Note: This technote was prepared using RAM Connection 7.3.1.30 and STAAD.Pro 20.07.08.20 

For new users we suggest starting with Ram Connection Standalone, just to become familiar with the layout of the Connection design pad, the information in the reports etc. The help (?) icon, in RAM Connection Standalone links to the Ram Connection manual with an overview of the program.

Once you have a basic understanding of how Ram Connection works, move on to STAAD.Pro. The documentation from within STAAD.Pro is available under Help – Contents. If you go to the Index and scroll down to “RAM Connection” you will see all the help topics together. Be aware that this includes the original documentation from STAAD.pro 2006 and some things have been improved or streamlined since then.

We recommend that you start with a simple model that includes at least a pair of columns and a beam, or one of the completed steel examples, like Examp01.std.

Be sure to assign a STEEL material to all of the members you plan to design connections for. Furthermore,
any vertical braces should be assigned as TRUSS member types.

Analyze the model and launch RAM Connection design using the tab along the top.

From the Connection Design menu, select “Load Envelope for Connection” (or the first square button in the middle of the screen):

Check one or more loads cases or combinations that you want the connections to be designed for.

From the Connection Design menu now select the “Assign Ram Material” command (or use the 6^th square button in the middle of the screen):

To avoid getting warnings, assign a value for Fu, Ry and Rt for all materials in the STAAD.pro file and Click OK. This needs to be done once for each STAAD file.

Now use the Select menu to “Select Joints” of a specific type, for example use Select Joints – “Select all beam-column flange joints” to select all the intersecting beam to column strong axis locations in the model. Conversely, you can use the beams cursor to select a single beam and supporting column, or you can select the entire model, all joints, but this can be slower when assigning connections.

Next Assign the desired type of connection. To summarize,“Smart Connections” are those where the most variables are selected by the program. Basic connections are those where more of the data is specified by the user (via the basic connection templates) and the program only selects a few aspects of the design. Using Basic connections effectively generally requires some up-front work to customize the connection templates. Additional information
about that is available upon request. Gusset connections are smart connections involving a vertical brace. They are valid for a connection of a beam and a brace to a column, or a pair of braces to a beam (i.e. a chevron connection),
for example.

To assign a Smart Connection use the Connection design menu – “Assign Smart Connections" or the “S” button in the middle:

In the window that appears, select the design code for connection design at the top; this must be consistent with the load envelopes previously selected to get the correct design.

Then, select the type of connection from the drop down list in the middle. The descriptions are pretty clear, but refer back to the RAM Connection documentation when a connection type or abbreviation is unknown.

Pick one or more specific connections from the left box and click the arrow to the right and then OK to assign the best connection to the selected joints. When no selected connection works or fits for the selected joint there will be a warning. Otherwise a new connection will appear on screen (as a grey triangle typically) and also in the table of connections in the upper right. You can review the specifics of a connection by double clicking the triangle while using the Select Joints Cursor, or by double clicking in the table on the row for the specific connection you want to review.

The window that pops up is identical to the Connection Pad seen in Ram Connection Standalone.

Here is where you can alter parameters of the connection like the weld sizes, bolt types etc. Changes to the member sizes, orientation, or loads can also be made in this view for investigation, but those changes cannot be saved since they are always read in from the Main STAAD.pro file. Changes to the materials, section sizes, geometry or forces should always be made in the main STAAD.pro file.

Use the Results button to review the design report. Use the DXF View to see the connection as a flat line drawing (this is also where a dxf file of the connection can be exported). The left hand tab labeled “Drawing & Result” can also be used to review the dxf drawings and design reports for the tabulated connections.

Once you have the connection design the way you like it, click Save and Close. If you need to make changes and reanalyze the model, the connection design can be re-checked later without losing those changes (so long as the model changes to not invalidate the original connection).

See Also

RAM Connection Capabilities and Modeling FAQ

How to Customize a RAM Connection Template in STAAD.Pro

Structural Product TechNotes And FAQs

External Links

Bentley Technical Support KnowledgeBase

Bentley LEARN Server

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