RAM SBeam CONNECT Edition V6.00.00
Release Notes
Release Date: Available Soon
This document contains important information regarding changes to RAM SBeam. It is important that all users are aware of these changes. Please distribute these release notes and make them available to all users of RAM SBeam.
RAM SBeam V6.00.00 contains some powerful enhancements and some error corrections.
New Features and Enhancements:
Since the release of RAM SBeam v5.01 in November 2011, several enhancements have been made to the beam design capabilities in the RAM Structural System software. Because RAM SBeam v6.0 is a by-product of the RAM Structural System, it ‘inherited’ those enhancements. Details on the enhancements are outlined in the Release Notes for the RAM Structural System, which can be found at communities.bentley.com. A description of a few of the more significant enhancements are included here.
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 Administration
When 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.
AISC 360-10
The requirements of AISC 360-10, “Specification for Structural Steel Buildings”, as found in the AISC Steel Construction Manual, 14th Edition, have been implemented.
CAN/CSA S16-09
The requirements of CAN/CSA S16-09, “Design of Steel Structures”, have been implemented.
Updated Steel Beam and Deck Tables
Steel design tables have been updated to include the latest sections and properties, and additional tables are available. These now include the large I- and L-shapes, jumbo HSS shapes and A1085 HSS sizes. The SJI Virtual Joist Girders are also available (go to http://communities.bentley.comfor information on Virtual Joist Girders). Several of the deck tables, for composite design, have been updated.
Beam Design View/Update
The View/Update dialog has been enhanced to show the Demand/Capacity ratios, for both Strength and Deflection.
Eurocode EN 1994-1-1:2004 Transverse Reinforcement
The Transverse Reinforcement requirements of Eurocode EN 1994-1-1:2004 (and EN 1992-1-1:2004) have been implemented. The Gravity Beam Design report lists the required reinforcement for the beam with various configurations of sheeting fyp, thickness and continuity, allowing the engineer to determine which configuration is most suitable.
Eurocode and UK National Annex Design fy
In Criteria – Design, the EurocodeFactors tab has an option to specify that the Design fy rules be used based on either EN 1993-1-1 or EN 1993-1-1 UK NA. Previously the Design fy rules per EN 1993-1-1 were used, the option to use the EN 1993-1-1 UK NA rules is now available.
SCI Publication P405 Modifications to EN 1994-1-1
An option has been added to use the SCI P405 rules for the calculation of minimum shear connection when the Eurocode is selected as the beam design code.
BS 5950-1:2000 Transverse Reinforcement
The Transverse Reinforcement requirements of BS 5950-1:200 were previously implemented but previously the Gravity Beam Design report listed the required reinforcement for the beam based on a reinforcement of fy = 460 N/mm2. With the increased use of reinforcement with fy = 500 N/mm2, the transverse reinforcement checks performed in that report now uses reinforcement fy = 500 N/mm2.
Partition Loads
In the definition of loads, Partition live loads can now be explicitly specified.
C-Beams
Previously in the program, castellated and cellular beams were referred to as SMARTBEAMs. They are no longer marketed or produced under that name. These beams are now called C-BeamsTM and are produced by SteelFab, Inc. The program now includes the option to design C-Beams per the requirements of AISC 360-10.
Composite Beam Design Improvements
In the selection and investigation of studs for composite beam design the program comprehensively investigates the conditions that affect the placement of the studs, including the effects of the deck rib spacing, orientation and location along the beam and the likely location of the studs relative to points of zero and maximum moments. Several refinements have been made in the calculation of the required studs and in the analysis of composite beams with user-specified stud quantities. This includes, for example, better consideration of the likely number of ribs crossing the beam when the deck is perpendicular (or at an angle), and the likely placement of the studs along the member. As a result of these changes you may see slight differences in some of the beams designs as pertaining to the quantity of studs. Note that for the vast majority of beams there will be no changes in the number of studs specified by the program, and where there are differences they will almost always be a slight reduction in the number of studs required.
Some design warning messages have been enhanced and additional design warning messages have been implemented, making it clearer as to the reasons for beam failures.
Error Corrections:
The RAM SBeam software is created by taking the powerful beam design capabilities from the RAM Structural System software. Since the release of RAM SBeam v5.01 in November 2011, several defects have been corrected in the RAM Structural System software. Because RAM SBeam v6.0 is a by-product of the RAM Structural System, it ‘inherited’ those corrections. Details on the corrections are outlined in the Release Notes for the various versions of the RAM Structural System, which can be found at communities.bentley.com. A description of the more significant defect corrections is included here. The errors were rare, but when they occurred were generally quite obvious. However, if there is any question, it may be advisable to reanalyze previous beams to determine the impact, if any. In each case 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.
CANTILEVER BEAMS*: For the AISC360, LRFD 3rd and ASD 9th Edition codes, incorrect Cb values may have been used in the design of cantilevered beams when the user unchecked the option to "Use Cb = 1.0 on all Cantilevers" in the Design Defaults Criteria. The error likewise occurred for the mLT value per BS 5950, the C value per EN 1993, and the Moment Modification Factor per AS 4100.
Effect: The calculated values of Cb, mLT, Moment Modification Factor, and hence the moment capacity of the cantilever section, may have been unconservative. Note that the error did not occur when the option to "Use Cb = 1.0 on all Cantilevers" (or the equivalent option for the other codes), which is the common default, was selected.
