BASIC FOUNDATIONS

STAAD Foundation covers all basic foundations like Isolated, Combined, Pilecap, Octagonal, Strap.

Engine -

Rigid analysis method is used for above modules. For footing losing contact with soil, an iterative method is used to find the region in contact. Shear and bending are calculated based on actual region-in-contact soil block than averaging soil pressures. Critical load cases are detected for each check (e.g. soil bearing check for each corner, sliding and overturning, shear and bending check in each direction)

If footing is resized at any step, design engine starts back from soil bearing check to ensure updated self-weight is considered in the calculation.  Options are offered through global settings to control effect of self-weight, top reinforcement design requirements, reinforcement placing direction etc. 

Reporting –

STAAD Foundation Advanced reports detailed calculation with all code references and relevant
formulas. With Dynamic sketch feature, to the scale footing drawing is represented in the calculation
sheet along with relevant graphs.

STAAD Foundation Advanced also generated site-ready detail drawings

ADVANCED FOUNDATIONS

STAAD Foundation Advanced offers advanced foundations like mat, vibrating machine foundation, lateral analysis of drilled pier.

Mat foundation module offers any shape of mat supported on soil or on piles with various forms of loading like line load, rectangular, circular & irregular pressure load, point load, reaction load etc. Analysis is performed by well trusted STAAD FEA engine. For concrete design STAAD Foundation Advanced offers unique approach of converting local plate moments to any specified global direction and perform reinforcement design. Moment below columns are neglected for reinforcing design. Multiple mat thickness can be assigned though control regions and control regions can be neglected from concrete design if needed. 

Vibrating machine foundation offers single, combined & combined with gear box option. It offers rotating and reciprocating equipment as load generators. For dynamic load calculations and soil spring calculations it follows ACI351.3R-04 for dynamic load generation, soil spring generation.
Solids are auto-generated for the given geometry and dynamic analysis is performed by STAAD FEA engine.
Calculation sheet reports all the analysis details along with code references used for dynamic load and soil spring generation. It also produces dynamic graphs per ACI351.3R-04 for various severity and permissible displacement checks.

Lateral analysis of drilled pier offers state of the art dual non-linear analysis (where pile concrete section behaves non-linear and supporting soil reactions are also non-linear). It offers multiple section choice as circular or rectangular section with or without casing. For various soil layers, p-y curve generation method can be specified. User can specify batter angle, ground slope, factor of safety for skin friction & tip resistance.

SPECIALIZED PLANT FOUNDATIONS

STAAD Foundation Advanced offers specialized plant foundations like vertical vessel foundation, heat exchanger foundation, tank annular ringwall foundation.

Plant foundation modules uses rigid analysis method. Plant foundation modules takes special recommendations made by PIP, API into consideration where applicable. STAAD Foundation Advanced generates Seismic and Wind forces on vessel per ASCE7-05 / IS 875, / IS1893 / API 650. It also auto generates load combination based on ASCE 7 or PIP guidelines.

INTEROPERABILITY

Please go through “Maximize design efficiency of your plant foundations using STAAD Advanced Foundation V 7.0” webinar recording for detailed interoperability insight.

This page outlines best modeling practices that are used in the RAM Concept PT Optimization Tutorial.The points below are important for producing successful optimizations in other models.

Segment Banded Tendon Polylines in End Bays

It is common to add tendons in ends spans that are approximately the same length or longer than interior spans. This is especially important in larger models, which have more interior spans. The Optimizer will determine the additional tendons only if the banded tendon is segmented at the end span. If a single banded tendon polyline is modeled, one tendon quantity would be optimized for the entire polyline, which would result in the same tendon quantity in each span after optimization.

An example is shown in the image below. Note that the banded tendon polyline is segmented at the first interior column on the left side, and each segment was manually designed with a different tendon quantity. The added tendon branch of 4 tendon strands is added automatically by the program to maintain consistency of tendon quantities at the intersection of the segments. When the model is optimized, the optimizer will design each tendon segment separately and may determine a different tendon quantity for each segment. The optimizer also automatically generates and calculates the tendon quantity in the added tendon branch.

Model Overlapping Distributed Tendon Quadrilaterals in End Bays

Exterior spans of distributed tendons also often have added tendons. In the example model, an overlapping distributed tendon quadrilateral is modeled over the exterior spans to represent these added tendons. The optimization properties for these objects are defined with a minimum effective force of 0 kips/ft. When the minimum effective force or minimum number of strands is input as 0, the optimizer will consider a case with no added tendons as one of the possible solutions.

Set Minimum Tendon Quantity Based on Code Minimum Precompression Limits

The minimum tendon quantity that is input in the Optimization tab should be based on the minimum ACI precompression limit (125 psi, see ACI 318-14 8.2.3). If a lower value is entered, the final optimized tendon quantity may be lower than the code limit.

The design strip associated with the banded tendon line is 15 feet wide. The minimum number of strands required to reach the 125 psi minimum compression threshold is:

Slab Thickness = 8”

Effective PT Force (one strand) = 26.8 k

Minimum Number of Strands = (125 psi)(8 in)(15*12 in)/26,800 lb = 6.7

As shown in the image below, 7 is entered for the Minimum Number of Strands for this banded tendon polyline in the example model. This ensures that the minimum precompression requirement is met. Note that the input values for number of strands do not need to be whole numbers and that we could have entered a value of 6.7 here.

