Release Date: December 1, 2011

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 V5.01 contains some powerful enhancements and some error corrections.

New Features and Enhancements

A design code has been updated and a new one implemented, and a feature for broadcasting important notices has been added. For more information on these new features and enhancements refer to the program Help and Manual, available from the program’s Help menu.

BS 5950 Amendment 1

The requirements of Amendment 1 of BS 5950 have been incorporated.

Australia Steel Design

The requirements of AS 4100-98 (steel) and AS 2327.1-2003 (composite) have been incorporated.

RSS Feed

An RSS feed window has been added to the start-up screen. These feeds give important notifications on updates, training, and other pertinent items and events.

Error Corrections

Some program errors affecting SMARTBEAM design have been identified in V5.00 and corrected for Version 5.01. The errors did not affect steel beam design, only SMARTBEAM design. The errors, when they occurred, were generally quite obvious. However, if there is any question, it may be advisable to reanalyze previous models to determine the impact, if any. In each case the error only occurred for the precise conditions indicated. Only one of the errors may have resulted in un-conservative designs; it is shown with an asterisk. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

CASTELLATED SMARTBEAM LTB CHECK*: The lateral torsional buckling check under the ASD 9th design code was not performed for Castellated SMARTBEAM.
Effect: The omission of the LTB check may have resulted in an unconservative design if that should have been the controlling limit state.

SMARTBEAM DESIGN REPORT: In some cases the controlling moment capacity reported under the AISC 360-05 codes was incorrect for SMARTBEAM.
Effect: Report error only. The designs were correct.

SMARTBEAM DESIGN REPORT: The range of b for Castellated SMARTBEAM was not reported when phi was optimized.
Effect: Report error only. The designs were correct.

SMARTBEAM DESIGN REPORT: The value given for Equation H1-1b for the AISC 360-05 and LRFD 3rd Edition was incorrect (conservative) in the controlling case where no moment was present and the design of the SMARTBEAM was controlled by Pr/Pc. Also, the diameter for user-specified Cellular SMARTBEAM was always reported as zero.
Effect: The beam designs were correct. The reported value for Equation H1-1b and the reported diameter for user-specified Cellular beam sizes were incorrect.

SMARTBEAM DETAILED REPORT: The Detailed Report for non-composite SMARTBEAM Horizontal Shear indicated distances of opening locations in inches rather than feet.
Effect: The opening location distances incorrectly expressed in inches were interpreted as distances in feet.

SMARTBEAM DETAILED REPORT: The web post results in the Detailed Report were not reported for Cellular SMARTBEAM when the cell diameter was optimized and the sized was assigned by the user.
Effect: Although the beam designs were correct and the regular report showed the results of the web post check, the Detailed Report did not show the results for the web post check.

SMARTBEAM DETAILED REPORT: The shears for noncomposite SMARTBEAM were reported as zero. Incorrect interactions for shear and incorrect Vierendeel moments were also reported for the AISC 360-05 code.
Effect: Although beam designs were correct, the Detailed Report showed incorrect results for shear interactions and Vierendeel moments. Results in the regular SMARTBEAM Report were correct.

INFILLED SMARTBEAM OPENING: When an opening at the ends of SMARTBEAM with connection type "Bearing" were infilled, the program ignored the infill when checked the opening.
Effect: If the end post or opening considered without an infill controlled the design the program may have reported that the beam failed, even though it should have passed if the infill had been considered.

In addition, several corrections and modifications were made to the link between the RAM Structural System and RAM SBeam. The following errors may have occurred when RAM SBeam was launched from the RAM Structural System, and data was passed from the RAM Structural System into RAM SBeam:

DESIGN CODE CRITERIA: The design code selection in RAM SBeam may not have been set to the same code as that used by RAM Structural System.
Effect: Either the incorrect design code, or no design code was set. If no design code was set, the design would crash.

DECK TABLE: RAM SBeam used its default deck table for design regardless of which deck table was specified by the RAM Structural System.
Effect: Incorrect deck table used in design.

IGNORE RIB SPACING: The Criteria option to “Ignore Rib Spacing” in the placement of studs, if specified in the RAM Structural System, was not passed to RAM SBeam.
Effect: Rib spacing was considered in design.

BISON PRECAST ***: Bison (UK) precast *** information was not passed to RAM SBeam.
Effect: RAM SBeam defaults were used.

Note that you must have RAM Structural System v14.04.03 or later for these corrections to appear when running this version of RAM SBeam.