RAM Concrete Beam: CONNECT Edition Update 16 - Version 17.02

RAM Concrete Beam
CONNECT Edition Update 16 – Version 17.02
User Manual
Last Updated: November 09, 2020
Table of Contents
Disclaimer .......................................................................................................................................... 8
Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................ 9
Chapter 2: Design Philosophy, Concepts, and Terminology ..................................................... 10
2.1 General ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
2.2 Building Codes ....................................................................................................................................................................... 10
2.3 Beam Design Forces ............................................................................................................................................................ 11
2.3.1 Gravity Forces .............................................................................................................................................12
2.3.2 Lateral Forces ............................................................................................................................................. 12
2.3.3 Design Envelope ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Chapter 3: RAM Concrete Beam Commands - ACI Design Codes ..............................................16
3.1 Invoking RAM Concrete Beam ........................................................................................................................................ 16
3.2 RAM Concrete Beam Status ..............................................................................................................................................16
3.3 Model Notes ............................................................................................................................................................................ 16
3.4 Concrete Beam Color-Coding .......................................................................................................................................... 17
3.5 The Toolbars ............................................................................................................................................................................17
3.5.1 The 3-D Viewer Toolbar ......................................................................................................................... 17
3.5.2 The Concrete Beam Mode Toolbar .................................................................................................... 18
3.6 Mode ...........................................................................................................................................................................................19
3.7 Criteria ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
3.7.1 Beam Design ................................................................................................................................................ 19
3.7.2 Detailing Defaults ......................................................................................................................................21
3.7.3 Deflection Criteria .....................................................................................................................................22
3.7.4 Camber Criteria ..........................................................................................................................................23
3.8 Assign .........................................................................................................................................................................................23
3.8.1 Size ...................................................................................................................................................................24
3.8.2 Reinforcement Layout .............................................................................................................................24
3.9 Load Combinations .............................................................................................................................................................. 24
3.9.1 Code Generated Combinations ............................................................................................................25
3.9.2 User Defined Combinations .................................................................................................................. 25
3.10 Process ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
3.10.1 Design All ...................................................................................................................................................... 25
3.10.2 View/Update ............................................................................................................................................... 26
3.10.3 Deflection Results ..................................................................................................................................... 30
3.10.4 Copy Design ................................................................................................................................................. 31
3.10.5 Freeze Beam Line Design .......................................................................................................................33
3.10.6 Clear Beam Line ......................................................................................................................................... 33
3.11 Reports ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 33
3.11.1 Report Destination ................................................................................................................................... 33
3.11.2 Reports ...........................................................................................................................................................33
3.12 View ............................................................................................................................................................................................33
3.12.1 Beam Lines ................................................................................................................................................... 34
3.12.2 Beam Line Numbers (toolbar only) ...................................................................................................34
RAM Concrete Beam 2 User Manual

3.12.3 Model Colors / Design Colors toggle .................................................................................................34
3.13 Exiting Concrete Beam Design Mode ........................................................................................................................... 34
Chapter 4: RAM Concrete Beam Commands - Other Codes ....................................................... 36
4.1 Invoking RAM Concrete Beam ........................................................................................................................................ 36
4.2 RAM Concrete Beam Status ..............................................................................................................................................36
4.3 Model Notes ............................................................................................................................................................................ 36
4.4 Concrete Beam Color-Coding .......................................................................................................................................... 37
4.5 The Toolbars ............................................................................................................................................................................37
4.5.1 The 3-D Viewer Toolbar ......................................................................................................................... 37
4.5.2 The Concrete Beam Mode Toolbar .................................................................................................... 38
4.6 Mode ...........................................................................................................................................................................................39
4.7 Assign ..........................................................................................................................................................................................40
4.7.1 Size ...................................................................................................................................................................40
4.7.2 Reinforcement Layout .............................................................................................................................40
4.8 Load Combinations .............................................................................................................................................................. 41
4.8.1 Code Generated Combinations ............................................................................................................41
4.8.2 User Defined Combinations .................................................................................................................. 41
4.9 Process ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
4.9.1 Design All ...................................................................................................................................................... 42
4.9.2 View/Update ............................................................................................................................................... 42
4.9.3 View/Update - Main Reinforcement Tab ........................................................................................ 43
4.9.4 View/Update - Shear Reinforcement Tab .......................................................................................44
4.9.5 View/Update - Section/Material Properties Tab ........................................................................ 45
4.9.6 View/Update - Design Warnings Tab ............................................................................................... 45
4.9.7 Copy Design ................................................................................................................................................. 45
4.9.8 Freeze Beam Line Design .......................................................................................................................46
4.9.9 Clear Beam Line ......................................................................................................................................... 46
4.10 Reports ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 46
4.10.1 Report Destination ................................................................................................................................... 47
4.10.2 Reports ...........................................................................................................................................................47
4.11 View ............................................................................................................................................................................................47
4.11.1 Beam Lines ................................................................................................................................................... 47
4.11.2 Beam Line Numbers (toolbar only) ...................................................................................................47
4.11.3 Model Colors / Design Colors toggle .................................................................................................47
4.12 Exiting Concrete Beam Design Mode ........................................................................................................................... 48
Chapter 5: Technical Notes - ACI Design Codes ........................................................................49
5.1 Symbols .....................................................................................................................................................................................49
5.1.1 Table of Symbols ........................................................................................................................................49
5.1.2 Concrete Modulus of Elasticity ............................................................................................................51
5.2 Beam Flexural Design ......................................................................................................................................................... 51
5.2.1 Flexural Capacity ....................................................................................................................................... 51
5.2.2 Reinforcement Area Limits ................................................................................................................... 52
5.2.3 Reinforcement Spacing Limits .............................................................................................................53
5.2.4 Calculation of Actual Bar Spacing .......................................................................................................53
5.2.5 Development of Reinforcement Bars ............................................................................................... 54
5.2.6 Bar Splices .................................................................................................................................................... 54
5.2.7 Flexural Deep Beam Check ....................................................................................................................55
5.2.8 True Bar Depth Check ............................................................................................................................. 55
5.2.9 Unimplemented Code Sections ........................................................................................................... 56

5.3 Beam Shear Design .............................................................................................................................................................. 56
5.3.1 Concrete Shear Capacity .........................................................................................................................56
5.3.2 Shear Reinforcement Capacity ............................................................................................................ 57
5.3.3 Shear Reinforcement Area Limits ...................................................................................................... 58
5.3.4 Shear Reinforcement Spacing Limits ................................................................................................58
5.3.5 Calculation of Actual Bar Spacing .......................................................................................................58
5.3.6 Shear Deep Beam Check .........................................................................................................................58
5.4 Beam Torsion Capacity Check .........................................................................................................................................58
5.4.1 Beam Section Torsion Capacity ...........................................................................................................59
5.4.2 Torsion Capacity Warnings ...................................................................................................................59
5.5 Reinforcement Optimization and Detailing .............................................................................................................. 60
5.5.1 Optimization Objectives ......................................................................................................................... 60
5.5.2 Internal Code Checks ............................................................................................................................... 60
5.5.3 Bar Selection Criteria ...............................................................................................................................61
5.5.4 Detailing Defaults ......................................................................................................................................62
5.5.5 Transverse Reinforcement ....................................................................................................................63
5.6 Seismic Provisions ............................................................................................................................................................... 64
5.6.1 Frame Type Selection .............................................................................................................................. 64
5.6.2 Intermediate Moment Frame ...............................................................................................................65
5.6.3 Special Moment Frame ........................................................................................................................... 67
5.7 ACI-318 2002 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 69
5.8 ACI-318 2005 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 70
5.8.1 Strength Reduction Factor for Axial-Flexure ................................................................................ 71
5.8.2 Calculation of Ultimate Section State ................................................................................................72
5.8.3 ACI 318, Chapter 10 Modifications ....................................................................................................73
5.8.4 ACI 318, Chapter 21 Modifications ....................................................................................................74
5.9 ACI-318 2008 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 74
5.9.1 Modification Factor for Lightweight Concrete ............................................................................. 74
5.9.2 Reorganization of Slenderness Provisions .....................................................................................75
5.9.3 Modifications to Seismic Provisions .................................................................................................. 75
5.9.4 Provisions for Members not Designated as Part of the Seismic-Force-Resisting
System ............................................................................................................................................................ 76
5.10 ACI-318 2014 ......................................................................................................................................................................... 78
5.11 Deflections ............................................................................................................................................................................... 78
5.12 References ............................................................................................................................................................................... 83
Chapter 6: Technical Notes - BS8110 Design Code ................................................................... 85
6.1 Introduction and Design Philosophy ........................................................................................................................... 85
6.2 Beam Design Forces ............................................................................................................................................................ 85
6.3 Reinforcement Optimization and Design ................................................................................................................... 85
6.3.1 Design for Bending ................................................................................................................................... 86
6.3.2 Design for Shear .........................................................................................................................................87
6.3.3 Anchorage and Bond Lengths .............................................................................................................. 87
Chapter 7: Technical Notes - CP 65 Design Code ......................................................................88
7.1 Differences between BS8110 and CP65 ......................................................................................................................88
Chapter 8: Technical Notes - AS 3600 Design Code ....................................................................89
8.1 Design Philosophy and Methodology ............................................................................................................................89
8.2 Design Code ..............................................................................................................................................................................89
8.2.1 Design for Bending .................................................................................................................................... 89

8.2.2 Design for Shear ..........................................................................................................................................90
Chapter 9: Technical Notes - EN1992 (Eurocode 2) Design Code .............................................. 91
9.1 Design Philosophy and Methodology .......................................................................................................................... 91
9.2 Design Code ..............................................................................................................................................................................91
9.2.1 Bending ..........................................................................................................................................................91
9.2.2 Shear ............................................................................................................................................................... 91
9.2.3 Detailing ........................................................................................................................................................ 92
Chapter 10: Technical Notes - GB 50010 (Chinese Design Code) ................................................ 93
10.1 GB 50010 Design Code ....................................................................................................................................................... 93
10.1.1 Limitations ................................................................................................................................................... 93
10.1.2 Design Principles .......................................................................................................................................93
Chapter 11: Technical Notes - CAN/CSA A23.3-10 ..................................................................... 96
11.1 CAN/CSA A23.3-10 Code Rule Selection ..................................................................................................................... 96
11.2 CAN/CSA A23.3-10 Code Implementation ................................................................................................................. 97
11.2.1 Section 7.4.1.1 Minimum Bar Spacing ............................................................................................... 98
11.2.2 Section 8.4.2 Factored Concrete Strength ....................................................................................... 98
11.2.3 Section 8.4.3 Factored Reinforcement Strength ........................................................................... 98
11.2.4 Section 8.5.1 Design Strength of Reinforcement .......................................................................... 98
11.2.5 Section 8.6.2.2 Modulus of Elasticity of Concrete Ec ...................................................................98
11.2.6 Section 8.6.4 Modulus of Rupture of Concrete .............................................................................. 99
11.2.7 Section 8.6.5 Density of Concrete ........................................................................................................99
11.2.8 Section 10.1.2 Plane Sections Assumption ......................................................................................99
11.2.9 Section 10.1.3 Maximum Concrete Strain ..................................................................................... 100
11.2.10 Section 10.1.5 Tensile Strength of Concrete ................................................................................ 100
11.2.11 Section 10.1.6 Concrete Stress-Strain Relationship ................................................................. 100
11.2.12 Section 10.5.1.1 Minimum Reinforcement for Beams ............................................................. 101
11.2.13 Section 10.5.2 (Ductility Check) Limitation of c/d ....................................................................101
11.2.14 Section 10.6.1 Crack Control Parameter ........................................................................................102
11.2.15 Section 10.6.2 Skin Reinforcement .................................................................................................. 104
11.2.16 Section 11.2.8.1 Minimum Shear Reinforcement Required .................................................. 104
11.2.17 Section 11.2.8.2 Minimum Shear Reinforcement ...................................................................... 104
11.2.18 Section 11.2.9.1 Shear Consideration Due to Torsion ............................................................. 104
11.2.19 Section 11.2.10 Effective Web Width ..............................................................................................105
11.2.20 Section 11.3.1 Required Shear Resistance ....................................................................................105
11.2.21 Section 11.3.3 Maximum Shear Resistance by Concrete ........................................................ 105
11.2.22 Section 11.3.4 Shear Resistance by Concrete, Vc .......................................................................106
11.2.23 Section 11.3.5.1 Shear Resistance by Steel, Vs ............................................................................106
11.2.24 Section 11.3.6.4 Determination of β and θ ................................................................................... 106
11.2.25 Section 11.3.8.1 Maximum Spacing of Transverse Reinforcement ....................................107
11.2.26 Section 11.3.8.3 Maximum Spacing of Transverse Reinforcement ....................................107
11.2.27 Sections 11.3.9.2 and 11.3.9.3 Longitudinal Reinforcement Due to Shear .....................107
11.2.28 Section 11.3.9.4 Compression Fan Reinforcement ................................................................... 107
11.2.29 Section 11.3.9.5 Anchorage of Longitudinal Reinforcement at End Supports .............. 107
11.2.30 Section 11.3.10.2 Transverse Reinforcement for Torsion .....................................................108
11.2.31 Section 11.3.10.3 Reinforcement for Torsion ............................................................................. 108
11.2.32 Section 11.3.10.4 Cross Sectional Dimensions to Avoid Crushing ..................................... 108
11.2.33 Section 11.3.10.5 Determination of εx for General Method .................................................. 109
11.2.34 Section 11.3.10.6 Longitudinal Reinforcement Due to Torsion .......................................... 109

11.2.35 Section 12.2 Development of Deformed Bars in Tension ...................................................... 109
11.2.36 Section 12.3 Development of Deformed Bars in Compression ............................................109
11.2.37 Section 12.5 Development of Standard Hooks in Tension .....................................................110
11.2.38 Sections 12.11.1 and 12.11.2 Span Detailing ...............................................................................111
Chapter 12: RAM Concrete Beam Reports ............................................................................. 113
12.1 General Comments on Reports .................................................................................................................................... 113
12.2 Criteria ....................................................................................................................................................................................113
12.2.1 Reinforcement Table and Code ........................................................................................................ 114
12.2.2 Reinforcement ......................................................................................................................................... 114
12.2.3 Bar Selection .............................................................................................................................................114
12.2.4 Default Detailing ..................................................................................................................................... 114
12.2.5 Beam Assigned Criteria ........................................................................................................................114
12.3 Load Combinations ........................................................................................................................................................... 115
12.4 Beam Design .........................................................................................................................................................................115
12.4.1 Beam Information .................................................................................................................................. 115
12.4.2 Material Properties ................................................................................................................................115
12.4.3 Top/Bottom Longitudinal Reinforcement ...................................................................................115
12.4.4 Longitudinal Bar Design Details .......................................................................................................116
12.4.5 Transverse Reinforcement .................................................................................................................116
12.4.6 Transverse Bar Design Details and Torsion Force ...................................................................116
12.4.7 Deflections ................................................................................................................................................. 116
12.5 Beam Design Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 117
12.5.1 Support Geometry .................................................................................................................................. 117
12.6 Deflection Summary ......................................................................................................................................................... 117
12.7 Material Take Off ................................................................................................................................................................117
12.7.1 Concrete Slab ............................................................................................................................................117
12.7.2 Longitudinal Reinforcement ..............................................................................................................118
12.7.3 Transverse Reinforcement .................................................................................................................118
12.7.4 Concrete ......................................................................................................................................................118
Appendix A: RAM Concrete Beam CONNECT Edition Help .......................................................120
A.1 Using the RAM Concrete Beam Module .....................................................................................................................120
A.1.1 Concrete Beam Color-Coding ............................................................................................................ 120
A.2 Mode ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 121
A.3 File ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 121
A.3.1 Save ................................................................................................................................................................121
A.3.2 Model Status .............................................................................................................................................. 122
A.3.3 Print ...............................................................................................................................................................122
A.3.4 Print Preview .............................................................................................................................................123
A.3.5 Print Setup .................................................................................................................................................. 123
A.3.6 File - Print Options .................................................................................................................................. 123
A.3.7 File - Notes ..................................................................................................................................................123
A.4 Criteria .....................................................................................................................................................................................123
A.4.1 Criteria - Frame Type .............................................................................................................................124
A.4.2 Criteria - Beam Design ...........................................................................................................................124
A.4.3 Criteria - Detailing Defaults .................................................................................................................128
A.4.4 Criteria - Deflection ................................................................................................................................ 129
A.4.5 Criteria - Camber ..................................................................................................................................... 130
A.5 Criteria - BS8110 Design Code ..................................................................................................................................... 131
A.5.1 Criteria Beam Design - BS8110 ........................................................................................................ 131

A.6 Assign ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 131
A.6.1 Assign - Size ................................................................................................................................................132
A.6.2 Assign - Reinforcement Layout ..........................................................................................................132
A.6.3 Assign - Reinforcement Layout ........................................................................................................ 133
A.6.4 Assign - Deflection Criteria ..................................................................................................................133
A.7 Combinations ........................................................................................................................................................................134
A.7.1 Generated Load Combinations .......................................................................................................... 134
A.7.2 Custom Load Combinations ................................................................................................................ 135
A.8 Process .....................................................................................................................................................................................136
A.8.1 Process - Design All .................................................................................................................................137
A.8.2 Process - View/Update ..........................................................................................................................137
A.8.3 Process - Results Deflections ..............................................................................................................141
A.8.4 Process - Copy Design ............................................................................................................................142
A.8.5 Process - Freeze Design ........................................................................................................................ 143
A.8.6 Process - Clear Design ........................................................................................................................... 144
A.9 Reports .................................................................................................................................................................................... 144
A.9.1 Reports - Design Criteria ...................................................................................................................... 145
A.9.2 Reports - Load Combinations .............................................................................................................145
A.9.3 Reports - Beam Design .......................................................................................................................... 145
A.9.4 Reports - Beam Design Summary .....................................................................................................145
A.9.5 Reports - Deflection Summary ...........................................................................................................145
A.9.6 Reports - Material Takeoff ...................................................................................................................146
A.10 View .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 146
A.10.1 View - Colors ..............................................................................................................................................146
A.10.2 View - Beam Lines ................................................................................................................................... 146

Disclaimer
The software and related documentation, including this documentation, are protected by both United States copyright
law and international treaty provisions. Any unauthorized copying or reproduction is strictly prohibited and subject to
civil and criminal penalties. Please refer to the License Agreement (EULA) for authorization to make a backup copy of
the software. You may not sell this software or documentation or give copies of them to anyone else.
Except as expressly warranted in the License Agreement (EULA), Bentley Systems, Incorporated disclaims all
warranties, expressed or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties or merchantability and fitness for a
particular purpose, with respect to the software, the accompanying written materials, and any accompanying hardware.
All results should be verified to the user's satisfaction. The contents of these written materials may include technical
inaccuracies or typographical errors and may be revised without prior notice.

Introduction
1
RAM Concrete Beam is a powerful tool that allows engineers to quickly design and layout reinforcement for
gravity and lateral concrete beams. The Concrete Beam module uses the structural model and data created in
RAM Modeler along with the lateral forces from RAM Frame and the gravity forces from RAM Concrete Analysis.
Beam lines (as assigned in the Concrete Analysis mode) can be designed individually with the View/Update
option or all at once using the Design All option.
The ability to calculate and check concrete beam deflections is included for the ACI design codes. RAM calculates
gravity deflections in the RAM Concrete Analysis Module. Based on user criteria the resulting dead load, live
load, long-term and net deflections are calculated in the RAM Concrete Beam program. The resulting deflections
are compared to specified deflection limits and reported to the user in print and graphic format.
The many output reports available provide supporting information on the design, which can be used to check
and detail the beams.
Chapters 3 and 4 provide an overview of the program and its commands, for the case of the ACI and BS8110/
CP65/ AS 3600 design codes, respectively.
Chapters 5 to 10 provide a detailed look at the technical assumptions made by the Concrete Beam module,
primarily code interpretation, for the ACI, BS8110, CP65, AS3600, Eurocode 2 and GB50010 design codes,
respectively. It is crucial that the engineer reads and understands this chapter so as to be aware of how these
assumptions affect each design.
Chapter 11 gives a detailed explanation of the output reports available from RAM Concrete Beam.

Design Philosophy, Concepts, and Terminology
2
This section introduces the user to fundamental concepts necessary to understand the program documentation
contained in this manual.
2.1 General
The RAM Concrete Beam is intended for the design of concrete rectangular, "T" and "L" sections. The goal is to
provide an accurate initial design based on user-defined criteria and then to provide an easy and practical
interactive interface to change the design and detail the reinforcement to meet the engineer's needs. The
program performs a comprehensive set of design checks, including checks related to code prescribed capacity
and detailing requirements, as well as taking into account user defined preferences.
2.2 Building Codes

The current version of RAM Concrete Beam supports the design provisions of ACI 318-14, ACI 318-11, ACI
318-08, ACI 318-05, ACI 318-02, ACI 318-99, BS8110-97, CP65, AS3600-2001, BS EN 1992-1-1:2004, (EC2) and
GB 50010.
In addition, automatic load combination generation according to the following building codes is supported:
2.2.1 For the ACI 318 Design Code provisions

• ACI 318-99 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-99) and Commentary (ACI 318R-99),
1999, American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI
• ACI 318-14 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-08) and Commentary (ACI 318R-14,

Beam Design Forces
• ASCE 7-95 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, American Society of Civil Engineers.
(ASCE 7)
(ASCE 7)
(ASCE 7)
• The BOCA National Building Code (1996), Building Officials & Code Administrations International, Inc.
(BOCA)
• Standard Building Code (1997), Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. (SBC)
• Uniform Building Code (1997), International Conference of Building Officials. (UBC)
• International Building Code (2000), International Code Council (IBC)
2.2.2 For the BS8110 / CP65 Design Code provisions

• The BS8110 and CP65 concrete load combinations have been developed using BS8110:1997: Part 1, Table 2.1
2.2.3 For the AS3600 Design Code provisions

• Using the AS3600 design code, load combinations are generated according to AS/NZS 1170.0, Structural
Design Actions
2.2.4 For the EC2 Design Code provisions

• Using the EC2 design code, load combinations are generated according to BS EN 1990:2002 and BS EN
1991-1-1:2002
2.2.5 For the GB50010 Design Code provisions

• Using the GB50100 design code, load combinations are generated according to GB50009-2001 (Load Code
for the Design of Building Structures).
2.3 Beam Design Forces

Beam gravity forces (Major Moment, Major Shear and Torsion) are calculated in RAM Concrete Analysis (see the
RAM Concrete Analysis Manual - Gravity Beam Forces Section). For lateral beams, forces can be computed in the
RAM Frame module (See the RAM Frame Manual) for all lateral load cases. In the Concrete Beam module these
forces are combined for each load combination, as described below, to generate the final envelope of design
forces for each beam.

Beam Design Forces
2.3.1 Gravity Forces

As described in the Concrete Analysis Manual, the following gravity forces are calculated for each concrete beam
at each station. A station is a specific location along a beam where forces are computed (see the RAM Concrete
Analysis Manual for more information on stations):
Dead Load forces at each station-

Major Moment.
Major Shear.
Torsion.
Floor Live Load (if skip loaded) at each station-

Maximum Major Moment
Minimum Major Moment
Maximum Major Shear
Minimum Major Shear
Maximum Torsion
Minimum Torsion
Floor Live Load (if not skip loaded) at each station-

Major Moment
Major Shear
Torsion
Roof Load (if it exists) at each station -

Major Moment.
Major Axis Shear.
Torsion.
These gravity forces are combined in load combinations and enveloped as described in Design Envelope (on
page 13) to generate the final design envelope for each type of force (shear, moment and torsion).
2.3.2 Lateral Forces

For each lateral beam the following forces are calculated at each station for each lateral load case in RAM Frame:
Lateral Load Case force at each station

Major Moment.
Major Axis Shear.

Beam Design Forces
Torsion.
These lateral forces are combined in load combinations and enveloped as described in Design Envelope (on page
13) to generate the final design envelope for each type of force (shear, moment and torsion).
2.3.3 Design Envelope

Design Envelope
Major Axis Moments

For each load combination the Dead Load, Live Load and Roof Load forces at each station are added together.
When the option to skip live loads is selected, it will create a maximum and a minimum force at each station.
When live load is included in a load combination, two unique force points are calculated at each station.
For example, in Figure 1, moment values for a beam with 5 stations along its length are shown:
For the Load combination 1.2DL + 1.6L the following two curves are produced:
These two curves, obtained from the maximum and minimum moments at each station, are produced for each
load combination. Note that for load combinations that do not contain live load the maximum and minimum
design force at each station will be the same, as no skip loading is considered for those load cases (it will appear
as a single curve if max and min values are plotted together).
All the curves from all the load combinations are then 'enveloped' to produce the largest controlling force at
each station (maximum and minimum). Enveloping involves taking the largest and smallest force at each station

Beam Design Forces
from all the load combinations. This envelope considers all the skip load conditions and load combinations to
provide the upper bound on positive and negative moments on the beam.
For example, the following two 'curves' from two different load combinations are used to create the final design
envelope:
Figure 1:
This is the Final Design Beam Envelope that is used in the design. This envelope will also appear in the View-
Update dialog and in the design output report.
Beam envelope design forces in sway frame beams are not currently modified for column slenderness effects per
ACI 318-99, 10.13.7. When necessary, the engineer is responsible for confirming the beam capacity is adequate
to meet this code provision.
Where forces are required at locations between two stations the values are interpolated from the two adjacent
stations.
Shear and Torsion

The same procedure described previously is implemented to calculate beam shear and torsion envelopes.
However, as shear and torsion design are not dependent on the direction of the force, the final envelope is then
converted into a set of positive design forces computed as the maximum absolute value of the min and max force
at each station.
For example:
Figure 2:

Beam Design Forces
This shear design envelope will appear in the View-Update dialog when the Transverse Reinforcement tab is
selected.

RAM Concrete Beam Commands - ACI Design Codes
3
RAM Concrete Beam allows the engineer to design gravity and lateral concrete beams in either interactive mode
or batch mode.
This chapter presents an overview of the RAM Concrete Beam mode along with a brief discussion of its use. More
specific information on each of the commands is available in the on-line help.
3.1 Invoking RAM Concrete Beam

RAM Concrete is accessed through the RAM Manager. This can be accomplished by clicking the RAM Concrete
button on the Module toolbar or by selecting RAM Concrete from the Design Menu.
RAM Concrete always opens in Concrete Analysis mode. To enter the Concrete Beam mode, select Concrete
Beam from either the Mode menu or the drop down combo box on the toolbar. A checkmark will appear beside
the menu option in the Mode menu of the mode that is currently active. Before concrete beams can be designed,
an analysis of the structure must be performed in RAM Concrete Analysis.
3.2 RAM Concrete Beam Status

RAM Concrete Beam Design makes use of data from the RAM Modeler, RAM Steel, RAM Frame and RAM Concrete
Analysis. For this reason, any changes to the model within any of these modes will affect the RAM Concrete Beam
status.
Issuing the command File > Model Status will bring up a dialog that explains the current status of the model. If
the model is in a state such that it cannot be designed, an explanation of how to get the model to be designable is
provided.

Concrete Beam Color-Coding
3.3 Model Notes

Icon Description
The Model Notes command opens a text file that may be used to enter notes on the
currently loaded model. Invoke the Model Notes command from the File menu to view
or edit the notes file.
3.4 Concrete Beam Color-Coding

The status of each beam is indicated by the color with which it is drawn on screen. All non-concrete members
are colored dark gray while in Concrete Beam mode. The color of each concrete beam indicates its design status.
The Beam design color represents both the reinforcing design and the deflection check results.
Pale Blue - Beam is not ready to be designed. If all concrete beams are pale blue, check the File – Model status
dialog to determine what needs to be done in order to get the beams to a designable state. The most common
reason all concrete beams would be in this state is due to the absence of concrete beam load combinations. If
only some concrete beams are pale blue, they most likely are not part of any beam lines. Only concrete beams
that have been assigned beam line numbers in the Concrete Analysis mode can be designed in Concrete Beam
Design.
Yellow - Beam is ready for design.
Green – Beam was designed and passed all design checks.
Blue – Beam design passed and the design was frozen.
Red – Beam was designed and some design warnings were reported. The warnings can be viewed in the View/
Update dialog box or in the Beam Design Report. If a beam is frozen but has some design warnings it will be
colored red to indicate that design warnings were found (see Section 3.10.5 for more information on freezing the
design).
Note: Once a design is performed on a beam line, all beams in the beam line will be color-coded to indicate their
new design status. Beams are repainted on a beam-by-beam basis according to their individual status.
3.5 The Toolbars
3.5.1 The 3-D Viewer Toolbar

The top toolbar in the RAM Concrete Beam mode is common among all the RAM Concrete modes and the 3D-
Viewer. For more information on this toolbar, please see the 3-D Viewer Manual.

The Toolbars
3.5.2 The Concrete Beam Mode Toolbar
Icon Menu Item
Assign - Size
Assign - Reinforcement Layout
Generated Load Combinations
Custom Load Combinations
Design All Concrete Beams
View/Update
Deflection Results
Copy - Single-to-Single
Copy - Single-to-Fence
Copy - Single-to-All
View - Beam Lines
View - All Beam Line Numbers
View Camber

Mode
3.6 Mode
The Mode menu is used to change between the Concrete Analysis, Concrete Beam, Concrete Column and
Concrete Shear Wall modes. A checkmark appears beside the mode that is currently active. The drop-down
combo box located on the tool bar can be used for this purpose as well.
3.7 Criteria
The criteria set through the criteria dialog boxes are global criteria that affect all concrete beams unless they are
overwritten using one of the assign commands or the View/Update dialog.
When any design criteria are changed, the concrete beam design is invalidated. Designs that were "frozen" will
be saved and checked against the new criteria when the next design is performed.
Note: The Detailing Defaults criteria are not used in the design check.
3.7.1 Beam Design

The Criteria > Beam Design command is used to define reinforcement and bar selection criteria by which a
concrete beam will be designed.
Reinforcement The Reinforcement Tab is where bar sizes are selected for longitudinal and transverse
Tab reinforcement. This is also where the user can overwrite the default code specified
parameters:
• Max/min bar spacing for longitudinal and transverse bars
• Top, bottom, and side bar clear cover
• Max/min longitudinal reinforcement ratio (flexure only)
In all cases, if the Code option is selected, the program will calculate the appropriate code
specified value. If the Use option is selected, the provided value will be used as long as it is
within the code specified limits (when applicable). If the user-specified values are not
within the code limits, the code limits will be used (see Chapter 5 for detailed information
on the code limits that are used in design).
Additionally, on the Reinforcement Tab, the user can select whether or not to allow 2 layers
of bars and can specify the cover distance to the (effective) center of top and bottom bars
(for either 1 or 2 layers of bars). These values are specified separately for gravity and
lateral beams. This information is used to calculate the effective depth of reinforcement for
longitudinal and transverse reinforcement. The values can be overwritten on an individual
beam basis using the Assign Reinforcement Layout dialog box (see Section 3.8.2).
Bar Selection The Bar Select Tab is where various parameters are defined to fine-tune the reinforcement
Tab selection:

Criteria
• Minimum Number of Bars in Beam Top - Used to define the minimum acceptable
number of bars in the top of the beam. If bars are required in the top of the beam, there
will be at least as many bars in the top of the beam as are specified here.
• Minimum Number of Bars in Beam Bottom - Used to define the minimum acceptable
number of bars in the bottom of the beam. If bars are required in the bottom of the
beam, there will be at least as many bars in the bottom of the beam as are specified here.
• Bar Sizes: Keep all bars in layer the same size - Used to force bars that are in the same
layer (top or bottom) to be the same size.
• Bar Sizes: Adjacent bars may differ in size by # sizes - Used to control the change in bar
size for bars in the same layer. For example, if 1 is entered, then only #4, #5, and #6 bars
can be placed in an adjacent span to a #5 bar. This option is available only if the option
to force all bars in the same layer to be the same size is not selected.
• Transverse Bars: Segment Length Increment - Used to help in defining design segment
dimensions that are rounded off to typical dimensions that an engineer would use or
that would be practical for construction. For example, the shear reinforcement in a beam
may be divided into three segments with one at either end where the shear is highest
and a center segment. The segment length increment identifies the segment size
increment. If 6 in is used then the segments will be multiples of 6 in.
• Transverse Bars: Bar Spacing Increment - Used to define the transverse reinforcement
spacing increment so that transverse reinforcement spacing matches office and project
standards. This eliminates bar spacing that may be in fractions of inches or spacing
increments that are impractical for construction.
• Transverse Bars: Enforce max stirrup spacing even if stirrups are not required -
Selecting this option will force the program to provide beam stirrups at all locations
along spans even if they are not required by code. This is useful when the design
standard of an organization is to place stirrups at a maximum nominal spacing for all
beams and joists, regardless of how small the requirement is. When this option is
selected, a user-defined maximum shear bar spacing (see Reinforcement criteria tab)
must be specified as shown below.
• Select bars based on Minimum Bar Area, Minimum Bar Spacing, or Maximum Bar
Spacing - Used in selecting the optimization criteria from all the acceptable
combinations of bar sizes and spacing. Selection by area will attempt to give the least
bar area (see Chapter 5 for a detailed discussion of bar selection method and bias).
• Bar Selection Bias: Bias Bar Size - Used to specify the range of bar sizes that the engineer
prefers to use.
• Bar Selection Bias: Amount of Bias - Used to specify how much importance the engineer
places on the Bar Size selected in Bias Bar Size.

