemented"

Reason

Horizontal braces are a hybrid type entity behaving like beams in some cases and like braces in other cases.  They are not being properly handled by Ram Connection.

Solution

Delete the model of any horizontal braces, or use a copy of the model.  

Or revert to Ram Connection 11.2.

​

communities.bentley.com/.../culvert.zip

Question: How to model the box culvert on which the vehicle would move in Staad?

Answer:  The following steps with illustration explains the procedures to model and simulate the analysis of the box culvert in Staad.

We encourage to use the PARAMETRIC Modelling as this will ensure the proper meshing maintaining the well connectivity between the element nodes or with any other control points.

There are two types of imposed loading to be considered.

(1) The moving load due to the vehicle movement

(2) The Active Earth pressure load.

For the moving load one may place set of dummy beams with negligible stiffness and selfweight whose purpose would be only for transferring the vehicular loads as the moving load cannot be applied directly on the plate element.

For adding the active earth pressure on the side wall one can use the Rankine's earth pressure formula and use the hydro-static loading feature in Staad.pro.

Following are the illustrations of the "Compression Only" and "Tension Only" spring support to idealize the soil spring action. Accordingly, assign the Tension Only and Compression Only supports to the respective side walls. The resistance imparted by these spring supports would represent the Passive Earth Pressure.

Following are the post-processing results after the analysis.

Non-interactive installation overview

Most RAM and STAAD products are now packaged as Microsoft Installer Packages. This installer type allows network administrators to install a product on multiple machines without running the interactive installer on each one by hand. Following are instructions for installing a product in a non-interactive manner which can be automated.

For the CONNECT Edition, all products downloaded from Bentley's Fulfilment Centre are packaged with Wix technology.

For the V8i Edition, all products are  packaged as either an InstallShield Wizard extractor or a Win32 Cabinet extractor.

To install a product without any graphical feedback, known as a silent or quiet installation, run the following command as an administrator:

msiexec /i "path to MSI installer" /quiet

Windows 7 and up users must explicitly run the Command Prompt as an administrator, or the quiet installation will silently fail.

Determining the progress of a quiet installation can be difficult since there is no feedback. To install a product with only the display of a progress indicator, known as an unattended or passive installation, run the following command:

msiexec /i "path to MSI installer" /passive

Windows 7 and above users must explicitly run the Command Prompt as an administrator, or the unattended installation will prompt for administrator access before continuing.

Prerequisites for structural products

The following Microsoft components must also be installed if not already present either via Windows Update or via the links below:

Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30653

Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.1

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=49981

Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.2

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=53345

Following are specific instructions for non-interactive installations of RAM and STAAD products.

RAM Structural System 

To uninstall previous versions of RAM Structural System and install 15.05.xx along with any dependencies, run the installer with the "/silent" flag like below:

rss6415050041en.exe /silent

If a RamIS.ini file does not exist, the RAM Structural System installer will use default locations for all directories. Otherwise, it will use the locations specified in the INI file. The INI file resides in one of two locations depending on the operating system:

Windows 7/8/10 - C:\ProgramData\Bentley\Engineering\RAM Structural System

The INI file outlines the directory structure of the program, which the program uses to find program files, tables, reports, etc. It also is the file where user defaults are saved. It is common to push a common INI file to all machines during the installation process, so all users use the same defaults. If this is done, it is important to check the following:

1. Beginning with v14.06.00, RAM Structural System can be installed as a 32-bit or 64-bit program. The program files for the 32-bit version are saved in C:\Program Files (x86). The program files for the 64-bit version are saved in C:\Program Files. If an INI file for a 32-bit installation is saved on a machine on which the 64-bit version is installed, the program will search for the program files in the wrong location and the program will not function. Be sure that the lines in bold correspond to the locations where the 32-bit or 64-bit version files will be placed.

[Directories]
tutorial=C:\ProgramData\Bentley\Engineering\RAM Structural System\Data\Tutorial\
cimsteel=C:\ProgramData\Bentley\Engineering\RAM Structural System\CimSteel\
data=C:\ProgramData\Bentley\Engineering\RAM Structural System\Data\
tables=C:\ProgramData\Bentley\Engineering\RAM Structural System\Tables\
reports=C:\ProgramData\Bentley\Engineering\RAM Structural System\Reports\
dxf=C:\ProgramData\Bentley\Engineering\RAM Structural System\DXF\
manuals=C:\Program Files\Bentley\Engineering\RAM Structural System\manuals\
program=C:\Program Files\Bentley\Engineering\RAM Structural System\Prog\
root=C:\Program Files\Bentley\Engineering\RAM Structural System\
working=C:\ProgramData\Bentley\Engineering\RAM Structural System\Data\Working

2. The INI files defines the location of the working directory. The sole purpose of this directory is to serve as a temporary save location for component files of the .rss file when the file is in use. It is strongly recommend that the default paths below be used for the working directory. The working directory should never be saved on a network drive, and .rss files should never be saved in this directory. Problems can also occur if the working directory is saved to the C:\Program Files or a user directory.

