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2. Right Panel:- The section shape on the left side of the rightmost location defined for this step in any surface
of any layer or element.

Data Definition

Description
Descriptive name for the step.

Reference Column
The 7.2.3.2 Column Grid Reference from which the step is dimensioned. RAPT will always adjust the column grid
reference and distance from it so that the column grid reference shown here is at or immediately before the step. This
is necessary for the internal calculations for adding and deleting spans.

In input data screens, where a reference column number is required to define a location, the Column Grid Reference is
used, not the column number. To input a new value, the Column Grid reference must be typed in full or the column
number can be used preceded by a # symbol e.g. #5 for column number 5. When the value is accepted, it will be
converted to the Column Grid Reference and this will be shown as the Reference Column. In the default case, 5 or #5
will both represent the column grid reference for column 5.

In view mode, the data in the cell shows only the column grid reference # (e.g. 1). In Edit mode, the cell shows both
the column grid reference and the distance from it in the following format # ; ## (e.g. D;2000). Both of these data
items are editable to allow the designer to modify the location of a step in one operation rather than two separate
operations which would result in two complete calculations of the effect of moving the location of a step.

Distance from Reference Column

The distance from the reference column to the nominal step location. This location is logically the location of the
vertical step in the topmost surface to have a step at this location but may be any reference location. Steps in each
layer surface are defined at an offset dimension from this location as shown below.

Flexible Step/Rigid Step

Option to tell RAPT how to treat the step in design. Options are

1. Flexible Step:- The default setting. RAPT will treat the area within the length of the step as a normal design
area. At the minimum, design locations will be placed immediately inside each end of the step. If the step is
sufficiently long extra design locations will be placed between these points. Calculations for flexure and shear
will be carried out at all of these design points including checks on minimum reinforcement.
2. Rigid Step:- RAPT will treat the area within the length of the step as an inflexible area and will not carry out
design at any of the design points within this length. Curvature over this length will be assumed to be zero for
deflection calculations. This option should only be selected in cases where, after shear lag is considered, the
member will be basically a constant section shape over the length of the step, as shown in the left diagram
below. In longer steps, as shown in the right diagram below, the shear lag effect only affects the section
shape at the ends of the step zone and, over the remainder of the length of the step zone, the full depth of
the concrete section is active and must be treated as such.
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For a length to be calculated there must be a vertical step in both the top surface of the top layer and the bottom
surface of the bottom layer. Otherwise the step will be assumed to have no length and all sections around the step will
be treated as flexible. The length of a step is the length between the vertical step location in the top surface of the top
layer and the vertical step location in the bottom surface of the bottom layer (see below).

7.2.3.7.1 Vertical Steps / Tapers

Vertical steps can be made in the top or bottom surface of any trapezoidal concrete layer or element and to the
diameter and depth to centroid of circular elements. These can be sudden steps, sloping steps or combined sudden
and sloping steps as shown below. At a step location, the designer can place steps in any of the concrete layer
surfaces and any of the concrete element surfaces that exist at that location thus producing the complex steps shown
below. This can be done by manually entering all of the step data in the Data Grid for each surface as described in the
Data Definition below, or by using the Toolbar functions to add specific step types or by a combination of the two
methods where the step dimensions are different in different layers.

Vertical Steps Toolbar

This toolbar offers the designer the means of quickly defining four different types of vertical steps using a single set of
step data to place steps in several surfaces at once. Once the steps have been created using the toolbar functions the
designer is free to modify the step dimensions to allow for any variations from the standard steps defined here as
described in the Data Definition section below. The advantages to using these toolbar functions to add steps are

1. One set of data automatically adds the step data for steps in multiple surfaces
2. The recalculations required in loads, prestress and reinforcement to cater for the concrete shape changes are
only performed once at the end of the creation of the steps rather than as every number is inserted as the

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steps are defined manually as described below in Data Definition. Thus tendon re-profiling is only done for the
final concrete shape rather than the series of shapes produced as the individual pieces of data are entered
manually.

The diagrams at the bottom of this document show the data requirements for the dialogs shown below to define the
different types of vertical steps. The four basic step groups are

1. Step/Fall Down, Fall to the right of the step

2. Step/Fall Up, Fall to the right of the step
3. Step/Fall Up, Fall to the left of the step
4. Step/Fall Down, Fall to the left of the step

These diagrams show the effects of different methods of defining the data and the resulting step shapes.