Criteria
Design Checks This tab is where Torsional Capacity and Deep Beam checks can be optionally included or
Tab excluded. This will remove the check and design warnings for torsional capacity and deep
beams from the design process.
Also within this tab, the user specifies the desired source of gravity forces on lateral
concrete beam members. There are two unique sets of gravity analysis results available for
lateral members in RAM Concrete Beam: the analysis performed in RAM Concrete Analysis
and that performed in RAM Frame. To aid in understanding the differences between the
two sets of results, we review a few fundamental characteristics of each analysis:
• Ram Frame performs both a gravity and a lateral load analysis.
• The Ram Frame analysis includes only members designated as lateral. Thus, the stiffness
of gravity members is not accounted for in the RAM Frame analysis.
• Ram Frame uses RAM Gravity to apply the reactions from gravity members to
supporting frame members.
• RAM Frame does not perform skip loading.
• RAM Concrete Analysis performs only a gravity load distribution and does not deal with
lateral forces.
• RAM Concrete Analysis includes both gravity and lateral members. Thus, the stiffness of
gravity members is accounted for in the RAM Concrete Analysis.
• RAM Concrete Analysis skip loads the live loads to generate a controlling envelope.
Note: RAM Concrete Analysis analyzes a single story at a time, fixing columns a story above
and below, as described in ACI 318, Section 8.9. RAM Frame analyzes a three dimensional
structure. If there is significant drift, rotation, or frame action that results from the
application of gravity loads to frame members, it is recommended that the user select Use
RAM Frame forces.
For more information on each analysis method, see the RAM Concrete Analysis and RAM
Frame manuals.
3.7.2 Detailing Defaults

The Criteria > Detailing Defaults command is used to define default reinforcement detailing parameters for
concrete beams. Three separate tabs allow the user to enter defaults separately for gravity beams, gravity joists,
and lateral beams. The parameters for each tab are essentially identical (see Chapter 5 for further explanation of
how the values entered in this dialog box impact the final design).
• The top 3 input boxes allow the user to define the cutoff location of the top reinforcement relative to the clear
span length.
• Splice Type - Used to define the splice type for top reinforcement. Options are Class A and Class B.
• End Stirrup Start Location, Interior Stirrup Start Location - Used to define the distance from the face of
support to first transverse reinforcement. This is used to define the start and end of the transverse
reinforcement segments. The shear and torsional check locations are still performed based on the applicable
code sections.
• Minimum Number of Continuous Bars - Used to specify the minimum number of bottom and top bars that are
continuous over the support.
• @ End Span - Used to define the cutoff location for the bottom reinforcement relative to the clear span length.

Criteria
• @ Interior Span - Used to define the cutoff location for the bottom reinforcement relative to the clear span
length.
• Bottom Bar End Condition - Used to specify the end condition for bottom bars at span ends. Options are
Hooked and Straight.
• Stirrup Type - Used to specify default type of transverse reinforcement. Options are Open, Closed and Hoop.
• Stirrup Legs - Used to specify number of stirrup legs for transverse bar sets. The stirrup legs identify the
number of bars that cross the beam shear failure cracks.
For the Joist detailing defaults, an additional option is included to design joists as beams and schedule them as
joists. This option is useful in situations where wide module pans are used in the construction. In these cases
often the engineer wants to place the beams in a joist schedule but the beams do not meet the joist design
criteria in ACI 318 so they cannot be designed as joists.
3.7.3 Deflection Criteria

The Criteria > Deflection command is used to define the deflection criteria considered for beam design
optimization.
Note: Deflections are not considered in the Design of the beams. No consideration is given to deflection when
calculating the amount of reinforcing required during optimization. However, following a beam design the
optimized reinforcing and section properties of the beam are considered in calculating the deflection in the
beam, and the deflections are compared against the criteria specified by the user.
Don’t check This option is used to restrict deflection checks to concrete beams with a specified minimum
deflection for span-to-depth ratio. The span length considered is the clear (face-to-face) span length. This
span/depth feature can be used to limit which beams are checked as permitted by Table 9.5(a) in ACI
(ln/h) less 318-99 10. By specifying a sufficiently large value for this limit the user can effectively 'switch
than off' deflection checks if so desired. The minimum ratio allowed is 1.0.
Minimum Ln/d indicates a minimum span-to-deflection ratio. Note that the clear (face-to-face) span
Allowable length is used for this check. For cantilevers the span length is doubled for the calculation of
Span-to- deflection to length of span ratio. Delta indicates an absolute maximum deflection value. A
Deflection delta value of "0.0" indicates no limit for that condition. The default or alternate criteria is
ratios used based on the assignment made in the RAM Modeler for each beam. Beams are
automatically assigned the default values unless the Layout > Beams - Deflection Criteria
command in the RAM Modeler is used to override the assignment.
For more information please refer to the technical section on calculating beam deflections.
Long-Term The time-dependent deflection factors are based on the length of time that long-term
Deflection deflection is to be measured at per ACI 318-99 9.5.2.5. Note that this factor is not the actual
length of time, but a factor based on the length of time (ξ per ACI 9.5.2.5). Refer to the
technical section for more on how this factor is applied. The Initial Time Dependent Factor (ξ)
is used to determine the long-term deflection due only to dead load for the time prior to the
addition of the live load. That is, the portion of long-term deflection that occurs prior to the
attachment of the non-structural (live load) elements. This factor is defaulted to 0.0 which
assumes the live loads are applied relatively soon after completion of construction.
The actual long-term deflection against which the allowable deflection criteria will be checked
is calculated as the Final Long-term deflection, less the Initial Long-term deflection, plus the

Assign
Immediate Live Load Deflection. This is as described in "Notes on ACI 318-99, Portland
Cement Association" and the technical section below.
The percentage of Live Load Sustained is that percentage of the live load that is considered
relatively static so as to result in long-term deflection on the structure. This percentage of live
load is applied to the structure for the calculation of the final long-term deflection.
For more information please refer to the technical section on long-term deflection.
Effective The user can select the method by which the program will calculate the effective moment of
Moment of inertia (Ieff) for each of the deflection calculations. If the ACI is selected then Ieff is calculated
Inertia per ACI 9.5.2.3 Eq. (9-7) for each deflection check (Dead Load, Live Load, Long-term and Net)
independently. If Use I From Analysis is selected then the same moment of inertia used in the
analysis (Ig x Cracked Section Factor) will be used in the calculation of all of the beam
deflection checks, no modification will be made for reinforcing or deflection type (Dead, Live
etc).
3.7.4 Camber Criteria

The Criteria > Camber command is used to define the camber criteria for beam deflection calculations.
Camber can be suppressed by selecting either the Do Not Camber option or the Do Not Camber Beams with
span less than option.
Note: This does not mean that for a particular beam camber is not required, just that that no camber will be
calculated and considered in the deflection checks.
The indicated percentage of the total dead load is used to calculate the camber. When the camber is calculated,
the value is rounded down to the Increment value specified. If the camber required is less than the Minimum
Camber value, no camber is specified for that member. If the camber required is greater than the Maximum
Camber value, the Maximum Camber value will be used for that member. Note that this does not necessarily
mean that larger camber is not required (greater than the Maximum value), it merely means that the amount of
camber called out will be limited to the maximum. Generally a more appropriate way of limiting the maximum
camber is to specify more stringent deflection criteria. The deflection check would then highlight to the user any
beams that fail the deflection check and should be deeper (and hence require less camber).
3.8 Assign
The Assign commands are used to make assignments to concrete beams in a model. Assign commands can be
issued in Single, Fence or All mode. Making an assignment to a beam will invalidate the design results for the
entire beam line, requiring the beam line to be redesigned.
When a command is issued in Single mode, the arrow cursor turns into a target cursor for the selection of the
desired member. In Fence mode, the arrow cursor turns into the rectangle cursor that allows the selection of
multiple members at a time. In All mode, the cursor remains the arrow cursor but the assignment is made to all
members.

Load Combinations
3.8.1 Size
Using the Assign –Size, sizes can be assigned to any concrete beam. The list box in the dialog displays the beam
sections available for assignment to beams. Concrete beam sections are defined in the RAM Modeler.
Clicking on a section in the list box selects it for assignment. Clicking the Single, Fence, or All buttons closes the
dialog in the selection mode as described above. The status bar displays a prompt that tells the user what needs
to be done to make the size assignment.
Note: Assigning a new size to a beam will impact the structural stiffness, and when member self-weight is
considered will also impact the self-weight reactions and therefore invalidate the analysis results. While it is
possible to complete a beam design after a size change, the results will be approximate because they will be
based on the previous analysis. To ensure an accurate design after an assign size, it is necessary to return to
Concrete Analysis to reanalyze. If a size is assigned to a lateral member, it is also necessary to return to RAM
Frame to reanalyze. To indicate that the analysis results are no longer current, the model status light, found on
the status bar, is set to yellow. It will also appear yellow in the RAM Manager.
3.8.2 Reinforcement Layout

The Assign > Reinforcement Layout command can be used to override the default reinforcement criteria on a
beam-by-beam basis. The following defaults can be overridden:
• Top Cover to Center – Used to override default cover to center of top bars specified in Criteria > Beam
Design. The default values are listed for easy reference.
• Bottom Cover to Center – Used to override the default cover to center of bottom bars specified in Criteria >
Beam Design. The default values are listed for easy reference.
• Maximum Number of Bar Layers – Used to override the number of allowable bar layers as specified in
Criteria > Beam Design. The default number of layers is listed for easy reference.
• Shear Stirrup Type – Used to override the default stirrup type as specified in Criteria > Detailing Defaults.
The default values for gravity beams, joists and lateral beams are listed for easy reference.
• Design Member Type - Used to specify whether a beam should be designed as a beam or as a joist. All beams
are defaulted to be designed as beams when they are added in the Modeler. This is the only place to specify
the design type for a concrete beam.
Note: If a lateral member has been assigned as a joist, it will still be designed as a beam because there are no
provisions for joist design on lateral members.
Reinforcement Layout assignments can be made to all lateral and gravity concrete beams. Clicking the Single,
Fence, or All buttons closes the dialog in the selection mode as described above. The status bar displays a
prompt that tells the user what needs to be done to make the assignment.

Process
3.9 Load Combinations

All concrete beam designs are based on load combinations, rather than on individual load cases. Load
combinations can be generated using the RAM Structural System's Load Combination Generator or Custom
combinations can be defined.
3.9.1 Code Generated Combinations

Combinations can be generated using the Combinations > Generated… command. In this dialog, select the code
that will be used to generate the load combinations using the Code for Combinations menu. Then select the load
cases to be considered during combo generation by placing a check in the Use column of the load case list. Enter
any additional information that may be required for the given code in the Parameters section, and then press the
Generate button to create the design load combinations. In order to consider a given combination during the
design it must be checked in the Use column of the Load Combination list.
For more details on the Load Combination Generator, see the Load Combination Generator manual.
3.9.2 User Defined Combinations

Combinations can also be entered manually using the Combinations > Custom… command. The same
procedure outlined in Section 3.9.1 applies to this dialogue. Load combinations are entered manually by the user
in the Load Combinations section by clicking in an empty row in the Load Combinations column and entering the
algebraic formula for the combination using the Load Case symbols. The user then clicks in the Click to Validate
column of the respective row in order to verify that there are no errors in the entered formula. A green light will
appear if a valid combination has been entered. A yellow light will appear if a combination has been entered in
which the analysis results of one of the load cases are not available. A red light will appear if the entered
combination contains a syntax error. For more details on the Load Combination Generator, see the Load
Combination Generator manual.
3.10 Process
The Process menu contains commands that allow the user to execute the beam design and interact with the
design results.
3.10.1 Design All

The Process > Design All command allows the engineer to design all concrete beams with just one command.
During design, the status log will appear to track the status of the design process.
Once all the concrete beams are designed, the screen will be updated to reflect the outcome of the design. For
more information on concrete beam color-coding see Section 3.4.

Process
3.10.2 View/Update
The Process > View/Update command launches the View/Update dialog box. The View/Update dialog box is a
powerful tool for investigating the design of concrete beams on an individual beam line basis. When the
command is issued, the cursor will change from the arrow cursor to the target cursor, allowing the engineer to
select a beam line by clicking on any beam in the beam line. The View/Update title bar displays the currently
selected Beam Line number as well as the Story where the Beam Line is located.
If an undesigned beam line is selected, it will be designed before the dialog box is opened. If the beam line
already has a current design, the saved design will be displayed rather than a new design being executed.
The View/Update dialog is composed of four tabs that display information and allow for user input. A fifth tab
displays any design warnings. A graphical display area at the bottom of the dialog is used for a visual
representation of the beam line and reinforcement layout, along with a representation of the envelope data for
the beam line. The graphical area displays data that is relevant to the tab that is selected.
The engineer can make changes to the longitudinal and transverse reinforcement as well as to some beam
material properties, through the View/Update dialog, in order to investigate different designs. The changes
made in the View/Update dialog can either be saved with the model using the Update Database button or
discarded and the original design kept intact by simply selecting the Close button. There are several buttons on
the right-hand side of the View/Update dialog for investigating different designs:
Optimize – Discards any changes made by the user in the View/Update dialog and optimizes the beam line per
global criteria and any previously assigned data.
Analyze – Analyzes the beam line using information entered in the View/Update dialog. The existing
reinforcement is checked only; no reinforcement is assigned during an Analyze.
Update Database - Updates the model database with the parameters in the View/Update dialog box as well as
saves the current design of each beam in the beam line. No optimization is performed on beam lines that have
had their database information updated. These beams will only be checked until their design is cleared through
the Process > Clear Design command. This is equivalent to the Freeze Design option found under the process
menu.
View Results - This button is used to display the detailed design information on each beam in the beam line.
View Summary - This button is used to display a Summary report for each beam in the beam line.
Close - Closes the View/Update dialog box without updating the design. If the beam information was saved
using the Update Database button, this information will remain saved but any changes since the command was
issued will be lost.
The traffic lights on the View/Update dialog box graphically indicate the status of the design. A Green light
indicates the design is current and passes all checks. Yellow indicates the design is not current and an analyze or
optimize is required. Red indicates that there are design warnings for at least one beam in the beam line. There
is a description of the reason why the beam did not pass on the Design Warnings tab.
View/Update - Longitudinal Reinforcement Tab

The Longitudinal Reinforcement tab within the View/Update page provides the engineer with a means of
modifying top and bottom longitudinal bar sets that have been assigned to the beam, either during optimization,
or manually by the engineer. When the Longitudinal Reinforcement tab is selected, the graphical display area

Process
will display a representation of the longitudinal bar sets in the beam line. The envelope data displayed both
graphically and numerically will correspond to the longitudinal reinforcement assigned to the beam line.
Dimensions The Dimensions area in the upper left-hand corner displays detailed information about the
selected span in the beam line, such as the beam number, the span length, cantilever lengths
when applicable, section dimensions for the beam, and information about the start and end
supports for the beam. The drop-down Span list box can be used to select any span in the
beam line.
Reinforcement The Reinforcement area displays all relevant information, in tabular form, for the final
optimized flexural bars for the beam line. The drop down box at the top is used to select
either the top or bottom longitudinal bars. The information in the spreadsheet area is
updated to reflect the selection made in the reinforcement drop down box. For example, in
the Figure above Top Reinforcement has been selected and thus the spreadsheet area and
graphic below displays top bar information only. A discussion of each of the column values in
the spreadsheet is presented below.
No. This is the bar set index. Bar sets are a group of bars that are the same size,
have the same start and end locations, and have the same start and end
conditions. Bars are grouped to make the design output easier to interpret and
interact with.
Support This is the support index to which the bar set is referenced. The centerline of
the support listed here will serve as the origin for the start and end
coordinates of the bar set.
Qty. This value is the number of bars in the bar set.
Bar Size This is the size of all bars in this bar set. The bar sizes available in this drop-
down box are limited to those that the user has chosen to consider in the
Beam Design Criteria - Reinforcement menu.
Start/End These two values are the start and end locations (respectively) of the bar set
relative to the centerline of the support specified in the Support column.
Reinf If the user has chosen to allow two layers of reinforcement in the Beam Design
Layer Criteria - Reinforcement menu, the value in this cell will be displayed as either
"Upper" or "Lower", depending on the layer at which the bar set lies. If the
user has chosen to not consider two layers of reinforcing, this value will
always be displayed as "Upper".
Bar End These values are the left and right bar end conditions. There are three types of
bar end conditions considered in RAM Concrete Beam: Straight, Splice, and
Hook.
A Straight end condition is generally used when a bar group is terminated
along the beam line span and there is no need to develop the full bar capacity
at the bar cutoff point. A Straight end condition has no knowledge of adjacent
bars and thus does not consider adjacent bar groups when calculating bar
capacity. See Section 5.2.5 for a discussion of how the bar tensile capacity is
calculated for a Straight end condition.
A Splice end condition is used to lap two groups of bars that share the same
endpoint. A Splice end condition is cognizant of any bar groups with which it
shares an endpoint and considers these bar groups in calculating the bar

Process
capacity along its end. See Section 5.2.6 for a discussion of how the tensile bar
capacity is calculate for a Splice end condition.
A Hook end condition is used when the full tensile capacity of the bar is
required even up to the bar endpoint.
Each of these quantities can be edited directly by the user (except for No.) by
clicking in the appropriate cell and entering or selecting a new value. The
graphical display will then immediately be updated to reflect the new data.
The design may then be rerun for the new data by selecting "Analyze". The
new design may be made permanent by selecting "Update Database". For easy
cross-reference between the spreadsheet area of the tab and the graphical
display area, when a bar set is selected in the spreadsheet area, the
corresponding bar set will be highlighted in the graphical display area. When a
bar set is selected in the graphical display area, the first cell in the
corresponding line in the spreadsheet will be highlighted.
View/Update - Strain Analysis Tab

The Strain Analysis tab within the View/Update page reports the rectangular compression block parameters at
all locations along the span. The neutral axis depth c , the Whitney block depth a , the strain in the extreme
tension steel at concrete rupture ε t , and the phi factor for flexure, are reported for the selected location along
the span. In addition, the section is reported as tension-controlled, in transition, or compression-controlled
according to the limits specified by ACI 318 (see Section 5.8.1). This tab is available only for the ACI 318-05 and
ACI 318-08 design codes.
View/Update - Transverse Reinforcement Tab

The Transverse Reinforcement tab within the View/Update page provides the engineer with a means of
modifying transverse bar sets that have been assigned to the beam, either during optimization, or manually by
the engineer. When the Transverse Reinforcement tab is selected, the graphical display area will display a
representation of the transverse bar sets in the beam line. The envelope data displayed both graphically and
numerically will correspond to the transverse reinforcement assigned to the beam line.
Dimensions The Dimensions area on the Transverse Reinforcement tab is identical to the Dimensions area
on the Longitudinal Reinforcement tab. Please refer to Section 3.10.2.1 for more information.
Reinforcement The engineer can edit, add, and delete transverse reinforcement bar sets in the spreadsheet
area of the Transverse Reinforcement tab. When the end location of a Transverse
Reinforcement bar set is modified, the start location of the next bar set within the same span
is automatically updated to prevent bar sets from overlapping.
The engineer further has the ability to check the longitudinal reinforcement in a beam line
(using manually entered values) while optimizing the transverse reinforcement. To do so,
select the Transverse reinforcement tab and delete all the bar sets in the grid, then press the
Analyze button. When there are no transverse bar sets defined during an Analysis the
program will use the optimization process to find the required transverse reinforcement.
For easy cross-reference between the spreadsheet area of the tab and the graphical display
area, when a bar set is selected in the spreadsheet area, the corresponding bar set will be
highlighted in the graphical display area. When a bar set is selected in the graphical display
area, the first cell in the corresponding line in the spreadsheet will be highlighted.

Process
See the Online Help for more information on editing transverse reinforcement.
View/Update - Section/Material Properties Tab

The Sections/Material Properties tab provides the engineer a means to view and edit material properties and
beam properties for each beam in the beam line.
Beam For each span in the beam line, the engineer can view the span length, the assigned size, and
Properties the section dimensions associated with that size. This information cannot be edited through
the View/Update dialog. The stirrup type and number of stirrup legs can be both viewed
and edited for each beam in the beam line.
Material For each span in the beam line, the engineer can view and edit steel reinforcement and
Properties concrete material properties.
Refer to the Online Help for more information on editing beam and material properties.
View/Update - Deflections Tab

A Deflections tab is part of the view update dialog box. The information on this tab provides the engineer a
means to view the results of the controlling deflection check on each beam in the beam line.
For each span in the beam line the engineer can view the camber (if specified to be calculated in the Criteria-
Camber dialog box), the type of deflection that controlled (Dead Load, Live Load, Long-term or Net), what the
controlling deflection (delta) value is, where along the span this controlling deflection was calculated (distance
from start support), the controlling span-to-deflection ratio, the effective moment of inertia for the controlling
case, the controlling ratio (calculated L/d divided by Allowable L/d). Note that a controlling deflection is only
available if the user has specified at least one set of criteria in the Criteria-Deflection dialog box, otherwise the
largest deflection and associated data is reported.
The user can update the reinforcing on the Longitudinal reinforcing tab, select Analyze and return to the
Deflection tab to observe the affect on the deflection checks. A change of tension steel will affect immediate
deflection values (Dead Load and Live Load) predominantly, whereas modifying the compression reinforcing
will also affect the long-term deflection results. In all cases modifying the section depth will have the most
dramatic affect on the calculated deflections.
Note: The compression reinforcing is not considered in calculating the capacity of a member (its design
strength). Reinforcing is only considered when it is tension and by definition the compression reinforcing exists
in the compression block of the section.
View/Update - Design Warnings Tab

If there are design warnings for any beam in the beam line, the traffic light on the View/Update dialog will be
red. To see the design warnings, select the Design Warnings tab for a list of design warnings for the currently
selected beam line.
Graphical The graphical display area displays information relevant to the currently active tab. Only the
Display Longitudinal and Transverse Reinforcement tabs have information to be displayed graphically.
Area
Beam Line The beam line is graphically displayed in the lower half of the View/Update dialog box. When
Graphics the Longitudinal Reinforcement tab is selected, the longitudinal bar sets are displayed
graphically (Figure in the Longitudinal Reinforcement Tab). When the Transverse

Process
Reinforcement tab is selected, the transverse bar sets are displayed graphically (Figure in the
Transverse Reinforcement Tab). For both types of reinforcement, the corresponding provided
and required envelopes are displayed below the bar sets. The yellow region is the required
values along the beam line, while the purple outline represents the provided values.
Right click in the graphic area to get a popup menu with additional display options. If the beam
line does not completely fit in the graphic display screen, left click on the beam line graphic and
drag to move the display of the beam line.
Envelope While the graphical display area displays a graphic representation of the envelope data for the
Data beam line, the Envelope Data section of the View/Update dialog box displays the numeric values
for provided and required capacities as well as provided and required reinforcement area. The
values displayed correspond to the location of the red slider in the display area. Moving the
slider will update the values to the right. The user can also update the numeric values by
selecting a support number and a distance from that support in the Envelope Data area, which
will in turn update the location of the red slider.
3.10.3 Deflection Results

In Concrete Beam Mode the deflections are adjusted to consider beam reinforcing, cracking and load duration.
Following the design of each beams reinforcing the Dead Load, Live Load, Long-term and Net Deflection values
are calculated, and where specified, compared to the user criteria.
Following a design the user can issue the Process-Results menu item to show the deflection results dialog box.
The Deflection Results dialog box (illustrated below) provides interactive access to the deflection results. By
selecting a deflection type from the drop-down list the members are colored according to their deflection ratio
(Calculated Ln/d divided by Allowable Ln/d ) for the selected load type. Note that in all cases Ln is defined as the
clear (face-to-face) length of the beam. If however there is no design (no reinforcing) in a beam, the beam will be
colored white. If there is no deflection criteria specified (or a beam has a span/depth ratio less than specified to
be checked) in the Criteria-Deflection dialog box then all the beams will be colored light blue. In all other cases
the beams are colored according to the deflection ratio color scale and the selected deflection type. If desired, the
Controlling Case can be selected from the deflection results dialog to display that deflection type on each beam
that produced the worst deflection ratio.
By selecting one of the text display options the selected entity will be displayed for each beam on the screen. The
available selections are as follows:
Ln/d – The face-to-face (clear) span-length to depth ratio (for cantilevers twice the clear span is used for Ln). ‘d’
is the full depth of the section. If Controlling Case is selected in the Deflection Type list box then the controlling
deflection type is shown on the member (DL=Dead Load, LL=Live Load, LT = Long-term + Live and NET = DL +
LT + LL – Camber).
Delta – The deflection for that physical member that corresponds to the largest Ln/d for all spans in the physical
beam. That is, for a beam that has a cantilever only one delta is reported per deflection type per beam. This delta
is the deflection that corresponds to the largest Ln/d for each span (mid span and cantilever) on that individual
beam. Refer to the deflection summary report for cantilever and mid-span values reported separately.
Ieff – The calculated effective moment of inertia for the beam for that particular deflection type. This effective
moment is dependent on the users Effective Modulus selection in the Criteria-Deflection dialog box.

Process
Deflection Ratio – If there is an allowable deflection limit specified (in the Criteria-Deflection Dialog Box) for
the selected Deflection Type, the controlling deflection ratio (Actual deflection / Allowable Deflection) will be
reported. Note that each member is colored according to its deflection ratio for the selected deflection type.
3.10.4 Copy Design

A special method of design is the Process > Copy command. This command allows the user to copy
reinforcement and section sizes from one beam line to another. This is useful when it is desired to make similar
beam lines identical and reduce the number of unique beam marks when the concrete beam schedules are
created.
The Copy Beam Line Design command transfers the longitudinal and transverse reinforcement for an entire
beam line to the destination beam line(s) selected by the user. The section size(s) for each span may also be
transferred at the user's option. The Tolerance Setting specified in the dialog determines the conditions under
which the copy is executed. A description of each of the two settings is given below:
Perform copy only if When this option is selected the following conditions must be met in order for the copy
beam lines are to be executed on the target beam line(s):
geometrically
1. The source beam line and target beam line(s) must have the same number of spans
identical
2. The length of each respective span in the source beam line and target beam line(s)
must be the same (including cantilevers)
3. The length of each corresponding support measured parallel to the beam line for the
source beam line and target beam line(s) must be the same
4. Each corresponding beam in the source beam line and target beam line(s) must
have the same section assignment
5. Each corresponding beam in the source beam line and target beam line(s) must
have the same material properties
Note: If choosing to copy the beam section assignments, item 4 is not enforced.
Perform copy if When this option is selected, conditions 2 and 3 described for the previous option are
clear length of each relaxed through use of a tolerance. The clear distance of each respective span from the
corresponding span source beam line to the target beam line(s) (measured between support faces), is
is within: ratioed according to the following:
Span Ratio = 100 x (LSOURCE - LTARGET)/LSOURCE
If the calculated value above is less than the tolerance specified in the dialog for all
beam spans (including cantilevers), the copy is performed.

Process
Figure 3: Design for beam line 10 has been copied to beam lines 9, 11, and 12
To use the Copy command, first design a beam line using either the Process > View/Update command or
Process > Design All command. Once a beam line has been designed, the corresponding design can be copied to
other beam lines provided the conditions detailed previously are met.
Once the Copy is performed, the bar sets from the initial beam line are assigned to the new beam line(s) and the
resulting design is checked. The check is the same as performing an Analyze in the View/Update dialog box.
Upon completion of the check, the screen will be updated to reflect the current design status of each beam. When
a copy is performed, the beam lines that are updated are automatically frozen, the same as if a Process > Freeze
is performed (see Section 3.10.5 for more information on the Freeze command). The beams in the beam line are
now considered user defined and will be painted dark blue on screen if the design is successful. Please refer to
Section 3.4 for more information on color-coding.
When the Copy Design > Single to Single command is issued, the cursor changes from the arrow cursor to a
target cursor. First select the designed beam line (the Copy From beam line, or source), then select the beam line
to which the designs are to be copied (the Copy To beam line, or target). A warning will be given when a target
beam line is selected that fails to meet the criteria above. The target cursor changes, alternating between a Copy
From cursor to a Copy To cursor, to help identify the current step in the copy process.
When the Copy Design > Single to Fence command is issued, the cursor changes from the arrow cursor to a
target cursor. First select Copy From beam line. The cursor will then change to a fence cursor. Fence one or more
target beam lines. Only those beam lines that meet the criteria above will be designed with the copied
reinforcement. No warning will be given for beam lines that are not updated. After the Copy command is
complete, the cursor will return to the target cursor and a new source beam line can be selected.
When the Copy Design > Single to All command is issued, the cursor changes from the arrow cursor to a target
cursor. After selecting a source beam line, the copy will be performed on all beam lines in the model that meet
the criteria specified above. No warning will be given for those beam lines that are not updated.
Note: The Copy command does not create a link between the source beam line and the target beam line. A
subsequent change in the design of one is not automatically made to the other. The command merely copies the
current reinforcement from one beam line to the other.

Reports
3.10.5 Freeze Beam Line Design

At certain points during the design process, it may be desirable to "Freeze" the design of some or all of the beam
lines. Doing so allows the user to archive completed designs or to perform "what-if" type investigations without
having the reinforcement re-optimize and potentially modified.
Designs may be frozen by selecting the Process > Freeze – Single, Fence or All commands. Freezing a design on
a beam line is equivalent to the Update Database command within View/Update. It marks the beam line as User
Defined and saves the current reinforcement for the beam line. A frozen beam line will not be re-optimized until
the design is cleared.
3.10.6 Clear Beam Line

Members that have had their design Frozen or members that were previously assigned user defined
reinforcement in the View/Update can be cleared by selecting the Process > Clear – Single, Fence or All
commands. Once a design is cleared, it will be optimized rather than having the reinforcement checked the next
time it is designed.
3.11 Reports
3.11.1 Report Destination

The first four options under the Reports menu are used to control the destination of the selected report. A check
mark is placed beside the current selection. This selection is relevant to the current mode in RAM Concrete only.
To change the report destination on a global level, use the Tools > Report Styles command located in RAM
Manager.
3.11.2 Reports
Various reports are available in the RAM Concrete Beam module. These reports are used to review information
about the model and its design. For more information about the individual reports, see Chapter 11.