Windows 7/8/10 - C:\ProgramData\Bentley\Engineering\RAM Structural System\Data\Working

3. If an INI file is not found on the machine and one is created during the installation, the user will be asked to define the path of the working directory the first time the program is launched. If this is the case, it is important that the same recommendations for the working directory location discussed in Point 2 above are followed when setting the location.

RAM Concept V8i

Microsoft DirectX 9 or later must be installed for this program to function properly.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=2DA43D38-DB71-4C1B-BC6A-9B6652CD92A3&displaylang=en

An installer for DirectX is included with the RAM Concept installer.

For RAM Concept CONNECT Edition (English) 64-bit   06.00.xx.xx, please use the following commands:

To display help, run

rct06000106en.exe /?

To install with no UI, run

rct06000106en.exe /install /passive/norestart

RAM Concept silent installation rebooting the machine

STAAD.Pro CONNECT Edition 

Setup Help /install I /repair I /uninstall I /layout - installs, repairs, uninstalls or creates a complete local copy of the bundle in directory. Install is the default.

/passive I /quiet - displays minimal UI with no prompts or displays no UI and no prompts. By default UI and all prompts are displayed.

/norestart - suppress any attempts to restart. By default UI will prompt before restart. /log log.ixt - logs to a specific file. By default a log file is created in %TEMP%.

STAAD Foundation Advanced CONNECT Edition

Setup_STAADFoundationAdvancedx86_08.03.00.020.exe /quiet

How to change the orientation (local axis) of the members/plates without remodeling the structure?

First select the members or the plates for which you would like to change the local axis orientation. Then depending on the entity type ( beam or plate ) choose the appropriate option mentioned next

For beam members, select the beams first, then go to Tools > Redefine Incidence and choose an appropriate option.

For plates, go to Command > Geometric Constants > Plate Reference Point and set the reference point to which ( or away from which ) the local Z would point.

In the CONNECT Edition, the option to change the beam incidence can be found the following location

For changing the Plate Reference Point in Connect Edition, please select the option below

Overview

This page addresses common issues and questions specific to concrete beams designed and analyzed in the RAM Concrete Module of RAM Structural System

Slab Self-Weight

For rectangular beams, the portion of the slab that intersects the rectangular beam is included in both the slab self-weight and the beam self-weight. For T-shape beams, this double counting of self-weight does not occur. See RAMSS Gravity Loads [FAQ] for details.

Loading Diagrams (RAM Concrete Analysis - Reports - Beam Load Diagram)

The beam loading diagram displays point and line loads values that are calculated by the program and applied directly to the member by one-way decking or associated with beam self-weight.

The following information is excluded from the reports:

• Magnitudes of supported beam (or column) reactions: These are excluded because the loads are applied as line loads on the supported beams. Force transfer to the supporting beams is completed in the finite element analysis. The program does not analyze these beams separately with point loads as is done in RAM Steel Beam. The location of the supported reactions is shown in the report for convenience. The Load Diagram Report in RAM Steel Beam can be used to report the tributary point load distributed to the beam if one-way decks are used.
• Loads from transfer columns and walls above: Vertical reactions from levels above are collected by the program and applied as loads on levels below. Neither the magnitude or location of these loads are included in the Load Diagram Report.
• Load from two-way decks: For models containing beams and two-way decks, the surface loads are applied as a series of nodal loads at each finite element node. These loads are directed into the framing members and supports based on relative stiffness in the finite element analysis. The program does not perform a yield-line analysis and determine a trapezoidal line load on each beam member. Since a line load is not calculated and placed on a member, the floor load from the two-way deck will not be represented in the Loading Diagram Report. The Beam Load Diagram Report will show the beam self-weight only, since this is the only line load that is calculated by the program and applied directly to the beam.

Deep Beam Design

The ACI code classifies beams with a clear span to depth ratio greater than 4 as deep beams. RAM Concrete Beam can check if beams exceed this ratio. The option to include or exclude this check is found in RAM Concrete Beam – Criteria – Beam Design – Design Checks/Forces tab:

When the option is selected, a design warning is produced when the clear span to depth ratio exceeds the threshold. . RAM Concrete Beam does not design deep beams for flexure and shear;  It is the user’s responsibility to design deep beams outside the program.

ACI 318 also requires deep beam checks when a concentrated load is located within twice the member depth from the face of the support. RAM Concrete does not check the location of concentrated loads and will not generate a design warning for this situation.

