Problem Description

Channels with webs or flanges that were either noncompact or slender were unintentionally designed and incorrect capacities were output by the program. A similar problem occurred with built-up channels unequal flanges that were compact.

Reason

AISC 360 Section F2 applies to channels with compact webs and flanges only. When the section was slender, the program should have output a slenderness warning and reported no design.

AISC 360 Section F12 applies to built-up channels with unequal flanges. To design these members, the buckling stress Fcr needs to be calculated by analysis. This calculation is beyond the scope of the program. When the flanges of channels were unequal, the program should have output a warning and reported no design.

Solution

The issue will be resolved in the release after v15.03.00. In the meantime, the user should use caution designing slender channel sections or built-up channels with unequal flanges in the Ram Steel Beam module.