Exiting Concrete Beam Design Mode
3.12 View
The majority of the View commands are common with the 3D Viewer. For more information on these commands,
see the 3D Viewer manual. The following is an explanation of the commands that are unique to the RAM
Concrete Beam module.
3.12.1 Beam Lines

This option is identical to corresponding option in the Concrete Analysis module. Please refer to the RAM
Concrete Analysis manual for more information.
3.12.2 Beam Line Numbers (toolbar only)

This option displays the beam line numbers for all the beams in the model and works in a similar manner to the
corresponding option in the RAM Concrete Analysis module.
3.12.3 Model Colors / Design Colors toggle
Icon Description
A 'Model Colors' / 'Design Colors' toggle button and associated menu items have been
added to the RAM Concrete modules. Both the RAM Concrete Column and RAM Concrete
Beam modules change the display colors of the members to reflect their current design
status. Clicking the 'Change to Model Colors' button, or selecting 'Colors - Model Colors'
from the 'View' menu will switch display colors back to the default colors assigned for
each type. This can make it easier to identify the specific type of member by its color.
After clicking the 'Change to Model Colors' button, the button graphic will toggle to the
'Change to Design Colors' button. Clicking this button or selecting 'Colors - Design
Colors' from the 'View' menu will toggle the color display back to 'design' colors.
The graphic displayed on the button reflects the current model display colors, which are the opposite of the
mode that will be toggled to by clicking the button.
3.13 Exiting Concrete Beam Design Mode

The Mode menu or drop-down combo box on the toolbar can be used to exit the RAM Concrete Beam module
and navigate to another RAM Concrete module.

The File > Close command is used to exit the RAM Concrete Beam module. Issuing File – Close will return the
user to the RAM Manager.

RAM Concrete Beam Commands - Other Codes
4
RAM Concrete Beam allows the engineer to design gravity and lateral concrete beams in either interactive mode
or batch mode.
This chapter presents an overview of the RAM Concrete Beam module, specific to the case in which BS8110,
CP65, AS3600, EC, or CAN/CSA A23 is used as the design code. More specific information on each of the
commands is available in the on-line help.
4.1 Invoking RAM Concrete Beam

RAM Concrete is accessed through the RAM Manager. This can be accomplished by clicking the RAM Concrete
button on the Module toolbar or by selecting RAM Concrete from the Design Menu.
RAM Concrete always opens in Concrete Analysis mode. To enter the Concrete Beam mode, select Concrete
Beam from either the Mode menu or the drop down combo box on the toolbar. A checkmark will appear beside
the menu option in the Mode menu of the mode that is currently active. Before concrete beams can be designed,
an analysis of the structure must be performed in RAM Concrete Analysis.
4.2 RAM Concrete Beam Status

RAM Concrete Beam Design makes use of data from the RAM Modeler, RAM Steel, RAM Frame and RAM Concrete
Analysis. For this reason, any changes to the model within any of these modes will affect the RAM Concrete Beam
status.
Issuing the command File > Model Status will bring up a dialog that explains the current status of the model. If
the model is in a state such that it cannot be designed, an explanation of how to get the model to be designable is
provided.

Concrete Beam Color-Coding
4.3 Model Notes

Icon Description
The Model Notes command opens a text file that may be used to enter notes on the
currently loaded model. Invoke the Model Notes command from the File menu to view
or edit the notes file.
4.4 Concrete Beam Color-Coding

are colored dark gray while in Concrete Beam mode. The color of each concrete beam indicates its design status.
The Beam design color represents both the reinforcing design and the deflection check results.
Pale Blue Beam is not ready to be designed. If all concrete beams are pale blue, check the File > Model status
dialog to determine what needs to be done in order to get the beams to a designable state. The most
common reason all concrete beams would be in this state is due to the absence of concrete beam
load combinations. If only some concrete beams are pale blue, they most likely are not part of any
beam lines. Only concrete beams that have been assigned beam line numbers in the Concrete
Analysis mode can be designed in Concrete Beam Design.
Yellow Beam is ready for design.
Orange Beam was designed and has passed design checks but some aspect of the design needs attention as
described in the warnings section.
Green Beam was designed and passed all design checks.
Blue Beam design passed and the design was frozen.
Red Beam was designed and some design warnings were reported. The warnings can be viewed in the
View/Update dialog box or in the Beam Design Report. If a beam is frozen but has some design
warnings it will be colored red to indicate that design warnings were found (see Freeze Beam Line
Design (on page 46) for more information on freezing the design).
new design status. Beams are repainted on a beam-by-beam basis according to their individual status.
4.5 The Toolbars

The Toolbars
4.5.1 The 3-D Viewer Toolbar

The top toolbar in the RAM Concrete Beam mode is common among all the RAM Concrete modes and the 3D-
Viewer. For more information on this toolbar, please see the 3-D Viewer Manual.
4.5.2 The Concrete Beam Mode Toolbar
Icon Menu Item
Concrete Mode
Assign - Size
Assign - Reinforcement Layout
Generated Load Combinations
Custom Load Combinations
Design All Concrete Beams
View/Update
Deflection Results
Copy - Single-to-Single
Copy - Single-to-Fence
Copy - Single-to-All
View - Beam Lines

Mode
Icon Menu Item
View - All Beam Line Numbers
View Camber
4.6 Mode
The Mode menu is used to change between the Concrete Analysis, Concrete Beam, and Concrete Column modes.
A checkmark appears beside the mode that is currently active. The drop-down combo box located on the tool bar
can be used for this purpose as well.
The Criteria > Beam Design menu is where the user preferences for reinforcing design and code-specific design
checks are specified. The criteria set through this menu apply to all concrete beams in the model.
When any design criteria are changed in this menu, all concrete beam designs in the model are invalidated. The
design data for any beam lines which held an optimized design will be cleared. Note that when this happens the
status color of the beam line turns from either green or red (depending on whether the previous optimization
produced a design that passed or failed) to yellow. The design data for beam lines that were "frozen" will be
saved and checked against the new criteria when the next design is performed.
Reinforcement The following design parameters are set in the Reinforcement tab:
Tab
Minimum Clear Bar Cover Set the cover to the top, bottom, and sides of the beams.
Minimum Gap Between Defines the clear bar spacing between the upper or
Main Bar Layers lower main bar layers.
Bar Sizes to Consider for Sets the minimum and maximum allowable bar sizes to
Design be used for flexural and shear reinforcement.
Shear Reinforcement Sets the minimum shear reinforcement spacing and
number of legs to be used.
Design Checks/ The following design parameters are set in the Design Checks/Forces tab:
Forces Tab
Shear Select either centre line or column face. Select Enhanced Shear Effects to
include Clause 3.4.5.8.
Side Bar Set either the minimum bar size to be used or let the program calculate
Design which bars can be used to achieve a 250 mm c/c spacing on deep beams.
Gravity Also within this tab, the user specifies the desired source of gravity forces
Forces on on lateral concrete beam members. There are two unique sets of gravity
Lateral analysis results available for lateral members in RAM Concrete Beam: the
Beams analysis performed in RAM Concrete Analysis and that performed in RAM
Frame. To aid in understanding the differences between the two sets of
results, we review a few fundamental characteristics of each analysis:

Assign
• Ram Frame performs both a gravity and a lateral load analysis.

• The Ram Frame analysis includes only members designated as lateral.
Thus, the stiffness of gravity members is not accounted for in the RAM
Frame analysis.
• Ram Frame uses RAM Gravity to apply the reactions from gravity
members to supporting frame members.
• RAM Frame does not perform skip loading.
• RAM Concrete Analysis performs only a gravity load distribution and
does not deal with lateral forces.
• RAM Concrete Analysis includes both gravity and lateral members.
Thus, the stiffness of gravity members is accounted for in the RAM
Concrete Analysis.
• RAM Concrete Analysis skip loads the live loads to generate a
controlling envelope.
4.7 Assign
4.7.1 Size
The Assign > Size command is used to assign a different section size to concrete beam members in the model.
This command operates on an individual beam span basis and thus the sizes of individual beams, not entire
beam lines, are changed by this command.
Note that once a member size is changed in the Concrete Beam module, the member analysis force results
obtained from RAM Concrete or RAM Frame become approximate since the analysis results do not reflect the
modified member size. In order to obtain exact member forces, the RAM Concrete analysis and, if applicable,
RAM Frame analysis must be run again with the modified size.
4.7.2 Reinforcement Layout

The Assign > Reinforcement Layout command is used to override the default reinforcement criteria on a
beam-by-beam basis. The following defaults can be overridden:
Link Type – Used to override default cover to center of top bars specified in Criteria > Beam
Design. The default values are listed for easy reference.
Number of Link Legs – Used to override the default cover to center of bottom bars specified in Criteria >
Link Spacing – Used to override the number of allowable bar layers as specified in Criteria > Beam
Design. The default number of layers is listed for easy reference.

Load Combinations
Clear Bar Cover – Used to override the default top, bottom, and side clear bar cover values specified in
Criteria > Beam Design. The default cover values are listed for easy reference.
Minimum Gap Between Used to override the default distance between main bar layers specified in Criteria
Main Bar Layers - > Beam Design. The default values are listed for easy reference.
Bar Sizes for Main Used to override the default minimum and maximum main bar sizes specified in
Design – Criteria > Beam Design. The default sizes are shown for easy reference.
Bar Sizes for Main Used to override the default minimum and maximum shear bar sizes specified in
Design – Criteria > Beam Design. The default sizes are shown for easy reference.
Fence or All buttons closes the dialog in the selection mode as described above. Clicking the Single, Fence or All
buttons closes the dialog in the selection mode as described above. The status bar displays a prompt that tells
the user what needs to be done to make the assignment.

All concrete beam designs are based on load combinations, rather than on individual load cases. Load
combinations can be generated using the RAM Structural System's Load Combination Generator or Custom
combinations can be defined.
4.8.1 Code Generated Combinations

Combinations can be generated using the Combinations > Generated… command. In this dialog, select the code
that will be used to generate the load combinations using the Code for Combinations menu. Then select the load
cases to be considered during combo generation by placing a check in the Use column of the load case list. Enter
any additional information that may be required for the given code in the Parameters section, and then press the
Generate button to create the design load combinations. In order to consider a given combination during the
design it must be checked in the Use column of the Load Combination list.
For more details on the Load Combination Generator, see the Load Combination Generator manual.
4.8.2 User Defined Combinations

Combinations can also be entered manually using the Combinations > Custom… command. The same
procedure outlined in Section 3.9.1 applies to this dialogue. Load combinations are entered manually by the user
in the Load Combinations section by clicking in an empty row in the Load Combinations column and entering the
algebraic formula for the combination using the Load Case symbols. The user then clicks in the Click to Validate
column of the respective row in order to verify that there are no errors in the entered formula. A green light will
appear if a valid combination has been entered. A yellow light will appear if a combination has been entered in
which the analysis results of one of the load cases are not available. A red light will appear if the entered
combination contains a syntax error. For more details on the Load Combination Generator, see the Load
Combination Generator manual.

Process
4.9 Process
The Process menu contains commands that allow the user to execute the beam design and interact with the
design results.
4.9.1 Design All

The Process > Design All command allows the engineer to design all concrete beams with just one command.
During design, the status log will appear to track the status of the design process.
more information on concrete beam color-coding see Section 3.4.
4.9.2 View/Update
The Process > View/Update command launches the View/Update dialog box. The View/Update dialog box is a
powerful tool for investigating the design of concrete beams on an individual beam line basis. When the
command is issued, the cursor will change from the arrow cursor to the target cursor, allowing the engineer to
select a beam line by clicking on any beam in the beam line. The View/Update title bar displays the currently
selected Beam Line number as well as the Story where the Beam Line is located.
If an undesigned beam line is selected, it will be designed before the dialog box is opened. If the beam line
The View/Update dialog is composed of four tabs that display information and allow for user input. A fifth tab
displays any design warnings. A graphical display area at the bottom of the dialog is used for a visual
representation of the beam line and reinforcement layout, along with a representation of the envelope data for
the beam line. The graphical area displays data that is relevant to the tab that is selected.
The engineer can make changes to the longitudinal and transverse reinforcement as well as to some beam
material properties, through the View/Update dialog, in order to investigate different designs. The changes
made in the View/Update dialog can either be saved with the model using the Update Database button or
discarded and the original design kept intact by simply selecting the Close button. There are several buttons on
the right-hand side of the View/Update dialog for investigating different designs:
Optimize Discards any changes made by the user in the View/Update dialog and optimizes the beam line
per global criteria and any previously assigned data.
Analyze Analyzes the beam line using information entered in the View/Update dialog. The existing
Update Updates the model database with the parameters in the View/Update dialog box as well as
Database saves the current design of each beam in the beam line. No optimization is performed on beam
lines that have had their database information updated. These beams will only be checked until

Process
their design is cleared through the Process > Clear Design command. This is equivalent to the
Freeze Design option found under the process menu.
View Results This button is used to display the detailed design information on each beam in the beam line.
View This button is used to display a Summary report for each beam in the beam line.
Summary
Close Closes the View/Update dialog box without updating the design. If the beam information was
saved using the Update Database button, this information will remain saved but any changes
since the command was issued will be lost.
The traffic lights on the View/Update dialog box graphically indicate the status of the design. A
Green light indicates the design is current and passes all checks. Yellow indicates the design is
not current and an analyze or optimize is required. Red indicates that there are design
warnings for at least one beam in the beam line. There is a description of the reason why the
beam did not pass on the Design Warnings tab.
4.9.3 View/Update - Main Reinforcement Tab

The Main Reinforcement tab within the View/Update page provides the engineer with a means of modifying top
and bottom longitudinal bar sets that have been assigned to the beam, either during optimization, or manually
by the engineer. When the Main Reinforcement tab is selected, the graphical display area will display a
representation of the longitudinal bar sets in the beam line. The envelope data displayed both graphically and
numerically will correspond to the longitudinal reinforcement assigned to the beam line. The corresponding
provided and required envelopes are displayed below the bar sets. The yellow region represents the required
capacity values along the beam line, while the purple outline represents the provided values.
While the graphical display area displays a graphic representation of the envelope data for the beam line, the
Envelope Data section of the View/Update dialog box displays the numeric values for provided and required
capacities as well as provided and required reinforcement area. The values displayed correspond to the location
of the red slider in the display area. Moving the slider will update the values to the right. The user can also
update the numeric values by selecting a support number and a distance from that support in the Envelope Data
area, which will in turn update the location of the red slider.
Dimensions The Dimensions area in the upper left-hand corner displays detailed information about the
selected span in the beam line, such as the beam number, the span length, cantilever lengths
when applicable, section dimensions for the beam, and information about the start and end
supports for the beam. The drop-down Span list box can be used to select any span in the
beam line.
Reinforcement The Reinforcement area displays all relevant information, in tabular form, for the final
optimized flexural bars for the beam line. The radio buttons at the top are used to select
either the top or bottom longitudinal bars. The information in the spreadsheet area is
updated to reflect the selection made in the reinforcement radio button. A discussion of each
of the column values in the spreadsheet is presented below.
No. This is the bar set index. Bar sets are a group of bars that are the same size, have
the same start and end locations, and have the same start and end conditions.
Bars are grouped to make the design output easier to interpret and interact with.

Process
Support This is the support index to which the bar set is referenced. The centerline of the
support listed here will serve as the origin for the start and end coordinates of
the bar set.
Qty. This value is the number of bars in the bar set.

Bar Size This is the size of all bars in this bar set. The bar sizes available in this drop-down box are
limited to those that the user has chosen to consider in the Beam Design Criteria -
Reinforcement menu.
Start/End These two values are the start and end locations (respectively) of the bar set relative to the
centerline of the support specified in the Support column.
Reinf Layer This value displays whether the bar group occurs in the "Upper" or "Lower" reinforcement
layer. RAM Concrete Beam allows one or two reinforcement layers for both top and bottom
flexural reinforcement. During optimization, whether one or two layers are used is decided by
the program. If the user is editing the reinforcement manually, he can enter in which layer the
bar group is to be placed.
Bar End These values are the left and right bar end conditions. There are three types of bar end
conditions considered in RAM Concrete Beam: Straight, Splice, and Hook.
A Straight end condition is generally used when a bar group is terminated along the beam line
span and there is no need to develop the full bar capacity at the bar curtailment point. A
Straight end condition has no knowledge of adjacent bars and thus does not consider adjacent
bar groups when calculating bar capacity.
A Splice end condition is used to lap two groups of bars that share the same endpoint. A Splice
end condition is cognizant of any bar groups with which it shares an endpoint and considers
these bar groups in calculating the bar capacity along its end.
A Hook end condition is used when the full tensile capacity of the bar is required even up to
the bar endpoint.
Each of these quantities can be edited directly by the user (except for No.) by clicking in the appropriate cell and
entering or selecting a new value. The graphical display will then immediately be updated to reflect the new
data. The design may then be rerun for the new data by selecting "Analyze". The new design may be made
permanent by selecting "Update Database". For easy cross-reference between the spreadsheet area of the tab
and the graphical display area, when a bar set is selected in the spreadsheet area, the corresponding bar set will
be highlighted in the graphical display area. When a bar set is selected in the graphical display area, the first cell
in the corresponding line in the spreadsheet will be highlighted.
4.9.4 View/Update - Shear Reinforcement Tab

The ShearReinforcement tab within the View/Update page provides the engineer with a means of modifying
transverse bar sets that have been assigned to the beam, either during optimization, or manually by the
engineer. When the Shear Reinforcement tab is selected, the graphical display area will display a representation
of the shear bar sets in the beam line. The envelope data displayed both graphically and numerically will
correspond to the shear reinforcement assigned to the beam line.
Dimensions The Dimensions area on the Shear Reinforcement tab is identical to the Dimensions area on
the Main Reinforcement tab. Please refer to Section 4.9.3 for more information.

Process
Reinforcement For easy cross-reference between the spreadsheet area of the tab and the graphical display
area, when a bar set is selected in the spreadsheet area, the corresponding bar set will be
highlighted in the graphical display area. When a bar set is selected in the graphical display
area, the first cell in the corresponding line in the spreadsheet will be highlighted.
See the Online Help for more information on editing shear reinforcement.
4.9.5 View/Update - Section/Material Properties Tab

Beam For each span in the beam line, the engineer can view the span length, the assigned size, and
Properties the section dimensions associated with that size. This information cannot be edited through
the View/Update dialog. The stirrup type and number of stirrup legs can be both viewed
and edited for each beam in the beam line.
Material For each span in the beam line, the engineer can view and edit steel reinforcement and
Properties concrete material properties.
Refer to the Online Help for more information on editing beam and material properties.
4.9.6 View/Update - Design Warnings Tab

red. To see the design warnings, select the Design Warnings tab for a list of design warnings for the currently
selected beam line.
4.9.7 Copy Design

A special method of design is the Process > Copy command. It allows the user to assign the same reinforcement
from one beam line to another. This is useful when it is desired to make similar beam lines identical and it also
reduces the number of unique beam marks when the concrete beam schedules are created in the DXF file. To use
the Copy command, first design a beam line using either the Process > View/Update command or Process >
Design All command. Once a beam line has been designed, the corresponding design can be copied to other
beam lines provided the copy-from beam line and the copy-to beam line:
• Have the same number of spans
• Corresponding spans and supports have the same length
• Corresponding spans have the same member sizes and material properties
is performed (see Section 3.10.5 for more information on the Freeze command). The beams in the beam line are

Reports
now considered user defined and will be painted dark blue on screen if the design is successful. Please refer to
Section 3.4 for more information on color-coding.
target cursor. First select the designed beam line (the Copy From beam line), then select the beam line to which
the designs are to be copied (the Copy To beam line). A warning will be given when a Copy To beam line is
selected that fails to meet the criteria above. The target cursor changes, alternating between a Copy From cursor
to a Copy To cursor, to help identify the current step in the copy process.
Copy To beam lines. Only those beam lines that meet the criteria above will be designed with the copied
complete, the cursor will return to the target cursor and a new Copy From beam line can be selected.
cursor. After selecting a Copy From beam line, the copy will be performed on all beam lines in the model that
meet the criteria specified above. No warning will be given for those beam lines that are not updated.
The Copy command does not create a link between the Copy From beam line and the Copy To beam line; a
4.9.8 Freeze Beam Line Design

At certain points during the design process, it may be desirable to "Freeze" the design of some or all of the beam
lines. Doing so allows the user to archive completed designs or to perform "what-if" type investigations without
having the reinforcement re-optimize and potentially modified.
Designs may be frozen by selecting the Process > Freeze – Single, Fence or All commands. Freezing a design on
a beam line is equivalent to the Update Database command within View/Update. It marks the beam line as User
Defined and saves the current reinforcement for the beam line. A frozen beam line will not be re-optimized until
the design is cleared.
4.9.9 Clear Beam Line

reinforcement in the View/Update can be cleared by selecting the Process > Clear – Single, Fence or All
commands. Once a design is cleared, it will be optimized rather than having the reinforcement checked the next
4.10 Reports

View
4.10.1 Report Destination

The first four options under the Reports menu are used to control the destination of the selected report. A check
mark is placed beside the current selection. This selection is relevant to the current mode in RAM Concrete only.
To change the report destination on a global level, use the Tools > Report Styles command located in RAM
Manager.
4.10.2 Reports
Various reports are available in the RAM Concrete Beam module. These reports are used to review information
about the model and its design. For more information about the individual reports, see Chapter 11.
4.11 View
The majority of the View commands are common with the 3D Viewer. For more information on these commands,
see the 3D Viewer manual. The following is an explanation of the commands that are unique to the RAM
Concrete Beam module.
4.11.1 Beam Lines

This option is identical to corresponding option in the Concrete Analysis module. Please refer to the RAM
Concrete Analysis manual for more information.
4.11.2 Beam Line Numbers (toolbar only)

This option displays the beam line numbers for all the beams in the model and works in a similar manner to the
corresponding option in the RAM Concrete Analysis module.

4.11.3 Model Colors / Design Colors toggle
Icon Description
A 'Model Colors' / 'Design Colors' toggle button and associated menu items have been
added to the RAM Concrete modules. Both the RAM Concrete Column and RAM Concrete
Beam modules change the display colors of the members to reflect their current design
status. Clicking the 'Change to Model Colors' button, or selecting 'Colors - Model Colors'
from the 'View' menu will switch display colors back to the default colors assigned for
each type. This can make it easier to identify the specific type of member by its color.
After clicking the 'Change to Model Colors' button, the button graphic will toggle to the
'Change to Design Colors' button. Clicking this button or selecting 'Colors - Design
Colors' from the 'View' menu will toggle the color display back to 'design' colors.
The graphic displayed on the button reflects the current model display colors, which are the opposite of the
4.12 Exiting Concrete Beam Design Mode

The Mode menu or drop-down combo box on the toolbar can be used to exit the RAM Concrete Beam module
and navigate to another RAM Concrete module.
The File > Close command is used to exit the RAM Concrete Beam module. Issuing File – Close will return the
user to the RAM Manager.

Technical Notes - ACI Design Codes
5
In the design of a structure a great number of decisions must be made. What is acceptable to one engineer may
not be acceptable to another. It is crucial that the user understands the decisions and assumptions being made
by the RAM Concrete Beam module. If these are not appropriate for the specific conditions of a particular
building, the user should augment or replace the results from RAM Concrete with those of some other tool.
The purpose of the Technical Notes is to explain the assumptions and methodology of the RAM Concrete Beam
Design. Every effort has been made to include a discussion of significant decisions and assumptions made by the
program. Generally, if there is any question as to how the Beam Design mode handles a particular condition, a
small model can be quickly created and analyzed, and the results verified with hand calculations.
The RAM Concrete Beam module has been extensively tested and used. It is impossible, however, to anticipate
every possible configuration that could be encountered by the program. Ultimately the engineer is responsible
for the safety and adequacy of the building's design.
The implementation in RAM Concrete of the sections of ACI 318 accounting for the design of concrete beams are
subjected to certain assumptions and limitations as outlined in the Technical Notes. Unless otherwise noted, all
references to sections and equations are from ACI 318-99.
5.1 Symbols
This section presents a table of symbols and variables referenced by the ACI 318 design codes.
5.1.1 Table of Symbols

Table 1:
Symbol Description
Ag Gross area of section
As Reinforcing steel area
Av Shear reinforcing steel area
a Depth of equivalent rectangular stress block as defined in ACI 10.2.7.1

Symbols
Symbol Description
b Length of critical section in compression
beff Effective flange width as defined in ACI 8.10
bw Web width when applicable, otherwise b is used
bf Flange width when applicable, otherwise b is used
cc Clear cover from the nearest surface in tension to the surface of the flexural tension
reinforcement
Cc Concrete cover to center of tension reinforcement
d Distance from the top of compression surface to center of the flexure reinforcement
perpendicular to that direction of the shear plane
db Nominal diameter of reinforcement bar
Ec Concrete modulus of elasticity
Es Reinforcement steel bar modulus of elasticity
f'c Concrete compression stress capacity (psi units)
fct Average splitting tensile strength of lightweight aggregate concrete (psi units)
fy Reinforcement stress capacity (psi units)
h Total section depth
ld Reinforcement bar development length
Mn Nominal moment capacity of concrete section
Mu Factored ultimate moment on section
Nu Maximum factored axial load normal to cross section in shear. Positive for compression and
negative for tension.
Tu Factored ultimate torsion on section
s Reinforcement spacing
Vu Factored ultimate shear force on section
Vs Shear reinforcement capacity
Vc Concrete section shear capacity
φb Flexure capacity reduction factor of concrete

Beam Flexural Design
Symbol Description
φT Torsional capacity reduction factor of concrete
φs Shear capacity reduction factor of concrete
δc Actual concrete density used in footing
ρb Balanced reinforcement ratio
Bar Set - This identifies a set of bars with the same start and end locations with a given size and quantity of bars.
5.1.2 Concrete Modulus of Elasticity

The Concrete Modulus of Elasticity is calculated using the following equation assuming the concrete weight is
between 90 and 155 pcf.
Ec = wc1.5 33 f ′ ACI 8.5

c
5.2 Beam Flexural Design

Beam flexure is evaluated at each output station (as defined by the user in the Analysis Criteria of the Concrete
Analysis mode) along the beam line span. The flexural design takes into account flexural capacity and code-
prescribed limits for reinforcement ratio, concrete clear cover, and bar spacing. The design also considers the
user defined detailing parameters defined in the Criteria dialog boxes and in the Assign Reinforcement Layout
dialog box.
RAM Concrete Beam uses the dead load and live skip loading results from the Concrete Analysis mode in
conjunction with the RAM Frame lateral analysis results, where applicable, to create a design envelope for each
beam using the defined load combinations. The design envelope is used to ensure that the final design meets the
code required capacity along the full length of the beam.
Note: In all cases the user-defined parameters are only used if they are more stringent than the code-prescribed
limits. This is done to ensure that the final design meets all implemented code requirements.
5.2.1 Flexural Capacity

The flexural or moment capacity of the beam is checked along the clear length of the beam between supports.
The flexural capacity of the beam at any point is:
(
M n = As f y d −
a
2
) Equation 3-1

As f y Equation 5-2
a=
0.85 f ′ c b
c = 0.85fc'abw Equation 5-3
α = βc
c
d
N.A.
EsAsfy
Cover to
b center of
bars
Figure 4:
For concrete compression in the flange of a “T” or “L” section, Mn is adjusted if βc produces compression in the
web of the section. The required positive and negative moment capacity is checked against the provided capacity
at every output station along the beam between the support faces (refer to the Concrete Analysis manual for
information on output stations). All girders, columns, and walls are considered supports and their actual width
will be used as the support dimension. This is true even in the case of girders, where for concrete analysis the
member is considered a knife-edge support.
The flexural capacity of the beam is considered to be acceptable when adequate reinforcement is provided in the
beam to satisfy Equation 5-4 along the full span length of the beam.
ϕbMn ≥ Mn Equation 5-4
The concrete beam section compression force and reinforcement tension force is calculated assuming a C.S.
Whitney Equivalent Rectangular Stress Distribution as outlined in ACI 10.2.7.
5.2.2 Reinforcement Area Limits

The area of flexure reinforcement As is subject to the following limits:
The lesser of:
′
3 f c From ACI 10-3
As,min = fy
bd and
As,min =
200
bd From ACI-10.5.1
fy
or:
As, min= 4/3 As Required from analysis. From ACI-10.5.3
As, max = 0.75ρbbd From ACI-99-10.3.3
Note that for negative moment, use bw instead of b
where

ρb = f ′c 87, 000
0.85β1 f y 87, 000 + f y
From ACI-10.3.2
β1 = f ′ c − 4, 000
0.85 − 0.05 1, 000
From ACI-10.2.7.3
Limited by:
0.65 ≤ β1 ≤ 0.85
Note: ACI 10.5.2 is not implemented because all designed beams are considered continuous. If the beams have
end releases the user may need to perform some additional checks.
5.2.3 Reinforcement Spacing Limits

The reinforcement clear spacing is limited to:
Smin= 1in From ACI-7.6.1
Smin = db
smax =
540
− 2.5cc Equation ACI 10-5
0.6 f y
Smax = 12(36/0.6fy) From ACI-10.6.4

where
fy = yeild strength, in ksi
cc = db
h −d− 2
- 1 bar layer
db
h −d− 2
− 0.5in. - 2 bar layers
5.2.4 Calculation of Actual Bar Spacing

Bar spacing at every station along the beam span is checked to make sure it is within the code limits.
For bottom bars the spacing is taken as:
bw − 2cc − 2db(Transvers) − db(Longitudinal)
S= Total Number of Bars - 1
For top bars the spacing is taken as:
b f − 2cc − 2db(Transvers) − db(Longitudinal)
S= Total Number of Bars - 1
where
bf = min(beff, 0.1× Span Length)ACI-10.6.6
Note: The user is responsible for providing reinforcement in the remainder of the slab when beam spacing is
larger than 0.1 x Span Length.