Torsion Design

RAM Concrete Beam can check the torsion demand to the threshold torsion defined in ACI 318-08 11.5.1. The option to include or exclude this check is found in RAM Concrete Beam – Criteria – Beam Design – Design Checks/Forces tab:

When this option is considered, a design warning will be reported when the beam torsion exceeds the threshold torsion. RAM Concrete Beam does not design the torsion reinforcement;  It is the user’s responsibility to design this outside the program. The Beam Design Report will report the maximum factored torsion at each station and the f_T*T_c.

Effective Depth

The effective depth that is used in the beam design is based on an assumed cover assigned in RAM Concrete Beam – Criteria – Beam Design – Reinforcement tab.

The program does not automatically determine the effective depth based on the code minimum cover and the longitudinal and transverse bar sizes. If the assumed effective depth is greater than the actual effective depth calculated from the minimum cover and bar sizes, a design warning similar to the following will be displayed:

When this warning occurs, the assumed cover should be increased. This can be done globally for all beams (RAM Concrete Beam – Criteria – Beam Design – Reinforcement tab) or can be assigned beam by beam (RAM Concrete Beam – Assign – Reinforcement Layout).

Pan Joist Design

There are special tools for modeling a generation of pan joists in Ram Modeler.  This works best when the edge beams are already sized and where the pan size and joist widths are predefined. For other cases it may be faster to layout beams using the standard beam generation or add off-grid tools. Regardless if concrete beams and modeled as beams or pan joists in the Modeler, they can be designed as joists in Ram Concrete Beam. In order for the special provisions for joists to be used The Design Member Type must first be set to Joist using Assign - Reinforcement Layout... 

See Also

RAM SS Two Way Decks [TN]

En el siguiente video le explicamos como usar la herramienta de búsqueda dentro de STAAD.Pro CONNECT Edition: 

www.youtube.com/watch

Problem Description

When running the Structural Synchronizer Viewer, or attempting to run an ISM Create Repository or New from Repository action the following error can occur.

Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.(System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> System.Exception: Previous IsmStructurePropertyCatalog initialization failed. ---> System.Exception: Failed to find Bentley Structure Property Catalog server ---> System.Exception: SpcConnection.Connect() returned null
at Bentley.Structural.Ism.ApiImp.IsmExceptionHelper.Throw(Exception exception)
at Bentley.Structural.Ism.ApiImp.IsmSpc.InternalInitialize()
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at Bentley.Structural.Ism.ApiImp.IsmExceptionHelper.Throw(Exception exception)
at Bentley.Structural.Ism.ApiImp.IsmSpc.InternalInitialize()
at Bentley.Structural.Ism.ApiImp.IsmSpc..cctor()
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at Bentley.Structural.Ism.ApiImp.IsmExceptionHelper.Throw(Exception exception)
at Bentley.Structural.Ism.ApiImp.IsmSpc.EnsureInitialized()
at Bentley.Structural.Ism.ApiImp.IsmTableSection..ctor(IECInstance ecInstance, IsmModel ismModel).

or

Steps to Resolve

First check if the Bentley Property Catalog Service is running. If not, set it Automatic and Start it.

If that does not work, or the service is not listed:

1. Uninstall Structural Synchronizer
2. Uninstall the Bentley SPC Server and the Structural Property Catalogs
3. Reboot your computer
4. Reinstall Structural Synchronizer. It will also install new copies of the Bentley SPC Server and the Structural Property Catalogs.

Here is a copy of a screenshot of possible versions of SPC Server and the Structural Catalogs that you might see.

How is Mpl and Mstrip Calculated?

The design procedure for base plate design in RAM Connection is based on AISC Design Guide 1. The Design Guide includes some design examples that will clarify how these parameters are calculated.

The equations used to calculate the plate bending moment in the "Flexural Yielding (Bearing Interface)" check are discussed in Section 3.3.2 of the Design Guide.

The strip moment in the "Flexural Yielding (Tension Interface)" check is calculated assuming the tensile loads in the anchors generate one-way bending in the base plate about assumed bending lines. The location of the bending lines depends on whether the anchors are placed inside or outside the column flanges. See Figure 3.1.1(b) and Figure 4.5.2 in the Design Guide. The program assumes a 45 degree load distribution from the anchor to the bending line to determine the width of the bending strip.

Why doesn't the program report the Anchor anchor pullout in my file?

The Anchor pullout design for US design codes is limited to LRFD methods. When performing ASD design of a base plate report simply indicates: 

NOTES
Anchors only designed for LRFD code

How are biaxial baseplates analyzed?

A linear model is used for the contact stresses calculation between a steel base plate and a concrete foundation.  Read the full paper on this topic HERE.

See Also

Troubleshooting Errors when Assigning Connections

RAM Connection Stalls When Assigning Base Plate Connection

[[The Solution Was Not Found For Load Case Error - Base Plate Design]]

Structural Product TechNotes And FAQs

3D Structural Analysis and Design Software

RAM Elements is a unique combination of a 3D finite element analysis/design program with structural engineering toolkit modules for every day engineering design needs.