4

The distributed tendon quadrilaterals are defined with a Minimum Effective Force of 12 kips/ft as shown in the image below. This quantity is calculated from:

(125 psi)(8 in)(12 in/1 ft)*(1 kips/1000 lb) = 12 kips/ft

Set Maximum Tendon Quantity Based on Practical Maximum Precompression Limits

Maximum tendon quantities should be based on practical maximum precompression limits. For example, many engineers use 300-400 psi as a practical limit for two-way slabs. Limiting the maximum tendon quantity in this way reduces the range of tendon quantities that are considered by the optimizer and improves performance.

Optimize Support Profile Polylines Only at Cantilever Spans

At interior supports, tendons are almost always profiled at the highest possible elevation while respecting cover requirements for simplicity, repetitive use of standard details, and ease of construction. However, at cantilever spans, the profile at the support may NOT be placed at the highest possible elevation so that the span is not overbalanced.

In the tutorial model, all support polylines at interior supports (high profile points) are defined with the Optimize box unchecked. Not optimizing these polylines has the added benefit of reducing the number of optimizable properties and improving performance. Some of the support polylines at cantilever spans have been defined with the Optimize box checked with an appropriate range of maximum and minimum elevations. The image below shows one of these support polylines. The range of elevations for this polyline corresponds to mid-depth of slab (minimum) to 1” top cover (maximum). All span profile polylines (low profile points) are modeled with the Optimize box checked so that they can be adjusted by the Optimizer.

Reference Span Polylines from Bottom of the Slab and Support Polylines from Top of the Slab

The Elevation Reference controls the reference point for maximum and minimum elevations defined for profile polylines. For example, if “Bottom Cover” is used for the Elevation Reference, then the Minimum and Maximum Elevation defined for the profile polyline are measured from the bottom of the slab. In general, it is best to reference low points from the bottom of the slab and high points from the top of the slab. This convention is consistent with the program default values and will avoid problems and minimize input effort if the slab thickness is changed.

Segment Profile Polylines Across Adjacent Bays

It is common to model profile polylines continuous across multiple adjacent bays with approximately equal spans in order to reduce modeling effort, simplify the tendon layout, or reduce the number of optimized objects in the model. Caution should be exercised when doing this when running optimizations, however, as it can prevent the Optimizer from finding the optimal solution because only one elevation would be considered for the entire polyline.

In the tutorial model, two separate span polylines are modeled across the slab. The polyline on the left is associated with a 2-span condition, and the polyline on the right is associated with a 3-span condition. The Optimizer adjusts each polyline separately, and the best solution may have different low point elevations in each bay.

Use Wide Range of Values for Minimum and Maximum Profile Elevations

It is best to optimize span profile polylines with a wide range of possible elevations. In some cases, especially complex model, counterintuitive values may produce the best design. The wide range ensures that these unexpected solutions are considered by the optimizer.

In the example model, the minimum and maximum elevations for the span profile polylines are based on minimum cover requirements. See image below.

Also, note that an elevation increment of 0.25 is used in the example model, which is the common profile increment for slab in the United States. The elevation increment that is entered should be based on the common profile increment for a given locale. A larger increment can be used if less variation in elevations is desired. However, this may also prevent the program from finding the optimal design.

Model Profile Polylines at Tendon Ends Inside Drop Caps or Beams

***Note that this modeling tip is not used in the tutorial model***

Generally, profile polylines are not required to be modeled at slab edges. When they are excluded, the program automatically places the tendon at the mid-depth of the element. However, if a model includes drop caps or beams along the slab edge, it is important to model a profile polyline so that the tendon is placed correctly.

For example, consider the addition of a 20” drop cap at the corner column in the lower, left corner of the example model as shown below. A profile polyline is needed at the slab edge so that the tendon is at mid-depth of the 8” slab. If this polyline was not modeled, then the generated tendon end would be dropped 10” from the top of the slab (i.e. mid-depth of drop cap). This would result in balance loading issues and likely result in design problems that could prevent the program from finding a valid design.

In a DIRECT ANALYSIS, are the beam deflections for serviceability checks computed using the unreduced E and I values?

By default STAAD uses the reduced E and I for carrying out the beam deflection checks. However in the section 5.37.5 of the Technical Reference Manual ( titled Direct Analysis ), you will find mention of a parameter named REDUCEDEI which can be set to a value of 0, for the full E and I to be considered for computing section displacements.

Problem Description

I have successfully upgraded to RAM SBeam 6.0; the program crashes immediately when I try to run it.

Explanation

RAMSBeam.ini has failed to update.

Solution

Uninstall RAM SBeam 6.0.

Search for RAMSBeam.ini (default location C:\ProgramData\Bentley\Engineering\RAMSBeam). Rename it (or delete it if there are no default changes). Now reinstall RAM SBeam 6.0 with full administrative privileges. Then RAM SBeam 6.0 should run fine.