The clear side cover cc and transverse reinforcement diameter db are considered in the above equations only if
the section is rectangular (not for “T” or “L” sections). Additionally, if one shear bar leg is assigned, the value
db(transverse) in the above equations is taken as zero.
RAM Concrete Beam considers only the “Concrete not exposed to weather or in contact with ground” condition
specified in ACI 7.7.1. Thus,
For beams, cc = 1.50in
For joists, cc = 0.75 in (#11 and smaller)
cc = 1.50 in (#14 and #18)
Note: In situations where the top reinforcement starts and ends in two spans with different effective flange
widths, the spacing is always based on the smaller of the two flange widths.
5.2.5 Development of Reinforcement Bars

RAM Concrete Beam accounts for the loss of bar strength between the point of full bar development and the bar
end. The program assumes the tensile capacity of a bar varies linearly between the point of development, at
which the full yield strength of bar is achieved, and the bar end, at which zero capacity exists.
The reinforcement development length calculation follows ACI 12.2:
db f y αβλ ACI-12.2.2
For db ≤ 0.75: ld =
25 f ′ c
db f y αβλ ACI-12.2.2
For db > 0.75: ld =
20 f ′ c
where
α, β and λ = 1.0
For lightweight concrete λ = 1.3
ACI-12.2.4
Thus, for a bar assigned a Straight end condition, the capacity is zero at the true bar endpoint (the coordinate
shown in the View/Update dialogue) and varies linearly to the point of full development. Hooked bars are
assumed to achieve the full yield strength of the bar up to bar end.
5.2.6 Bar Splices

The true end point of a bar group that is assigned a splice end condition is determined using the end location
that appears in the View/Update-Longitudinal Reinforcement page and the development length calculated
according to Section 5.2.5 (on page 54). The true bar end is assumed to extend a distance ld/2 beyond the
coordinate shown in the View/Update box, so that the bar is fully developed at a distance ld/2 to the opposite
side of the input coordinate.
Bars groups that are assigned as spliced are considered to have additive capacity with any adjacent bar group
that is lapped with the former group. For example, if the right end of bar group 1 ends at the same point as the

left end of bar group 2, the linearly varying strengths of each individual bar group are added together to arrive at
the total capacity along the splice, as shown in Figure below.
Figure 5: Flexural capacity of beam along a bar splice
5.2.7 Flexural Deep Beam Check

Per ACI 10.7.1, a beam is considered to be a deep beam for flexural design if the overall section depth to clear
span ratio is greater than 0.4. In this case, a design warning will be provided. The check is performed assuming
that the beam is part of a continuous beam line. The program does not currently implement the remaining
sections of ACI 10.7. It is the engineer's responsibility to provide adequate reinforcement to satisfy ACI 10.7.2
through 10.7.4.
5.2.8 True Bar Depth Check

After the beam line has been designed for both flexure and shear (and thus all reinforcing located), the true
flexural bar depth is checked against the bar depth resulting from the user-defined value of cover to center of
bars specified in the Design Criteria dialogue (see Figure below). This is done to confirm that the user-defined
value of bar depth is sufficiently conservative. If the bar depth resulting from the user input is larger than the
true bar depth a design warning is generated.
The true reinforcement depth is calculated as follows:
For one layer of bars:

Beam Shear Design
db(Longitudinal) Equation 5-7

dTrue = cc + db(Transvers) + 2
For second layers of bars (farther away from the tension surface):
Smin,Vertical Equation 5-8
dTrue = cc + db(Transvers) + db(Longitudinal) + 2
where smin,Vertical is per Section 5.2.3
Figure 6: True bar depth check
5.2.9 Unimplemented Code Sections

• Skin reinforcement per ACI Section 10.6.7 is not provided in the final design. It is the engineer's
responsibility to check for skin reinforcement and specify it as required.
• Compression reinforcement in beams is not considered in the design. Reference ACI Section 10.3.4.
• It is the engineer's responsibility to check ACI Section 10.4 for the spacing of the lateral supports of beams.
5.3 Beam Shear Design

Beam shear is evaluated at all stations along a beam line that are at least a distance d from the face of a
supporting member. The shear capacity is evaluated considering the contribution of both the concrete and the
transverse reinforcing bars. That is,
Vn = Vc + Vs Equation ACI 11-2

Beam Shear Design
5.3.1 Concrete Shear Capacity

Beam shear or one-way shear capacity is taken at a distance of d from the support face of the beam. The value d
per ACI 11.1.3.1 is taken as the reinforcement depth for the bottom flexure bars using the user defined cover to
center of bars based on the number of bar layers at a given location.
The shear capacity of the concrete in the beam is calculated using one of the following two equations depending
on the presence of axial compression load in the beam:
V c = 2 f ′c bw d Equation ACI 11-3
(
Vc = 2 1 +
Nu
2, 000Ag ) f ′c bw d
Equation ACI 11-4
where
Nu = the maximum factored axial compressive load in pounds at the location of
Vu (not accounting for effects due to creep and shrinkage)
d = the reinforcement depth for the bottom flexural bars using the user
defined cover to center of bars based on the number of bar layers at a
given location
Vc = 0 if axial tension exists in the member
Note: None of the other checks for ACI 8.11 are considered. It is the engineer's responsibility to make sure that a
gravity beam that has been assigned as a joist satisfies all applicable sections of ACI 8.11.
If lightweight concrete is specified and fct is defined, thenfct/6.7 will be used instead of f ′ c as long as
/
f ct 6.7 ≤ f ′
c , per ACI 11.2.1.1. When fct is not specified then 0.75 f ′
c is used instead of f ′ c , per ACI
11.2.1.2.
5.3.2 Shear Reinforcement Capacity

The contribution of transverse steel to shear strength is based on the number of shear legs the user has assigned
to the beam in the Detailing Defaults or Reinforcement Layout menus.
For beams, shear reinforcement is provided at all locations where:
ϕ Vc
s ACI 11.5.5.1
Vu > 2
For joists, shear reinforcement is provided at all locations where:

Vu > φsVc ACI 11.5.5.1(b)
Shear reinforcement capacity is calculated as:
Av f y d Equation ACI 11-15
Vs = s
Which is limited by:
V s,max = 8 f ′ ACI 11.5.6.9

c bd

Beam Torsion Capacity Check
5.3.3 Shear Reinforcement Area Limits

The minimum shear reinforcement area is:
bw s Equation ACI 11-13
Av ≥ 50 fy
5.3.4 Shear Reinforcement Spacing Limits

Shear reinforcement spacing limits:
s ≤ d/2 ACI 11.5.4.1
s ≤ 24 in
′
If V s ≥ 4 f c bd then s is reduced by one-half per ACI 11.5.4.3.
5.3.5 Calculation of Actual Bar Spacing

Bar spacing is checked at every station along the beam span to verify that it is within the code limits.
For the first bar set along the span, the spacing is taken as:
s=
Bar Set Length Equation 5-9
Total Number of Bars - 1
For the remaining bar sets along the span, the spacing is taken as:
s=
Bar Set Length Equation 5-10
Total Number of Bars
5.3.6 Shear Deep Beam Check

Per ACI 11.8, if a member is found to have a clear span to effective depth ratio less than 5, then it will be
considered a deep beam for shear capacity design and a design warning will be provided. The program does not
currently implement the remaining sections of 11.8. It is the engineer's responsibility to provide adequate
reinforcement to satisfy 11.8.2 through 11.8.11.

Beam Torsion Capacity Check
5.4 Beam Torsion Capacity Check

The torsion check is provided to identify beams that may require torsion reinforcement. The torsion is only
checked along the beam span between the supports. It is not checked at cantilever ends of beams.
5.4.1 Beam Section Torsion Capacity

Torsional reinforcement is not required when:
TU < ϕ f ′
( )
c p
2
Acp
cp
= ϕT T c
ACI 11.6.1
where
Acp = hb
pcp = 2(h+bw)
Note: The beam section is considered to be rectangular for the calculation of the torsional moment of inertia
(torsional constant) J, Acp, and pcp regardless of the flange width and thickness. This reduces J which reduces
the likelihood of the beam requiring torsion reinforcement.
When Tu is found to be larger than the above limit at any location along the span at least a distance d from each
support (per ACI 11.6.2.4), a warning will be generated.
5.4.2 Torsion Capacity Warnings

ACI 11.6.2.1 states that when ΦTTc<Tu torsional reinforcement will be required in accordance with ACI 11.6.3
through 11.6.6.
ACI 11.6.2.2 permits the engineer to design a section for a limiting capacity of ΦT4Tc as long as the remaining
torque is redistributed though the structure. The torsion check will identify one of the three following situations
through a design warning when torsion reinforcement is required:
1. Torsion reinforcement required and closed stirrups are assigned to section. The user is responsible for
providing the reinforcement. The Beam Design Report provides the maximum factored torsion at all output
stations along the beam and also reports ΦTTc.
2. Torsion reinforcement required and open stirrups assigned to section. In addition to providing the
reinforcement similar to the first warning, the engineer is also reminded that open stirrups, which cannot be
used for torsion reinforcement, have been assigned to the beam.
3. The beam cross-sectional dimensions do not satisfy ACI 11.6.3.1. When torsion reinforcement is required the
cross-sectional dimensions must satisfy the following:
( ) (
Vu
bw d
2
+
T u ph
2
1.7Aoh ) 2
≤ ϕT (
Vc
bw d
+8 f ′
c )
ACI 11.6.3.1 Equation ACI 11-18
where
ph,Aoh = are calculated in the same way as using the transverse reinforcement
bar center line to calculate the section width and depth

Reinforcement Optimization and Detailing
vc,Tu = are taken as the maximum values between the critical area defined by
ACI 11.6.2.4 and values may not be located at the same location
5.5 Reinforcement Optimization and Detailing

This section explains the methods by which RAM Concrete Beam selects the most appropriate reinforcing bar
layout for a given beam line. This is referred to as "optimizing" a beam line. The optimization process entails
selecting reinforcement such that strength requirements, design code checks, and user-specified detailing
requirements are met to the best ability of the program, given all specified constraints.
Note: It is possible that for a given beam line and set of design parameters, a design in which all applicable
design checks are met is not possible. In this case, the user is encouraged to use the Warnings page in the View/
Update dialogue to pinpoint what specific code provisions are not being met. The user may then review the
design parameters and user preferences in conjunction with the design warnings. It is possible that a change to
one or more of the input parameters will result in a design which passes all checks. Alternatively, adjustments to
the beam size, material properties, or reinforcement may be required to achieve a successful design.
5.5.1 Optimization Objectives

The optimization of shear and flexural reinforcement in RAM Concrete Beam is driven by the following list of
objectives, which are listed in order of decreasing importance:
• Provide a completed design with reinforcement provided at all required locations
• Check that the design meets all the design code checks that are implemented and provide warnings when
necessary.
• Detail the reinforcement to meet the user defined Design Criteria and Detailing Criteria.
Note: The final design may not meet the user defined criteria when doing so would give a design that does
not satisfy the first two items.
Once the design process has identified bar sets that meet all of the design checks for the beam line the most
desirable set is selected and detailed per the user defined criteria.
5.5.2 Internal Code Checks

There are two groups of ACI 318 code checks that are performed internally within RAM Concrete Beam (that is,
not requiring any user input to perform the check). A discussion and itemization of each follows:
Detailing Provisions
The following sections from ACI 318-99, Section 12.10, Development and Splices of Reinforcement, are
implemented within the program:

• ACI 318-99 Sec. 12.10.3 - Flexural reinforcement must extend beyond the point at which it is no longer
required to resist flexure for a distance larger than the effective depth of the member and 12 db.
• ACI 318-99 Sec. 12.11.1 - A minimum of ¼ of the number of bottom bars at mid span of the beam are made
continuous through the beam. Please note that depending on the beam type and loading provisions in Section
7.13 and Chapter 21 (Special Provisions) the beam may require a larger number of continuous bars. The
optimization and reinforcement check will use the controlling amount of continuous bottom bars.
Requirements for Structural Integrity

The following sections from ACI 318-99, Section 7.13, Details of Reinforcement, are implemented within the
program:
• 7.13.2.1 - Members assigned and designed as joists will have at least one continuous bottom bar, which can
be spliced at the support. The bar must end with a tension hook if it is at the end of the beam line.
• 7.13.2.2 - Perimeter beams must have at least 1/6 of the tension reinforcement required for negative
reinforcement at the support continuous along the member and tied with closed stirrups along the full
length. 135 degree stirrups can be used at support segments only. The optimization of the reinforcement
places the splice in the mid span region but will not check for the location of the splice if the user moves it.
• 7.13.2.2 - Perimeter beams must have at least 1/4 of the tension reinforcement required for positive
reinforcement along the mid span of the member made continuous along the member and tied with closed or
135 degree stirrups. The optimization of the reinforcement places the splice at the column support but will
not check for the location of the splice if the user moves it.
• 7.13.2.3 - Non-Perimeter beams when close stirrups are not provided must have at least ¼ of the positive
reinforcement required at mid-span made continuous along the member and spliced over the support with a
Class A splice and terminated with a hook at the ends of the beam line. The optimization of the reinforcement
places the splice at the column support but will not check for the location of the splice if the user moves it.
Note: Beams that are used to frame openings are not considered perimeter beams.
5.5.3 Bar Selection Criteria

This section discusses the significance of the Bar Selection Method and Bar Selection Bias parameters and the
effect each has on the optimization process.
Bar Selection Method

Minimum Reinforcement Area - For this option, the bar set areas and associated lengths are used to calculate the
total reinforcement volume, which is used to find the optimum reinforcement for the full beam line. The bias
(see below) that is selected by the user in the Design Criteria dialog box is used to increase the reinforcement
volume of bars that are not part of the bias bar size group. This weighted biasing of bars that are not part of the
bias group ensures that bar sets are only picked from outside the group when they provide a significantly more
economical design.
Minimum Reinforcement Spacing - For this option, the reinforcement spacing is checked to ensure that the
minimum code required spacing is achieved. Given the bar sets with the minimum spacing the program will try
to pick the smallest bars possible after the bias has been applied to the spacing for all bars that are not part of
the bias bar size group. This will provide a design that tries to reduce the reinforcement area once the minimum
spacing has been achieved.

Maximum Reinforcement Spacing - This option works in a similar manner to the Minimum Reinforcement
spacing by trying to provide the largest bar spacing and smallest reinforcement area possible.
Bar Selection Bias

Bias Bar Size: This option identifies which bar sizes are preferred by the engineer. The bars in the Bar Table are
divided into three groups. Assuming #3 through #18 bars are in the table then:
Small size = #3, #4, #5and #6

Medium size = #7, #8, #9 and #10
Large size = #11, #14 and #18
The amount of bias increases or decreases the critical parameter used in the Bar Selection Method when a bar is
not a part of the preferred bar size. The increase in the value is based on how far the bar size is from the
preferred bar size. Assuming Medium bar size is selected then a #5 bar set will have double the percent
increased compared with a #6 bar because a #5 bar is two bar sizes away from the #7 (medium) bar size. The
amount of bias is most effective when minimum reinforcement area is selected.
Bar Selection Example

Consider an example where 1.1in2 of flexural reinforcement is required. The following outcomes can be
expected based on user selections:
• Minimum Bar Area, Medium Bar Size and Medium Bias:2-#7 (1.2in2) is selected over 10-#3 (1.1in2) because
it is not part of the medium bar size, so its area is increased before comparing it to the 2-#7.
• Minimum Bar Area, Small Bar Size and Medium Bias: 10-#3 (1.1in2) is selected over 2-#7 because it is part of
the small bar size and has the smallest bar area of any bar set combination.
• Maximum Bar Spacing, Small Bar Size and Large Bias: 2#7 (1.32in2) will be selected over 3-#6 because even
though it is not part of the small bar size its spacing and reinforcement area are considered preferable to 3-
#6 because the spacing is larger.
Note: The option to Keep all bars in layer the same size and Adjacent bars may differ in size by in the
Design Criteria – Bar Selection tab are enforced only when possible. In some situations adjacent bar sets cannot
satisfy the above two options because of code prescribed capacity, spacing, and other such criteria. It is therefore
possible that even though the user has prescribed a change of only one bar size between adjacent bars the final
design will produce adjacent bar sets with a larger difference in bar size to meet other code prescribed limits.
5.5.4 Detailing Defaults

By default, all bars are lap spliced with the adjacent bars on either side.
Flexural Bar Set Cutoff Locations - The bar set cutoff locations for the top and bottom reinforcement is only
followed when the required moment capacity at the cutoff location is zero or when adequate capacity is
produced by continuous bars. When the required moment capacity becomes zero beyond the user-defined
location the cutoffs will be extended, when practical, otherwise it will be left as a lap spliced with the adjacent
bars. When the bars need to be cut beyond the user defined location the bar will start a distance of /2 beyond
the location of zero moment. This is to insure that the bars have adequate capacity along the full length of the
beam.

Example
Consider the 22.5ft clear beam span in Figure below and 18 in supports at the end of a beam line.
Using a 0.25 x L cutoff for the end bar would require a bar length of 0.25x22.5+18/(2x12) = 6.38ft. At
a distance of 6.38ft there is still negative moment that needs to be designed for. So the bars are
extended /2 beyond the point where no more negative flexural capacity is required, which in this
case is located at 7.58ft from the support center. Taking the development length for #8 bars to be 4 ft
the final bar length is 7.58 + 4/2 = 9.58ft.
Figure 7:
The remainder of the parameters that are entered in the dialog box are followed as entered or as
overwritten using the Assign Reinforcement Layout dialog box.
Note: It is possible to manually produce a design that is more efficient than the one produced by the program's
optimized design. However, the Detailing Defaults and Bar Placement Criteria are not considered when checking
a user defined reinforcement layout. The advantage of not considering the Detailing Defaults and Bar Placement
Criteria when checking a frozen reinforcement layout is that beams can be designed using different criteria. For
example the user can perform an optimized design on one set of beams and freeze the design, then change the
criteria and design the remaining beams.
5.5.5 Transverse Reinforcement

For the optimization of shear reinforcement, the beam span between columns is divided into between 3 and 5
segments depending on the length of the beam and the required shear capacity along the span. Any cantilevers
at the end of a beam are divided into a maximum of 3 segments. If two adjacent segments are found to be too
small to practically change the shear reinforcement, or because they have the same reinforcement spacing and
size, then the segments are merged.
The start location of the first shear segment and the end location of the last shear segment in a span are located a
user-specified distance from the face of the respective supporting member. This user-specified value is the End
Stirrup Start Loc or Interior Stirrup Start Loc found in the Criteria > Detailing Defaults menu (see Detailing
Defaults (on page 21)).

Seismic Provisions
When an optimized design results in a span with three or more shear segments, the length of the two outer shear
segments will generally be a multiple of the segment length increment specified in the Criteria > Beam Design
(see Beam Design (on page 19)). If five shear segments result from the optimization, the length of each of the
outer four segments will generally be a multiple of the segment length increment. That is, the optimization does
its best to make the true bar spacing in the outer segments conform exactly to the spacing callout. The balance
stirrups are placed in the interior segment, with a true spacing equal to or less than the spacing callout.
If two adjacent segments share a start/end point, the more heavily reinforced segment will control, and a stirrup
of that type will be placed at the common point. Thus, for a shear segment which is heavier than both of the
adjacent segments on either side, the number of bars used in the zone is calculated as:
L sgmt
NB = s
+1
where
NB = Number of stirrups used in the shear segment considered
Lsgmt = Length of the shear segment
s = Spacing shown in View/Update Transverse Reinforcing page for the
shear segment
Likewise, for a shear segment in which one adjacent shear segment is heavier and the other is lighter, the
number of bars is calculated as:
L sgmt
NB = s
If adjacent shear zones have identical steel area per length, the left-side segment is assumed to control.
The Bar Size Bias and Amount of Bias parameters for transverse reinforcement work in the same manner as for
flexural bars. However, due to the optimization method of trying to minimize reinforcement area in conjunction
with bar spacing when applicable, it is possible to end up with larger bar spacing. This occurs when providing a
smaller bar spacing would unduly increase reinforcement area.
5.6 Seismic Provisions

Both Intermediate and Special moment frame design as specified in ACI 318, Chapter 21 are implemented within
RAM Concrete Beam. This section discusses the changes to the design process in RAM Concrete Beam when the
Intermediate or Special Frame option is selected from the Frame Type Criteria dialog.
The concrete beam and column optimization and design check attempt to satisfy all the related code sections
that have been implemented as outlined in this section. Due to the intricacies of the special provision section, in
some cases the optimization may not come up with an acceptable design and will identify one or more design
warnings. In such cases there are a number of ways to eliminate the design warnings. These include, changing
design criteria, changing member sections or manually redefining the reinforcement.
The engineer will find a number of sections in ACI Chapter 21 that have not been implemented. In most cases
this is because the sections relate to detailing and are outside the scope of the program. There are also sections
that may be picked up by the engineer in construction notes on the structural documents.

Seismic Provisions
5.6.1 Frame Type Selection

There are three different frame types that can be used for the design of concrete beams and columns: Ordinary
Moment Frames (OMF), Intermediate Moment Frames (IMF), and Special Moment Frames (SMF). The Frame
Type is selected from the Frame Type option under the Criteria menu and is applied to all the lateral members in
the structure. The gravity members are always designed as OMF. Similar to the Load Combo Generator the
selection of the frame type in either the beam or column mode will change the option for both modes.
When IMF or SMF options are selected the user has three options for the gravity dead and live load factors used
to calculate the minimum shear capacity of the beams. This is due to a discrepancy between the ACI-318 99 and
some building codes like the UBC 97. Per the ACI commentary in R21.10, the ACI factors for IMF and SMF are
taken from Equation 9-2 with the lateral loads ignored.
5.6.2 Intermediate Moment Frame

In the following section all code references are for ACI 318-99 unless otherwise noted. The subscripts “l” and “r”
are used to denote the left/start and right/end of the beam span respectively. Similarly, “t” and “b” denote top
and bottom of column. Variables that are not explicitly defined below are defined in Chapter 3 of the Beam and
Column manuals.
Lateral System Beams

• 21.10.3 (b) Shear Capacity - The beams are designed to meet the larger of the analysis shear load Vu and the
limiting shear induced at the end of the beam based on the members nominal moment capacity Mn as
outlined in R21.10.3
Vuel = (M-nl + M+nr)/ln + Vu_max_l and
Vuel = (M+nl + M-nr)/ln + Vu_max_l
Vuer = (M-nl + M+nr)/ln + Vu_max_r and
Vuer = (M+nl + M-nr)/ln + Vu_max_r
where
ln = Clear span length
Vu_max = End shear from factored gravity loads on beam using the load combo
factors selected in the Frame Type dialog box
M'n = Unfactored section negative moment capacity (Φ = 1)
The assumption is made that there is uniformly varying shear in between the ends of the beam. An additional
shear diagram is created using the largest Vuel for the left shear and Vuer for right shear which are superimposed
onto the shear envelop that was generated from the regular load combinations using the analysis shears. See
Figure below - Shear Diagrams.

Seismic Provisions
Figure 8: Shear Diagrams
• 21.10.4.2 Stirrup layout - Stirrups must be provided starting 2 inches from the face of the support to a
distance of 2h.
Stirrup Spacing limits:
a. d/4
b. 8db for the smallest longitudinal bars
c. 24db of stirrups
d. 12 in
• 21.10.4.3 - The remainder of the span must have stirrup spacing of no more than d/2.
• 21.10.4.1 - Positive moment capacity at support face must be larger than 1/3 of the negative moment
capacity at that same face.
• 21.10.4.1 - The negative and positive moment strengths at any point along the clear beam span must be at
least 1/5 of the maximum moment strength (the greater of either the negative or the positive moment
strength) provided at either face.
Note: In some extreme cases the optimization will not be able to reinforce the beam to meet the provisions of
21.10.4.1. In this case the View/Update dialog should be used to manually increase the reinforcement to satisfy
the minimum capacity requirements.
Beam Design Report

For lateral beams some additional report information is provided to help check the design of IMF members. At
the start and end of the span Mn, Vugravity due to the gravity loading on the single span and final design Vu are
reported. If the user is interested in the required shear capacity due to the analysis only without consideration of
Vue, the Frame type should be changed to OMF and the design rerun.
Lateral System Column

• 21.10.2 Design as column or beam - If the largest axial column load from all the design data points on a
column with a tie bar pattern group is less than , then a design warning will be generated indicating the
column should be designed as a beam.
Note 1: The option to check the maximum axial load for column design can be turned off by selecting the
proper option under the Design Check tab in the Design Criteria dialog.
Note 2: Columns with spiral reinforcement satisfying ACI 318-99 Eq. 10-6 do not need to satisfy any of the
provisions of section 21.10.5. If a spiral reinforced column does not meet Eq. 10-6 a design warning
regarding reinforcement ratio is generated.

Seismic Provisions
• 21.10.3 (b) - The column Shear Capacity is required to meet the larger of the analysis shear load Vu and the
limiting shear induced at the end of the column based on the members nominal moment capacity Mn as
outlined in R21.10.3
Vuet = (Mnt + Mnb)/ln, Vueb = (Mnt + Mnb)/ln - Major Direction
Vuet = (Mnt + Mnb)/ln, Vueb = (Mnt + Mnb)/ln - Minor Direction
It is assumed that there is uniformly varying shear in between the top and bottom of the column. An
additional shear diagram is created using the largest Vuet for the top shear and Vueb for bottom shear
superimposed onto the shear envelop that was generated from the regular load combinations using the
analysis shears. This is similar in concept to Figure below - Shear Diagrams. Mn is calculated using a
reduction factor of 1.0 and the value is based on the design data point that has the correspondingly largest Mn
capacity for the major and minor axis.
• 21.10.5.1 – For tie bar pattern groups, ties must be provided at both ends of the member, maximum tie
spacing shall not exceed so over a length of l0 measured from the bottom face of the deepest beam where so
is the smaller of:
Tie Spacing limits:
e. 8db for the smallest longitudinal bars

f. 24db of ties
g. ½ of the smallest cross-sectional dimension of the member
h. 12 in
Where l0 is at least the larger of:
a. 1/6 of the clear span,

b. Maximum cross-sectional dimension of the member
c. 18 inches.
• 21.10.5.4 - Outside of the lo region tie spacing cannot be larger than 2so.
Column Design Report

For lateral columns some additional report information is provided to help check the design of IMF members.
Mn, and Vu are reported. If the user is interested in the required shear capacity due to the analysis only, without
consideration of Vue, change the Frame type to OMF and rerun the design.
5.6.3 Special Moment Frame

Lateral System Beams
Geometric Properties Check
• 21.3.1.2 - Beam clear span must be no less than 4 times effective depth.
• 21.3.1.3 - Beam width to depth ratio must not be less than 0.30.
• 21.3.1.4 - Beam width must be no less than a) 10 inches and b) More than the width of the narrowest
supporting member plus 1½ times the depth of the beam.

Seismic Provisions
Flexural Reinforcement Design

• 21.3.2.1 - A minimum of 2 bars continuous top and bottom are required in all spans. Maximum and Minimum
reinforcement ratios are set to:
r > 200 bw d / fy same as ACI eq 10-3 r ≤ 0.025
Note: It is the user's responsibility to set the option for 2 top bars continuous in the detailing defaults dialog.
• 21.3.2.2 - Positive moment strength at a face is checked to be greater than or equal to 1/2 of the negative
moment strength at that same face.
• 21.3.2.2 - The negative and positive moment strengths at any point along the beam must be at least 1/4 of the
maximum moment strength (the greater of either the negative or the positive moment strength) provided at
either face.
• 21.5.4.2 - Development Lengths for normal weight concrete shall not be less than:
a. 8db
b. 6 in.
c. f y db
65 f ′c
For lightweight concrete:

a. 10db
b. 7.5 in.
c. f y db
1.25
65 f ′c
• 21.3.2.3 -At splice locations transverse reinforcement must be provided with spacing equal to the smaller of
d/4 or 4 in. Even though the optimization process tries to locate the splice near the center of the span the
design/analyze process does not check the remainder of the provisions of section 21.3.2.3.
Note: It is advisable to set the Bar Spacing increment value under the Bar Selection tab of the Beam criteria
dialog to a value of 1 in or 2 in so the reinforcement in the splice area is as large as possible. If the value is set to
3 in increment the user will end up with bar spacing in splice areas that is smaller than required by code.
For Bottom bars the development length is multiplied by 2.5 and for top reinforcement it is multiplied by 3.5.
Note 1 - 21.5.4.3 is not implemented. Note 2 - It is the engineer's responsibility to set the Lap Splice type to Class
B in the Detailing Defaults for Lateral beams.
Shear Design
• 21.3.4 - The beam shear capacity is designed to meet the larger of the analysis factored shear load Vu as well
as the limiting shear induced at the end of the beam based on the members probable moment capacity Mpr as
outlined in ACI R21.3.4.1
Vel = (M-prl + M-prr)/ln + Vu_max_l and
Ver = (M+prl + M-prr)/ln + Vu_max_l
Ver = (M+prl + M-prr)/ln + Vu_max_r and
Ver = (M+prl + M-prr)/ln + Vu_max_r
where

ACI-318 2002
V = Unfactored gravity shear at the ends of the member

Mpr = As (1.25 f y ) d − ( a
2
)
a = As ( 1.25 f y )
0.85 f ′ c b
The program assumes that there is uniformly varying shear in between Vel and Ver. An additional shear
diagram is created using the largest Vel for the left shear and Ver for right shear which are superimposed
onto the shear envelop that was generated from the regular load combinations using the analysis shears. See
Figure 5-6 - Shear Diagrams. Note: Φ = 1 for the calculation of Mn.
• 21.3.4.2 - When the new required shear capacity Vu > Ve / 2 and Axial load < Ag F'c / 20 then the full shear
in the section must be resisted by the shear reinforcement Vs.
Note: This design constraint may produce two similar shear bar sets in the same beam spans with different
shear capacities even though the transverse reinforcement bar size and spacing are identical. This is due to
the fact that the capacity for one segment may include the concrete shear capacity because Vu is small
enough and for the other segment it will not include the concrete shear capacity because Vu is too large.
• 21.3.3.1 a) and 21.3.3.2 - Hoops must be provided starting 2 inches from the face of the support to a distance
of 2h.
Stirrup Spacing limits:
a. d/4
b. 8db for the smallest longitudinal bars
c. 24db of stirrups
d. 12 in.
• 21.3.3.4 - The remainder of the span must have hoops spacing of no more than d/2.
Beam Design Report

The reported information for SMF is similar to that reported for IMF. The only difference is that Ve instead of Vu
is reported.
5.7 ACI-318 2002

This section describes the additional checks performed by RAM Concrete Beam when the ACI-318-02 code is
selected. The ACI 318-02 code implementation builds off of ACI 318-99 and different or additional checks are
performed only where outlined in this section.
5.7.1 Beam Reinforcement Detailing

• Section 7.13.2.2 - At least 2 bars top and bottom must be made continuous for perimeter beams.
• Section 7.13.2.4 - For non-perimeter beams when closed stirrups or hoops are not used, at least 2 bottom
bars must be made continuous.

ACI-318 2005
5.7.2 Deep Beams

Section 10.7 and 11.8 - Deep beam definition has been made consistent for flexure and shear. Members are
considered deep beams if:
• Clear span < 4 x member depth.
It is the user's responsibility to design the member as a deep beam when the member is loaded with a
concentrated load in the region within twice the member depth from face of support. The program will not
generate a design warning for this situation.
5.7.3 Special Provisions

• Sections R21.3.4.2 and R21.12.3 - Gravity load factors for the loads on beams have now been explicitly
defined. The new factors are used when the ACI 318-02 code is selected in RAM Concrete Analysis mode and
the ACI option is selected for IMF or SMF in the Frame Criteria dialog box.
• Section 21.12.4.2- When shear reinforcement is required hoops must be used instead of regular stirrups.
5.7.4 Impact on RAM Concrete Beam Design

Below is a list of changes that might be noticed by the user in the design due to the differences between ACI
318-99 and ACI 318-02
• More beams may get Deep Beam design warnings because the definition of the deep beam has been slightly
changed.
• Some bar cutoff locations may be different in the ACI 318-02 design due to the live load factors in the load
combinations.
• All lateral beams that are IMF or SMF will need to have hoop reinforcement. In the ACI 318-99 only SMF
members need hoop reinforcement.
• Due to the changes to the load combinations it is possible that some transverse reinforcement sections will
require reinforcement for the ACI 318-02 design because the provided shear capacity of concrete is less than
two times the required capacity.
• Due to the new provisions in 7.13.2.2 a/b for a minimum of 2 bars continuous top and bottom for perimeters
beams there may be some additional design warning. It is a good idea to change the Detailing Defaults
criteria to reduce the design warnings.
5.8 ACI-318 2005

The ACI 318-05 design code implementation in RAM Concrete Beam utilizes the majority of the design logic
contained in the ACI 318-02 code, as is the case with the design code itself. This section documents changes
made to the implementation from ACI-318-02 to ACI 318-05; specifically, additional checks required by the
newer design code, modifications to existing sections, and design checks that are no longer necessary in the
newer code.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, the code sections listed in the chapter sections below refer to ACI 318-05 sections.