• Design of hot-rolled and cold-formed steel, wood, masonry, and concrete can be done, all within a single model in one interface.
• RAM Elements provides structural engineers with a toolkit set of modules for the analysis and design of structural elements, including: concrete beams, continuous beams, reinforced concrete columns, wood structures, trusses, spread or combined footings, retaining walls, tilt-up walls, concrete walls, and masonry walls.

• [[RAM Connection]] is also integrated grated with RAM Elements with an appropriate license. Steel connections can be designed without leaving the RAM Elements interface.
• Full 3D finite element analysis capabilities are also in RAM Elements.  

Vist the RAM Elements product Page for additional information on this product.

RAM Elements is CONNECTED. Why CONNECT?

RAM Elements is ISM Enabled.

LEARN

View RAM Elements learning paths on Bentley's LEARNserver.

Video

www.youtube.com/watch

Download

You can download the latest version of RAM Elements from Bentley's Fulfillment Center.

RAM Elements is available under a Structural Enterprise License. Learn more.

Support

Visit [[RAM Elements Support Solutions]]

Case Study

communities.bentley.com/.../RAM-Elements-Case-Study-_2D00_-JDIGroup_5F00_ToledoZoo.pdf

Related

[[Structural Enterprise]], [[RAM Structural System]], [[RAM Connection]], [[STAAD.Pro]], [[Microstran]], [[Multiframe]], [[Structural Synchronizer]]

• Avaliação dos Métodos Disponíveis para a Análise de Estruturas de Pequeno Porte com Fundações Superficiais Considerando a Interação Solo-Estrutura

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

RAM Elements

Recent Versions

• RAM Elements CONNECT Edition v14.0.1.008 Release Notes
• 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

The TechNotes and FAQs in this section cover various topics that pertain to RAM Elements. Use the navigation tree on the left or the popular links below to browse.

Installation and Licensing  

• [[HWLockDLL internal error]]
• [[RAM Elements Program Crash During Startup or Design]]
• [[Ram Elements - Configuration settings]]
• Enable or Disable RAM Connection for RAM Elements
• RAM Connection is installed, but the Connection button fails to appear in RAM Elements

Ram Elements User Interface 

• RAM Elements Importing from RAM SS FAQ
• RAM Elements - View Control FAQ
• Ram Elements - Modeling FAQ
• Creating custom Sections, Materials, etc. in RAM Elements
• RAM Elements Deck Areas
• Ram Elements Shells FAQ

Ram Elements Analysis Topics

• RAM Instability In Finite Element Analysis
• RAM Elements Load Combos FAQ
• Ram Elements - Distributed Load errors
• [[Ram Elements - Tension Only Members]]
• RAM Elements Dynamic Modal Analysis FAQ

Ram Elements Design Topics

• RAM Elements Unbraced Lengths
• RAM Elements Effective Length Factors
• RAM Elements AISC Stability
• RAM Elements - Local versus Principal Axis in Unsymmetrical Shapes
• RAM Elements for Concrete Design & Detailing

Ram Elements Modules

• RAM Elements Masonry Wall FAQ
• Ram Elements - Tilt Up Wall FAQ
• Ram Elements Can't Save Integrated Wall or Footing designs

Tipo de Curso: Presencial en Español

Productos a utilizar: Ram Elements V.8i 12.5

Este curso es recomendado para: Diseñadores, Proyectistas; Diseñadores de Estructuras; Ingenieros Estructuristas, Ingenieros Mecánicos,  Técnicos de aplicación en Ingeniería Estructural y profesionales en general relacionados con el Diseño y la modelación de Estructuras.

Descripción del Curso: En este curso, el participante aprende las bases para crear modelos tridimensionales con el uso de RAM Elements, se incluyen conceptos para generar miembros y nodos, asignar soportes y propiedades a los miembros, crear condiciones de carga y sus combinaciones; desarrollar el análisis, diseño y la optimización en una estructura; así como establecer el uso de los Módulos de Detallado en RAM Elements.