See Also

RAM SBeam 6.0 Trial License message

RAM SBeam crashes while designing

Should ‘Skip-Load the Live Load around column’ be applied when designing columns using BS 5950-2000?

No, this is not necessary when designing columns in accordance with BS 5959-1:2000. Clause 4.7.7 states:

‘In structures of simple design, it is not necessary to consider the effect on columns of pattern loading. For the purpose of column design, all the beams supported by a column at any one level should be assumed to be fully loaded.’

Why don't the column design forces equal the sum of the beam reactions?

There are 2 things that contribute to the situation noted above.

• In determining the worst design conditions as required by code, the program skip loads the live load around the column to create the worst case of axial load and bi-axial bending. When a live load is “skipped” on a side (i.e., not applied), it is not included in the total axial design load which appears on the column design or column summary reports. This means that sometimes the reported design load does not include all beam live load reactions applied simultaneously. Please refer to the RAM Steel Column manual, section 3.4.1 Unbalanced Moments as well as Tables 3-1 and 3-2 for details. If you are looking to print total loads for the design of your foundations, you should print either the Column Load Summary report, or the Foundation Loads report from the RAM Manager Post-Processing menu.

  Note, in version 14.07 and later, the Steel Gravity Column Design report was enhanced to include more information. It now includes a section called "Controlling Axial Column loads" which lists the maximum axial demand used in the Pu/phi Pn checks, and another called "Controlling Combined Column Loads" listing the critical combination of axial and moments that gives the highest interaction ratio. 

  
  

• There are different live load reduction requirements for Beams and Columns. This will lead to different loads being reported in the member designs. To see the live load reduction percentage used in the column design, print the full Loads report.

Why aren't the column reactions from RAM Steel equal to the reactions from RAM Frame?

There are differences in the RAM Steel and RAM Frame program that affect the reactions you see in each program.

In the RAM Steel Column Module, the column loads are determined directly from the reactions of the simply supported beams. Think of it like simple tributary analysis. The total loads are simply added together (and reduced where Live Load reduction applies).

RAM Frame, on the other hand, determines column forces from a Finite Element Analysis. This method takes into account relative stiffness of the elements in the model to determine how loads are distributed. Refer to the Analysis Types article for more.

Consider these simple examples that illustrate how the FEA of RAM Frame produces more accurate results for the lateral frame reactions. 

For complex, multi-story models, or structures where the frames are linked by a rigid diaphragm this difference in behavior can be quite significant.

How can I confirm the orientation of a square column?

When reviewing the member forces, reactions or other results it is important to understand the relationship between column orientation, footing orientation and the global axis systems.

The following diagram shows the various orientation options for column as they appear in plan. Orientation angles in the RAM Structural System are always measured counter-clockwise from the positive “x” axis. This same rule applies to deck angle, lateral load angles, etc. Note that for Tube sections or rectangular concrete columns it is more difficult to be sure of the column orientation since it doubly symmetric. For those sections, the long dimension (presumably the “H” dimension for your concrete sections) is parallel to the angle of the member.

The orientation can be confirmed in the Modeler by using the layout – column - show command or in RAM Frame by checking “Orientation” under the View – Members command. Once the orientation of the column is known, it is easy to reconcile the sign convention for member shears and moments as depicted in the following figure:

For beams, the sign convention is similar. The orientation vector for beams always points upward, so positive moments occur when there is compression in the top flange.

When foundations are modeled, they are typically oriented the same as the column. When this is done, the major axis moments in the column result in major axis moments on the footing as well. It is only when the footing is rotated to the axis of the column that the forces get translated. For more information on footing orientation see the foundation manual.

Why are the column eccentricity and moments all zero for some steel columns?

In the gravity steel column design there are a few cases where the eccentricity is automatically set to zero:

1. Where eccentricity is specified to be zero by the user in the Modeler
2. Where the column supports a beam with a cantilever extension we assume a perfect fulcrum connection for the beam and no moment transfer to the column in this case. Furthermore the program is assuming some sort of cap plate connection and ignoring the eccentric moment in the column in both axes which may be unconservative.
3. When the column is a hanger.
4. Connection eccentricity is also not considered in the design of lateral steel columns in RAM Frame. The assumption here is that typical brace frame connections act through the column centroid work-point (and moment frame connections are fixed). Where you have a lateral column supporting a beam with an eccentric shear connection it is worthwhile to cross check the column design in Ram Steel Column.

Why are gravity columns spliced at non-splice levels?

In Ram Steel column the user can assign splice locations and override the defaults from the Modeler Story data.

In some special cases the program will automatically enforce a splice. These are identified with a "T" (for temporary), rather than a "Y" in the column View/Update dialog under splice information. The conditions where the program will enforce a splice are:

• A change in material properties (Fy or py)
• A change in Shape
• A change in Orientation
• A change in frame type (lateral vs. gravity)

Lateral columns can be sized story by story independently of the story splice defaults. 

How can I see the thrust that results from model a sloped column?

When the columns are modeled as gravity members the thrust component is not considered in the design of the column (or the lateral forces on the structure as a whole).