ACI-318 2005
5.8.1 Strength Reduction Factor for Axial-Flexure

The ACI 318-02 implementation in RAM Concrete utilizes Appendices B and C. The ACI 318-05 implementation
utilizes the body of the code and does not refer to Appendices B and C.
ACI 318-02 and ACI 318-05 allow the calculation of the strength reduction factor for the design of members
subjected to axial-flexural loads according to Appendix C. When this approach is taken, all provisions of
Appendices B and C must be used in lieu of the body of the code. This results in the following modifications to
the body of the code that are pertinent to RAM Concrete:
• C.3.2.2 replaces 9.3.2.2. Using this approach, the strength reduction factor for members resisting axial/
flexural load is a function of the ultimate axial load acting on the cross section.
• The load combinations of C.2 replace the load combinations of 9.2.
• Section B10.3.3 replaces Sections 10.3.3, 10.3.4, and 10.3.5, with the exception of 10.3.5.1.
This is the approach that was taken in the RAM Concrete implementation of ACI 318-02.
The ACI 318-05 implementation in RAM Concrete utilizes Section 9.3, the main body of the code, in calculating
strength reduction factors. In ACI 318-05, Section 9.3.2.2, the calculation of the strength reduction factor used
for the design of members subjected to a combination of compression-flexure or tension-flexure is dependent on
where the section lies relative to a tension-controlled or compression-controlled state. ACI 318-05 defines a
compression-controlled section in 10.3.3, and a tension-controlled section in 10.3.4.
Figure below shows the strain condition for a rectangular cross section where the extreme compression fiber
has reached the ultimate concrete strain, ε cu.
Figure 9: Cross section illustrating tensile strain in extreme tension fiber, εt, at ultimate concrete strain.
Referring to Figure above, a section is compression-controlled if:

+
ϵt ≤ ϵc,limit
where

ACI-318 2005
ε+c,limit = the compression-controlled strain limit, which may be taken as 0.002

for grade 60 steel. RAM Concrete uses ε+c,limit = 0.002 for all
situations.
Referring to Figure above, a section is tension-controlled if:
εt≥ 0.005
The following condition represents a transition region between a compression-controlled section and a tension-
controlled section.
ε+c,limit ≤ εt ≤ 0.005
Note: RAM Concrete Beam does not consider member axial force during the design and thus all tabulations of c
and εt are performed without the consideration of axial force.
Following from these definitions, Section 9.3.2 defines the strength reduction factors for use in member design
as follows:
Section 9.3.2.1 – Tension-controlled sections: Φ = 0.90
Section 9.3.2.2 – Compression-controlled sections:
Members with spiral reinforcement conforming to 10.9.3: Φ = 0.70

Other reinforced members: Φ = 0.65
For sections in the transition region, the following equation is used to calculate the strength reduction factor:
ϕ = 0.65 + (0.90 − 0.65 )( ϵ − ϵ+

t c,limit
0.005 − ϵ +
c,limit
) ≤ 0.90
Section 9.3.2.2 – Shear and torsion: Φ = 0.75

Section 9.3.2.4 – Bearing on concrete (except for post-tensioned anchorage zones and strut-and-tie models): Φ =
0.65
5.8.2 Calculation of Ultimate Section State

This section documents the procedure used by RAM Concrete Beam to calculate the neutral axis depth, c, and
strain in the extreme tension steel at the ultimate state, εt. The neutral axis of bending is located by enforcing
equilibrium on the section when the strain in the extreme compression (top) fiber is εcu = 0.003 (see Figure
below).

ACI-318 2005
Figure 10: Strains and stresses for section at ultimate state
Equating the force in the concrete to the sum of the forces in the reinforcing steel bars,
Fc = ∑Fs
Fc = 0.85f'cβ1cbf
ΣF s = Es As ϵs = Es As ( dc −1)
0.85f'cβ1bfc2 - EsAsc - EsAsd = 0
This quadratic is then solved for c. With the values of c and ε c known, the assumption of strain compatibility
allows the steel strain to be determined using similar triangles.
ϵt = ϵcu ( dc −1 )
5.8.3 ACI 318, Chapter 10 Modifications

Two sections relevant to RAM Concrete Beam within Chapter 10 of ACI 318 were modified from the '02 to the
'05 edition. They are documented below.
Section 10.6.4
The equation for the maximum spacing limit for reinforcement closest to the face in tension is:
s = 15 ( 40, 000
fs ) − 2.5c
c
(ACI 318, Eq. 10-4)
but not greater than 12 ( )

40, 000
fs
where
fs = the stress in the reinforcement closest to the tension face at service load,
computed using unfactored moment.

ACI-318 2008
2
The code section permits f s = 3
f y , and RAM Concrete Beam uses this assumption in all cases.
Section 10.9.3
The equation for the minimum volumetric spiral reinforcement ratio is:
ρs = 0.45( Ag
Ach
−1 ) ′
f c
f yt
(ACI 318, Eq. 10-5)
The value of fyt shall not exceed 100,000 psi.
5.8.4 ACI 318, Chapter 21 Modifications

In Section 21.5.4.2, the length multiplier of case (b) used in determining the development length in tension for a
straight bar has been changed from 3.50 to 3.25.
5.9 ACI-318 2008

contained in the ACI 318-05 code, as is the case with the design code itself. This section documents changes
made to the implementation from ACI-318-05 to ACI 318-08; specifically, additional checks required by the
newer design code, modifications to existing sections, and design checks that are no longer necessary in the
newer code.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, the code sections listed in the chapter sections below refer to ACI 318-08 sections.
5.9.1 Modification Factor for Lightweight Concrete
A modification factor, λ, has been added to all strength equations within ACI 318 that contain the term f ′ c .
This parameter is discussed in detail in Section 8.6.1 of ACI 318-08. Section 8.6.1 replaces Section 11.2 in the
2005 edition of the code. As a result, all sections after 11.2 in ACI 318-08 are now decremented by 1 (e.g., 11.4 in
'05 is 11.3 in '08).
The parameter λ accounts for the lower tensile strength of lightweight concrete.
λ = 1.0 for normal weight concrete

λ = 0.85 for sand-lightweight concrete
λ = 0.75 for all-lightweight concrete
Linear interpolation is allowed between these values as discussed in Section 8.6.1.
Note: The new expression results in no difference in the calculated strength values compared to the 2005 edition
of the code.

ACI-318 2008
As a result of the addition of the λ parameter, the form of several concrete shear strength equations has changed
in ACI 318-08. Changes to the most basic equations are shown below.
V c = 2 f ′c bw d Equ (11-3) in ACI 318-05
becomes
V c = 2λ f ′c bw d Equ (11-3) in ACI 318-08
Vc = 2 1 +( 2, 000Ag
Nu
) f ′c bw d
Equ (11-4) in ACI 318-05
becomes
Vc = 2 1 +( 2, 000Ag
Nu
) λ f ′c bw d
Equ (11-4) in ACI 318-08
(
V c = 1.9 f ′
c + 2, 500ρw
V ud
Mu )bw d
Equ (11-5) in ACI 318-05
becomes
(
V c = 1.9λ f ′
c + 2, 500ρw
V ud
Mu )
bw d
Equ (11-5) in ACI 318-08
5.9.2 Reorganization of Slenderness Provisions

Provisions covering slenderness effects in compression members are provided in Section 10.10. In the '05
edition of the code these provisions were covered in Sections 10.10 through 10.13. There is minimal change to
the actual content of the provisions and the same analysis results will be obtained for both the '05 edition and
the '08 edition.
5.9.3 Modifications to Seismic Provisions

There are two substantial changes that have been made to Chapter 21 in ACI 318-08. First, the sections of
Chapter 21 have been reorganized so that the requirements for “ordinary”, “intermediate”, and “special” systems
are presented in this respective order throughout the chapter. As a result, the numerical section corresponding
to a given provision has changed for the majority of the sections. Second, the concept of a seismic design
category has been introduced to the provisions. The individual provisions of Chapter 21 that a building must
satisfy are now dependent on both the structural category (ordinary, intermediate, or special) and the seismic
design category.
The following table provides a summary of the code sections a building must satisfy based on frame type.

ACI-318 2008
Table 2: Required Chapter 21 Code Sections by Frame Type
Frame Type Applicable Code Sections
OMRF 21.2
IMRF 21.3
SMRF (cast-in-place) 1.3 through 21.1.7

21.5 through 21.7
SMRF (precast) 1.3 through 21.1.7

21.5 through 21.8
OSW None
ISW (precast) 21.4
SSW (cast-in-place) 1.3 through 21.1.7

21.9
SSW (precast) 1.3 through 21.1.7

21.10
The following table provides a summary of the code sections a building must satisfy based on seismic design
category.
Table 3: Required Chapter 21 Code Sections by Seismic Design Category
Seismic Design Category Applicable Code Sections
A None
B 21.1.2
C 21.1.2, 21.1.8
D, E, and F 21.11 through 21.13
5.9.4 Provisions for Members not Designated as Part of the Seismic-Force-

Resisting System
Section 21.13 specifies requirements for members not designated as part of the seismic-force-resisting system.
The requirements apply only to structures assigned to seismic design categories D, E, or F. This requirement is

ACI-318 2008
not new to ACI 318. The '08 code is the first instance in which this provision has been implemented in RAM
Concrete.
ACI 318-08 allows two approaches in fulfilling the requirements for members not designated as part of the
seismic-force-resisting system. Section 21.13.3 involves the calculation of member forces and a comparison to a
limit which, if exceeded, requires the fulfillment of 21.13.4.1, 21.13.4.2, and 21.13.4.3. Section 21.13.4 allows the
engineer to fulfill Sections 21.13.4.1, 21.13.4.2, and 21.13.4.3 regardless of member forces.
RAM Concrete implements Section 21.13.4. That is, member forces are not checked to determine if the special
detailing requirements are necessary for a given member. The requirements are implemented regardless. The
following table provides a summary of the checks that are required by Section 21.13.4, and the checks that are
implemented within RAM Concrete.
Table 4: Summary of Section 21.13.4 Checks
Section Referenced Implemented? Description of Check

Section(s)
21.13.4.1 21.1.4.2 ✔ Minimum f'c
21.1.4.3 ✔ Maximum f'c for lightweight concrete
21.1.5.2 X Material requs. for reinforcing
21.1.5.4 ✔ Material requs. for confinement steel
21.1.5.5 ✔ Material requs. for shear reinforcing
21.1.6.1 X Mechanical splices
21.1.7.1 X Welded splices
21.13.4.2 21.5.2.1 ✔ Reinforcing ratio limits
21.5.4.1 ✔ Design shear force
21.5.4.2 ✔ Transverse reinforcement
21.13.4.3 21.6.3.1 ✔ Area of longitudinal reinforcement
21.6.4.1 ✔ Transverse reinforcement over lo
21.6.4.2 X Transverse reinforcement details
21.6.4.3 ✔ Spacing of transverse reinforcement
21.6.4.4 ✔ Minimum area of transverse reinforcement
21.6.4.5 ✔ Maximum tie spacing over lo

ACI-318 2014
Section Referenced Implemented? Description of Check

Section(s)
21.6.4.6 X Columns supporting discontinuous members
21.6.4.7 X Additional stirrups based on cover
21.6.5.1 ✔ Design shear force Ve
21.6.5.2 ✔ Transverse reinforcement over lo
21.7.3.1 X Joint transverse reinforcement
5.10 ACI-318 2014

contained in the ACI 318-11 code, as is the case with the design code itself. The reorganization of ACI 318-14
changed all references used in ACI 318-11 and these were updated within the program.
This section documents changes made to the implementation from ACI-318-11 to ACI 318-14; specifically,
additional checks required by the newer design code, modifications to existing sections, and design checks that
are no longer necessary in the newer code.
5.10.1 Limitation of Joint Aspect Ratio

The criteria of ACI 318-14 Sec. 18.8.2.4 has been included to RAM Concrete Beam to perform the check of the
joints of special moment frames:
h beam
h col
< 2.0
5.11 Deflections
This section explains the assumptions and methodology of the Concrete Beam Deflection calculations. Every
effort has been made to include a discussion of significant decisions and assumptions made by the program.
5.11.1 Sign Convention

All upward deflections are assigned a negative sign convention and all downwards acting beam deflections have
positive sign. Only local member deflections are calculated as described in the Technical Section of the Concrete
Analysis Chapter in this addendum.

Deflections
5.11.2 Effective Moment of Inertia (Ieff)

Where specified (refer to the Criteria-Deflection) the program will calculate the effective moment of inertia for
each deflection check. As described in “Notes on ACI318-99”, Portland Cement Association, the effective moment
of inertia is calculated separately for each of the deflection checks, i.e. Ieff is uniquely calculated for each of Dead
Load, Live Load, Long-term and Net deflection. Per ACI the calculation of Ieff is calculated as follows:
Ie = ( )
M cr 3
Ma
Ig + 1 − ( )
M cr 3
Ma
I cr
(9-7)
where
Mcr = f rIg
yt
(9-8)
f = 7.5 f ′
(9-9)
c
The cracked moment of inertia (Icr) is calculated based on the procedure outlined in Notes on ACI 318-99,
Portland Cement Association. Icr is calculated considering the developed strength of both compression and
tension reinforcement. Where a bar set is not fully developed the area is reduced to account for the undeveloped
length. Note that for T-Sections where the top flange is in tension Icr is calculated assuming a rectangular section
(i.e. it is assumed the neutral axis is located below the flange depth in the beam web). Ma is the applied moment
at the cross-section under consideration. Note that when Mcr > Ma, the gross moment of inertia (Ig) will be
used.
5.11.3 Continuous Beam and Cantilevers

A beam's Ieff is calculated at mid-span and both supports (at face of supports). The overall beam effective
moment of inertia (Ieff ) is based on the average of the end and mid-span calculated values as defined below and
in “Notes on ACI318-99”, PCA.
Beam Continuous Both Ends
Ieff = 0.15 Ieff-support1 + 0.70 Ieff-mid-span + 0.15 Ieff-support2

Beam Continuous Both Ends
Ieff = 0.15 Ieff-fixed support + 0.85 Ieff-mid-span

Beam Pinned Both Ends
Ieff = 1.0 Ieff-mid-span

Cantilever Beam End
Ieff = 1.0 Ieff-support
5.11.4 Upward and Downward Deflections

When a structure is skip-loaded there is a likelihood of both upward and downward deflections existing on a
single beam. This is as described in the section on Design Deflection Curves in the Concrete Analysis Technical
Section of this addendum. The upwards and downwards deflections are considered separately when checking

Deflections
deflections. For the calculation of Ieff the program adds the moments (at mid-span and support) for all skip load
conditions which contribute to the upward and downward deflection of the beam respectively. The illustration
and table below show the values calculated for the second span (bold) from the four skip load cases (Mi1 =
moment at left support of span for load case 1, etc)
Figure 15:
Table 5:
Ma (Up Deflection) Ma (Down Deflection)
Left Support Mi1 + Mi3 Mi2 + Mi4
Mid Span Mmid1 + Mmid3 Mmid2 + Mmid4
Right Support Mj1 + Mj3 Mj2 + Mj4
The following is in reference to the above illustration. To calculate Ieff at the left support of span 2 for the
upward deflection the program adds the left support moments from load cases 1 and 3 (Ma = Mi1 + Mi3).
Depending on the sign of Ma at this support the program will calculate Mcr and Icr for the bottom of the section
in tension (Ma > 0) or top of section in tension (Ma < 0 ). That is, Ma is calculated based on the direction of the
mid-span deflection for each load case. Mcr and Icr are then respectively based on the direction of the Ma. This
calculation of Ma, Mcr, and Icr is performed for the supports and mid-span and the beam Ieff is calculated from
these data per ACI Eq. 9-7 described above.

Deflections
5.11.5 Analysis
It is important to note that the analysis is not rerun after Ieff is calculated for each deflection check. That is, the
program assumes that the relative stiffness of the beams used in the actual gravity analysis is commensurate
with their relative stiffness after the actual Ieff are calculated (so that there would not be significant
redistribution of forces if the actual Ieff values were used in the analysis). If this assumption is not adequate the
engineer is encouraged to run the analysis using relative beam stiffness that more closely depict the cracked
section behavior and the true force distribution.
Final For all deflection checks the calculated deflection from the analysis is modified to take into
Deflections account the calculated Ieff and the applied loads. In general (described in more detail with each
check below) the design deflection is computed as the deflection calculated in the analysis times
the ratio of Ieff to Ianalysis. Ieffwill only differ from the moment of inertia used in the analysis if
the user selects to calculate Ieff per ACI in the Criteria-Deflection menu item. For each beam
with cantilevers the deflections are computed on each span independently and the span with
the larger deflection ratio controls.
Deflection For each deflection check (Dead Load, Live Load, Long-term, and Net) the user can specify
Ratio allowable limits in the Criteria-Deflection dialog. For all those deflection checks where
appropriate criteria are defined (i.e., there is an allowable absolute deflection (delta) limit or
span-to-depth ratio limit) the program will calculate a deflection ratio. The deflection ratio is
calculated as the larger of the calculated deflection to the absolute limit specified and the
calculated span-to-deflection ratio over the allowable span-to-deflection ratio. For cantilevers
the span length is doubled when calculating the span-to-deflection ratio.
Dead Load The dead load deflection on a member is calculated as described in the Final deflections section
Deflection above. Ieff for dead load is based only on the moments on the span due to dead load. The dead
load deflection check is performed irrespective of the direction (up or down) of the deflection.
Note that increasing the quantity of tension reinforcing or the member dimensions will reduce
the magnitude of the deflection.
Live Load The live load deflection on a member is calculated as the deflection due to all Dead Load and
Deflection Live Load applied, less that due to only Dead Load (Live Load Deflection is not simply the
deflection due to Live Load alone). This ensures that the correct Ieff is used when calculating the
deflection from Dead Load and Live Load together and the deflection due to Dead Load alone is
subtracted from this quantity.
Ieff for dead load and live load is based on the moments on the span due to both dead load and
live load. For skip load cases the deflection check is performed once for upwards deflection and
again for downwards deflection. The controlling case is reported. Note that increasing the
quantity of tension reinforcing or the member dimensions will reduce the magnitude of the
deflection.
Long-term + Due to creep and shrinkage the deflection of concrete members continues over the life of the
Live Load structure. According to the ACI long-term deflection is calculated as the deflection due to dead
Deflection and some portion of live load times a deflection factor (λ) defined below.
λ=
ξ (9-10)
′
1 + 50ρ
where
ρ' = the compression reinforcing ratio taken at mid-span
for simple and continuous members and at the

Deflections
support for cantilevers. Where the top of a T-Beam is

in compression ρ’ is defined as the area of
compression (top) steel / (width of T-Beam flange x
distance of compression reinforcing to extreme
tension fiber).
The code defines appropriate values for the time-dependant factor ξ based on the length of time
long-term deflection is being calculated for. It is this value (ξ) that the program refers to as the
time-dependant factor which the user is required to enter in the dialog box obtained from the
Criteria-Deflections menu command.
5.11.6 Initial and Final Time-Dependant Deflection Factors

The code sets a limit on the acceptable amount of total deflection that should occur after the attachment of non-
structural elements (ACI Table 9.5(b)). To facilitate this code requirement the program allows the engineer to
determine the long-term deflection (due only to dead load) that occurs prior to the attachment of the non-
structural elements and to subtract this amount from the final calculated long-term deflection. Up to half the
lifetime long-term dead load deflection can occur in the first three months. Depending on when the non-
structural elements are applied the calculated long-term deflection should consider this long-term dead load
deflection that has already occurred. The Final Time-Dependant Factor should be measured from day 0 and not
from the point in time the initial time-dependant is specified for.
5.11.7 Sustained Load

The sustained load is the live load that is likely to be relatively stable over the life of the building such that it
should be considered in the calculated long-term deflection. Ieff fro the long-term load is based on the moments
from the Dead Load plus the Sustained Live load. Note that for the sustained loading No skip loading is
considered, that is, all the sustained live load is considered to act simultaneously to produce the long-term
deflection.
5.11.8 Calculated Deflection

The deflection limits specified by the ACI Table 9.5(b) include not only the long-term deflection but also that
deflection due to the immediate application of live load. The deflection calculated for comparison to this limit is
as follows:
LT+LL deflection = Final Long-term Deflection - Initial Long-term Deflection + Immediate Live Load Deflection
where
Final Long-term Deflection considers the dead load and the percentage of sustained live load. It also considers
the user specified Final Time-Dependant factor. For skip loaded live loads the upper and lower deflection
curves (and associated moments) are summed together. The long-term deflection is therefore based on all
the sustained live load being applied continuously (no skip loading is considered).
Initial Long-term Deflection considers only the dead load and the user specified Initial Time-Dependant
factor.
Immediate Live Load is calculated as described in the standard live load deflection check. Both upwards and
downwards deflections are considered separately and added to the long-term deflection for before doing the
check. Per “Notes on ACI 318-99”, Portland Cement Association, the immediate live load portion of the

References
deflection considers all the live load, not just that additional live load over-and-above the sustained
percentage of live load.
5.11.9 Net Deflection

According to the last footnote in ACI Table 9.5(b) in some circumstances the engineer may exceed the long-term
deflection limit if the total deflection less the camber is within some additional limit. The program defines Total
deflection less Camber as the Net Deflection. The Net deflection is calculated as follows where all the deflection
magnitudes are as described briefly below:
Net Deflection = Dead Load Deflection + Live Load Deflection + Long-term Deflection - Camber
Dead Load + Dead and full live load is considered to act concurrently (upwards and downwards live load is
Live Load considered separately). The two deflection curves are calculated as described the section on
Live Load deflection above. However in this check the initial DL deflection is not subtracted
from the DL + LL deflection.
Long-term Long-term deflection is calculated as discussed in the previous section except that the Initial
Deflection Long-term Deflection is not considered (subtracted from the final long-term deflection). This
check considers only the final deflected shape of the section and not the incremental deflection
between two points in time.
Camber Where specified and appropriate for the span length the camber is calculated for a beam mid-
span only. The camber is taken as the deflection due to dead load times the percentage of dead
load to be considered for camber by the user, rounded down to the appropriate increment
stipulated by the user. Where the user specified minimum camber is not obtained the program
will not call out any camber. Where the maximum allowable camber is exceeded the camber
will be set to the maximum user specified limit. No camber is calculated for cantilevers and all
camber is assumed to be upward in nature (no downward camber is ever calculated or
specified by the program). Camber is also shown on the floor plan DXF output where specified
and calculated as being required.
5.12 References
1. ACI Committee 318:"Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-99) and Commentary
(ACE 318R-99), 1999, American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI
5. Beer, Ferdinand P. and Johnson, E. Russell, Jr. :”Mechanics of Materials”, 1981, McGraw-Hill, San Francisco
6. Nilson, Arthur H and Winter, George :”Design of Concrete Structures”, 1986, McGraw-Hill, San Francisco
7. Portland Cement Association :"Notes on ACI 318-99 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete
with Design Applications", 1996, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, IL

References
8. Wang, Chu-Kia and Salmon, Charles G. :”Fourth Edition: Reinforced Concrete Design”, 1985, Harper and Row,
San Francisco.

Technical Notes - BS8110 Design Code
6
In the design of a structure a great number of decisions must be made. What is acceptable to one engineer may
not be acceptable to another. It is crucial that the user understands the decisions and assumptions being made
by the RAM Concrete Beam module. If these are not appropriate for the specific conditions of a particular
building, the user should augment or replace the results from RAM Concrete with those of some other tool.
The purpose of the Technical Notes is to explain the assumptions and methodology of the RAM Concrete Beam
Design. Every effort has been made to include a discussion of significant decisions and assumptions made by the
program. Generally, if there is any question as to how the Beam Design mode handles a particular condition, a
small model can be quickly created and analyzed, and the results verified with hand calculations.
The RAM Concrete Beam module has been extensively tested and used. It is impossible, however, to anticipate
every possible configuration that could be encountered by the program. Ultimately the engineer is responsible
for the safety and adequacy of the building's design.
6.1 Introduction and Design Philosophy

The RAM Concrete Beam is intended for the design of concrete rectangular, "T" and "L" sections. The goal is to
provide an accurate initial design based on user-defined criteria and then to provide an easy and practical
interactive interface to change the design and detail the reinforcement to meet the engineer's needs. The
program performs a comprehensive set of design checks, including checks related to code prescribed capacity
and detailing requirements, as well as taking into account user defined preferences.
Beam design is based on the requirements of the concrete design specifications published by the British
Standard in BS8110-1:1997, incorporating Amendments 1, 2, and 3. The implementations of the sections of the
code accounting for the design of concrete beams are subjected to certain assumptions and limitations as
outlined in the Technical Notes.
6.2 Beam Design Forces

See Section 2.3 for a discussion of how beam design forces are calculated and used in RAM Concrete Beam.

Reinforcement Optimization and Design
6.3 Reinforcement Optimization and Design

This section explains the methods by which RAM Concrete Beam selects the most appropriate reinforcing bar
layout for a given beam line. This is referred to as "optimizing" a beam line. The optimization process entails
selecting reinforcement such that strength requirements, design code checks, and user-specified requirements
are met to the best ability of the program, given all specified constraints.
Note: It is possible that for a given beam line and set of design parameters, a design in which all applicable
design checks are met is not possible. In this case, the user is encouraged to use the Warnings page in the View/
Update dialogue to pinpoint what specific code provisions are not being met. The user may then review the
design parameters and user preferences in conjunction with the design warnings. It is possible that a change to
one or more of the input parameters will result in a design which passes all checks. Alternatively, adjustments to
the beam size, material properties, or reinforcement may be required to achieve a successful design.
6.3.1 Design for Bending

The main (longitudinal) reinforcement is calculated for both sagging and hogging moments on the basis of the
section profile and parameters defined in the Design Criteria menu. Compression reinforcement is provided
where required.
The design of a beam is based on an envelope of design forces and thus at each of the defined sections, the
program determines the required area of steel for both the maximum hogging moment and maximum sagging
moment at that section.
The beam is then divided into sub-beams, that is, sets of spans which share the same dimensions and covers, and
so may make use of the same basic reinforcement cage.
For each sub-beam, the sections that have the largest sagging and hogging moments are identified and the most
efficient reinforcement is calculated for the range of bars specified in the Design Criteria. The program limits the
design to 8 bars in any one layer and uses a maximum of 2 layers in each face.
Figure 16:
The program then goes along the beam and checks each section to see how many bars from the critical sections
can be removed. The bars are only removed if they are not required to resist bending in either direction, and
provided that all spacing checks may still be satisfied.

Reinforcement Optimization and Design
6.3.2 Design for Shear

The shear reinforcement is designed to resist the major axis shear force envelope, Fz, acting through the beam.
The minor axis shear and torsional forces are not considered.
The number of shear legs and the shear link size is specified in the Design Criteria. Therefore the required
spacing for minimum links can be defined. The program then checks each section to determine the shear stress v
and concrete shear capacity vc. From this, the section is classified as either minimum link or a high shear section.
Adjacent sections of the same type are grouped into zones. For non-minimum link zones, the shear links are
designed for the maximum shear force within that zone.
If necessary, additional legs may be added to the shear links in order to restrain tension or compression
reinforcement.
Figure 17:
6.3.3 Anchorage and Bond Lengths

Anchorage and bond lengths are calculated in accordance with the requirements of Clause 3.12.8.

Technical Notes - CP 65 Design Code
7
The CP 65 implementation in RAM Concrete Beam conforms to CP 65-1:1996 "Code of practice for structural use
of concrete - Part 1: Design and construction". This code is hereafter referred to simply as CP 65.
Given that the CP 65 design code is virtually identical to BS 8110-1:1997, with the exceptions of the differences
described in the following section, the implementation of CP 65 in RAM Concrete Beam is identical to that of BS
8110 and the technical details related to BS 8110 can be taken to apply to CP 65.
7.1 Differences between BS8110 and CP65

The following are the technical differences between the implementation of CP 65 and BS 8110 in RAM Concrete
Beam:
1. In CP 65, the concrete shear capacity without shear reinforcement (vc) given in Table 3.9 differs from that in
BS 8110.
2. In CP 65, the minimum allowable concrete strength in structural concrete is 30N/mm² as opposed to
25N/mm² in BS 8110.
3. It should also be noted that the partial safety factor for reinforcement γm is 1.15 in CP 65 which is equal to
that used in BS 8110-1:1997 Amendment 3.