Objetivos de Aprendizaje: Después de tomar este curso el participante será capaz de:

• Modelar utilizando la interfaz gráfica para el usuario de RAM Elements
• Generar nodos, miembros, áreas y placas en una estructura tridimensional
• Generar condiciones de carga y sus combinaciones
• Desarrollar el análisis, diseño o la optimización de una estructura usando RAM ElementsDesarrollar el análisis sísmico dinámico en RAM Elements
• Utilizarlos Módulos de Detallado en conjunto con la aplicación o por separado

Temas del Curso:

• Generación del Modelo
• Propiedades de los Elementos
• Carga del Modelo
• Análisis, Diseño y Optimización de Miembros
• Análisis Sísmico Dinámico
• Módulos de Detallado

Prerrequisitos del Curso:   Conocimiento básico de Elementos de Estructuración y principios de Ingeniería Estructural

Fechas:  De acuerdo a Cupo Minimo

Material:  Oficial de Bentley Institute en Ingles

Active and Critical Defects

All Ram Elements Active Issues

All Critical Active Ram Elements Defects

All Critical Ram Elements Defects

Query Issues Fixed in a Specific Version

All Ram Elements Defects fixed in version 14.00.00

All Ram Elements Defects fixed in version 13.05.00

All Ram Elements Defects fixed in version 13.04.01

All Ram Elements Defects fixed in version 13.04.00

Issues organized by Found In Version

[[Ram Elements - V8i Version 13 Issues]]

[[Ram Elements - V8i Version 9-12 Issues]]

Release Notes

Release Notes

I have modeled a mat using plates in STAAD.Pro. How can I get the mat transferred to STAAD.foundation Advanced (SFA) and design it ?

The steps are listed next

1 Open your STAAD.pro model and run the analysis.  Once the analysis is complete, close STAAD.pro completely.
2.Launch STAAD Foundation Advanced (SFA).
3.Click the “Import STAAD.pro” button, shown below. Depending on which version of SFA you are using you have to choose one   

Newer version                                                                               Older version

4.Locate your STAAD.pro file, select it, and click “Open”.
5.You will see the following dialog box appear.  Make sure the “Import Plates” option is selected and then specify the desired code/units:

6.Click “Import”.  You will see your mat appear on screen.
7.You must define a boundary in order for the design to work.  Change the view so you are looking at the mat from a top perspective and click on the “Add Rectangular Boundary” button under the Tools menu at the top of the screen:

If your mat boundary is irregular, you may use the Add Polygonal Boundary option.

8.Click on the upper left hand corner of your mat and then drag down to the lower right hand corner, then release.  You will see the boundary outline appear, as shown next: Actually it does not matter if the boundary does not exactly match your mat as you are not going to generate any meshing in SFA. You just need a boundary to exist for SFA to carry out the design.

9.Go to Mat Foundation Job -> Mesh Generation -> Meshing Setup on the left hand side of the screen:

10.You will see the “Meshing Setup” dialog box appear to the right.  Click on the boundary to select it (it will turn red), then give the region a name and click “Add”:

11.Now you are ready to proceed with the design.  You can commence with the moment envelope generation as you normally would for a mat foundation job type.

A few points to note here are, the analysis of the mat is carried out in STAAD.Pro and the results of the analysis are directly imported in STAAD Foundation Advanced. That is why no further meshing or analysis are needed in STAAD Foundation Advanced. Also a mat foundation job is created automatically with a slab import and hence that step of creating a mat job is NOT required to be carried out inside STAAD Foundation Advanced. It is also worth mentioning that punching shear checks are not carried out as of now for mats imported directly from STAAD.Pro.

See Also

[[Structural Product TechNotes And FAQs]]

I am changing the K and FYLD parameters for some members but the values reported in the design output indicate that those did not change. Why ?

For the values to be accepted by the software, you need to ensure that these parameters are added to the input file before the CHECK CODE or SELECT command. For example if you need to specify FYLD as 50 ksi for members 1 and 2, you should have the commands in the following order

PARAMETER 1
CODE ...
...
FYLD 50 MEMB 1 2 
CHECK CODE ALL

If you add the parameters after the CHECK CODE as shown next, the design would not consider those

PARAMETER 1
CODE ...
...
CHECK CODE ALL
FYLD 50 MEMB 1 2 
...

This document is organized in a way that newer revisions appear at the top.
Therefore, section numbers will keep decreasing from top to bottom. Also refer
to the What's New section of the Online Help for Major New Features. This
document outlines fixes and last minute changes.

Copyright (c) 1997-2018 Bentley Solutions Center

What's New in:-

STAAD.Pro CONNECT Edition,

• CE Update 2 Build 21.00.02.43 (29 May 2018)
• CE Update 2 Build 21.00.02.30 (02 March 2018)
• CE Update 1 Build 21.00.01.12 (10 November 2017)
• CONNECT Edition Build 21.00.00.57 (25 July 2017)

STAAD.Pro V8i SS6,

• Build 20.07.11.90 (30 March 2017)
• Build 20.07.11.82 ( 12 July 2016)
• Build 20.07.11.70 (22 March 2016)
• Build 20.07.11.50 (03 December 2015)
• Build 20.07.11.45 (30 September 2015)
• Build 20.07.11.33 (23 June 2015)

.

STAAD.Pro V8i SS5,

• Build 20.07.10.66 (14 January 2015)
• Build 20.07.10.65 (29 October 2014)
• Build 20.07.10.64 (22 July 2014)
• Build 20.07.10.41 ( 26 November 2013)

.