For this reason it is recommended to model sloped columns using lateral members. In that case the finite elements are correctly formulated in the Ram Frame analysis and any thrust components will automatically be accounted for. Keep in mind, where a diaphragm is rigid, the diaphragm will transfer those thrust component to various vertical frames directly. If you want to see the thrust as an axial force in a beam, the beam will also need to be lateral and the beam column node freed from the diaphragm constraint.

Can lateral column base plates be designed?

The design of base plates in RAM Steel is limited to gravity columns. We offer Ram Connection for the complete design of moment frame or braced frame (as well as pinned) base plates according to the latest codes.

Description

The installer for the ISM applications is called "Structural Synchronizer" and must be installed to utilize any ISM link from any application. It can be downloaded from the Software Downloads, also known as the Fulfillment Center, like any other product. A valid sign-in with the Product Download role is required.

First open the CONNECTION Center, also known as the Personal portal https://connect.bentley.com 

Then click on the Software Downloads tile.

Type part or all of the word "Synchronizer" in the search field and select "Structural Synchronizer CONNECT Edition x64". Note, use the American English spelling here, "z" rather than "s" in Synchronizer.

Once found, expand the All Downloads list and select the appropriate version:

Click the Green Down arrow and follow the instructions to complete the download and install the product.

Starting with V8i SELECT series 5 (version 8.11.11.46) Structural Synchronizer was available in a 32 or 64 bit variety and the version installed must match the computer operating system. Starting with the CONNECT Edition, only a 64 bit version is available. 

For non-SELECT users, the Synchronizer may also be downloaded from theiware downloads.

The Fulfillment center can also be used to download the ISM Revit Plugin, or other ISM Enabled applications from Bentley Systems. 

See Also

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

Problem Description:

How do I apply the layout image to the .exe for installation?

Steps to follow: 

1. Open the folder where you have downloaded the STAAD.Pro installation file (stpst210300XXen.exe).

2. Now copy the path of that installer as below. You may opt for any other method to copy the path.

3. Open Command Prompt (cmd); right click on it and select 'run as aadministrator'..

4. Paste the path, then provide a space and then type in /layout.

5. A new window will pop up in few seconds (as shown below).

6. Accept the agreement and click on next.

7. Now you need to select Deployment Image settings.

You can read the above description and choose as per your requirement. Full UI mode is chosen in this document.

8.Browse to the folder where you want to keep all the installation files. We suggest you to make a new folder in your local drive and keep the deployment image. Click on next to proceed.

9. It will bring you to a page where you can select which products you want to be downloaded in the layout image. To download all the products, check all as default and click on the LAYOUT option. It will automatically download all the files in the deployment image location.

10. After downloading is done, you will find all the files required for STAAD.Pro installation in the folder located in deployment image location as provided in step 8.

Double clicking on the STAAD.Pro installer will automatically install all the required components.

You may click on the question mark located at the right top corner for any assistance in the process. Once Layout Image folder is ready, you can keep it in any network drive or local drive and install STAAD.Pro as required. If you face any problem you may create a service ticket .

See Also

STAAD.Pro Installation/Licensing Solutions

Issues Found in version 16.00.00.28 are noted here. Click below for 

See Also

RAM Structural System Release Notes

Problem Description

After installing version 16.00 the Ram Steel beam module may crash for any file while checking the license. The user can be signed in, and all other modules work as designed, even Ram Steel Column. 

Reason

The Steel Beam module uses older 'C code' and one of the calls to the Licensing component fails. It does not affect all machines, only some. So far the machines with a problem all run Windows 7 x64, but some machines with that exact operating system are OK. 

Solution

The problem will fixed as soon as possible. Meanwhile contact technical support by logging a service request and we can send modified versions of the program executable files to work around the issue.   

RAM SBeam CONNECT Edition V7.00.00

Release Notes

Expected Release Date: January 2019

This document contains important information regarding RAM SBeam. It is important that all users are aware of this information. Please distribute these release notes and make them available to all users of RAM SBeam.

Important License Information:

RAM SBeam is licensed through an Analytical Cloud Visa (previously called the Optioneering Visa), rather than a perpetual license. If you currently own an Analytical Cloud Visa either as pre-paid annual or through a Cloud Services Subscription, you can update to RAM SBeam v7.0 immediately.

If you are using RAM Structural System but without an Analytical Cloud Visa, be aware that support for RAM SBeam v6.0 will end on March 31, 2019. RAM SBeam use is licensed through a cloud-based subscription; this means that you will no longer be able to access RAM SBeam after that date. To avoid disruption, and to access the enhancements of RAM SBeam v7.0, obtain either a pre-paid annual Analytical Cloud Visa or a Cloud Services Subscription and then upgrade to RAM SBeam v7.0. For information please log a request at:

https://www.bentley.com/en/about-us/contact-us/sales-contact-request.

Bentley CONNECT:

As a CONNECT Edition, RAM SBeam CONNECT Edition v7.00 includes several powerful features common to other Bentley CONNECT Edition programs:

CONNECTION Center

When you sign in to your Bentley account you now have easy access to CONNECTION Center. This personalized portal gives you easy access to Usage reports, site configuration information, downloads, and Learning information on webinars, seminars and events, and includes a transcript listing the Bentley courses that you have completed. Your personal portal also lists your recent projects with a portal into analytics on that project. CONNECTION Center can be accessed by selecting the Sign In command in the upper right corner of the RAM SBeam screen.