Technical Notes - AS 3600 Design Code
8
8.1 Design Philosophy and Methodology
The design philosophy and methodology employed for this design code is similar to what has already been
described in the following sections:
• Design Philosophy: See 6.1.
• Beam Design Forces: See 6.2.
• Reinforcement Optimization & Design: See 6.3 (excluding 6.3.3).
8.2 Design Code
8.2.1 Design for Bending

Design for bending is according to AS 3600 Clause 8.1
The following provisions are used by RAM Concrete Beam in bending design:
a. A rectangular concrete stress block is utilized as described in 8.1.2.2.
b. The neutral axis depth factor (ku) is limited to 0.4.
c. The lever arm between the concrete stress block and the tensile forces in the reinforcement is calculated as:
z = d (0.5 + 0.25 − k / 1.7)
where
z = the lever arm
d = the effective depth of the cross-section
K = a factor calculated as (M / fcubd2)
This formula arises from equilibrium of internal forces under the applied moment.
d. The depth of the neutral axis is calculated as:
(d − z )
x= 0.5γ
where

Technical Notes - AS 3600 Design Code
Design Code
x = the depth of the neutral axis

γ = 0.85 – 0.007(f’c-28) with the limits 0.65 to 0.85
f’c = the characteristic compressive cylinder strength of the concrete at 28 days
e. Compression reinforcement is provided if:
K > 0.34 γ (1 – 0.2 γ)
where
K = as given in (c) above. This limit is provided to ensure ductile failure of the
cross-section at ultimate limit state.
f. Tension and compression reinforcement (if required) are provided such that:
i. The forces in the cross section are in equilibrium,
ii. The internal moment developed by the internal forces is greater than or equal to the applied moment.
8.2.2 Design for Shear

Shear design in RAM Concrete Beam is according to AS 3600 Clause 8.2

Technical Notes - EN1992 (Eurocode 2) Design Code
9
The implementation of EN1992 (Eurocode 2) in RAM Structural System is according to the specifications of the
UK National Annex.
9.1 Design Philosophy and Methodology

The design philosophy and methodology employed for this design code is similar to what has already been
described in the following sections:
• Design Philosophy: See 6.1.
• Beam Design Forces: See 6.2.
• Reinforcement Optimization & Design: See 6.3 (excluding 6.3.3).
9.2 Design Code
9.2.1 Bending
Bending is designed according to the provisions in 6.1. The assumptions used are as follows:
• Assumptions given in 6.1 (2)
• A rectangular stress block is assumed as defined in 3.1.7 (3) of the code.
• A maximum of two bar layers for tensile and compressive reinforcement.
9.2.2 Shear
Shear is designed according to the provisions in 6.2. The following assumptions are taken:
• Enhanced shear capacity of concrete next to supports is ignored (6.2.2 (5))
• Longitudinal bars extending at least a length, d, beyond a particular section are considered as contributing to
the shear strength of the section, where ‘d’ is the effective depth of the section

Technical Notes - EN1992 (Eurocode 2) Design Code
Design Code
For members requiring more than the minimum level of shear reinforcement, this is designed according to 6.2.3
(3). θ is calculated using the following formula:
θ = 0.5sin−1( 2V ed
ac b.z.v. f cd )
with the limitation 1 ≤ cotθ ≤ 2.5, and notation as in 6.2.3 (1) of the code.
Only vertical shear reinforcement is designed by the program.
9.2.3 Detailing
Detailing provisions are according to the following clauses:
Clause Description
9.2.1.1 Minimum and Maximum longitudinal reinforcement area
9.2.1.4, 9.2.1.5 Anchorage of bottom reinforcement
9.2.2 Shear reinforcement

Technical Notes - GB 50010 (Chinese Design Code)
10
10.1 GB 50010 Design Code
If GB 50010 is selected as the design code in the concrete analysis module then design is based on the
requirements of the Chinese design code: Design of Concrete Structures (GB 50010-2002). The implementations
of the sections of the code accounting for the design of concrete beams are subject to certain assumptions and
limitations as outlined in these technical notes.
The following codes have also been considered in the implementation:
• Code for seismic design of buildings (GB 50011-2001)
• Technical specification for concrete structures of tall buildings (JGJ 3-2002).
10.1.1 Limitations
The Concrete Beam is intended for the design of concrete rectangular and “T” sections.
Prestressed concrete structural members are not supported.
Force adjustments to account for weak stories is not supported.
Coupling beam design in the Shear Wall module is not supported.
The body of the detailed column design report is only available in metric units.
The user cannot change the reinforcing table used. A predefined table consisting of the following bar sizes is
available for use:
Table 6:
Size #6 #8 #10 #12 #16 #18 #20 #22 #25 #28 #32 #36 #40 #50
Bend. 6 8 10 12 16 18 20 22 25 28 32 36 40 50
Radius mm

GB 50010 Design Code
10.1.2 Design Principles

Beams are designed for main (longitudinal) reinforcement calculated for both sagging and hogging moments on
the basis of the section profile and parameters defined in the Design Criteria menu. There are two load envelope
curves used for beam design; a seismic envelope and a non-seismic envelope.
Longitudinal and transverse reinforcement is designed by the program based on the forces generated in the
Concrete Analysis module. Forces used for design are adjusted according to the procedure given in the design
code which is outlined below:
1. Get beam gravity and lateral forces from analysis;
2. Adjust M for plastic redistribution (gravity load cases only);
3. Adjust M, V, N for seismic effects for Transfer Beams (seismic load cases only);
4. Calculate combinations and generate envelopes;
5. Modify beam end shears using the adjusted M in the combinations (for load combinations which include
seismic loads). Adjust rest of curve using the factor given in the table.
Code Clauses Implemented

The following lists the code clauses used from GB 50010-2002, Section 3.8 Beam Design.
3.8.1 General
3.8.1.1 Symbols. Program Conforms
3.8.1.2 Size of beam and bars, 10.2.1. Program Conforms
3.8.1.3 Deflection of beam. N/A
3.8.1.4 Concrete Cover check.
3.8.2 Seismic
3.8.2.1 Forces adjustment performed 11.3.2.
3.8.2.2 Ratio of reinforcement in frame beam limits, 11.3.6
3.8.2.3 Spaces check of shear bar, 11.3.8
3.8.2.3 The ratio of reinforcement for stirrups along the full length of girder, 11.3.9
3.8.3 Main reinforcement

3.8.3.1 Normal section flexural load-bearing capacity, 7.2.1.
3.8.3.2 “T” shape section flexural members with flange situated in compression zone. 7.2.2
3.8.4 Shear reinforcement

3.8.4.1 Ratio and diameter limit, 10.3.2.
3.8.4.2 Member size limited, 7.5.1.
3.8.4.3 Calculation of torsion section load-bearing capacity. 7.6
3.8.4.4 Calculation of inclined section load-bearing capacity for flexural member. 7.5.4
N/A is to be interpreted as either not application or not implemented.

GB 50010 Design Code
Clauses that do not appear in the list are deemed not to be considered by the program.

Technical Notes - CAN/CSA A23.3-10
11
The technical notes below apply to axial/flexural members in general. Where clauses or sections apply
specifically to beams or columns, indication has been made to this effect.
11.1 CAN/CSA A23.3-10 Code Rule Selection

This section explains how RAM Structural System determines which CAN/CSA A23.3-10 code rules to apply
based on the cross section, span, or frame, combined with the active settings for the rule set under
consideration.
11.1.1 Materials
Code rules are applied as shown in the following table.
Design System Section
Beam 8.4.2 8.4.3 8.5.1 8.6.1.1

8.6.2.2 8.6.4 8.6.5 10.1.3
10.1.5 10.1.6
11.1.2 Minimum Reinforcement

Beam 7.4.1.1 10.5.1.1 10.5.1.3 10.6.2
11.1.3 Service

CAN/CSA A23.3-10 Code Implementation
Beam 10.6.1
11.1.4 Ultimate
Beam 10.1.2 10.5.2

11.2.9.1 11.2.10
11.2.8.1 11.2.8.2
11.3.4 11.3.5.1
11.3.1 11.3.3
11.3.8.3 11.3.9.2
11.3.6.4 11.3.8.1
11.3.9.5 11.3.10.2
11.3.9.3 11.3.9.4
11.3.10.5 11.3.10.6
11.3.10.3 11.3.10.4
11.1.5 Ductility
Beam 10.5.2
11.1.6 Development Length

Beam 12.1.2 12.2.1 12.2.2 12.2.4

12.2.5 12.3.1 12.3.2 12.3.3
12.5.1 12.5.2 12.5.3
11.2 CAN/CSA A23.3-10 Code Implementation

11.2.1 Section 7.4.1.1 Minimum Bar Spacing

The provisions of CSA A23.1 are applied. The clear distance between bars is limited to the maximum of:
• 1.4 times longitudinal bar diameter
• 1.4 times maximum size of coarse aggregate
• 30 mm
If user reinforcement is specified, all the bars are considered equally spaced over the reinforced region.
11.2.2 Section 8.4.2 Factored Concrete Strength

The strength resistance factor (ϕc) used for concrete is 0.65. This factor is applied directly to the concrete
material stress strain curve.
11.2.3 Section 8.4.3 Factored Reinforcement Strength

The strength resistance factor (ϕs) used for reinforcing bars is 0.85.
11.2.4 Section 8.5.1 Design Strength of Reinforcement

Design calculations are based upon the specified yield strength of reinforcement. A warning will be reported if
the specified yield strength is greater than 500 MPa.
11.2.5 Section 8.6.2.2 Modulus of Elasticity of Concrete Ec

The modulus of elasticity of concrete Ec calculated using equation 8-1.
Ec = (3, 300 f ′
c + 6, 900)( γc
2, 300
)1.5
For sections with multiple values of strengths, the minimum concrete strength is used to determine the limiting
stress.
The specified density γc is used in the equation, but if outside the range of 1,500 and 2,500 kg/m3 a warning will
be reported.
Alternatively, Ec can be specified directly.

11.2.6 Section 8.6.4 Modulus of Rupture of Concrete

The modulus of rupture fr is calculated using equation 8-3.
′
f r = 0.6λ f c
For cross sections with multiple concrete strengths, the maximum concrete strength is used to determine the
modulus of rupture.
11.2.7 Section 8.6.5 Density of Concrete

The effect of low density concrete is accounted for by the factor λ where:
a. λ = 1.00 for normal density concrete
b. λ = 0.85 for structural semi-low-density concrete
c. λ = 0.75 for structural low-density concrete
Concretes are classified according to their specified density:
low-density concrete if specified density ≤ 1,850 kg/m3
semi-low-density concrete if specified density > 1,850 kg/m3 and ≤ 2,150 kg/m3
normal density concrete if specified density > 2,150 kg/m3
11.2.8 Section 10.1.2 Plane Sections Assumption

The strain in the reinforcement and concrete are assumed to be directly proportional to the distance from the
neutral axis.

Figure 18: Plan section
For deep flexural members the design will still be performed using the plane sections remain plane assumption,
but a warning will be reported.
11.2.9 Section 10.1.3 Maximum Concrete Strain

The maximum strain at the extreme concrete compression fiber is limited to 0.0035.
11.2.10 Section 10.1.5 Tensile Strength of Concrete

The tensile strength of concrete is neglected in flexural calculations where the concrete is expected to be
cracked.
11.2.11 Section 10.1.6 Concrete Stress-Strain Relationship

The default concrete cross section stress-strain curve is implemented as the Portland Cement Association (PCA)
linear/parabolic curve.

Figure 19: Typical Stress vs Strain Curve for concrete
Application can also choose from other available standard stress-strain curves or can input a stress strain curve
as a set of stress-strain points. For the user input curves, no negative slopes are permitted (but slopes of zero are
permitted).
11.2.12 Section 10.5.1.1 Minimum Reinforcement for Beams

The bending strength of the section is designed to be at least 1.2 Mcr, where the cracking moment is assumed to
be applied to each axis separately as uniaxial bending. No simultaneous biaxial moments are considered. The
cracking moments about each axis are calculated to cause the stress in the extreme tension fiber to reach fr.
fr is modulus of rupture calculated in accordance with section 8.6.4.
λ value is calculated according to section 8.6.5.

11.2.13 Section 10.5.2 (Ductility Check) Limitation of c/d

Reinforcement is provided such that equation 10-5 is satisfied:
c 700
d
= 700 + f y
where
c = the distance from the extreme compression fiber to the neutral axis
d = the depth from the extreme compression fiber to the resultant tension force
11.2.14 Section 10.6.1 Crack Control Parameter

shortdesc
Crack control requirements are based on equation 10-6 , z = fs (dcA)1/3 . The quantity z is limited to 30,000
N/mm for interior exposure and 25,000 N/mm for exterior exposure. If epoxy-coated reinforcement is used,
these values are multiplied by 1.2.
where
dc = the distance from the extreme tension fiber to the center of the
longitudinal bar located closest thereto. This definition is considered
with any bar arrangements even when they are oriented askew to neutral
axis and/or tension face (see figure below)
Aeff = the effective tension area of concrete surrounding the flexural tension
reinforcement calculated by finding the center geometric curve for the
pattern of tension reinforcement. The area is formed by finding parallel
lines to the neutral axis at a distance of ds on both sides of the resultant
rebar tension force. The distance dc is limited to a maximum of 50 mm +
the max tension bar diameter according to the Standard. This limitation
considers the case of large covers which generate wider surface cracks
but with minor influence on rebar duration (Ref. , Edward G. Sherwood
(PhD Thesis – Carleton University – Canada). The effective tension area of
concrete surrounding the flexural tension reinforcement (A) will be
calculated as Aeff/ number of bars. According to the definition of A in the
Standard, the number of bars will be computed as the number of
equivalent bars with the largest diameter when different bar sizes are
used. Shear Behavior of Large, Lightly-Reinforced Concrete Beams and
One-Way Slabs
fs = the stress at rebar level

Figure 20: Aeff for uni- and bi-directional bending

The former calculations assume that the user will define most of the bars at closest locations to the tension face,
only using a second bar layer in the case of lack of space, which is the normal and logical practice. Avoiding doing
so, may lead to un-conservative results.
11.2.15 Section 10.6.2 Skin Reinforcement

Skin reinforcement is required for beams with an overall depth or width of the shear core that is greater than
750 mm.
Note: Skin reinforcement is not designed for in this version of RAM Concrete Beam.
11.2.16 Section 11.2.8.1 Minimum Shear Reinforcement Required

Minimum shear reinforcement is provided for the cases as below:
• Shear resisted by concrete V < Factored shear force Vf
• Total depth > 750 mm
• If torsion design selected, factored torsion Tf > 0.25 Tcr
Tcr torsion cracking resistance calculated by equation 11-2
11.2.17 Section 11.2.8.2 Minimum Shear Reinforcement

For sections with multiple values of f'c, the maximum f'c is used to calculate the minimum shear requirements.
The minimum shear reinforcement area is calculated using equation 11-1:
bw s
′
Av = 0.06 f c f
y
The effective web width bw is calculated as the maximum shear core width in each axis.
11.2.18 Section 11.2.9.1 Shear Consideration Due to Torsion

The cracking torsion is calculated using equation 11-2:
Torsion reinforcement is provided only if factored torsion Tf > 0.25 Tcr.
T cr = ( )
Ac
pc
2
0.38λϕc f ′
c
where
λ = taken as per section 8.6.5. For sections with multiple values of density the
smallest density is used.

Ac = calculated as outside perimeter of concrete cross section, including area of

holes.
pc = calculated as perimeter of the cross section.
For sections with multiple values of f'c, the minimum f'c used for the cracking torsion calculation.
11.2.19 Section 11.2.10 Effective Web Width

The method adopted to calculate the effective web width for shear applies both for round or rectangular
sections. It works only with the shear core part of the section and will remove any length occupied by holes
along the depth of the section. The width will be calculated considering only the webs that extend from top to
the bottom part of the section and only the minimum width will be considered. The total width will be the sum of
the widths of the different webs found.
In the case of round sections, the diameter of the section will be used, removing the length of any existing hole.
Figure 21: Examples of the effective width considered for the simple sections (round or flanged)
11.2.20 Section 11.3.1 Required Shear Resistance

Shear design or check is performed using equation 11-3, Vr ≥ Vf.
Although the Standards do not clearly specify, the shear resistance is calculated independently for each axis and
caution should be taken in these cases because they are outside the current scope of the Standards.
11.2.21 Section 11.3.3 Maximum Shear Resistance by Concrete

Vr is calculated using equation 11-4, where Vr = Vc + Vs, and Vc, Vs are shear resistance from concrete and
transverse reinforcement, respectively.
The maximum shear resistance permitted by concrete is calculated using equation 11-5:
Vr,max = 0.25ϕcf'cbwdv
For sections with multiple values of f'c, the minimum f'c is used for maximum shear calculations.

ϕc for concrete is 0.65 per section Section 8.4.2 Factored Concrete Strength (on page 98)
Shear resisted by concrete Vr ≤ Vr,max, otherwise a failure will be reported
11.2.22 Section 11.3.4 Shear Resistance by Concrete, Vc

Equation 11-6 is used to calculate shear resisted by concrete, where β is calculated as per section 11.3.6.4 and
f ′ c will be limited to 8 Mpa.
V c = ϕc λβ f ′c bw dv
For sections with multiple values of f'c, the minimum f'c is used.
11.2.23 Section 11.3.5.1 Shear Resistance by Steel, Vs

Equation 11-7 is used to calculate shear resistance due to transverse reinforcement:
ϕ Av f yv dv cos θ
s
Vs = s
where
θ = value calculated in accordance with section 11.3.6.4.
fyv = yield strength of transverse shear reinforcement.
11.2.24 Section 11.3.6.4 Determination of β and θ

εx is originally calculated using the flexural steel calculated due to only the flexural/axial demand and without
shear and torsion tension included.
This value of εx will be used to calculate θ and β used throughout the shear and torsion calculations. Additionally
the longitudinal flexural/axial steel design will be performed including the shear and torsion tension, using the
calculated value of εx, θ, and β to determine the shear and torsion tension. A longitudinal steel design is also
performed including shear and torsion tension to limit εx to a maximum of the calculated value.
εx is limited -0.2×10-3 and 3.0×10-3.
The angle of inclination θ is calculated using equation 11-12:
θ = 29 + 7,000εx
The value of β is calculated using Equation 11-11:
0.40 1, 300
β= (1 + 1, 500εx ) (1, 000 + sze )
Initially it is assumed that no shear reinforcement required to calculate crack spacing parameter Sze as per
equation 11-10.

35sz
S ze = 15 + ag
If f’c exceeds 70 Mpa, the ag shall be taken as “0 and from 60 to 70 Mpa, ag shall be linearly reduced to zero”.
The crack spacing parameter, sz, is calculated as sz = dv = max (0.9d, 0.72h)
A single layer of reinforcement is assumed.
If it is determined that shear reinforcement is required, than the crack spacing parameter Sze will considered as
300 mm as per section 11.3.6.4 and the design restarted.
11.2.25 Section 11.3.8.1 Maximum Spacing of Transverse Reinforcement

Maximum spacing of transverse reinforcement placed perpendicular to the axis of the member is limited to 600
mm or 0.7 dv.
11.2.26 Section 11.3.8.3 Maximum Spacing of Transverse Reinforcement

Maximum spacing in 11.3.8.1 is multiplied by 0.5 if Vf > 0.125 λϕcf'cbwdv or Tf > 0.25 Tcr.
11.2.27 Sections 11.3.9.2 and 11.3.9.3 Longitudinal Reinforcement Due to Shear

The shear component (Vf – 0.5Vs) cotθ is calculated and added to the cross section forces.
A strain compatibility strength design is then performed in accordance with Section 10.1.2 Plane Sections
Assumption (on page 99)
11.2.28 Section 11.3.9.4 Compression Fan Reinforcement

In regions adjacent to maximum moment locations, the area longitudinal reinforcement need not to exceed the
area required to resist the maximum moment alone. The program assume that this is valid for each support
region.
11.2.29 Section 11.3.9.5 Anchorage of Longitudinal Reinforcement at End

Supports
At support face, the shear tension force shall be applied at the tension tie reinforcement and linearly changing to
the gravity center of the section at a distance of dv cotθ from face of support. This serves to prevent top
reinforcement from being provided in end spans where the moment is small.

11.2.30 Section 11.3.10.2 Transverse Reinforcement for Torsion

Shear design or check is performed using equation 11-16:
Tr ≥ Tf
11.2.31 Section 11.3.10.3 Reinforcement for Torsion

Transverse reinforcement due to torsion calculated as per equation 11-17:
Ast T f tanθ
s
= ∅ 2A f
s o ys
where
A0 = the area enclosed by shear flow path, 0.85 Aoh
Aoh = the area enclosed by centerline of exterior closed transverse torsion
reinforcement
Figure 22: Area a bounded by stirrups
11.2.32 Section 11.3.10.4 Cross Sectional Dimensions to Avoid Crushing

Combined stress due to shear and torsion are calculated using equation 11-19:
( ) (Vf 2
bw dv
+
T f ph 2
2
Aoh ) ≤ 0.25ϕc f ′
c
where
ph = the perimeter of the centerline of the closed transverse reinforcement.
If the combined stress is greater than 0.25ϕcf'c,a failure will be reported.

11.2.33 Section 11.3.10.5 Determination of εx for General Method

If the member is subjected to torsion, equation 11-20 will be used to calculate the shear and torsion tension used
to calculate εx.
11.2.34 Section 11.3.10.6 Longitudinal Reinforcement Due to Torsion

The tension due to shear and torsion is calculated in accordance with Equation 11-21:
2.0 (V f - 0.5V s )2 + ( 0.45 p T f

2A
h
o
) 2
This tension is added to the cross section force and then a strain compatibility strength design is then performed
in accordance with 10.1.2.
11.2.35 Section 12.2 Development of Deformed Bars in Tension

Section 12.2.2 is used to calculate the development length ℓd. The calculated ld never taken as less than 300 mm
in accordance with 12.2.1 and f'c is limited to 8Mpa in accordance with 12.1.2. For sections with multiple
concrete strengths, the minimum concrete strength is used to determine the limiting stress.
The ld of deformed bars in tension calculated based on equation 12-1:
k1k2k3k4 f y
ℓd = 1.15
(dcs +k tr ) f c'
The value (dcs + ktr) limited to 2.5 db, and Ktr is conservatively assumed to be zero.
11.2.36 Section 12.3 Development of Deformed Bars in Compression
The development length ℓd is calculated as 0.24db f y /

f ′ c but not less than 0.44 dbfy or 200 mm in
accordance with section 12.3.1. f'c is limited to 8 Mpa in accordance with 12.1.2, and for sections with multiple
concrete strengths, the minimum concrete strength is used in this calculation.
Modifications factors applied for the following conditions in accordance with section 12.3.3:
• provided reinforcement exceeding that required by analysis, the factor is As,required/As,Provided
• factor 0.75 applied for reinforcement enclosed with spiral reinforcement or within 10M ties in compliance
with section 7.6.5 and spaced more than 100 mm on center.

11.2.37 Section 12.5 Development of Standard Hooks in Tension
Basic development length lhb is calculated as 100db / f ′ c but not less than 8db or 150 mm as per section
12.5.1. For sections with multiple concrete strengths, the minimum concrete strength is used in this calculation.
The development length lhb is calculated by multiplying basic development length lhb by appropriate
modification factor. The modification factor is calculated as follows:
Description Modification Factor
Bars with Fy other than 400 Mpa Fy/400
As per Fig A and B 0.7
Reinforcement excess of that required by analysis A s required /A s provided
Low Density concrete 1.3
Epoxy-coated reinforcement 1.2
a. 35 mm or smaller bars with side cover of 60 mm or larger
b. The cover for 90° hooks is greater than or equal to 50 mm

c. The spacing between vertical or horizontally enclosed hooks is ≤ 3db
Figure 23: Modification factors for hooked anchorages
11.2.38 Sections 12.11.1 and 12.11.2 Span Detailing

shortdesc

• The peak reinforcement in each region is determined by taking the maximum reinforcement demand in every
cross section over the following regions:
• Support – from the support to 0.15L into the span
• Span – from 0.35L to 0.65L
• For a cantilever, the entire span is considered to be in the support region, and none of the span is
considered to be in the span region
• For a span with no supports designated, the entire span is considered to be in the span region, and none of
the span is considered to be in the support region
• Bar length calculations consider the support width as necessary
• Section 12.10.3 is satisfied by using the provisions of clause Sections 11.3.9.2 and 11.3.9.3 Longitudinal
Reinforcement Due to Shear (on page 107) to determine the reinforcement demand. Since this approach
inherently adds embedment length at every cutoff location, clause 12.10.4 is not explicitly applied but will be
satisfied in normal situations.
• Section 12.11.1 is applied in span regions. Only spans that are continuous on both sides are treated as
continuous members – all other conditions are treated as simply supported.
• Rule 12.12.2 is applied in support regions. For this provision, the maximum inflection point distance is
calculated from all the given loading conditions. Inflection points that are beyond 30% of the span length are
not considered.

RAM Concrete Beam Reports
12
RAM Concrete Beam output is designed to provide the engineer with all necessary data for the review of
calculations for concrete beam design. The reports have been designed to duplicate the information provided in
hand calculations. The reports also provide the required information for detailing the beams.
Below is a summary of the reports available in RAM Concrete Beam mode. A more complete explanation of the
output follows.
Criteria A list of the currently specified beam design criteria as well as user assigned Section
and Reinforcement Layout information.
Load Combinations A list of all of the concrete generated and user defined load combinations, including
the parameters used for the generated load combinations. This report is identical to
the Load Combinations report generated in the Concrete Column Design mode.
Beam Design A detailed report showing all of the pertinent information used in and generated
during the beam design.
Beam Design A list of the basic design information required to detail and perform cost estimates
Summary for beams.
Beam Deflection The controlling deflection calculation and ratio for each beam.
Summary
Material Take Off A material take off of all the designed beams in the model. Information includes
concrete volume and reinforcement quantity and weight.
12.1 General Comments on Reports

The heading contains information about RAM Concrete and the model that the output represents. The Date field
is the time and date the model was last changed.
All values that have unit dimensions have the units reported in brackets after the value description. The report
descriptions below are only provided where reports may require further description. Descriptions are not
provided for items that are self-explanatory.

Criteria
12.2 Criteria
The criteria report contains the parameters that were set in the Beam Design Criteria and Detailing Defaults
Criteria dialog boxes. As well as all the information that can be assigned to a beam using the Assign Size and
Assign Reinforcement Layout dialog boxes.
12.2.1 Reinforcement Table and Code

The Reinforcement Properties Table is the name of the reinforcement table selected in RAM Manager and used
for the design of all reinforced concrete members in the RAM Structural System.
The Code is the concrete design code used to optimize and check concrete beams.
12.2.2 Reinforcement
If the user defines their own values instead of letting RAM Concrete Beam use the code defined values, the values
will only be used if they are also within the limits of the code prescribed values. Code values will always be used
as the design limits if the user defined values that are not at least as stringent as the code prescribed values.
Clear Bar The distance from the outside face of the beam to the closest tension reinforcement bars. This
Cover: value is used to check the true bar depth. If code is selected, the assumption is made that the
concrete is not exposed to soil, weather or corrosive environments.
Cover to This is the default distance from the bottom or top of the beam to the center of the bars in the
Center of closest flexural reinforcement. If two layers of bars are used this value will be the distance to
Bars: the effective center of the two layers.
12.2.3 Bar Selection

This section identifies the user-defined preferences used in selecting reinforcement for the beam.
12.2.4 Default Detailing

This section reports the parameters entered into the Detailing Defaults Dialog box for Gravity Beams, Gravity
Joists and Lateral Beams. The values related to top and bottom flexural reinforcement cutoff lengths are all a
factor of the total clear span length designated by (xL) for the units.

Load Combinations
12.2.5 Beam Assigned Criteria

This section identifies the parameters that have been assigned to individual concrete beams that are part of a
beam line.
Global – indicates that the parameter was not overwritten so the value reported in the Global Criteria will be
used.

The load combination report is used to check the parameter used in generating load combinations as well as the
list of load combinations used in checking the model.
The report contains all the data used to generate the combinations for the given code. The number next to each
combination will match the numbers in the Design Reports and the Load Combination dialog boxes.
12.4 Beam Design

The Design report is set up to show the information required for providing design backup documentation as well
as the information required for detailing the beam.
12.4.1 Beam Information

This section identifies the basic beam information related to the beam location and geometry.
12.4.2 Material Properties

This section reports the material properties for the concrete and reinforcement used in the beam.
12.4.3 Top/Bottom Longitudinal Reinforcement

All the bar sets that are completely or partially located in the beam span are reported. This information can be
used to detail the beam if required.
Bar Set: The Bar set number is a unique number for all the top or bottom bars in the beam line.
Depth: The depth is taken as the user defined bar depth from the Design Criteria dialog unless overwritten
by the Assign Reinforcement Layout dialog box.

Beam Design
Layer: This identifies the location of the bar in the top or bottom reinforcement. The layer identification is
identical to the View/Update dialog box. For the single reinforcement layer the top longitudinal
bars will show as Upper and the bottom longitudinal bars as Lower. For two layers of
reinforcement the layer closest to the beam surface is Upper for top bars and Lower for bottom
bars.
Start and This locates the bars along the beam line relative to a support. The support number and location
End: are along the beam line. The Location is the distance from the center of the given support. If the bar
end condition is Straight or Hooked the location describes the end of the bar. If the end condition is
Splice then the location describes the distance to the middle of the development length for the bar.
This makes the layout of splice bars much easier because the end of a bar with a splice will be at
the same location as the start of the next splice.
12.4.4 Longitudinal Bar Design Details

This section reports the required and provided moment capacity and reinforcement area at all output stations
along the beam. Locations displayed in bold are under a support.

The transverse reinforcement bar sets are reported in the same way as the longitudinal reinforcement.
12.4.6 Transverse Bar Design Details and Torsion Force

This section is similar to the Longitudinal Bar Design Details. The Required Torsion capacity is also reported to
help with the checking of required torsional reinforcement.
Design and Summary report shear diagrams identify the critical shear location (distance d from face of support)
with an italic font for the station location.
12.4.7 Deflections
A deflection section is presented at the end of the detailed beam design report. This section provides the camber
(if required), along with the results of the deflection check for each deflection type on the beam. The results
show the calculated deflection, effective moment of inertia, span-to-depth ratio and the controlling deflection
ratio if a criteria is specified for the deflection type. An OK or a NG (No Good) will be shown at the end of the row
if there is deflection criteria specified and the span is longer than minimum specified in the criteria. For beams
with cantilevers the report will also indicate if the cantilever is the controlling span, otherwise the back-span
should be assumed controlling.
Also displayed below this section are the moments used to calculate the effective moment of inertia (Ieff) for the
controlling span. Note that these are the full Dead Load and Live Load moments from all skip load patterns that
produced upwards and downwards deflections (see technical section for more information on the calculation of

Beam Design Summary
Ieff). Note that this section is not displayed if 'analysis of cracked section I values' is selected for the deflection
calculations.
12.5 Beam Design Summary

The Beam Design summary is used to get the required information for checking and detailing the beam line
reinforcement.
12.5.1 Support Geometry

The information in this section locates all the supports along the beam line with their type and dimensional
properties.
Length, Width For Column supports the Length is the column dimension parallel to the beam line and the
and Depth depth is not applicable so it is designated as NA.
For Beam supports the Length is the beam width, the Depth is the full beam depth and the
Width is not applicable.
For Wall supports the Length is the wall thickness, the Depth and Width are not applicable.
The report has two additional sections that tabulate the critical points for the flexure, shear and torsion
diagrams for the full beam line
12.6 Deflection Summary

The deflection summary gives the controlling deflection results for each span in the beam. The calculated
deflections are displayed along with the controlling deflection ratio (calculated deflection / allowable deflection)
for the span. This is currently the only location to get the mid span and cantilever results separately for an
individual beam.
12.7 Material Take Off

The material take off report can be used in cost estimating and design comparisons. The material take off report
is separated by story. For each story the concrete slabs, reinforcement and concrete quantities are reported.

Material Take Off
12.7.1 Concrete Slab

This section identifies for each slab that is on the story the Slab label, slab thickness, total surface area of slab
type on floor and the total volume of the concrete.
12.7.2 Longitudinal Reinforcement

The following information is compiled for each longitudinal reinforcement bar capacity:
Size The bar size label for all bar sizes used in current story.
Quantity The total number of bars used for the given grade and size of reinforcement.
Length The total length of all the bars used for the given grade and size of reinforcement. The bar length
includes the bar development length but does not include the hook length for bars with hooks.
Weight The weight of the reinforcement is calculated using the area of the reinforcement defined in the
Reinforcement Table and the same density of steel used by the rest of the RAM Structural System
modules.

The following information is compiled for each transverse reinforcement bar capacity and shape: (Items similar
to longitudinal category unless noted)
Shape The stirrup shape accounting for clear cover and transverse bar type.
Type The stirrup type as Open, Closed or Continuous. Continuous is used when the open stirrups only
have one leg.
Legs Total number of shear legs in stirrups.
Quantity The total number of the given shape used for the given grade and size of reinforcement.
Length The total length of all the bars used for the given shape, grade and size of reinforcement in all cases
the hook length is not considered. The stirrup dimensions are based on the center of the stirrup
taking into consideration the concrete cover and bar diameter. For open stirrups the top width is not
considered. For open stirrups with only one shear leg the shear reinforcement is considered to be
continuous along the length of the beam so the length is the total number of shear legs multiplied by
the shear leg length and added to the bar set length.
Weight The weight of the reinforcement is calculated using the area of the reinforcement defined in the
Reinforcement Table and the same density of steel used by the rest of the RAM Structural System
modules.

Material Take Off
12.7.4 Concrete
The following information is compiled for each beam section and concrete capacity:
Length: The beam length is taken to be the clear length of the member between supports. This is done so
the concrete at supports is not considered multiple times for each beam and column at a joint
location.
Volume The volume below the slab is calculated using the beam web width and web depth. For
Below Slab: rectangular beam sections the full beam depth is used because there is no way of knowing if the
beam has a slab above it. The concrete above the slab is reported in the Concrete Slab part of the
report.
Weight: The concrete weight is calculated using the concrete design weight rather than the self weight
because the self-weight is expected to include a nominal reinforcement weight.