Add Full Step

To step the full member section automatically as shown below. Allows the designer to define a step in the top and
bottom surfaces of all of the layers and elements at the currently selected step location in the 7.2.3.7 Steps Control
Grid. The following dialog will be presented for the designer to define the parameters of the step as discussed below.
The diagram in the dialog is a longitudinal section and is diagrammatic only. It is not meant to be a true
representation of your structure shape. It will adjust for the Step Direction and Step Shape selected to indicate the
shape of step requested.

The data required is defined below.

• Step Direction:- The options available are Step Up or Step Down.

• Step Shape:- Four different basic step are possible.

;- Vertical step, down or up.

, :- Sloping Step, down or up.

, :- Combined step with sloping section before vertical step, down or up.

, :- Combined step with vertical step before sloping section, down or up.
• Offset:- The distance to the sudden step location in the top layer from the nominated Step Location in the
7.2.3.7 Steps Control Grid.
• Step Depth:- The Vertical step dimension. The Value for this is always positive. Depending on the selection
for Step Direction, RAPT will then create the step data from this value where Positive Values indicate a
Downward Step and Negative Values indicate an Upward Step. The Sudden step in the top surface of the top

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layer will be placed at the Offset from nominated Step Location in the 7.2.3.7 Steps Control Grid. The sudden
step location in all other layers will be placed at the Step Overlap dimension from the sudden step location.
• Fall Length:- The length over which the taper or slope acts. The value is always positive. Depending on the
selection for Step Direction and Step Shape, RAPT will then create the step data from this value where
Positive Values indicate a Taper to the right of the step location and Negative Values indicate a Taper to the
left of the step location.
• Fall Depth:- The Vertical dimension of the taper. The value is always positive. Depending on the selection for
Step Direction and Step Shape, RAPT will then create the step data from this value where Positive Values
indicate a Downward slope to the right and Negative Values indicate an Upward slope to the right.
• Step Overlap:- Allows users to specify an overlap length (a distance between the front and back of a step)
with the top surface of the top layer having its step position at the defined step location and all other layers
having their step location offset by the overlap dimension. See below. If no step overlap is specified, then all
layers will have their step location at the defined step position. RAPT will only allow positive values to be input
in this field. RAPT will determine which direction to apply the overlap. See diagrams at the bottom of this
document.

Add Top Step

To place a step in the top surface of the top layer automatically as shown below. The following dialog will be presented
for the designer to define the parameters of the step as discussed below. The diagram in the dialog is a longitudinal
section and is diagrammatic only. It is not meant to be a true representation of your structure shape. It will adjust for
the Step Direction and Step Shape selected to indicate the shape of step requested. For a description of the data
required for this dialog See the above discussion for Add Full Step.

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Add Bottom Step

To place a step in the bottom surface of the bottom layer automatically as shown below. The following dialog will be
presented for the designer to define the parameters of the step as discussed below. The diagram in the dialog is a
longitudinal section and is diagrammatic only. It is not meant to be a true representation of your structure shape. It
will adjust for the Step Direction and Step Shape selected to indicate the shape of step requested. For a description of
the data required for this dialog See the above discussion for Add Full Step.

Add General Step

To place a step in any selected group of surfaces available at this step location. The following dialog will be presented
for the designer to define the parameters of the step as discussed below. The diagram in the dialog is a longitudinal
section and is diagrammatic only. It is not meant to be a true representation of your structure shape. It will adjust for
the Step Direction and Step Shape selected to indicate the shape of step requested. For a description of the data
required for this dialog See the above discussion for Add Full Step.

A list of the surfaces that can be stepped is offered at the bottom of the dialog. Select surfaces to be stepped by
clicking the mouse in the check box to the left of the surface name. RAPT will add this step to any selected surfaces.

The Sudden step in the top surface of the top layer will be placed at the nominated Step Location in the 7.2.3.7 Steps
Control Grid if this surface is selected to be stepped. The sudden step location in all other layers will be placed at the
Step Overlap dimension from the nominated Step Location in the 7.2.3.7 Steps Control Grid.