If you do not already have a Bentley ID, go to http://www.bentley.com/profile and select the Sign Up Now link.

CONNECTED Projects

All of Bentley’s CONNECT Edition programs, including RAM SBeam, allow models to be associated with a project. Multiple models, from any of the Bentley products, can be associated with a given project. This simplifies the process of keeping track of work done for a project, and will enable analytics to be performed and reported for the project.

A ProjectWise Projects portal enables you and your project teams to see project details required to evaluate team activity and understand project performance.

• View project activity by site, application and user
• Gain insights into the users who are working on your projects and their effort
• Register and manage your CONNECTED Projects
• Access ProjectWise Connection Services including ProjectWise Project Sharing, ProjectWise Project Performance Dashboards and ProjectWise Issue Resolution AdministrationWhen a model is Saved in this version the program will ask for a Project to which the file is to be associated. Projects can be registered (created) from your Personal Portal, or from the Assign Project dialog by selecting the + Register Project command.Project Share and i-models 

When a model is saved, a Bentley i-model is now created for viewing on mobile devices in products such as Bentley Structural Navigator. These i-models can be uploaded to Project Share, one of the Bentley Cloud Services.

New Features and Enhancements:

RAM SBeam V7.00.00 contains some powerful enhancements:

AISC 360-16

The requirements of AISC 360-16, “Specification for Structural Steel Buildings”, as found in the AISC Steel Construction Manual, 15^th Edition, have been implemented. This includes the new requirement for composite beam design to consider stud ductility.

CAN/CSA S16-09

The requirements of Canada CAN/CSA S16-14, “Design of Steel Structures”, have been implemented.

IS 800-07

The requirements of India IS 800-07 WSD and LSD have been implemented. The requirements of IS 800 are new to RAM SBeam.

Stud Criteria

The Stud Criteria have been enhanced. Minimum percent composite action can now be specified for long spans versus short spans. There is now an option to specify a maximum stud spacing of “Rib Spacing” when the deck is not parallel to the beam; this provides a means of specifying that studs be placed in every rib. There is an option to enforce the AISC 360-16 Commentary method of satisfying the new Stud Ductility requirements; for beams greater than 30 ft long this will result in either a minimum percent composite action of 50% or else a stud spacing of no more than 12” oc. Note that this is a new Specification requirement in AISC 360-16, but this option is recommended when designing to any AISC specification.

Error Corrections:

Some errors in previous versions have been corrected in v7.00. The more significant errors are listed here. The error only occurred for the precise conditions indicated. Errors that may have resulted in un-conservative designs are shown with an asterisk. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

CSA/CAN S16-09 HSS SHEAR CAPACITY*: The shear capacity for a Rectangular HSS was incorrect.

Effect: In calculating the shear capacity of a Rectangular HSS, the depth of the shear plane should have been reduced by 4 times the thickness of the web rather than 2 times the web thickness. A less conservative shear capacity was reported. For designs governed by shear, a member may have passed the shear check when it should have been failed.

CAN/CSA S16-09 CLASS 4 HSS: The flexural capacity calculated for Class 4 HSS sections designed according to CAN S16-09 was incorrect

Effect: The design and reported flexural capacity for Class 4 HSS was incorrect. The reported capacity was conservative. Designs which should have otherwise passed, may have been reported as failed.

MAX STUD SPACING WARNING: If the rib spacing is greater than the user-specified Maximum Stud Spacing (such as can occur when the deck is skewed), a message is correctly given that the Max Stud Spacing exceeds the Rib Spacing, but no warning was given to indicate that the maximum spacing wasn't satisfied (because of that). The additional warning is now given, that the stud spacing exceeds the Maximum Stud Spacing.

Effect: In that case the design was correct except that it did not satisfy the user-specified Maximum Stud Spacing. There was a stud in every rib, but the ribs were spaced too far apart to satisfy the criteria.

C-BEAM CAMBER: When C-Beams (formerly called SMARTBEAMS) are optimized, the design gives an acceptable range of Spacing or Diameter (for Cellular) and a range of Phi (for Castellated). This means that there is a corresponding range of member depths and section properties, and as a result, a range of deflection values. The program reported camber consistent with the worst strength interaction rather than the worst deflection encountered.

Effect: Report error only. The reported camber may have been inconsistent with the reported components of the worst deflection encountered. The reported camber was correct for the hole configuration associated with the worst strength interaction value, but was not necessarily correct for the hole configuration that caused the greatest deflection. The impact on camber was very small.

The program encounters an error opening 3D view

This can happen launching it from Modeler, Column module, Frame module. The log reads, "error info:...Database Version, Model Database Version 15.80 can not be read in by DA Version 15.60, eID=25657"

Please perform a clean installation of RAM Structural System.

Why are my graphics chunky or blocky looking?

RAM Structural System uses open GL based graphics. Many graphics adapters are set up for high performance, but reduced quality graphics which is preferred for high speed gaming, but not really necessary for engineering work. With these adapters there is usually a way to improve the quality but the program also has an option to override the graphics adapter and let the operating system handle the graphics in our 3D viewer. To use this option got to RAM Manager - Tools menu - Defaults Utility.. - (Last Option) 3D viewer - and set Smoothing = None.