RAM Concrete Beam CONNECT Edition Help
A
A RAM Structural System module.
A.1 Using the RAM Concrete Beam Module

File (on page 121)
Mode (on page 121)
Criteria ( Criteria (on page 123), Criteria - BS8110 Design Code (on page 131))
Assign (on page 131)
Combinations (on page 134)
Process ( Process (on page 136), Process (on page 136))
Reports ( Reports (on page 144), Reports (on page 144))
View ( Reports (on page 144), Reports (on page 144))
A.1.1 Concrete Beam Color-Coding

are colored dark grey while in Concrete Beam mode. The color of each concrete beam indicates its design status.
Pale Blue - Beam is not ready to be designed. If all concrete beams are pale blue, check the File > Model
Status dialog to determine what needs to be done in order to get the beams to a designable state. The most
common reason all concrete beams would be in this state is due to a lack of concrete beam load
combinations. If only some concrete beams are pale blue, they most likely are not part of any beam lines. Only
concrete beams that have been assigned beam line numbers in the Concrete Gravity Analysis mode can be
designed in the Concrete Beam Design mode.
Yellow - Beam is ready for design.
Green - Beam was designed and passed all design checks.
Blue - Beam design passed and the design was frozen.
Red - Beam was designed and some design warnings we reported. The warnings can be viewed in the View/
Update dialog box or in the Beam Design Report. If a beam is frozen but has some design warnings it will be
colored red to indicate that design warnings were found. (See section Process - Freeze Design (on page 143)
for more information on freezing the design)

Mode
new design status. Beams are repainted on a beam by beam basis according to their individual status.
A.2 Mode
The Mode menu can be used to switch between the RAM Concrete modes. By default, RAM Concrete always
opens in Concrete Analysis mode. A checkmark appears beside the mode that is currently active. The drop-down
combo box located on the tool bar can be used for this purpose as well.
A.3 File
Menu Item Description
Model Status (on page 122) To view the status of the model with respect to the
Concrete Beam Design module.
Save (on page 121) To Save any modifications made to the model since the
most recent File - Save command.
Print (on page 122) To Print the current view.
Print Preview (on page 123) To Preview the printout of the current view.
Print Setup (on page 123) To setup printer for printout of the current view.
File - Print Options (on page 123) To access the print option controls to make desired
modifications before printing.
File - Notes (on page 123) To view or add notes pertaining to the current model.
Exit To exit the RAM Concrete Module.
A.3.1 Save
Each module has a File > Save command allowing the user to save the current database. It is not necessary to
invoke the Save command when going from one module to another.
Any changes made to Criteria or assignments, or any analyses or designs performed are only saved temporarily
until the Save command is invoked. This allows the user to work with the database, saving or discarding changes
or results as desired. The RAM Manager requires that the Save command be invoked prior to exiting the RAM
Structural System or prior to opening another database, otherwise the changes made since the last Save will be
lost. The other modules do not require that the Save command be invoked before exiting that module and going

File
to another module. It is recommended that the Save command be invoked periodically, especially when exiting
the Modeler.
If it is desired to discard any modifications or changes made to a database since the most recent Save, invoke the
File > Revert command in the RAM Manager or exit the RAM Structural System without saving the data. Re-
opening the current database with the File > Open command or opening a different database without saving will
also cause the changes to be discarded.
There is no explicit command to Copy a database, but this can be accomplished by opening the database,
invoking File > Save As and specifying the new name and/or directory.
Issuing the File > Exit or File > Open commands before the current database has been saved will cause a
message to be given warning the user that changes have been made since the last Save was invoked, and gives
the user a chance to save work before exiting. Select Yes if you want to save the changes to the database, No if
you want to discard the changes, or Cancel if you want to continue with the current database.
If the program crashes or otherwise abnormally terminates at any time before the database can be properly
saved, a message will be given the next time that database is opened indicating that a temporary backup file for
that database has been found. The backup file contains the database as it existed at the last Save, before the most
recent changes were made. The user is given the option to either open the database as it occurred at or just
previous to the time that the program terminated (using the Most Recent Database option) or to open the
backup database which contains the database as it existed at the time of the last Save (using the Backup
Database option). The user is also given the option to cancel opening either one.
If the Backup Database option is selected, any changes made since the last proper Save will be lost.
If the Most Recent Database option is selected, the user should carefully inspect the model. The most recent
database contains all or most of the changes since the last Save, but it may also contain whatever data errors or
corruption that may have caused the program to terminate. If the data is corrupted, exit without saving. This will
cause the most recent changes to be lost and the backup database to be restored to the database (the same as if
the Backup Database option had been selected initially).
Alternatively, select the Most Recent Database option and then save to a different name using the File > Save As
command. By doing this, both versions of the database will be available for further inspection or use if necessary.
A.3.2 Model Status

Because it is a fully integrated system, the RAM Structural System modules are dependent upon each other's
data and results. Often changes to in one module invalidate the results of one or more of the other modules.
Model Status tracks these dependencies and provides feedback on each module's current state.
The File > Model Status command brings up a dialog that displays the current modules state. If the module's
indicator light is anything other than green, the dialog contains an explanation of the state of the model.
In RAM Manager, the File > Model Status command will list the status of each of the modules. This dialog
provides a more in-depth explanation of the model’s status than that provided by the status indicator lights.
A.3.3 Print
Selecting the Print command will cause the current view to be printed. This printout can be obtained at any
stage of the modeling, in any view. The black background will not be printed; white text will be printed black.

Criteria
The printout can be previewed by first invoking Print Preview. The output device can be selected (including
Orientation, Portrait or Landscape) can be selected by invoking Print Setup.
A.3.4 Print Preview

The Print > Print Preview command displays an image of a printed page on your screen with the screen’s image
on it. This is identical to what will be printed if you use the Print Screen command.
While in Print Preview mode, the "printed page" can be viewed in several modes before deciding if a printout is
desirable. Once the preview is deemed satisfactory, clicking the Print button at the top left of the screen will
send the image to the printer in the same way the Print Screen command does.
A.3.5 Print Setup

The Print > Print Setup command provides access to the setup of the printer before information is sent to the
printer. This provides the opportunity to change printing options such as indicating to which printer the output
will be directed or whether or not color printing will be used.
A.3.6 File - Print Options

A Print Options dialog is available under the File menu in the 3D Viewer and RAM Concrete modules.
The 'Print Quality vs Speed' slider allows setting of the print quality. Please note that selecting a high quality
print will greatly increase the size of the print file and the corresponding print time. The default print quality
setting is '0'. This gives maximum print speed. Clicking the 'Default' button will reset the speed to '0'.
The 'Background Print Color' sliders allow the user to set the background color of the printed image. The default
background color is white. A preview box showing the background color is show at the bottom of the dialog.
Clicking the 'Default' button will reset the color to white.
A.3.7 File - Notes

A 'Model Notes' toolbar button and menu command (under the 'File' menu) are available in all RAM Structural
System modules. Invoking "Model Notes" will bring up a model unique text file that may be used for entering any
notes that you wish to keep on the currently loaded model. The model notes file is stored in the same directory
as the model's files and will have the format 'modelname.txt'.

Criteria
A.4 Criteria
Criteria - Frame Type (on (ACI codes only) To specify the type of frame to be considered for special
page 124) provisions.
Criteria - Beam Design (on To define the general parameters used in designing the concrete beams and
page 124) producing designs that account for user preferences.
Criteria - Detailing (ACI codes only) To define default reinforcement detailing parameters for concrete
Defaults (on page 128) beams.
Criteria - Deflection (on (ACI codes only) To display and/or change the current deflection criteria for
page 129) concrete beam design.
Criteria - Camber (on (ACI codes only) To display and/or change the current camber options.
page 130)
A.4.1 Criteria - Frame Type

The Criteria > Frame Type dialog is where global frame type criteria can be selected which will apply to all
lateral members in the structure.
Frame Type There are three different frame types that can be used for the design of concrete beams
and columns. They are Ordinary Moment Frame (OMF), Intermediate Moment Frame
(IMF) and Special Moment Frame (SMF). The gravity members are always designed as
OMF. Similar to the Load Combo Generator, the selection of the frame type in either the
beam or column mode will change the option for both modes.
Seismic Design Select the seismic design category for the design code from the drop-down list.
Category
Load When the IMF option is selected, you have three options for the gravity dead and live loads
Combination load factors used to calculate the minimum shear capacity of the beams . This is due to a
Factors discrepancy between the ACI-318 99 section R 21.10.3 and some building codes like the
UBC 97. When the SMF option is selected the load factors are 1.0 for the gravity loads for
all codes.
A.4.2 Criteria - Beam Design

The Beam Design Criteria dialog box is where global parameters used in designing and optimizing beam lines
are defined.

Criteria
Criteria - Beam Design - Reinforcement (ACI Design Codes)

On the Criteria > Beam Design - Reinforcement tab the user can specify the bar sizes to be used for selection
of longitudinal reinforcement and transverse reinforcement. Only the reinforcement bar sizes that have check
marks next to them will be used in the optimizing of reinforcement. Reducing the number of bars that are
considered for optimization will increase the speed of the design.
This is also where the user can overwrite the default code specified parameters for:
• Max/Min clear bar spacing for shear and flexure bars. This is the center to center spacing of the bars.
• Top, Bottom and Side bar clear cover. This is the clear cover on the bars from face of slab to outside surface of
the reinforcement.
• Max/Min Longitudinal reinforcement ratio for flexure only. This is the minimum flexure reinforcement ratio.
In all cases, if the Code option is selected, the program will calculate the appropriate code specified value. If the
Use option is selected, the provided value will be used as long as it is within the code specified limits (when
applicable). If the user-specified values are not within the code limits, the code limits will be used.
Additionally, on the Reinforcement Tab, the user can select whether or not to allow 2 layers of bars and can
specify the distance from cover to the center of bars (for either 1 layer or 2 layers of bars) for top and bottom
bars. These values are specified separately for gravity and lateral beams.
Criteria - Beam Design - Bar Selection

The Criteria > Beam Design Bar Selection tab is where various parameters are defined to fine-tune the
reinforcement selection:
Minimum Number of Bars in Beam Top - Used to define the minimum acceptable number of bars in the top
of the beam. If bars are required in the top of the beam, there will be at least as many bars in the top of the
beam as are specified here.
Minimum Number of Bars in Beam Bottom - Used to define the minimum acceptable number of bars in the
bottom of the beam. If bars are required in the bottom of the beam, there will be at least as many bars in the
bottom of the beam as are specified here.
Bar Sizes: Keep all bars in layer the same size - Used to force bars that are in the same layer (upper or
lower) to be the same size.
Bar Sizes: Adjacent bars may differ in size by # sizes - Used to control the change in bar size for bars in
the same layer. For example, if 1 is entered, then only #4, #5, and #6 bars can be placed in an adjacent span
to a #5 bar. This option is available if the option to force all bars in the same layer to be the same size is not
selected.
Transverse Bars: Segment Length Increment - Used to help in defining design segment dimensions that
are rounded off to typical dimensions that an engineer would use or that would be practical for construction.
For example the shear reinforcement in a beam may be divided into three segments with one at either end
where the shear is highest and a center segment. The segment length increment identifies the segment size
increment. If 6" is used then the segments will be multiples of 6".
Transverse Bars: Bar Spacing Increment - Used to define the transverse reinforcement spacing increment
so that transverse reinforcement spacing matches office and project standards. This eliminates bar spacing
that may be in fractions of inches or spacing increments that are impractical for construction.
Select bars based on Minimum Bar Area, Minimum Bar Spacing, or Maximum Bar Spacing - Used in
selecting the optimization criteria from all the acceptable combination of bar sizes and spacing. Selection by
area will attempt give the least bar area. The program will use these selection criteria to try and select
reasonable bar sizes. When a set of bar size and quantity combinations are acceptable, the selected set will

Criteria
satisfy both the user defined criteria and internally defined selection criteria that are used to give reasonable
bar sets.
Bar Selection Bias (on page 126): Bias Bar Size - This option identifies which size bars are preferred by the
engineer. The bars in the Bar Table are divided into three groups. Assuming #3 through #18 bar sizes are in
the table:
Small size = #3, #4, #5, and #6
Medium size = #7, #8, #9, and #10
Large size = #11, #14, and #18
Bar Selection Bias (on page 126): Amount of Bias - Used to specify how much importance the engineer
places on the Bar Size selected in Bias Bar Size.
Bar Selection Bias

On the Criteria - Beam Design - Bar Selection (on page 125) tab, you can specify the size of bars that are
preferred. The amount of bias increases or decreases the critical parameter used in the Bar Selection Method
when a bar is not a part of the preferred bar size. The increase in the value is based on how far the bar size is
from the preferred bar size. Assuming Medium bar size is selected then a #5 bar set will have double the percent
increased compared with a #6 bar because a #5 bar is two bar sizes away from the #7 (medium) bar size. The
amount of bias is most effective when minimum reinforcement area is selected.
Bar Selection Example:

Consider an example where the 1.1in2 of flexural reinforcement is required. The following outcomes
can be expected based on the user selections:
• Minimum Bar Area, Medium Bar Size and Medium Bias: 2-#7 (1.2in2) is selected over 10-#3
because it is not part of the medium bar size, so its area is increase before comparing it to the 2-
#7.
• Minimum Bar Area, Small Bar Size and Medium Bias: 10-#3 (1.1in2) is selected over 2-#7 because
it is part of the small bar size and has the smallest bar area of any bar set combination.
• Maximum Bar Spacing, Small Bar Size and Large Bias: 2#7 (1.32in2) will be selected over 3-#6
because even though it is not part of the small bar size its spacing and reinforcement area are
considered preferable to 3-#6 because the spacing is larger.
Criteria - Design Checks/Forces

The Criteria > Design Check/Forces tab is used to select sections of the code that the user may want to include
or ignore during the design process, and the origin of gravity forces on lateral members.
Design • Include Torsional Capacity code check per ACI 318 99/02 Sec 11.6.1 - When selected the
Checks section of the code is checked and if the requirements are not met a Design Warning is
generated
• Include Deep Beam code check per ACI 318 99/02 Sec 10.7.1 & 11.8.1 - When selected the
sections of the code are checked and if the requirements are not met a Design Warning is
generated
Gravity In some circumstances it may be advantageous to use the gravity forces that are produced in RAM
Forces for Frame rather than those produced in RAM Concrete Analysis, for the design of lateral concrete
beams. As described in the RAM Concrete manual (Concrete Analysis Technical Section) and visible

Criteria
Lateral through the Finite Element Model the concrete analysis is performed on a single story at a time. As
Beams such any beam forces that would result due to 'r;frame' building behavior are not captured in the
concrete analysis model. Frame behavior refers to the forces that result from the entire 3D
building deformation (when subject to gravity loads) as opposed to the forces that occur from the
single isolated story model. Regardless of the selected source of the gravity forces, the program
will always combine the factored gravity forces with the factored lateral forces (from RAM Frame)
for all combinations with lateral load cases.
In general the gravity forces from RAM Frame should be of similar magnitude to those in RAM
Concrete Analysis. If a comparison shows that the gravity forces are significantly different between
the two programs the user should decide which of the two most accurately represent the building
behavior and select the appropriate option.
The following points should be considered when deciding which option to select for the source of
the gravity forces on lateral members.
• Use RAM Concrete Analysis Forces - When selected, the program will use the gravity forces
calculated from RAM Concrete Analysis for lateral beams. These gravity forces consider all the
skip load conditions that would provide a bounding envelope for gravity live loads on the beam.
The finite element model used to generate these forces assumes that only the current story
members and loads will have a measurable impact on the design forces, and considers columns
and walls restrained at the levels above and below the story being analyzed. For structures that
experience little or no frame action (lateral translation or rotation) when subject to gravity
loads, RAM Concrete will produce the most accurate and comprehensive gravity beam forces
for design
• Use RAM Concrete Analysis Forces - When selected, the program will use the gravity forces
calculated from RAM Concrete Analysis for lateral beams. These gravity forces consider all the
skip load conditions that would provide a bounding envelope for gravity live loads on the beam.
The finite element model used to generate these forces assumes that only the current story
members and loads will have a measurable impact on the design forces, and considers columns
and walls restrained at the levels above and below the story being analyzed. For structures that
experience little or no frame action (lateral translation or rotation) when subject to gravity
loads, RAM Concrete will produce the most accurate and comprehensive gravity beam forces
for design
GB50010 Beam Design Brief dialog

Used to specify global parameters for designing and optimizing concrete beams for the GB50010 design code.
General tab
Cover Type the cover to the top, bottom, and sides of the beams (in mm).
Seismic Design Set this option to consider seismic provisions in the design.
Design for Torsion Set this option to consider torsion in the design.
Longitudinal Reinforcement tab

Main Bar Spacing For both Top and Bottom bars, select to either use the Code-specified spacing or select the
Use option to type a spacing distance.

Criteria
Side Bar Criteria Select the reinforcing bar size from the drop-down menu.
Cover to Center Type a edge distance to center of bars to the first and second layers of reinforcing steel.
of Bars
Main Bar Keep all bars Set this option to direct the program to select a single reinforcing bar
Selection in layer same size for all bars in a layer.
size
Adjacent bars When the Keep all bars in layer same size option is cleared, then
may differ in you can specify the range of bar sizes by which adjacent bars can vary.
size by
Select Based Used in selecting the optimization criteria for selecting the best bar
on size and quantity combination from all the acceptable combination of
bar sizes and quantities (e.g., Selection by area will give the least bar
area). The program will use these selection criteria to try and select
reasonable bar sizes. When a set of bar size and quantity combinations
are acceptable, the selected set will satisfy both the user defined
criteria and internally defined selection criteria that are used to give
reasonable bar sets.
• Minimum (Reinforcement) Bar Area
• Minimum Bar Spacing
• Maximum Bar Spacing
Main Bar Criteria Allow 2 layers Set this option to allow two layers of bars for the main reinforcing steel.
Main Bars Opens a dialog which is used to pick the bar sizes which the program
will consider for the design of the longitudinal (main) reinforcement.
Shear Reinforcement tab

Shear Bar Size Select the reinforcing bar size from the drop-down menu.
No. of Legs Type (or use the arrows to increment) the number of legs in a section.
Shear Bar Spacing Type the minimum shear bar spacing to use in both a Compact Zone and a Non-
Compact Zone.
Link Type Select whether the links should be scheduled as Closed or Open.
Design Shear Force Select the option to design the shear reinforcement up to the center line of the column
(Center of Support) or edge of support (Column Face). Note that the column or
support face is defined in the Spans Table.
A.4.3 Criteria - Detailing Defaults

The Criteria > Detailing Defaults command is used to define global reinforcement detailing parameters for
concrete beams. Three separate tabs allow the user to enter defaults separately for gravity beams, gravity joists,
and lateral beams. The parameters for each tab are essentially identical.

Criteria
• The top 3 input boxes allow the user to define the cutoff location of the top reinforcement relative to the
maximum clear span length on either side of the support.
• Splice Type - Used to define the splice type for top reinforcement. Options are Class A and Class B.
• End Stirrup Start Location, Interior Stirrup Start Location - Used to define the distance from the face of
support to first transverse reinforcement. This is used to define the start and end of the transverse
reinforcement segments. The shear and torsional check locations are still preformed based on the applicable
code sections.
• Minimum Number of Continuous Bars - Used to specify the minimum number of bottom and top bars that are
continuous over the span.
• @ End Span - Used to define the cutoff location for the bottom reinforcement relative to the clear span length.
• @ Interior Span - Used to define the cutoff location for the bottom reinforcement relative to the clear span
length.
• Bottom Bar End Condition - Used to specify the end condition for bottom bars at span ends. Options are
Hooked and Straight.
• Stirrup Type - Used to specify default type of transverse reinforcement. Options are Open, 135 Degree Hook,
Closed, and Hoop.
• Stirrup Legs - Used to specify number of stirrup legs for transverse bar sets. The stirrup legs identify the
number of bars that cross the beam shear failure cracks.
• For Joist details the is an additional option to design joist as beams and schedule them as joists. This option is
useful in situations were wide module pans are used in the construction. In those cases often the engineer
wants to place the beams in a joist schedule but they beams do not meet the joist design criteria in ACI 318 so
they can not be designed as joists.
A.4.4 Criteria - Deflection

Selecting the Criteria > Deflection command will cause the Deflection Criteria dialog box to appear, displaying
the current deflection criteria for beam design optimization. Change these criteria by selecting different options
and/or entering new values.
Note: Deflections are not considered in the Design of the beams, that is, no consideration is given to deflection
when calculating the amount of reinforcing required during optimization. However, following a beam design the
optimized reinforcing and section properties of the beam are considered to calculate the deflection in the beam
and compare against the criteria specified by the user.
Don't check Select this option to restrict deflection checks to concrete beams with a specified minimum
deflection for span-to-depth ratio. The span length considered is the clear span length. This feature can be
span/depth used to limit which beams are checked as permitted by Table 9.5(a) in ACI 318-99 10. By
(ln/h) less specifying a sufficiently large value for this limit the user can effectively 'switch off' deflection
than checks if so desired. The minimum ratio allowed is 1.0.
Minimum Ln/d indicates a minimum span-to-deflection ratio. Note that the span lengths in this check
Allowable are based on the clear length (face-to-face) span length. Delta indicates an absolute maximum
Span-to- deflection value. A delta value of 0.0 indicates no limit for that condition. The criteria to use is
Deflection based on assignment made using the Assign > Deflection Criteria command. The first
ratios criteria in the list is used by default for newly created beams.
For more information please refer to the technical section on calculating beam deflections.

Criteria
Long Term The time dependant deflection factors are based on the length of time that long term
Deflection deflection is to be measured at per ACI 318-99 9.5.2.5. The Initial Time Dependant Factor is
used to determine the long term deflection due only to dead load. That is, the portion of long
term deflection that occurs prior to the attachment of the non-structural (live load) elements.
This factor is defaulted to 0.0 so as to assume the live loads are applied relatively soon after
completion of construction. The actual long term deflection against which the allowable
deflection criteria will be checked is calculated as the Final Long Term deflection less the
Initial Long Term deflection.
The percentage of Live Load Sustained is that percentage of the live load that is considered
relatively static so as to result in long term deflection on the structure. This percentage of the
full live load is applied to the structure for the calculation of the final long term deflection. For
the calculation of the long term deflection all live load is considered to have been applied to
the structure concurrently, that is, no skip loading is considered in the calculation of long
term deflection.
For more information please refer to the technical section on long-term deflection.
Effective Select the method by which the program will calculate the effective moment of inertia (Ieff)
Moment of for each of the deflection calculations. If the ACI is selected then Ieff is calculated per ACI
Inertia 9.5.2.3 eqn (9-7) for each deflection check (Dead Load, Live Load, Long Term and Net)
independently. If Use I From Analysis is selected then the same moment of inertia used in the
analysis (Ig x Cracked Section Factor) will be used in the calculation of each of the beam
deflection checks.
Clicking Cancel will cancel any changes made and return you to RAM Concrete Beam Design.
Clicking OK will cause a warning message dialog box to appear on the screen stating that
proceeding with this command will clear all previously optimized beam designs. You are
given the option to continue the deflection criteria change by clicking Yes or canceling the
change by clicking No.
A.4.5 Criteria - Camber

Selecting the Criteria > Camber command will cause the Camber Criteria dialog box to appear, displaying the
current camber criteria for beam design optimization. Change these criteria by selecting different options
and/or entering new values.
Camber can be suppressed by selecting either the Do Not Camber option or the Do Not Camber Beams with
span less than option. The beam span in this case refers to the clear span (face-to-face) length.
Note: Selecting either of these options does not necessarily mean that camber would not be desirable, simply
that no camber is calculated nor considered in the deflection checks.
The indicated percentage of the total dead load is used. When the camber is calculated, the value is rounded
down to the Increment value specified. If the camber required is less than the Minimum Camber value, no
camber is specified for that member. If the camber required is greater than the Maximum Camber value, the
Maximum Camber value will be used for that member. Note: This does not mean that a larger camber (greater
than the Maximum value) would not be appropriate, just that the amount of camber called out and considered in
the Net deflection check will be limited to the Maximum. Generally a more appropriate way of limiting the
maximum camber is to specify more stringent deflection criteria. The deflection check would then highlight to
the user a beam that should be deeper and hence require less camber.

Criteria - BS8110 Design Code
Clicking Cancel will cancel any changes made and return you to RAM Concrete BeamDesign.
Clicking OK will cause a warning message dialog box to appear on the screen stating that proceeding with this
command will clear all previously optimized beam designs. You are given the option to continue the deflection
criteria change by clicking Yes or canceling the change by clicking No.
A.5 Criteria - BS8110 Design Code

Criteria Beam Design - BS8110 (on page 131) To define the general parameters used in designing
the concrete beams and producing designs that
account for user preferences.
A.5.1 Criteria Beam Design - BS8110

The Beam Design Criteria dialog box is where global parameters used in designing and optimizing beam lines
are defined.
Criteria - Beam Design - Reinforcement (BS8110 Design Code) (on page 131)
Criteria - Design Checks/Forces (on page 126)
Criteria - Beam Design - Reinforcement (BS8110 Design Code)

Minimum Clear Bar Cover - Set the cover to the top, bottom, and sides of the beams.
Minimum Gap Between Main Bar Layers - Defines the clear bar spacing between the upper or lower main bar
layers.
Bar Sizes to Consider for Design - Sets the minimum and maximum allowable bar sizes to be used for flexural
and shear reinforcement.
Shear Reinforcement - Sets the minimum shear reinforcement spacing and number of legs to be used.
A.6 Assign
The Assign commands are used to make assignments to concrete beams in a model. Assign commands can be
issued in Single, Fence or All mode. Making an assignment to a beam will invalidate the design results for the
entire beam line, requiring the beam line to be redesigned.
When a command is issued in Single mode, the arrow cursor turns into a target cursor for the selection of the
desired member.

Assign
In Fence mode, the arrow cursor turns into the rectangle cursor that allows the selection of multiple members at
a time.
In All mode, the cursor remains the arrow cursor but the assignment is made to all member
Assign - Size (on page 132) To assign sizes to concrete beams.
Reinforcement Layout ( Assign - Reinforcement To override the default reinforcement criteria on a

Layout (on page 132), Assign - Reinforcement Layout beam by beam basis.
(on page 133))
A.6.1 Assign - Size

Using the Assign > Size command, sizes can be assigned to any concrete beam in the model.
Note: Assigning a new size to a beam will impact your analysis results so you will need to rerun the Concrete
Analysis and RAM Frame analysis (if applicable). You can continue with the design after changing a beam size
but you will notice that the model status light has changed to yellow for some of the modules and modes.
When the Assign > Size command is selected, the previously defined concrete beam sections available for
assignment will be listed in the dialog box. Concrete beam sections are defined in the RAM Modeler. Choose a
beam size by clicking on it. The associated dimensions of the Rectangle or T-Section will be displayed to the
right.
Click either Single, Fence or All.
Return to the Assign > Size dialog box by clicking the right mouse button.
The Cancel button will close the Assign > Size dialog box without providing the option to assign sizes to any
beams.
A.6.2 Assign - Reinforcement Layout

The Assign > Reinforcement Layout command can be used to override the default reinforcement criteria on a
beam by beam basis. Reinforcement Layout assignments can be made to all lateral and gravity concrete beams.
The following defaults can be overridden by checking the associated check box and entering user defined values:
Top Cover to Used to override default cover to center of top bars specified in Criteria > Beam Design.
Center The default values are listed for easy reference.
Bottom Cover to Used to override the default cover to center of bottom bars specified in Criteria > Beam
Center Design. The default values are listed for easy reference.
Maximum Number Used to override the number of allowable bar layers as specified in Criteria - Beam Design
of Bar Layers (on page 124). The default number of layers is listed for easy reference.
Shear Stirrup Used to override the default stirrup type as specified in Criteria - Detailing Defaults. The
Type default values for gravity beams/joists and lateral beams are listed for easy reference.

Assign
Number of Stirrup Used to override the default number of stirrup legs as specified in Criteria > Detailing
Legs Defaults. The default values for gravity beams/joists and lateral beams are listed for easy
reference.
Design Member Used to specify whether a beam should be designed as a beam or as a joist. All beams are
Type defaulted to be designed as beams when they are added in the Modeler. This is the only
place to specify the design type for a concrete beam. Note: If a lateral member has been
assigned as a joist, it will still be designed as a beam because there are no provisions for
joist design on lateral members.
For each option (except Design Member Type) that is checked to be assigned, user defined values can be entered
to override the default criteria, or the Global Criteria option can be selected in order to reset the beam to use the
criteria entered in the Criteria > Beam Design and Criteria > Detailing Defaults dialog boxes.
Click Single, Fence, or All.
Return to the Assign > Reinforcement Layout dialog box by clicking the right mouse button.
The Cancel button will close the Assign > Reinforcement Layout dialog box without providing the option to
assign the reinforcement information to any beams.
A.6.3 Assign - Reinforcement Layout

The Assign > Reinforcement Layout command is used to override the default reinforcement criteria on a beam
by beam basis. Reinforcement Layout assignments can be made to all lateral and gravity concrete beams. The
following defaults can be overridden by checking the associated check box and entering user defined values:
• Link Type - Used to override default cover to center of top bars specified in Criteria > Beam Design. The
default values are listed for easy reference.
• Number of Link Legs - Used to override the default cover to center of bottom bars specified in Criteria >
• Link Spacing - Used to override the number of allowable bar layers as specified in Criteria > Beam Design.
The default number of layers is listed for easy reference.
• Clear Bar Cover - Used to override the default top, bottom, and side clear bar cover values specified in
Criteria > Beam Design. The default cover values are listed for easy reference.
• Minimum Gap Between Main Bar Layers - Used to override the default distance between main bar layers
specified in Criteria > Beam Design. The default values are listed for easy reference.
• Bar Sizes for Main Design - Used to override the default minimum and maximum main bar sizes specified in
Criteria > Beam Design. The default sizes are shown for easy reference.
• Bar Sizes for Main Design - Used to override the default minimum and maximum shear bar sizes specified in
Criteria > Beam Design. The default sizes are shown for easy reference.
Fence, or All buttons closes the dialog in the selection mode as described above. The status bar displays a
prompt that tells the user what needs to be done to make the assignment.

Combinations
A.6.4 Assign - Deflection Criteria

The Assign > Deflection Criteria command can be used to override the default deflection criteria on a beam by
beam basis. Deflection Criteria assignments can be made to all lateral and gravity concrete beams.
Deflection Criteria are created and edited using the Criteria > Deflection command.
A.7 Combinations
Generated Load Combinations (on page 134) To generate load combinations used in design of the
concrete beam reinforcement.
Custom Load Combinations (on page 135) To define explicitly load combinations that will be
used for concrete beam design.
A.7.1 Generated Load Combinations

The Load Combination Generator is a tool that engineers can use to create load combinations based on the
loading of a given model. The generator is controlled behind the scenes by external template files. These files are
located in the Tables directory and have a file extension of .cmb. RAM International provides several template
files but engineering office might also want to create their own template files. (See the RAM Structural System
manuals for more information on creating template files.)
At the top of the Load Combination Generator dialog box is located a drop-down combo that lists the available
combination templates. This drop-down is labeled "Code for Combinations" since all of the RAM International
templates are based directly on building codes. When a combination code is selected, the controls on the dialog
box will change so that all parameters needed to create the combinations can be entered.
In addition to selecting the combination code and entering the associated parameters, load cases can be selected
and de-selected. Load Cases that are de-selected will not be considered when generating combinations. To select
a load case to use in combination, place a check in the checkbox that appears beside the load case. To de-select it,
remove the check.
Once the input information is ready, clicking the Generate button generates combinations. After combinations
have been generated, the Generate button will become unavailable indicating that the load combinations
accurately reflect the data in the dialog. If any change is made to the combination input data (the upper half of
the dialog), the combination grid is cleared and the Generate button becomes active.
Generated load combinations are not editable. Like load cases, they can be selected and de-selected using the
check boxes to the left of each combination. They can also be copied into the custom combination dialog for
modification. The toolbar buttons located to the left of the combination grid can be useful in working with the
combinations.

