RAM Elements CONNECT Edition V16 Update 7

Features:

1. Update CSA S16-09 to CSA S16-19 Canadian steel design code. The update includes the Beam Design and Truss Design modules.


Figure 1. New Canadian CSA S16-19 steel design code

2. New Soil-Structure Interaction with PLAXIS (Tech Preview). RAM Elements can now Export structural information including the geometry and loads to be used in PLAXIS using the Import as super element feature. Once the analysis is performed in PLAXIS then the analysis results can be imported using the Import results for “Direct analysis” approach (for each load condition) or the option to Import / create springs using forces/displacements at nodes for “Substructure approach”. The following wiki details the workflow to perform a Soil-Structure interaction.


Figure 2 Export structural information option to be used in PLAXIS


Figure 3. Import PLAXIS analysis results options

3. Footing Design module enhancements. These include the options to make the footing width larger than the footing length including a new elevation detailing view to show the footing reinforcement for both footing dimensions and a new option to include or not the Size effect factor for ACI 318-19.


Figure 4. Footing width larger than length and a new elevation detailing view

4. Masonry Wall design module report enhancements. Now the wall segments details drawings are much clearer and the critical segment (higher critical strength ratio) is highlighted as dark red when is failing or dark gray when passing.


Figure 5. Wall segment detail drawing showing the critical segment

5. Wood Design Module update to the NDS-2018 including both ASD and LRFD for glulam and lumber members. RAM Elements was already updated for v16.6. The Wood Design Module has the option to override all design factors in case user needs to test different scenarios or customize the design to local specifications.


Figure 6. Wood Design module updated to NDS-2018

Resolved Issues:
- Negative direction loads not considered properly for shell pressures. A glitch was fixed for pressures in shells that was not considering the pressures properly for analysis when the pressure was negative.
- Physical model member internal forces differ from FEM model internal forces for some members with member point loads too close to an end. This is fixed now and all internal forces for physical and FEM coincide totally regardless the point load location.
- Automatic notional loads were not generating the lateral loads adequately for member point loads with distances in percentage. This is fixed now and lateral loads are generated correctly for loads defined using distance or member length percentage.
- Validation for wind loads definition names to avoid the use of characters ( '~!@#$%^&,'';][{}';) that might cause issues when saving the model.
- NDS - 2018 had a glitch in the bearing stress check when calculating compression perpendicular to grain. This is fixed now and the demand for the check is determined properly.
- NDS - 2018 fixed some Cv factor values for other species than Southern Pine.
- Tilt-Up Wall design module was not reporting Global forces. This is fixed now and the report includes the global forces magnitudes and coordinates.
- Masonry Wall design module shear strength for reinforced wall conservatively calculated using d instead of dv. This has been fixed and the strength is calculated exactly as it is specified by the code.