This should eliminate the chunky type graphics or triangulated graphics you might see.

The same tip can also fix problems where some element types (particularly the columns) are not showing up at all.

I modeled a roof with multiple slopes, but in the 3D view the deck is a single sloped plane shooting up.  How do I fix this?

Starting in version 14.0, the program will display the surface of the deck in 3D.

For a sloping deck to function correctly in this regard, the deck must be input using a separate polygon for each sloping surface. In other words, for a gable roof, two deck polygons should be defined, one for each side or slope of the roof.  A whole-floor application of the deck is no longer sufficient.

It is suggested to snap to the beam end points when defining these decks, since the beam end points have exact elevations which are derived from the supporting column or wall elevations. Here's a better way to lay out the deck polygons for the model illustrated above:

Even slight imprecision in the support elevations (i.e. warping of the deck) can cause this anomaly in 3D.

The analysis results will only be affected if the warped deck is part of a semirigid diaphragm in RAM Frame or is defined as a two-way deck.

Why is it difficult to select a specific member in 3D? 

RAM Structural System performs best when the model is reasonably close to the world origin (0,0). When models are imported from Revit or dxf or ISM it is a good idea to check that the resulting model is close to (0,0), otherwise some things can become more difficult. Selecting a specific member for example can become harder, but more importantly, some of the calculations which are limited to a set number of significant digits could be compromised if the model is many miles from (0,0). A utility to Move a Model has been posted under the Ram Data Access area in cases where you need to move a model after the fact, but keep in mind, some information will be lost.

See also [[Can't Select a Member in Plan, Elevation, 3D View]]

Why are some of the members not shown in the Design Module or 3D view?

Within each design module there is a tool called View - Non pertinent Members that can be used to control how the other members that are not being designed in the current module should appear. The options are Normal (all members are drawn the same), Lines (single line mode for non-pertinent members) or Hide. Pick an option other than Hide to see all members.

The ability to turn off the display of member types or the decking is also possible through the View - Members dialog or the Hide/Show icons on the toolbar.

See above for another possible cause for members, usually columns, not showing on some computers. 

Finally, as with all graphics related issues, updating the graphics adapter driver is advised.

To identify what type of video card is installed in your computer, please follow these steps.

Windows XP

1. Go to the Start Menu and select Settings – Control Panel.
2. Double-click on Display.
3. There are several tabs in the Display Setting dialog box. Select the Settings tab,
4. On the Settings tab, click on the Advanced button.
5. Again there will be several tabs. Select the Adapter tab.

The name of the video card will be displayed on the Adapter tab. Please refer to the manufacturer of
that video card to download the latest drivers.

1. Windows 7
2. Go to the display settings (via control panel
3. Click Adjust resolution on the left
4. Click advanced Settings in the middle

The dialog that appears should have an Adapter Tab with information about the graphics adapter.

My file crashes when I try to use the 3D view, what can be done?

If the 3D view crashes for any file, then it is a problem with the graphics and updating the graphics adapter driver, settings the smoothing option to "none" or reinstalling the program are the most likely solutions as discussed above.

If it crashes for a specific file, not all files, then it could indicate some corruption in the unique ID structure or a problem with the slab display. 

If the unique IDs have become corrupted, this can usually be fixed by deleting and then redefining the story data. We recommend that you take a screen grab or write down the story information first so that it's easy to recreate. Regretfully this process will purge the model of vertical braces and wall openings, so it should be done in a copy of the model first.

If the slab is the problem it can usually be resolved by deleting the openings or re-assigning the slab edge. Again, we recommend working with a copy of the model when testing this.

For models that still crash the 3D view, it's best to send the problem model to the technical support group through a Forum post or via Service Request.

See Also

Can I model shear walls using plates ?

Yes you can, specially if you are interested in analyzing the wall and finding out the forces ( shears and moments ) for design of the wall. You will have to calculate the reinforcements manually. Normally you would need the in-plane shear and the in-plane moment for designing the shear wall. These can be obtained by using Results Along Line feature in STAAD.Pro which can be accessed from within the Post Processing mode. At any elevation along the height of the wall, one can get the in-plane shear ( Fxy ) and the In-plane moment ( Mz ) both of which are reported within the Total Force tab of the Results Along Line table. These data can be used subsequently to design shear wall as per any design code manually. 

Problem Description

In v15.05.00.41, the shear wall stresses in the Concrete Shear Module - View/Update dialog cannot be viewed even when the Ram Frame Analysis is set to store wall stresses and a specific cross section is selected.

The buttons to select stress type are clickable, but no coloring or meshing occurs.  It calculates the stresses because the color scale on the V/U dialog shows values but there no changes in the 3D view. 

Other graphical anomalies may also occur when attempting to show the stresses.

Solution

We are working on a fix for this issue.

While users of Bentley Structural Analysis software products generally have the option to purchase perpetual licenses of STAAD and RAM software without maintenance, there are specific products and features that require an account to be on either a SELECT or ELS program. These situations are detailed below.

