Training Manual

RAM Connection within STAAD.Pro CE

PREPARING THE MODEL FOR CONNECTION DESIGN
1. Launch STAAD.Pro CONNECT Edition
2. Go to “Configure” and select the base units as Metric.
3. Open the model where you want to design the Connections. Please note that it should
comprise of steel members.
4. Add the load cases and also generate the load combinations that are to be considered
while designing the connection.
5. Analyze the STAAD.Pro file.
6. Now select “Connection Design” from the workflow panel present at the left of the
STAAD.Pro CE window.
7. Please note design all the members as per required code and pass all the members
though this step is not mandatory.
**Note that analysis of STAAD.Pro model is important as RAM connection uses the
member end forces determined through the STAAD.Pro CE analysis to design the steel
connections.
SPECIFY THE CONNECTION DESIGN PARAMETRS (Load Combination and Design
configuration)
8. In the RAM Connection design mode, click the icon shown below at the bottom of the
RAM Connection Input dialog box to add the load cases and load combinations which
are to be considered for designing the steel connections.

Design load envelope icon

9. After clicking the “Design Load Envelope” icon, “Design Load Envelope” dialog box
opens which has two check boxes as shown in the figure below:
 Check “Show Combinations Only” to only check the Load combinations and click
on “OK”
10. Click on the “RAM Connection Settings” option just beside the “Design Load envelope”
icon at the bottom of the RAM Connection Input dialog box to select the design code
 RAM Connection Settings icon.

BASIC CONNECTION
11. Select the desired joint from the “Select Joint” dropdown present in the ribbon of the
“Connection Design” tab. You can also select a joint manually from the GUI.

12. Select “Select all Beam-Column flange joints” from the “Select Joints” dropdown (or
select manually) and click on “Basic Connection” icon at the top on the ribbon of
“Connection Design” tab. Basic Connection icon is also present at the bottom of the
RAM Connection Input dialog box.
 13. After clicking on the “Basic
Connection” icon, Basic Connections
dialog box opens where the design
code, connection family and the
basic connection templates needs to
be selected.

Connection family

Connection template (Choose one or more

connection template that are available)

14. Go to “Select” tab and click on “List” under “Beams option.

15. Enter member number “1816 1825” under “Enter List” option to select the joint 1033
 16. Assign “EP_IS_BCF_6PL_5B_M24 G4_6” and click on “OK”.
17. The image below shows a basic connection and the connection detail is shown in the
RAM Connection Input window.

OBSERVATION
18. From the RAM Connection Input dialog box the following can be observed:
• The ratio that is highlighted in green, yellow and Red depicts the following:
Green- Connection has passed
Yellow- Connection has some warning
Red- Connection has failed.
• To get detailed information about the connection, double click on the connection or
select the connection that you want to change and click on edit present at the bottom
of the RAM Connection Input dialog box.
• After completing the above-mentioned step, “Connection Pad” will be opened
• At the left of the “Connection Pad”, all the connection parameters including the loads,
Design Criteria are present.
• Check the table at the left of the “Connection Pad”.
A. Click on the “Loads” option to check all the loads that are considered in the
connection design and also explore all the other options present in the table.
B. Click on the “Help” icon to see more information of the different parameters of the
connection at the bottom of the connection pad as shown below:
C. Explore all the parameters present at the left of the connection pad which are
used in the connection design.
D. Click on the “Data” icon to check the connection data
 E. To get the “Result Reports”, click on the “Results” icon under the “Reports” tab as
shown below:

• To get detailed calculation of the “Design Check”, click on the “Show_Formulas” option at
the top of the report page as shown below:

• Click on “Export_doc” option next to “Show_Formulas” option to export the report of the
connection in word file.

F. Click on the “DXF” option to get the DXF drawing as shown below.
19. Similarly select a “Beam-Colum-Web” joint click on “Smart Connection” icon present both
on the “Connection Design” ribbon at the top and at the bottom of the “RAM Connection
Input”.

SMART CONNECTION
20. Select the proper connection family and connection template. Bring the selected
connection template to the selected table space and click on “ok” to assign the smart
connection to the selected joint.
GUSSET CONNECTION
21. For assigning a gusset connection, select any “Colum-Beam-Brace” or “Chevron Brace”
or “Vertical X Brace” and click on “Gusset Connection” dialog box present both on the
ribbon of “Connection Design” at the top and at the bottom of the “RAM Connection Input”
dialog box.

22. In the “Gusset Connection” dialog box, select the “Design Code” (For Gusset Connection
select the design codes from AISC 360-16(ASD), AISC 360-16(LRFD), AISC 360-
10(ASD), AISC 360-10(LRFD), AISC 360-05(ASD), AISC 360-05(LRFD), EN 1993-1-
8(only CBB),AS 4100-1998(Only CBB)).
23. In the similar way select the connection family and the connection family. The selection of
the connection family will be similar to the “Smart Connection” since “Gusset Connection”
is a type of “Smart Connection”.