Combinations
Exit the dialog by clicking OK or Cancel. Clicking OK will save the selected code, its parameters and the generated
combinations. Clicking Cancel will abort all changes made inside the dialog since it was entered. If the user clicks
OK after making changes to the combination input data but new combinations have not been generated, a
warning will be given that the dialog cannot be exited in this state. To exit without generating, the Cancel button
must be used.
A.7.2 Custom Load Combinations

Custom load combinations can be entered manually, by typing combinations into the combination grid by
pasting them in from another source, or they can be generated.
Load Combinations are typed into the grid as a text string. Each combination must follow the same format:
Symbols for each of the load cases are shown in the load case grid located at the top left of the dialog box. Note
that every load combination ends in a load case symbol.
Combinations can contain, at most, 25 load cases and must not exceed 254 characters in length.
Once a combination has been typed in, it can be validated by clicking the column header that says, "Click to
Validate". A green light will appear beside load combinations that can be used by the program. A yellow light
appears beside load combinations that include load cases that are not analyzed. A red light appears beside load
combinations that have syntax errors, rendering them useless to the program. If a user tries to exit the Custom
Combination dialog while combinations with syntax errors (red lights) are present, a warning will be given
stating that these combinations will not be saved and giving the user the option to return to the dialog to fix
them before exiting.

Process
Like generated load combinations, custom combinations can be selected and de-selected. Because custom
combinations are editable, they can also be revised and deleted. The toolbar buttons located to the left of the
combination grid can be useful in working with the combinations.
The Custom Combinations Dialog also has the ability to work from templates in the same way that the Generate
Combinations Dialog does with 3 notable differences:
1. When generating combinations in the Custom Combination Dialog all template files, regardless of material or
code, are made available. For this reason, a Template ID must be selected before templates are available.
Once this is done, the Code for Combinations combo box becomes available and a specific template can be
selected.
2. In the Custom Combinations Dialog, the parameters entered in the dialog for creating the combinations are
not saved once the dialog closes. The combinations are saved as if they had been typed in. Once the dialog
closes, they loose their connection to the template that created them.
3. Whether combinations that have been generated or typed in they are never replaced by the "Generate"
command. New combinations are appended to the end of the list. This can quickly cause a proliferation of
custom combinations if one generates several times.
Exit the dialog by clicking OK or Cancel. Clicking OK will save the selected code, its parameters and the generated
combinations. Clicking Cancel will abort all changes made inside the dialog since it was entered. If the user clicks
OK while combinations with syntax errors exist (red lights), a warning will be given stating that these
combinations will not be saved. The engineer then has the chance to return to the dialog to make corrections
before exiting.
A.8 Process
Process - Design All (on page 137) To automatically design all concrete beams that are
ready for design.
Process - View/Update (on page 137) To view the design results and interactively change
and check alternative beam designs.
Process - Results Deflections (on page 141) To display deflection results for each designed beam.
Process - Copy Design (on page 142) To assign the same reinforcement from one beam line
to another.

Process
Process - Freeze Design (on page 143) To set the beam design as User Defined so that the
design will not change during a Design All. This is
similar to pressing the Update Database button in the
View/Update dialog box.
Process - Clear Design (on page 144) To remove the User Defined setting on concrete
beams.
A.8.1 Process - Design All

Select the Process > Design All command to design all concrete beams at once. During design, the status log will
appear to track the status of the design process.
more information on concrete beam color-coding, see the Concrete Beam Color-Coding (on page 120) help topic.
A.8.2 Process - View/Update

When the Process > View/Update command is issued, the cursor will change from the arrow cursor to the
target cursor, allowing the engineer to select a beam line by clicking on any beam in the beam line. Once a beam
line is selected, the View/Update dialog box is launched and displays information relevant to that beam line. The
View/Update title bar displays the currently selected Beam Line number as well as the Story where the Beam
Line is located.
If an un-designed beam line is selected, it will be designed before the dialog box is opened. If the beam line
Optimize - Discards any changes made by the user in the View/Update dialog and optimizes the beam line
per global criteria and any previously assigned data.
Analyze - Analyzes the beam line using information entered in the View/Update dialog. The existing
Update Database - Updates the model database with the parameters in the View/Update dialog box as well
as saves the current design of each beam in the beam line. No optimization is performed on beam lines that
have had their database information updated. These beams will only be checked until their design is cleared
through the Process - Clear Design command.
View Results - This button is used to display the detailed design information on each beam in the beam line.
View Summary - This button is used to display a Summary report for each beam in the beam line.
Close - Closes the View/Update dialog box without updating the design. If the beam information was saved
using the Update Database button, this information will remain saved but any changes since the command
was issued will be lost.
The traffic lights on the View/Update dialog box graphically indicate the status of the design. A green light
indicates the design is current and passes all checks. Yellow indicates the design is not current and a redesign is
required. Red indicates that there are design warnings for at least one beam in the beam line. There is a
description of the reason why the beam did not pass on the Design Warnings tab.

Process
Process - View/Update - Longitudinal Reinforcement

The Longitudinal Reinforcement tab provides the engineer with a means for modifying top and bottom
longitudinal bar sets that have been assigned to the beam, either during design, or previously by the engineer.
When the Longitudinal Reinforcement tab is selected, the graphical display area will display a representation of
the longitudinal bar sets in the beam line. The envelope data displayed both graphically and numerically will
correspond to the longitudinal reinforcement assigned to the beam line.
Note: Bar sets are a group of bars that are the same size and share the same Start/End locations and conditions.
Reports - Beam Design (on page 145) can be viewed in the upper left-hand corner.
Radio buttons allows the user to select between Top and Bottom Reinforcement.
When Top Reinforcement is selected, the top reinforcement data can be edited. When Bottom Reinforcement is
selected, the bottom reinforcement data can be edited. Existing bar sets can be edited or deleted and new bar
sets can be added in the spreadsheet area of this tab.
Longitudinal Bar Set Properties (on page 138)

Editing an Existing Bar Set (on page 139)
Adding a Longitudinal Bar Set (on page 139)
Deleting a Bar Set (on page 139)
For easy cross-reference between the spreadsheet area of the tab and the graphical display area, when a bar set
is selected in the spreadsheet area, the corresponding bar set will be highlighted in the graphical display area.
When a bar set is selected in the graphical display area, the first cell in the corresponding line in the spreadsheet
will be highlighted.
Longitudinal Bar Set Properties

The following properties apply to each longitudinal bar set, top or bottom, and all but the first can be edited:
No. - The unique number for this bar set within the selected beam line. Top and bottom bar sets are
numbered separately
Support - Indicates the support to the left of the bar set.
Quantity - The number of bars within the bar set.
Bar Size - The bar size of all bars within the bar set.
Start - The start location of the bar set relative to the indicated Support.
End - The end location of the bar set relative to the indicated Support.
Reinforcement Layer - Identifies the location of the bar set in the top or bottom reinforcement. For the
single reinforcement layer the top longitudinal bars will show as Upper and the bottom longitudinal bars as
Lower. For two layers of reinforcement the layer closest to the beam surface is Upper for top bars and Lower
for bottom bars.
Bar End Left - The end condition for the left end of the bar set. Options are Straight, Hooked or Splice.
Bar End Right - The end condition for the right end of the bar set. Options are Straight, Hooked or Splice.
Note on Start/End locations: The value specified is the distance from the center of the support. If the bar
end condition is Straight or Hooked the location describes the end of the bar. If the end condition is Splice
then the location describes the distance to the middle of the development length for the bar. This makes the
layout of splice bars much easier because the end of a bar with a splice will be at the same location as the
start of the next splice.

Process
Editing an Existing Bar Set

To edit an existing longitudinal or transverse bar set:
1. Select the cell in the spreadsheet section of the reinforcement tab that corresponds to the property of the bar
set to be changed.
2. For numerical values, use the <tab> or <enter> key after making a change in order to update the graphical
display of reinforcement. For reinforcement properties with a drop down list, the change will take place as
soon as a new item is selected.
Adding a Longitudinal Bar Set

Longitudinal bar sets can only be added from the Longitudinal Reinforcement tab. To add a new top or bottom
longitudinal bar set:
1. Click on the Support cell drop down list in the last (empty) row of the spreadsheet section of the tab and
select the support from which to add a new bar set.
2. Continue across the row and fill in all data pertaining to the new bar set.
3. Once all the data is available, the new bar set will appear in the graphical portion of the View/Update dialog
box.
4. Additional bar sets can be added.
Note: Any bar sets with incomplete data will be discarded when switching between top and bottom
reinforcement or when switching to another tab in the View/Update dialog box.
Deleting a Bar Set

1. There are two ways to delete a bar set:
Highlight the entire row of bar set data in the spreadsheet section of the reinforcement tab and press the
<Delete> key
or
Select the bar set in the graphical area of the View/Update dialog and hit the <Delete> key.
Process - View/Update Transverse Reinforcement

The Transverse Reinforcement tab provides the engineer with a means for modifying transverse bar sets that
have been assigned to the beam, either during design, or previously by the engineer. When the Transverse
Reinforcement tab is selected, the graphical display area will display a representation of the transverse bar sets
in the beam line. The envelope data displayed both graphically and numerically will correspond to the
transverse reinforcement assigned to the beam line.
Beam dimensions can be viewed in the upper left-hand corner.
Existing transverse bar sets can be edited or deleted and new bar sets can be added in the spreadsheet area of
this tab.
Transverse Bar Set Properties (on page 140)

Editing an Existing Bar Set (on page 139)
Adding a Transverse Bar Set (on page 140)
Deleting a Bar Set (on page 139)

Process
Transverse Bar Set Properties

The following properties apply to each transverse bar set and all but the first can be edited:
No . - The unique number for this bar set within the selected beam line.
Span - Indicates the span that contains the bar set.
Bar Size - The bar size of all bars within the bar set.
Spacing - The spacing of the bars within the bar set.
Num Legs - The total number of shear legs in the transverse bar set.
Start - The start location of the bar set relative to the indicated Span.
End - The end location of the bar set relative to the indicated Span.
The following properties are calculated by the RAM Concrete module and can be viewed, but not edited:
• Required Reinforcement Capacity - The required reinforcement capacity for the length of the beam
covered by this bar set as determined during the analysis.
• Provided Reinforcement Capacity - The provided reinforcement capacity for the length of the beam
provided by the bar set as determined during beam design.
Adding a Transverse Bar Set

Transverse bar sets can only be added from the Transverse Reinforcement tab. To add a new transverse bar set:
1. Click on the Span cell drop down list in the last (empty) row of the spreadsheet section of the tab and select
the Span number in which to add a new bar set.
2. Continue across the row and fill in all data pertaining to the new bar set, except the Reinforcement Capacity
data which is generated by the design engine.
3. Once all data is available, the new bar set will appear in the graphical portion of the View/Update dialog box.
A warning will appear if the new bar set overlaps an existing bar set. Transverse bar sets cannot overlap.
Also note that when transverse reinforcement is assigned during design, place holders are listed in the
spreadsheet section of the tab to indicate empty spaces where new transverse bar sets can be added. Such place
holders list the Span number and the Start and End values of the available space. To add a new transverse bar set
with the existing Start and End values:
1. Select a Bar Size in the row corresponding to the place holder to be updated.
2. Once the Bar Size is selected, the transverse bar set will appear in the graphical display area of the View/
Update dialog box.
3. Next, enter the Spacing value and Number of Legs must be entered to complete the bar set data.
A warning will be given when changing to another tab in the View/Update dialog if the Spacing value is 0.0 or if
the Number of Legs is 0 for any transverse bar sets.
To edit the start or end locations of a bar set simply change the values in the appropriate cells. The end of one
bar set is linked to the start of the adjacent bar set so if the end location is changed the start location of the
adjacent bar set is update. This helps the user avoid defining transverse bar sets that overlap.
Process - View/Update - Section/Material Properties


Process
Beam For each span in the beam line, the engineer can view the span length, the assigned size, and the
Properties section dimensions associated with that size. This information cannot be edited through the
View/Update dialog.
The Stirrup Type and Number of Stirrup Legs can be both viewed and edited for each beam in
the beam line.
Material For each span in the beam line, the engineer can view and edit steel reinforcement and concrete
Properties material properties.
If LWC is selected for the Concrete Type, an fct value can be entered.
If the Elastic Modulus was set to Use Calculated in the Modeler for a concrete beam, the
Modulus of Elasticity value in the Material Properties section of the View/Update dialog will be
read-only. If it was set to a user defined value in the Modeler, the Modulus of Elasticity can be
edited along with the other material properties displayed.
Process - View/Update - Design Warnings

red. The design warnings for the currently selected beam line are listed on the Design Warnings tab.
Process - View/Update - Deflections

The Deflections tab provides the engineer a means to view the results of the controlling deflection check on
each beam in the beam line.
For each span in the beam line the engineer can view the camber (if specified to be calculated in the Criteria-
Camber dialog box), the type of deflection that controlled (Dead Load, Live Load, Long Term or Net), what the
controlling deflection (delta) value is, where along the span this controlling deflection was calculated, the
controlling span-to-deflection ratio, the effective moment of inertia for the controlling case, the controlling ratio
(calculated L/d divided by Allowable L/d). Note that a controlling deflection is only available if the user has
specified at least one set of criteria in the Criteria-Deflection dialog box, otherwise the largest deflection and
associated data is reported.
The user can update the reinforcing on the Longitudinal reinforcing tab, select Analyze and return to the
Deflection tab to observe the affect on the deflection checks. Note that a change of tension steel will affect
immediate deflection values (Dead Load and Live Load) predominantly, whereas modifying the compression
reinforcing will also affect the long-term deflection results.
A.8.3 Process - Results Deflections

The Deflection Results dialog box provides interactive access to the deflection results.
By selecting a deflection type from the drop-down list the members are colored according to their deflection
ratio (Calculated Ln/d divided by Allowable Ln/d) for the selected load type. If however there is no design (no
reinforcing) in a beam, the beam will be colored white. If there is no deflection criteria specified (or a beam has a
span/depth ratio less than specified to be checked) in the Criteria-Deflection dialog box then all the beams will
be colored light blue. All other case the beams are colored according to the deflection ratio color scale and the
selected deflection type. If desired the Controlling Case can be selected from the deflection results dialog to
display that deflection type on each beam that produced the worst deflection ratio.

Process
By selecting one of the text display options and clicking Apply, the selected entity will be displayed for each
beam on the screen. The available selections are as follows:
Ln/d The clear span (face-to-face) span length-to-depth ratio (for cantilevers twice the clear span is used
for L). 'd' is the full depth of the section. If Controlling Case is selected in the Deflection Type list box
then the controlling deflection type is shown on the member (DL=Dead Load, LL=Live Load, LT =
Long Term + Live and NET = DL + LT + LL - Camber).
Delta The deflection for that physical member that corresponds to the largest L/d for all spans in the
physical beam. That is, for a beam that has a cantilever only one delta is reported per deflection type
per beam. This delta is the deflection that corresponds to the largest L/d for each span (mid span
and cantilever) on that individual beam.
Ieff The calculated effective moment of inertia for the beam for that particular deflection type.
DefL If there is an allowable deflection limit specified (in the Criteria-Deflection Dialog Box) for the
Ratio selected Deflection Type, the controlling deflection ratio (Actual deflection / Allowable Deflection)
will be reported. Note that each member is colored according to its deflection ratio for the selected
deflection type.
A.8.4 Process - Copy Design

A special method of design is the Process > Copy command. This command allows the user to copy
reinforcement and section sizes from one beam line to another. This is useful when it is desired to make similar
beam lines identical and reduce the number of unique beam marks when the concrete beam schedules are
created.
The Copy Beam Line Design command transfers the longitudinal and transverse reinforcement for an entire
beam line to the destination beam line(s) selected by the user. The section size(s) for each span may also be
transferred at the user's option. The Tolerance Setting specified in the dialog determines the conditions under
which the copy is executed. A description of each of the two settings is given below:
Perform copy only if beam lines are geometrically identical
When this option is selected the following conditions must be met in order for the copy to be executed on the
target beam line(s):
1. The source beam line and target beam line(s) must have the same number of spans
2. The length of each respective span in the source beam line and target beam line(s) must be the same
(including cantilevers)
3. The length of each corresponding support measured parallel to the beam line for the source beam line and
target beam line(s) must be the same
4. Each corresponding beam in the source beam line and target beam line(s) must have the same section
assignment
5. Each corresponding beam in the source beam line and target beam line(s) must have the same material
properties
Note: If choosing to copy the beam section assignments, item 4 is not enforced.
Perform copy if clear length of each corresponding span is within:

Process
When this option is selected, conditions 2 and 3 described for the previous option are relaxed through use of a
tolerance. The clear distance of each respective span from the source beam line to the target beam line(s)
(measured between support faces), is ratioed according to the following:
Span Ratio = 100 x (L SOURCE - L TARGET )/L SOURCE
If the calculated value above is less than the tolerance specified in the dialog for all beam spans (including
cantilevers), the copy is performed.
To use the Copy command, first design a beam line using either the Process > View/Update command or
Process > Design All command. Once a beam line has been designed, the corresponding design can be copied to
other beam lines provided the conditions detailed previously are met.
is performed. The beams in the beam line are now considered user defined and will be painted dark blue on
screen if the design is successful.
target cursor. First select the designed beam line (the Copy From beam line, or source), then select the beam line
to which the designs are to be copied (the Copy To beam line, or target). A warning will be given when a target
beam line is selected that fails to meet the criteria above. The target cursor changes, alternating between a Copy
From cursor to a Copy To cursor, to help identify the current step in the copy process.
target beam lines. Only those beam lines that meet the criteria above will be designed with the copied
complete, the cursor will return to the target cursor and a new source beam line can be selected.
cursor. After selecting a source beam line, the copy will be performed on all beam lines in the model that meet
the criteria specified above. No warning will be given for those beam lines that are not updated.
Note: The Copy command does not create a link between the source beam line and the target beam line. A
A.8.5 Process - Freeze Design

At certain points during the design process, it may be desirable to "r;Freeze" the design of some or all of the
beam lines. Doing so allows the user to archive completed designs or to perform what-if type investigations
without having the reinforcement re-optimized and potentially modified.
To freeze the design of a single beam line, select Process > Freeze - Single. The cursor will change from the
arrow cursor to a target cursor. Click on a beam to freeze the design of the entire beam line. If the beam line has
not been designed, a warning will be issued with an option to design the beam line now.
To freeze the design of multiple beam lines, select Process > Freeze - Fence. The cursor will change from the
arrow cursor to the fence cursor. Fence a region to freeze multiple beam lines. Only beam lines located entirely
within a fenced region will be frozen.

Reports
To freeze the design of all beam lines, select Process > Freeze - All. The freeze command will be performed on
all beam lines.
Freezing a design on a beam line is equivalent to the Update Database command within View/Update. It marks
the beam line as User Defined and saves the current reinforcement for the beam line. A frozen beam line will not
be re-optimized until the design is cleared. Beams will be updated on screen to reflect their current status. See
Concrete Beam Color-Coding (on page 120) for more information.
A.8.6 Process - Clear Design

reinforcement in the View/Update can be cleared by selecting the Process > Clear - Single, Fence or All
commands. Once a design is cleared, it will be optimized rather then having the reinforcement checked the next
A.9 Reports
Printer To have the reports sent directly to the printer.
Screen To have the reports displayed on screen.
Text File To have the reports saved to a comma delimited text

file.
Viewer File To have the reports saved to the report viewer file
format. This provides the ability to view the report
without running the any of the RAM Structural System
modules.
Reports - Design Criteria (on page 145) To generate a report of current design criteria.
Reports - Load Combinations (on page 145) To generate a report of all generated and user defined
load combinations.
Reports - Beam Design (on page 145) To generate a Beam Design Report for one or more
concrete beams.
Reports - Beam Design Summary (on page 145) To generate the Beam Design Summary Report.
Reports - Deflection Summary (on page 145) To generate the Deflection Summary Report.
Reports - Material Takeoff (on page 146) To generate the Material Takeoff Report.

Reports
A.9.1 Reports - Design Criteria

The Design Criteria report contains the parameters that were set in the Beam Design Criteria and Detailing
Defaults Criteria dialog boxes, as well as all the information that can be assigned to a beam using the Assign Size
and Assign Reinforcement Layout dialog boxes.
A.9.2 Reports - Load Combinations

The Load Combinations report is used to check the parameters used in generating load combinations as well as
the list of load combinations used in checking the model.
The report contains all the data used to generate the combinations for the given code. The number next to each
combination will match the numbers in the Design Reports and the Load Combination dialog boxes.
A.9.3 Reports - Beam Design

Selecting the Reports > Beam Design - Single command will change the cursor from an arrow cursor to a target
cursor. Select the beam for which to generate output by clicking on a beam. A Beam Design Report will be
generated for the selected beam.
Selecting the Reports > Beam Design - Fence command will change the cursor from an arrow cursor to a fence
cursor. Select multiples beams for which to generate output by fencing an area of the model. A Beam Design
Report will be generated for all beams within the fenced area.
Selecting the Reports > Beam Design - All command will generate a Beam Design Report for all beams in the
model.
These reports consist of two or more pages of output per beam, detailing span information, beam properties, top
and bottom longitudinal reinforcement, transverse reinforcement, and Required and Provided moment capacity
and reinforcement area at all output stations along the beam for both longitudinal and transverse bar design.
These reports also contain a section on deflections that provides the camber (if required), along with the results
of the deflection check for each deflection type on the beam.
A.9.4 Reports - Beam Design Summary

The Beam Design Summary report is a list of the basic design information required to detail and do cost
estimates for beams.

View
A.9.5 Reports - Deflection Summary

The Deflection Summary gives the controlling deflection results for each span in the beam. The calculated
deflections are displayed along with the controlling deflection ratio (calculated deflection / allowable deflection)
for the span. No ratio will be provided where no deflection criteria are specified or the span length excludes the
beam from requiring to be checked (per the specified minimum Ln/h in the Criteria-Deflection dialog box). This
is currently the only location to get the mid span and cantilever results separately for an individual beam.
A.9.6 Reports - Material Takeoff

The Material Takeoff report generates the material take off of all the designed beams in the model. The Material
Takeoff report can be used in cost estimating and design comparisons. The Material Takeoff report is separated
by story. For each story the concrete slabs, reinforcement and concrete quantities are reported.
A.10 View
A.10.1 View - Colors

A Model Colors / Design Colors toggle button and associated menu items are available in the RAM Concrete
modules. Both the RAM Concrete Column and RAM Concrete Beam modules change the display colors of the
members to reflect their current design status.
Clicking the 'Change to Model Colors' button, , or selecting Colors > Model Colors from the View menu will
switch display colors back to the default colors assigned for each type. This can make it easier to identify the
specific type of member by its color.
After clicking the 'Change to Model Colors' button, the button graphic will toggle to the 'Change to Design Colors'
button, . Clicking this button or selecting Colors > Design Colors from the View menu will toggle the color
display back to 'design' colors.
The graphic displayed on the button reflects the current model display colors which are the opposite of the
A.10.2 View - Beam Lines

The View > Beam Lines command is used to display the beam lines on a selected story. Selecting this command
brings up the View Beam Lines dialog box. Select the options you would like from the dialog box and click Apply
to display the selected options on the screen.

View
Story - From the story list select the story you would like to observe beam line numbers on. When selected
the list of beam line numbers will be updated to show all the beam line numbers currently assigned on the
selected story.
Select Beam Line Numbers - Select one or more beam line numbers from the list of beam line numbers.
Depending on your selection the beams with the selected beam line numbers will be highlighted and/or
numbered, when Apply is selected. By clicking Select All (Unselect All), all the beam line numbers in the list
will be selected (unselected).
Show Beam Line Numbers - Select this option to display the beam line number on each beam that is
assigned a beam line number equal to one of the numbers selected in the list.
Highlight Beam Lines - Select this option to highlighted each beam that is assigned a beam line number
equal to one of the numbers selected in the list.
Close will hide the dialog box.

Select View > Reset Model to remove the beam line numbers and highlighted members that are displayed on
the screen.

Index
A Beam Shear minimum reinforcement,
Reinforcement 63 beams 101
ACI 49, 83
Beam Top 125 minimum shear
ACI 318
Bending reinforcement 104
Chapter 10 73, 74
BS8110 86 modulus of elasticity 98
ACI-318 2002 69, 70
Bias 125 modulus of rupture 99
ACI-318 2005 70
Bias Bar Size 125 plane sections 99
ACI-318 2008 74
Bond Lengths reinforcement strength 98
ACI-318 2014 78
BS8110 87 required shear resistance
Anchorage
BS8110 85–87 105
BS8110 87
building codes 10, 11 shear due to torsion 104
AS 3600 89–91
shear resistance, concrete
assign 131
105, 106
Assign 23, 40 C shear resistance, steel 106
camber
skin reinfrocement 104
B criteria 23, 130
standard hooks in tension
CAN/CSA A23.3-10
Bar Depth Check 55 110
anchorage 107
Bar Selection 125 tensile strength of concrete
code implementation 97
Bar Selection Criteria 61, 62 100
code rule selection 96, 97
bar sets torsion 104
combined shear and torsion
deleting 139 torsion reinforcement 108
108
Bar Size 125 transverse reinforcement
compression fan
bar spacing 58 107
reinforcement 107
Bar Splices 54 transverse reinforcement,
concrete strength 98
Bar Table 125 torsion 108
concrete stress-strain 100
bars checks forces 126
crack control 102
selection bias 126 Chinese Design Code 93
density of conrete 99
Bars Clear Design 33
design strength 98
Minimum Number 125 Code 125
detailing 111
Basic design information colors
development length,
required database status 37
compression 109
detail 145 Colors
development length, tension
Beam Bottom 125 Database Status 17
109
beam design compression fan reinforcement
ductility check 101
criteria 124 107
effective flange width 105
Beam Design 125 concrete analysis 132
logitudinal reinforcement
Beam Design Bar Selection 125 Concrete Analysis 121
107
Beam Design Forces 11, 13, 14, Concrete Capacity 56
longitudinal reinforcement,
85 Concrete Design Code 11, 49, 85,
torsion 109
Beam Design Summary 117 89, 91, 93
maximum concrete strain
Beam Forces 13, 14
100

Concrete Modulus of Elasticity Frame Type Selection 64 Minimum Bar Area 125
51 frame types 124 Minimum Bar Spacing 125
Copy Design 31 Freeze 143 Mode 121
Cost estimates Freeze Design 33, 143
beams 145
CP 65 88
N
Criteria 19, 39, 113
G notation 49
GB 50010 93
CSA/CAN A23.1
GB50010
minimum bar spacing 98
beam design 127, 128
O
OMF 124
design brief 127, 128
D GB50010 Code
ordinary moment frames 124
Orientation
database status 37 Limitations 93
including 122
Database Status 17 Gravity Forces 12
Deep Beam Check 55, 58
Deflection Results 30
I P
Deflection Summary 117 Portion
Identifies 138
deflections View/Update dialog 139
IMF 124
assigning criteria 133 Portrait 122
Including
criteria 129 Process
Orientation 122
results 141 Clear Design 33
intermediate moment frames
Deflections 29 Copy Design 31
65–67, 124
Design All 25, 42 Design All 25, 42
Invoking
Design Envelope 13, 14, 51 Freeze Design 33
Print Preview 122
design forces 126 Results 30
Print Setup 122
Destination 33 View/Update 26
detailing
defaults 128 J Q
Detailing 60 Joist 56
Detailing Defaults 62, 63, 114 Quantity 138
development length 54
L R
Landscape 122
E Lateral Forces 12
rectangle 132
EN1992 91 References
lightweight concrete 74
End Left 138 ACI 83
Load Combinations
End Right 138 reinforcement
Beam Design Forces 13, 14
Envelope 13, 14 layout 24
Longitudinal 26
Eurocode 2 91 Reinforcement 63, 125
Lower 138
Existing Bar Set Reinforcement Area 58
Editing 139 Reinforcement Layer 138
M Reinforcement Optimization 60
Material Take Off 117 Reinforcement Spacing 53, 58
F Max/Min 125 Reinforcement Tab 125
Flexural Capacity 51 Max/Min Longitudinal 125 reinforcing
Flexural Design 51 Maximum Bar Spacing 125 assigning 132
Flexural Reinforcement 52, 53, menus Report 33
60 Criteria 123 Report Destination 47

Report Optimization 85 Slenderness Transverse 28
Reports Beam Forces 13, 14 transverse bar sets
Beam Design Summary 117 SMF 124 adding 140
Criteria 113 Spacing Increment 125 Transverse Bars 125
Deflection Summary 117 special moment frames 67–69,
Load Combinations 115 124
Material Take Off 117 Splice 138
U
ultimate section state 72
Report Strain Analysis 28
Unimplemented Code Sections
Destination 33 strength reduction factor
56
Report Destination 47 axial-flexure 71
Upper 138
Results 30 Support 138, 139
return
assign 132
T V
View 33, 47
T Section 10, 51, 85
S T-section 132
view/update 137
View/Update
Section/Material Properties 29 Technical
Deflections 29
See 143 ACI 49
Longitudinal 26
Segment Length Increment 125 AS 3600 91
Section/Material Properties
seismic provisions 76 BS8110 85
29
Seismic Provisions 64 CP 65 88
Strain Analysis 28
Shear EN1992 91
Transverse 28
AS 3600 90 GB 50010 93
Warnings 29
BS8110 87 Toolbar 17, 18, 37, 38
Shear Reinforcement Capacity Top, Bottom 125
57 torsion W
Side bar 125 capacity of section 59 Warnings 29
Size dialog 132 Torsion 58, 59

RAM Concrete Beam: CONNECT Edition Update 16 - Version 17.02

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RAM Concrete Beam: CONNECT Edition Update 16 - Version 17.02

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RAM Concrete Beam

CONNECT Edition Update 16 – Version 17.02

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2.2 Building Codes

2.2.1 For the ACI 318 Design Code provisions

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2.2.2 For the BS8110 / CP65 Design Code provisions

2.2.3 For the AS3600 Design Code provisions

2.2.4 For the EC2 Design Code provisions

2.2.5 For the GB50010 Design Code provisions

2.3 Beam Design Forces

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2.3.1 Gravity Forces

Dead Load forces at each station-

Floor Live Load (if skip loaded) at each station-

Floor Live Load (if not skip loaded) at each station-

Roof Load (if it exists) at each station -

2.3.2 Lateral Forces

Lateral Load Case force at each station

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2.3.3 Design Envelope

Major Axis Moments

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Shear and Torsion

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3.1 Invoking RAM Concrete Beam

3.2 RAM Concrete Beam Status

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3.3 Model Notes

3.4 Concrete Beam Color-Coding

3.5 The Toolbars

3.5.1 The 3-D Viewer Toolbar

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3.5.2 The Concrete Beam Mode Toolbar

Icon Menu Item

Assign - Reinforcement Layout

Generated Load Combinations

Custom Load Combinations

Design All Concrete Beams

View - Beam Lines

View - All Beam Line Numbers

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3.7.1 Beam Design

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3.7.2 Detailing Defaults

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3.7.3 Deflection Criteria

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3.7.4 Camber Criteria

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3.8.2 Reinforcement Layout

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3.9 Load Combinations

3.9.1 Code Generated Combinations