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Data Definition
All step attributes can be modified in this grid. The step profiles in each surface can be different. Whenever data is
modified the recalculations required in loads, prestress and reinforcement to cater for the concrete shape changes are
performed as every number is inserted and accepted as the steps are defined. Thus tendon re-profiling is done for the
series of shapes produced as the individual pieces of data are entered manually. It is better to define general step
shapes using the Toolbar functions described above and only to make the necessary modifications here for variations
from the simple step information offered in the toolbar functions.

Shape Attribute to step

The attribute of the layer of the layer or element that is to be stepped. For trapezoidal shapes, the attribute could be
the top or bottom surface. For circular shapes, the diameter or the vertical location of the centre of the circle can be
stepped. This data cell cannot be edited by the designer. RAPT determines the options available from the layer and
element data already defined.

Step the top surface of this trapeziodal concrete layer or element. A positive step is
downwards.

Step the bottom surface of this trapeziodal concrete layer or element. A positive step is
downwards.

Step the location of the centroid of this circular element. A positive step is downwards.

Step the diameter of this circular element. A positive step will increase the diameter.

Step this attribute of this shape

Indicates whether there is to be a step in this surface. If yes is selected, the remainder of the data cells for this
surface will be available to define the step profile data.

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Step Offset
The distance to the sudden step location in this layer from the Nominated Step Location in the 7.2.3.7 Steps Control
Grid. If there is only a tapered step, the distance is to the point where the tapered step is dimensioned from.

Step Depth
The depth of the sudden step in this layer. A positive value results in a step down at this point.

Fall/Taper Length
The length over which the sloping step falls. A negative value will place the sloping step to the left of the Step Offset
location and a positive value will place it to the right of the Step Offset location.

Fall Depth
The depth of the taper/fall in this layer. A positive value results in a slope down to the right.

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Step Shape Diagrams

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7.2.3.7 Frame Definition and Design: Steps 10

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7.2.3.7.2 Horizontal Steps / Tapers

Horizontal steps can be made in each corner of any trapezoidal concrete layer or element and to the horizontal location
of the centroid of circular elements. These can be sudden steps, sloping steps or combined sudden and sloping steps.
At a step location, the designer can place steps in any of the concrete layer corners and any of the concrete element
corners that exist at that location thus producing complex steps. This can be done by manually entering all of the step
data in the Data Grid for each shape attribute that is to be stepped as described in the Data Definition below, or by
using the Toolbar functions to add specific step types or by a combination of the two methods where the step
dimensions are different in different layers.

Horizontal Steps Toolbar

This toolbar offers the designer the means of quickly defining four different types of horizontal steps using a single set
of step data to place steps in several surfaces at once. Once the steps have been created using the toolbar functions
the designer is free to modify the step dimensions to allow for any variations from the standard steps defined here as
described in the Data Definition section below. The advantages to using these toolbar functions to add steps are

1. One set of data automatically adds the step data for steps in multiple surfaces

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2. The Step To functions allow the sides of different layers to be step by different amounts to a specific width as
would be required where penetrations eat into the sides of beams etc.
3. The recalculations required in loads, prestress and reinforcement to cater for the concrete shape changes are
only performed once at the end of the creation of the steps rather than as every number is inserted as the
steps are defined manually as described below in Data Definition. Thus tendon re-profiling is only done for the
final concrete shape rather than the series of shapes produced as the individual pieces of data are entered
manually.

The diagram below shows the data requirements for the dialogs shown below to define the different types of vertical
steps.

Full Horizontal Step to Point

To step the edge of the concrete to a new horizontal location automatically as shown below. Allows the designer to
define a step in the side of the slab panel at the currently selected step location in the 7.2.3.7 Steps Control Grid to a
new width location (not by an amount). The diagram below shows a step in the left side in which the edge of the slab
has been stepped to a location within the beam width. Because the slab step has crossed both the edge of the beam
and the effective flange width of the beam, they have both been stepped to the same point automatically. The cross-
sections show the shape either side of the step.
This icon will only be available if the current step in the Steps Control Grid has no horizontal steps in any layers on at
least one side of the concrete shape at that step. A full step will only be able to be added on a side that currently has
no horizontal steps in any layers at this step.