STAAD.Pro V8i SS4,

• Build 20.07.09.31 ( 11 March 2013)
• Build 20.07.09.21 ( 20 December 2012)
• Build 20.07.09.311 ( 14 August 2012)

.

STAAD.Pro V8i SS3,

• Build 20.07.08.22 ( 16 May 2012)
• Build 20.07.08.20 ( 16 September 2011)

.

STAAD.Pro V8i SS2,

• Build 20.07.07 QA&R ( 24 February 2011)
• Build 20.07.07 ( 13 October 2010)

.

STAAD.Pro V8i SS1,

• Build 20.07.06 QA&R ( 18 March 2010)
• Build 20.07.06 ( 23 December 2009)

.

STAAD.Pro V8i,

• Build 20.07.05 ( 21 May 2009)
• Build 20.07.04 ( 30 October 2008)

.

STAAD.Pro 2007, Build 03 ( 8 July 2008)

STAAD.Pro 2007, Build 02 (14 September 2007)

STAAD.Pro 2007, Build 01 (29 June 2007)

What's New in STAAD.Pro V8i SS6, Build 20.07.11.90 ( 30 March 2017) Issues addressed in:-

• (A) The Analysis/Design engine (46)
• (B) The Pre-Processing Mode (07)
• (C) The Post-Processing Mode (03)
• (D) The Steel Design Mode (00)
• (E) The Concrete Design Mode (00)
• (F) The RAM Connection Mode (01)
• (G) The Advanced Slab Design Mode (00)
• (H) The Piping Mode (00)
• (I) The Editor, Viewer and other modules (00)
• (J) OpenSTAAD (00)
• (K) Documentation and Printing (00)
• (L) licensing / security / installation (01)

(A) Issues addressed in the Analysis/Design engine (45)

A) 01 The AS 4100-1998 code has been updated to include a modification for clause 6.3.3 such that flexural torsional buckling for sections outlined in the clause updated in Amendment 1 now follow the method outlined in AS4600.

A) 02 The design of PMEMBERS in the AS 4100 design routine has been modified such that if there is an issue with the design strength FYLD, then this is now reported once for the member rather than once for each analytical beam which is part of the PMEMBER.

A) 03 The AS 4100 steel design for physical members has been improved to catch the situation where a PMEMBER has been specified section properties to the individual analytical parts (rather than the PMEMBER itself (the recommended approach) and the different parts have been assigned differing section profiles. This will now be trapped and an error message reported.

A) 04 The AS 4100 steel design has been corrected to ensure that the calculation of Mox,c is determined from the member end that has the largest axial force, rather than simply taking the value from the end of the member.

A) 05 The AS 4100 steel design routines have been improved in determining the effective area of wide flange sections that are classified as non-compact or slender.

A) 06 The AS 4100 steel design module has been enhanced with a wider selection of steel grades as defined in the standard.

A) 07 The AS 4100 steel design module has been enhanced to include checks for interaction of shear and bending using the interaction method as per clause 5.12.3

A) 08 The AS 4100 steel design for PMEMBERS has been updated to ensure that the PBRACE command can process lists in the form "a TO b"

A) 09 The output reporting for PMEMBERS designed to the AS 4100 steel design code has been improved to include the slenderness details.

A) 10 Further to A) 09, should a PMEMBER designed to the AS 4100 steel design code fail the slenderness checks, then this is now reported in the output file and confirms that no further checks can be performed.

A) 11 Further to A) 10, should a PMEMBER designed to the AS 4100 steel design code fail the slenderness checks, the governing criteria is now reported as 'Slenderness'. Previously in this situation the governing criteria was left blank.

A) 12 The AS 4100 steel design of web tapered members has been improved to include the effect of clause 6.3.4 in determining the member compression capacity. In order to determine the value of 'Nom', an assumption is made that the profile is prismatic and uses the expression from clause 4.6.2, using the shallowest profile of the tapered member which is on the conservative side.

A) 13 The AS 4100 steel design routines have been enhanced by adding the alternative method for determining the nominal in plane member moment capacity, Mi as defined in clause 8.4.2.2 for doubly symmetric I sections and rectangular and square hollow sections.

A) 14 The AS 4100 steel design routines have been enhanced by adding the alternative method for determining the nominal out-of-plane member moment capacity, Mox as defined in clause 8.4.4.1 for doubly symmetric I sections without transverse loading.

A) 15 The AS 4100 steel design routines have been corrected to ensure that Mix and Miy are calculated when there are moments in EITHER direction. Previously, these were only being calculated if the was an axial compression and moments in BOTH directions.

A) 16 The AS 4100 steel design routines have been enhanced with alternative expression for the biaxial bending check as per section 8.3.4 for doubly-symmetric I-section, rectangular and round hollow sections.