Structural Enterprise

Accounts that own Structural Enterprise perpetual licenses must subscribe to Bentley’s SELECT program and have each license covered by a SELECT subscription. Use of Structural Enterprise as a node-locked license is not permitted. If an account chooses to drop their SELECT subscription for Structural Enterprise, they must relinquish Structural Enterprise and move to perpetual licenses of the standalone products. In doing so, the account may choose any standalone perpetual license portfolio (only products within Structural Enterprise) such that the total license value does not exceed the total license value of their previous Structural Enterprise portfolio. This will generally lead to significantly less product access than Structural Enterprise.

An account that owns Structural Enterprise is not permitted to own perpetual licenses of the standalone products that are included within Structural Enterprise. For example, an account that owns ten Structural Enterprise perpetual licenses is not permitted to also own a perpetual license of STAAD.Pro, since STAAD.Pro is one of the products included in Structural Enterprise. Accounts that own standalone perpetual licenses of STAAD and RAM may upgrade to Structural Enterprise, using the license value of the standalone products as credit towards Structural Enterprise.

STAAD Features Available only to SELECT Subscribers

As of January 2019, STAAD products now contain specific features available only to accounts that have their licenses covered by a SELECT subscription or the ELS program. This started with the STAAD.Pro CONNECT Edition V22 release. This release offers two new features that are available only to SELECT or ELS accounts:

• Steel Autodrafter
• Building Planner (previously known as STAAD PlanWin)

Accounts using STAAD.Pro through a node-locked license will receive an error message when the attempt to access these features. Certain new STAAD and RAM features in future releases may be offered as a SELECT-only entitlement.

What is new in the December 2018 releases of the STAAD software?

STAAD.Pro CONNECT Edition V22 now incorporates S-Cube design and detailing technology directly into the main STAAD.Pro or STAAD.Pro Advanced interface and licensing. This includes:

STAAD Advanced Concrete Design

• A comprehensive set of features for the detailed structural design and drawing production of reinforced concrete beams, columns, walls, and footings
• Includes US (ACI metric), European (Eurocode), British (BS), and Indian (IS) design standards
• Previously a separate license, product, and installation
• Now included with the STAAD.Pro Advanced license, or with Structural Enterprise
• Now integrated into the main STAAD.Pro interface as the Advanced Concrete Designworkflow

STAAD Planwin

• A specialized modeler for STAAD.Pro for concrete building floors. This is the Building Planner workflow in the STAAD.Pro interface and enables users to easily model floor-based structures.
• Previously a separate license, product, and installation
• Now included with the STAAD.Pro (basic) license, available only for SELECT or ELS subscribers
• Now integrated into the main STAAD.Pro interface as the Building Planner workflow
• Also available with a STAAD.Pro Advanced or Structural Enterprise license

Steel Autodrafter

• Steel Autodrafter converts a STAAD.Pro model into high quality structural steel drawings, including plans, elevations, and arbitrarily located section drawings
• A new feature included with the STAAD.Pro (basic) license, available only for SELECT or ELS subscribers
• Integrated into the main STAAD.Pro interface as the Steel Autodrafter workflow
• Also available with a STAAD.Pro Advanced or Structural Enterprise license

Structural Enterprise now includes RCDC FE. This product specializes in the design, detailing, drawing and documentation of reinforced concrete slabs, foundations, rafts, and pile caps, working off the results of a STAAD.Pro or SAFE model.

What happens to the STAAD Advanced Concrete Design and PlanWin licenses that I used to own through Bentley?

Although users will retain access to the functionality, STAAD Advanced Concrete Design licenses no longer exist. Each seat of STAAD Advanced Concrete Design an account owned was used to upgrade a license of STAAD.Pro to STAAD.Pro Advanced, at no upgrade charge. Any STAAD Advanced Concrete Design licenses that could not be used to upgrade a STAAD.Pro license were replaced with RCDC licenses (for example, if an account owned more STAAD Advanced Concrete Design licenses then STAAD.Pro licenses). RCDC is a standalone version of the software. RCDC is what the product was originally called by S-Cube.

Similarly, PlanWin licenses no longer exist. The PlanWin functionality is now covered by a STAAD.Pro, STAAD.Pro Advanced, or Structural Enterprise license.

How has my license portfolio changed as a result of these license changes?

Seats of STAAD Advanced Concrete no longer appear on your contract and you will no longer be charged SELECT for these. Instead, these licenses were ‘merged’ with STAAD.Pro basic licenses and replaced with STAAD.Pro Advanced (which contains Advanced Concrete Design natively). STAAD Planwin licenses were also removed from your contract as this feature is now contained natively in STAAD.Pro. Any RCDC or RCDC-FE licenses that you owned through a contract with S-Cube have been migrated to your Bentley contract.

Where do I download updates to RCDC, RCDC FE, PlanWin, and Steel Autodrafter?

All Bentley Structural Analysis software is available for download on the Bentley Software Downloads site:

https://select.bentley.com/FulfillmentCenter/en

Steel Autodrafter and PlanWin are included directly in the STAAD.Pro download and installation. RCDC can also be installed with the STAAD.Pro installer, at the user’s option. Alternatively, for users not utilizing STAAD.Pro, RCDC can be downloaded and installed standalone from the Software Downloads site. RCDC FE is also a standalone installation.

