Chapter 4: Connections Example For RC-RSS: 1) Run RAM Connection
Chapter 4: Connections Example For RC-RSS: 1) Run RAM Connection
It is a small building with steel columns, beams and girders. The perimeter beams and columns will
be the lateral framing while the interior columns and beams will be part of the gravity framing.
See the examples in the RAM Structural System Tutorial for more details for the generation and
analysis of a building. The file of this example is available in the Data folder of RAM Structural
System.
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Chapter 4: Connections examples for RC-RSS
2.- Verify that the Spreadsheet button is pressed in the Home tab and select the Connection
spreadsheet.
3.- Use the Delete selected connections button in the Active spreadsheet tools group in the
Spreadsheet tab to erase all the connections in the model.
In order to start assigning connections the user needs to use any of the default assignment group
buttons.
Assignment buttons
But first, select the load conditions that will be considered in the design. Go to the Assignment group
configuration menu and select all load conditions for the example (1).
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Select all load combinations and keep the Maximum strength ratio limit in 1.0 for the example.
Note that the load combinations generated in RAM SS (RAM Frame) will be used for the
connections design. In order to do this, go to the Load conditions group configuration menu and
select the Include RAM Frame – steel provision mode load combinations
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structure. Press Select all elements button in the Selection group on the Home tab (2).
Now you are ready to assign your first connections. As a first try you need to know exactly the
required connection on each joint. A recommended procedure is to design individually each joint and
evaluate the obtained connections.
Select the Design each connection individually option pressing the Assign button (3).
Then press the Basic Connections (4) button group and select the Basic SP (Single Plate)
connection(5).
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Single
Plate BCW connections designed individually for each joint.
It is possible review the particularities of each connection selecting this and pressing the Edit button
in the Connections group on the Design tab.
Note that some connections require 4 bolts while others require only 3. Let suppose that for
construction we decide to use the same connection for all BCW connections.
Select all the structure (pressing ), deactivate the option for design each connection individually.
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Press again the button to assign single plate connections ( .) You can select the BCW
connections and you will see that all BCW connections are with 3 bolts (as expected). The other
families have also 3 bolts. When you design by group you can obtain the same connection for each
family independently of the related sections and materials of the joints.
It is possible check the status and strength ratio for the current load condition pressing the Status
button. It also possible to check the ratio for the controlling load combination; in order to do that,
select the option For the controlling load combination in the menu of the Status button. Notice that a
different ratio is shown for each connection.
Similarly it is possible to have the stress ratio pressing the Stress ratio button.
Notice that you can select all connections that have an OK or N.G. status pressing one of the
following buttons.
You can print a summary report. Select all the structure and go to Design in the Reports group and in
the reports dialog select the option Group by tag.
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Now you can continue with the design of the moment connections.
Press Hinges button in the Model group in the View tab to view all the hinges of the structure (you
have to select previously all members). The moment connections will be designed only for the fixed
joints.
Select all the structure (pressing ), activate the option to design individually each connection and
select the Basic FP Bolted connection. To see the designed connections pick on
instance of the FP connections (for BCW), go to the Home tab and activate Connections/Select all
connections of the same type option in the Elements button .
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(pressing ), press the Gusset button and select CBB_DA (Column, Beams and Braces-Double
Angle) connection .
As you can see 6 CBB Connections were assigned.
Now you have finished the connection design. Notice that the task was performed very fast and in a
simple way. What you need to know now, is how to configure your connection design. This will be
shown in the next sections.
If you want to review in detail a connection or several connections of the same type and members,
select it and press the Edit button in the Connections group in the Design tab.
Review all the data for the selected connections in the connection pad. You can print the data or the
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You can edit any parameter of the connections. This is very useful when the design was not
successful in order to achieve an adequate connection. Notice, however, that any manual change will
be lost if the connections are redesigned or reassigned.
Now it is time to save your structure with all your connections. Press the RE Button and choose
Some FP BCW and SP BCW connections do not comply with the conservative stress limit ratio used
(0.80). To change this press the redesign button ( ) in Assignment group. Note that the strength
ratio is now under the new limit and that some connections have been modified to comply with the
new limit.
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A dialog window showing the available connections grouped in folders will appear.
Create a new group with the button. Enter a name for the new group of connections. For the
example you can adopt the "MyShearConnections" group.
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Enter the name, family, type, design code and press OK. In this case enter the options shown in the
figure.
With the former table selected, press the button to create a new connection.
Notice that the name of the template is used to identify the connection and has to be unique in the
whole database (including all folders). Thus you have to assign a name that describes the geometry
and main characteristics of the connection.