A) 17 The AS 4100 steel design routines for calculating the nominal section moment capacity reduced by the axial tensile or compressive force as defined in section 8.3.3(a), for doubly symmetric compact I sections has now been implemented when working with members subject to single axis bending about their minor axis.

A) 18 The AS 4100 steel design routines for calculating the nominal section moment capacity reduced by the axial tensile or compressive force as defined in section 8.3.2(a), for doubly symmetric compact I sections has now been implemented when working with members subject to single axis bending about their major axis.

A) 19 The AS 4100 steel design routine has been improved for determining the minor axis shear capacity for welded wide flange sections such as WB or WC, so that it now only uses the depth between flanges rather than the overall depth which is used for rolled sections.

A) 20 The design of PMEMBERS to the AS 4100 steel design code where the load has been defined as assigned on the top flange (i.e. LHT=1), has been corrected to ensure that the value of kl is determined from table 5.6.3(2) depending on the restraint.

A) 21 The design of PMEMBERS to the AS 4100 steel design code has been corrected to ensure that the value of the ALB parameter is correctly assigned to the physical member.

A) 22 The steel design routines for AISC 360, IS800 and CSA S16, were liable to crash if the file included a SELECT command which had a list that included plates as well as members. This situation is now trapped and the plate numbers will not cause the design to fail.

A) 23 The AISC 360 steel design deflection check routine has been updated to ensure that if a member SELECT is used, the calculations used in the output are based on the final section property.

A) 24 The IS800-2007 steel design deflection check routine has been updated to ensure that if a member SELECT is used, the calculations used in the output are based on the final section property.

A) 25 The CSA S16 steel design deflection check routine has been updated to ensure that if a member SELECT is used, the calculations used in the output are based on the final section property.

A) 26 Further to A) 05, the AS 4100 steel design routines have been improved in determining the effective area of wide flange sections that are classified as non-compact or slender.

A) 27 The steel design routines that perform a deflection check have been updated to catch a situation where an internal element array would overflow and cause the analysis to crash.

A) 28 The AISC 360 steel design for tapered members has been updated to ensure that clause H2-1 is correctly determined and reported.

A) 29 The deflection check performed in the AISC 360 routines for cantilever members has been updated to ensure that the values of deflection in each of the three local axes are extracted from the model correctly.

A)30 The IS 800-2007 steel design routine has been updated to ensure that if the section database for channel profiles includes the value of Ct, that is the distance from the back of the web to the centroidal axis, then that value is used directly. Previously this value was being calculated from the section dimensions even if it existed in the database.

A) 31 The Aisc ASD - 9th edition steel design routines for calculating the bending capacity Fb for web tapered members defined as I-Section UPT profiles, where the flanges have different dimensions, have been modified to ensure that rt accounts for the flange that is in compression.

A) 32 The BS 5950 steel design routines have been updated to extend the design of tubes and pipes to include SHS, RHS and CHS profiles.

A) 33 The IS 800 2007 LSD has been updated to improve the determination of the section capacity for members under very high shear where V/Vz>0.6, an additional check has been introduced which limits beta-y to 1.0

A) 34 The BS 5950 steel design routine has been updated to ensure that rectangular and circular section profiles that are not supported are reported as such in the design output.

A) 35 The BS 5400 steel design routine has been updated to improve the routine that determines the gross sectional area of a wide flange that has been specified in a UPT and can have different flange dimensions. Previously, the gross sectional area would have been determined using the dimension of the top flange as that for the bottom flange.

A) 36 The NS 3472 steel design module has been updated to ensure that if a member has been assigned a non-supported profile for this code, then a warning message is posted in the user report. Note the previously some section profiles would appear to have been designed, but in the post processing>Beam>Steel Design would show the ratio as '1#QNAN'

A) 37 The EN 1993-1-1 steel design routine has been enhanced with an additional test on a UPT General Sections. This will design the member as a shape based on the GST parameter. However, if the UPT profile does not have sufficient dimensional information data, then this will report as an error in the design output.

A) 38 The Aisc ASD - 9th edition steel design routines for calculating the allowable compression capacity Fa (section Appendix B5.) for web tapered members defined as I-Section UPT profiles which have slender elements and where the flanges have different dimensions, have been modified to ensure that Qs accounts for the actual flange dimensions, and no longer uses an average flange size.

A) 39 The AISC ASD - 9th Edition steel design routines have been updated to improve the design of wide flange sections which have differing sized flanges. The program will now check to identify which is the compression flange and use the elastic modulus for that rather than simply picking the smallest elastic modulus which could lead to an overly conservative design.

A) 40 The torsion checks with AISC 360 steel design to Design Guide 9 (DG9) has been updated to catch if any load combination is defined with a dynamic primary load case. This is currently outside the scope of this routine and if any such cases were included would cause the analysis to crash.