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The step in the side of the slab must reduce the width of the slab. The Step To point cannot be outside the width of
the slab. The step may be a sudden step, a sloping step or a combination of the two. The two options available for
combined step shapes are shown below for a step in the left edge

The following dialog will be presented for the designer to define the parameters of the step as discussed below. The
diagram in the dialog is a plan view and is diagrammatic only. It is not meant to be a true representation of your
structure shape. It will adjust for the Step Direction and Step Shape selected to indicate the shape of step requested.
The dialog shows a step in the left side.

The data required is defined below.

1. Side:- The side which is to be stepped. The side is determined when looking from the right end of the frame
(in plan left is at the bottom of the plan). See plan view below. Only the sides that currently have no

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horizontal steps in any layers at this step will be available to select. Unavailable sides will be dulled and will
not be able to be selected.
2. Step-in Shape:- The options available are shown below. The two pictures in each case are for a step in the
left side and the right side respectively.

;- Sudden step

, :- Sloping Step on left/right side

, :- Combined step with sloping section before sudden step on left/right side

, :- Combined step with sudden step before sloping section on left/right side
3. Offset:- Distance from the nominated Step Location in the 7.2.3.7 Steps Control Grid to the point at which
the sudden step will be placed.
4. Step To:- Sudden step in the side of the concrete panel to this horizontal location. The location is relative to
the support centreline. The locations are positive on the left side of the support line and negative on the right
side when looking from the right end of the frame. See plan view below. The Sudden step in the side surface
is placed at the Offset defined above from the nominated Step Location in the 7.2.3.7 Steps Control Grid.
5. Slope Length:- The length over which the taper or slope acts. The value is always positive. Depending on
the selection for Step Side and Step Shape, RAPT will then create the step data from this value where Positive
Values indicate a Taper to the right of the step location and Negative Values indicate a Taper to the left of the
step location.
6. Slope to:- The horizontal location to slope the side of the concrete panel to. The location is relative to the
support centreline. The locations are positive on the left side of the support line and negative on the right side
when looking from the right end of the frame. See plan view below.

Full Horizontal Rebate to Point

To place a rebate in the edge of the concrete automatically as shown below. Allows the designer to define a rebate in
the side of the slab panel at the currently selected step location in the 7.2.3.7 Steps Control Grid. The diagram below
shows a square sided rebate in the left side between grids 1 and 2 in which the edge of the slab has been stepped to a
location within the beam width. Because the slab step has crossed both the edge of the beam and the effective flange
width of the beam, they have both been stepped to the same point automatically. It also shows a sloping sided rebate
in the right edge between grids 3 and 4.

To define a rebate in the edge of a slab, two step locations must be nominated, the first (leftmost) to cater for the step
in and the second (rightmost) for the step back out. In the 7.2.3.7 Steps Control Grid, these are selected by left
clicking the mouse in the step number cell for the first step location and then using Ctrl Left click in the step number
cell for the second step. Once two step locations are selected in this way, move program focus to the Horizontal Step
data view by clicking the Horizontal tab and the Rebate icon will be available if the selected steps in the Steps Control
Grid have no horizontal steps in any layers on at least one side of the concrete shape at that step (the same side must
be available for both steps). A Rebate will only be able to be added on a side that currently has no horizontal steps in
any layers at these steps.

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The rebate location will be determined by the location of the first step selected. The Sudden Step into the concrete
edge will be placed at the Offset dimension from the Nominal Step Location defined by the left hand step of the two
selected. RAPT will then determine the Step Offset dimensions for the steps in each surface to match the Nominal Step
Location defined in the second step selected for the return of the rebate to the original concrete surface. (See above).

The dialog below is presented to the designer for the input of the data describing the step shape. The diagram in the
dialog is a plan view and is diagrammatic only. It is not meant to be a true representation of your structure shape. It
will adjust for the Step Direction and Step Shape selected to indicate the shape of step requested. The dialog shows a
rebate in the left side.

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The data required is defined below. The first half of the data (5 to item 7) defines the rebate shape into the side of the
concrete panel. The last half of the data (from item 9 to 11) defines the rebate shape back out to the original side of
the concrete panel. As the rebate starts and finishes at the existing concrete edge, the final step dimension is not
required to reach the outside surface, RAPT will determine this automatically from the existing shape.

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