CAN S16 COMPOSITE BEAMS WITH THIN FLANGES*: Investigations of thin flanged composite beams with stud diameters exceeding 2.5 times the flange thickness received no warning.
Effect: Although beam designs were correct and provisions of Section 17.6.5 were enforced during beam size optimization, investigated user sizes were not warned of flange thickness requirements per Section 17.6.5 of the CAN S16 specification when the stud diameters exceeded 2.5 times the flange thickness.
BS 5950 HIGHER DUCTILITY SHEAR CONNECTORS*: Amendment 1 to BS 5950 allows the use of a lower minimum percent composite if the shear connectors qualify as "Higher ductility". In addition to other requirements, these only occur when the profiled deck is perpendicular to the beam; however the program erroneously allowed the lower percent if it met all of the other requirements for “Higher ductility” even if the deck was parallel or was a flat formed slab.
Effect: When the deck was parallel or flat slab the program specified too few studs if the minimum percent composite requirements controlled the design.
BS5950:2000 CLASS 3 AND CLASS 4 COMPOSITE BEAMS*: The program only allows Class 1 and Class 2 beams to be designed as composite beams (the methodology necessary for Class 3 and Class 4 sections has not been implemented). There was an error in the program in the classification of the web, resulting in Class 3 and Class 4 webs being classified as Class 2, and the beam being designed as a composite beam as if it was a Class 2 section.
Effect: Beams with Class 3 or Class 4 webs were designed as composite beams as if they were Class 2 sections, rather than being rejected as composite beams and designed as noncomposite beams.
EUROCODE SECTION CLASSIFICATION*: For noncomposite design and for precomposite design of composite beams the sections were always classified as Class 1.
Effect: Moment capacity of beams was always based on that for Class 1 beams.
SHEAR AT POINT LOAD*: When the Shear at a point load location is governed by the shear slightly left of the point load, that left Shear value was not captured.
Effect: Some codes require calculation of Shear corresponding to the Moment at a given location. At point load locations, the Shear slightly left of the point load, if greater than the Shear slightly right of that point load location, was not captured as the max Shear at location of that point load. A lesser Shear value was then associated with the Moment at that location.
SMARTBEAM DEFLECTION*: When a Smartbeam is forced to be noncomposite because an adequate number of studs will not fit on the beam the program bases the design on the noncomposite section properties. However, the program was erroneously using a Dead Load deflection value of 0.0 when calculating the Net Total Deflection.
Result: The check for Net Total Deflection used an incorrect deflection value. Note that an enhancement has been made to the design warnings for this: Design warnings are now given for Smartbeams [now called C-Beams] that are forced to be noncomposite because the required number of studs will not fit on the beam.
BUILT-UP SHAPES*: Some errors in the design of built-up shapes were correct. Note that these errors only potentially occurred if customized steel tables were created and used; these errors did not occur if the tables supplied with the program were used. They include the following:
AISC 360 - COMPRESSION FLANGE YIELDING*: For Singly symmetric I-sections the compression flange yielding capacity determined in Section F4 for qualifying sections was incorrectly determined.
Effect: Where the governing capacity for sections evaluated under Section F4 was the Compression Flange Yielding limit, the reported capacity was incorrectly determined as FyZx rather than RpcFySxc per Equation F4-1. Note that this error only affected built-up sections where the top flange and bottom flange had different dimensions; it did not affect the design of the standard rolled I-shapes.
AISC 360 BUILT-UP CHANNELS WITH NONCOMPACT OR SLENDER WEBS*: The design of built-up channels with noncompact or slender webs has not been implemented in the program, but for such members the program was giving design results (erroneously), with incorrect capacities indicated in the design report.
Effect: Built-up channels with non-compact or slender webs were incorrectly designed and reports showed incorrect results. Capacities for such sections are not addressed by the Specification and the program should have indicated a warning message to the user instead. The user is now warned of the condition with a “Cannot Design” warning message, and the capacity is set to 0.0.
AISC 360 ASYMMETRIC BUILT-UP CHANNELS*: The design of asymmetric built-up channels has not been implemented in the program, but for such members the program was giving design results (erroneously), with incorrect capacities indicated in the design report.
Effect: Built-up asymmetric channels were incorrectly designed and reports showed incorrect results. The program should have indicated a warning message to the user instead. The user is now warned of the condition with a “Cannot Design” warning message, and the capacity is set to 0.0.
AISC 360 BUILT-UP BOX SHAPES WITH SLENDER WEBS*: The design of built-up box shapes with slender webs has not been implemented in the program, but for such members the program was giving design results (erroneously), with incorrect capacities indicated in the design report.
Effect: Built-up box shapes with slender webs were incorrectly designed and reports showed incorrect results. The program should have indicated a warning message to the user instead. The user is now warned of the condition with a “Cannot Design” warning message, and the capacity is set to 0.0.
AISC 360 DOUBLY SYMMETRIC BUILT-UP I-SECTION (LTB CAPACITY): The reported AISC 360 LTB capacity for doubly symmetric built up I-sections was incorrect.
Effect: Where LTB governed the design for compact doubly symmetric built up I-sections, the reported capacity was inconsistent with the requirements of AISC 360 section F2. An incorrect, but conservative, rts value was being used.