A) 41 The IS 800-2007 steel design routines for web tapered members have been updated to ensure that the details of the web classification are reported for the critical location on the member rather than the profile at its start location.

A) 42 The concrete design routines for IS 13920 have been updated to trap the occurrence of using a load combination for the gravity load case (defined with the GLD parameter), which is a combination case that itself references a separate load combination. Previously, if such a load combination had been used, this would result in a crash of the analysis. At this time rather than using an included combination, it is suggested to create an equivalent primary load case and use the REPEAT LOAD method instead.

A) 43 The ASME NF design codes have been updated with the addition of a check to clause NF-3322.(d)(1)(6)-12 for determining the calculation of allowable bending stress for box sections. Now when the value of L > Lc, then the allowable capacity is calculated as 0.6Fy rather than 0.66Fy.

A) 44 The steel design routines to AS 4100 have been improved to ensure that when determining the slenderness reduction factor (clause 6.3.3), a factor of zero is not produced which could occur on very small members. This would in the design reporting the members having a member compression capacity and ultimately a failure ratio of infinity.

A) 45 The details of the AISC 360 interaction check H2-1 have been updated so that the values of 'Fcbw' and 'Fcbz' for the Tensile check both used the elastic modulus for the tensile side. Previously, these had been based on the elastic modulus of the compression side, however, the resulting calculation and ratio remains unaffected.

A) 46 The recent introduction of the CAN 2 option in the IS 800-2007 Indian steel design module to clasify a member as simply supported for the bending checks was however being used to clasify the member as a cantilever for the servicabilty checks. This would over estimate the member local deflection and result in a conservative ratio when the member was checked for serviceability.

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(B) Issues addressed in the Pre-Processing Mode (07)

B) 01 The description and note of the value KZ for AS 4100 design code parameters has been updated to provide a clearer meaning of the use of this parameter in the program to the engineer.

B) 02 The GUI has been updated to ensure that use of the European design codes is correctly logged. Previously this could lead to the UI not allowing parameters to be added to the datafile.

B) 03 The GUI has been updated to ensure that a new set of concrete, timber or shearwall design code parameters can be added to a model. In the last version of the program, the GUI would prevent the user to add parameters to a design code that was not already included in the file and suggest that the appropriate license be activated.

B) 04 The GUI has been updated to improve the STD file reading routines which process the IS 802 parameter ELA for compression slenderness checks. This parameter is valid from 1 to 7 (refer to the Technical Reference manual section 11D.3), however if the file included a value greater than 4, it was treating this as an error. Now any value from 1 to 7 can be used.

B) 05 The AS 4100 steel parameters dialog has been updated such that if the 'Physical Member Mode' has not been set (icon in the Steel Design Toolbar), only parameters that can be assigned to analytical beams will be displayed. Parameters such as PBRACE and LHT will not be displayed.

B) 06 The AS 4100 steel parameters dialog has been updated such that if the 'Physical Member Mode' has been set (icon in the Steel Design Toolbar), only parameters that can be assigned to physical members will be displayed. Parameters such as DFF, DJ1, DJ2, etc. will not be displayed.

B) 07 The GUI has been updated to ensure that if a Reference Load Case is defined, highlighted in the Loads dialog and the Delete button pressed, the program correctly removes the reference load case and does not crash.

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(C) Issued Addressed in the Post-Processing Mode (03)

C) 01 The Member Query details for a steel design on a member that has been designed to the Russian steel code, has been updated to ensure that the direction of the axial force reported is not mirrored. Previously, a compression force would be reported as tension and vice versa.

C) 02 The member Query dialog has been updated for Russian steel designs to ensure that the actual member status, ire. PASS/FAIL is correctly reported.

C) 03 The post processing routine that displays the result of a member that has been designed to BS 5950 and failed due to slenderness, will now display this cause in a member query dialog.

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(D) Issues Addressed in the Steel Design Mode (00)

(None)

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(E) Issues Addressed in the Concrete Design Mode (00)

(None)

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(F) Issues Addressed in the RAM Connection Mode (01)

F) 01 The RAM Connection module has been updated to report the version of STAAD.pro that it is within rather than 10.0.0 which is the version of the RAM Connection from which the dlls originated.

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(G) Issues Addressed in the Advanced Slab Design Mode (00)

(None)

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(H) Issues Addressed in the Piping Mode (00)

(None)

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(I) Issues Addressed in the Editor, Viewer and other modules (00)

(None)

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(J) Issues Addressed in OpenSTAAD (00)

(None)

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(K) Issues Addressed with Documentation and Printing (00)

(None)

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(L) Issues Addressed with licensing / security / installation (01)

L) 01 The additional licenses that can be selected from the Start Screen now have an additional warning notice added informing the user that selecting these may incur a charge.

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