The following window will be displayed:
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For this case accept all the default values, pressing the Close button.
Common tools are available for the manipulation of the drawing area in the status bar. Also specific
tools are available in the 3D Options and DXF Options to manipulate the drawing area in the
Extruded View and DXF View respectively.
Right click in the drawing area allow manipulating the views and perspective for the extruded view.
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The help context ( ) is also available to give technical information related to the current parameter
to be edited (where the cursor is located).
example, place the cursor at the connection SP_1/4_BCF_2_3/4 and press the button as shown
below:
The new item will be copied with the name “SP_1/4_BCF_2_3/4 – Copy(1)”. Introduce the new
name of the connection accessing the connection pad with the button. For this example use
SP_1/4_BCF_3_3/4.
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Edit the new connection. In this example change the number of bolts from 2 to 3 and press the OK
button. Note that the connection is displayed with 3 bolts and that the length has automatically
changed to fit the bolts.
Change the number of bolts from to 2 to 3 for the new template. Enter the desired name for the
template.
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Select the former generated folder. Press the button “Copy items to clipboard”. Open Excel and
paste it in a worksheet
The spreadsheet will look similar to the following figure:
Note that each column of the spreadsheet contains the different values of a specific parameter of the
connection. You can use the different tools available on Excel to copy or change the values. In this
example copy the data line (row 4) 4 times. The following columns will be edited in the following
way:
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The name and the number of bolt rows (Nrow) are changed.
The user can keep or even erase the rest of the columns. In the latter case the connection will take the
default values.
Once the data is defined, the user may proceed with the generation.
Then select ALL the information and copy the data to the clipboard (Ctrl+C)
Press the Copy items from clipboard button to paste the connections into the database.
The program will ask if the existing connections are going to be replaced. Answer yes and then a
message with the number of generated connections (6) will be displayed.
The following connections will be generated:
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As you can see, this way of generating the connections is fast and allows creating the complete set of
templates that a design office may need with the required custom values.
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There are three groups of connections that are predefined by the program and cannot be edited but it
is possible to define a new user’s group. For this purpose, select the “USER” group in the combo box
“Toolbar”.
Press to define a new group. Enter the name of the group (My group).
Select the desired template or group of templates and press the button. Repeat the process until
you have assigned all the connections of the list. Note that the order in the list is very important
because it will define the priority in the selection of the template. To change the order in the list you
You can assign an adequate bitmap to your button. Press and select the bitmap for the single
plates.
Remark: You can create your own bitmaps with any drawing tool like PaintTM.
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Dialog window for selecting the bitmap for the new assigning button.
Now you have a new button ready to be used in the connection design with your single plate
connections. You can try it in the model following a similar procedure was performed with the basic
connections.
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Then press the Smart Connections button group and select the Smart SP (Single Plate)
connection.
As you may notice the different Single Plate connections have been assigned to the model. To view
the main designed parameters, press the Edit button in the Connections group on the Design tab.
If you review the results of the design you can see that they are similar to the results obtained with
the basic connections in the first part of the example. Notice however that the result for a design by
group will not be the same because the program will design an optimum connection for each
subgroup (same family and member sections).
8) Assign base plate connections to the model
The program allows the creation of column – base plate connections using predefined templates. The
base plate templates are defines as 'Smart', as they allow the program to determine the main design
parameters as the base plate dimensions, weld sizes, anchor embedment length and diameter based on
the acting forces.
In order to assign a base plate connection, select the Design each connection individually option
pressing the Assign button.
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Next, from the available template list, select from the Base Plate Connection group the template as it
is show in the next figure.
Choose Smart Fixed Uniaxial Base Plate as the template for the connections.
If there are braces connected to the joint then choose the Smart Gusset Base Plate template.
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Choose Smart Gusset Base Plate as the template for the base plate with braces connection.
Press the Edit button in the Connections group on the Modules tab to check the main design
parameters from the selected connections. In this window select the Analysis tab to review the results
of the base plate analysis.
Choose the Concrete stresses option to display the bearing stresses at the concrete support.
This Analysis tab has the following options:
Concrete stress : Display the bearing stresses at the concrete support for the Condition and Axis
selected.
Anchor tension : Display the tension at the anchors for the Condition and Axis selected.
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For a detailed connection report, select the Extruded view tab and choose the Results option.
The report shows all the verifications performed for the connection.
The report of the Base plate connection include detailed information of the analysis and design of the
base plat
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The critical groups of anchors considered in the design are reported at the end of the report for the
design axis
Remark: The anchors are designed for the code ACI 318-08 and due method compatibility only are
available when the design method selected is AISC 360-05 LRFD.
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