Are the new versions of RCDC and RCDC FE still compatible with CSI software (ETABS and SAFE)?

Yes.

How do I purchase licenses of RCDC and RCDC FE?

Please contact your Bentley sales representative for information on purchasing.

Release Date: January 2019

Version: RAM Concept CONNECT Edition V7 Update 1

Version Number: 07.01.00.02

Download Instructions

Current and past RAM Concept releases can be downloaded from Bentley Cloud Services at: http://connect.bentley.com

After signing into CONNECTION Center, select Software Downloads under My Support, towards the bottom of the page. Once on the Software Fulfillment page, RAM Concept installers can be located by performing a search on "RAM Concept", or by selecting Brand -> RAM.

Note: Although there are multiple listings for RAM Concept (RAM Concept, RAM Concept Post Tension Module, etc.), each of these takes the user to the same list of installers, as all features of RAM Concept require only one installation.

Special Notices

The installation of RAM Concept will automatically uninstall previous CONNECT Edition versions (6.0.0 through 7.0.0).

The Technology Preview of the PT Optimization feature extends to this version. Please click here for more information about this feature.

This version of RAM Concept incorporates CONNECT Licensing, which is Bentley's new process for product activation and usage tracking. CONNECT Licensing improves our licensing capabilities with features such as: 

• License alert notifications when you are approaching a custom usage threshold 
• Replacing site activation keys with user validation, enhancing security around your Bentley licenses and subscriptions

With traditional SELECT Licensing, product activation has been through an activation key that an Organization distributed to all users. With CONNECT Licensing, product activation is managed by user sign in through the CONNECTION Client, which is installed on each machine that uses Bentley applications. This offers a more secure and manageable system as it offers usage alerts, notifying your users when they are about to reach a certain usage limit set by the Administrator. If you do not have a Bentley CONNECT sign-in, please refer to the Administrator's Resource Center and/or contact your administrator for assistance in the registration and sign-in process.

For more information on using and managing CONNECT Licensing, please refer to the CONNECT Licensing Wiki or select Help > Licensing > CONNECT Licensing Information while working in RAM Concept.

Enhancements

RAM Concept CONNECT Edition V7 Update 1 includes the enhancements discussed below.

Mesh Warning Added When Starting Scenario for PT Optimizations

Starting an optimization with a mesh that is out of date and subsequently generating the mesh after the optimization is complete could cause the displayed results to be inconsistent with the results in the trial table. A mesh warning dialog is now displayed if a new scenario is started with a mesh that is out of date.

Defect Corrections 

RAM Concept CONNECT Edition V7 Update 1 includes the defect corrections discussed below.

Performance Issues

A defect that significantly increased mesh generation and calculation time is resolved.

Save As Dialog Associated with Scenario Models for PT Optimizations

Changes made to scenario models are not intended to be saved. Scenario models are intended to represent a snapshot of the model when the optimization is started. In some cases, a Save As dialog may have been inadvertently been displayed after a change was made to a loaded scenario model. Changes made to scenario models will be discarded without warning when the scenario model is closed or changed.

Program Error When Generating Design Strips

In rare cases, a flaw in a geometry calculation may have produced an error when generating design strips and prevented the analysis from completing.

 
File Compatibility Warning

RAM Concept CONNECT Edition V7 Update 1 can read all previous file formats, but writes files in a format that cannot be read by previous versions except v07.00.00.

Security Release Notes

Not applicable to this release.

Issues found In version 07.00.00 are noted here. Click below for

All RAM Concept Defects fixed in version 7.00.00

See Also

RAM Concept Release Notes

Problem Description

In Ram Concept version 07.00.00.12, completion time for mesh generation and calculations may take significantly longer than previous versions. Calculation times for the Lateral Self-Equilibrium Analysis and Zero-Tension Analysis are especially affected.

Solution

Corrected with version 07.01.00.02

Cloud usage is tracked by ACUs (Analytical Compute Unit), the standard unit of consumption for Bentley analytical cloud compute resources. ACU credits are required to start an optimization.

During the v6.5.0 and v7.0.0 technology preview, organizations are granted 100 ACU credits for each SELECT license of RAM Concept Post Tension or Structural Enterprise that they own, up to a maximum of 500 ACUs. These ACUs will expire when RAM Concept v8.0.0 is released.

Usage Errors and Warnings

An error is displayed if an optimization is attempted and an organization does not own a RAM Concept Post Tension or Structural Enterprise License:

If your organization owns one or more RAM Concept Post Tension or Structural Enterprise Licenses and you see this error, please contact Karl Gullerud at karl.gullerud@bentley.com.

A warning is displayed when 80% of the ACU entitlement is consumed and an optimization is started or resumed. An e-mail will also be sent to the user attempting the optimization.

An error is displayed when all ACUs have been consumed. An e-mail will also be sent to the user attempting the optimization.

If you are interested in obtaining additional ACU credits during the Technology Preview, please contact Karl Gullerud at please contact Karl Gullerud at karl.gullerud@bentley.com.

See Also

Structural Products Licensing [FAQ]