RCDC V3.

2
Release Notes
RCDC V3.2 is power packed with a wide range of exciting enhancements and
options. Following features are built into RCDC v3.2:

General Areas
1 Grid Lines in Layout.
2 Member number and sizes portability. Import member numbers and sizes from one RCDC file
to another
3 Import Project Settings from one RCDC file to another. General settings, reinforcement
settings, drawing style and grid information
4 Set units for all drawings mm or inches
5 Project specific drawing styles
6 Import Member names from FrameWin
7 Capture the slab definitions from PlanWin
8 New report listing all the project Settings
9 List of omitted members (failed members) presented in BOQ
10 Edit member description feature to copy - paste from excel
11 Typical reinforcement drawings included in samples folder

Column/Wall Design
1 Boundary Element in Ductile walls as per IS13920
2 Bundled Bars option in section redesign
3 Column Auto Grouping feature
4 6mm Bar (only Links)
5 Capacity Ratios Axial and Flexure displayed in design table
6 Capacity Ratios Axial and Flexure displayed in section redesign window
7 Auto Renumber Column Option
8 Detailing Enhancement in auto design
i Increase number of bars in case of detailing failure
ii Reduce number of bars if possible to provide most economical design
9 Enhanced detailing options for drawing
i Ductile links - bundled or higher diameter single links
ii Outer link in ductile walls - Hoops or horizontal links
iii Hoops or ties for inner links
iv Ties closed at both ends or open at one end
10 Colour coding of zones for better visualisation in redesign window

Beam Design
1 In-plan grouping
2 6mm Bar (Only Links)
3 Beam Torsional Shear - design outer link to take entire torsion as per IS456
4 Enhanced detailing during auto-design
5 Drawing enhancements
i Effective span : c/c or face to face
ii Provide curtailment from face or centre
iii Dimension curtailment from face or centre
iv Reflect actual grids in elevation
 RCDC V3.2
Slab Design
1 Define preferred Span / D factors to size slabs
2 Auto increment of Pt to design for deflection and shear for a given thickness
3 6mm Bar (Only Distribution Steel)
4 Shear force for 2 ways slabs computed as per BS code chart

Footing Design
1 Allow Loss Of Contact when sizing footings
2 Design footing cross section by either of 3 options
i Average pressure (current)
ii Maximum pressure
iii Factored SBC
3 Ignore footings for design
4 Change column size
5 Design of dowel bars indicated in design table
 RCDC V3.2
Release Notes – Detailed Discussion
General Areas

1. Grid Lines
Feature to add and edit grid lines. For input from STAAD RCDC will suggest grid lines to
locate each column; for E-tabs input grids detected in E-tabs will be imported.

2. Member number and sizes portability

Import updated member numbers and sizes from one RCDC file into another. The imports
permitted are:
a. Slab Design – Import data from Column design and Beam design files
b. Beam Design – Import data from Column design file
c. Footing Design – import data from Column design file
 RCDC V3.2
3. Import Project Settings
All project settings are saved by RCDC in a template file with the extension RCPS (*.rcps).
The data contained in the RCPS file includes:
a. Project settings:
i. Design Settings
ii. Reinforcement settings
b. Drawing style settings
c. Load cases and combination data
d. Grid data

This template file can be imported into any new file to import the settings. If data is
imported from the file of the same type of element (eg. from one beam design file to
another) all the data can be imported; else only the common data will be imported.

The *.rcps file is automatically created at the same location as the RCDC (*.rcdx) file.
 RCDC V3.2
4. Project / File Specific Drawing Styles
Drawing style is set for a given project / file from the default drawing style, or the
imported drawing style. This drawing style and any edits to it will be stored in the RCDC
(*.rcdx) file, creating a project specific drawing style. From V3.2 onwards users can
modify the project specific drawing style from within the rcdx file.

5. Set Drawing Units

Drawings can now be dimensioned in ‘mm’ or ‘inches’. This setting can be made in the
project drawing style.
 RCDC V3.2
6. Import member names and slab data from PLANWIN / FRAMEWIN
If the analysis model is created from a PLANWIN file, the member data and slab
information provided in the PLANWIN / FRAMWIN file. The imported from the PLANWIN /
FRAMWIN include:
a. Beam names
b. Column names
c. Slab names
d. Slab loading

7. Project Settings Report

A report listing all the project settings has been introduced in V3.2
 RCDC V3.2
8. List of omitted members
Members that have failed are not part of the BOQ. A list of the members that have not
been included in the BOQ has been added for clarity.

9. Edit Member description: coy-paste option

Feature to copy and paste the edit member description table to and from excel has
been introduced.

10. Typical Reinforcement Drawings

Typical reinforcement drawings explaining the detailing followed by RCDC are included
in the samples folder in the installed location of RCDC.
 RCDC V3.2

Column / Wall Design

1. Boundary Element As per IS 13920

Design of ductile walls with boundary element as per IS 13920 has been added. RCDC
will size the boundary element and then design the wall as per relevant clauses in the
ductile code. The special confining reinforcement will be provided only in the boundary
element.

2. Bundled Bars
Bundled bars can be added to sections in the redesign section. User can select between
2, 3 or 4 bars bundled together.
 RCDC V3.2
3. Column Auto-Grouping
Columns and wall can be auto-grouped. The tool will identify columns and walls with the
same combination of size, material property and reinforcement across the height and
suggest auto-grouping.

4. 6mm Bars for Links

6mm mild steel reinforcement can be used for links.

5. Capacity Ratios in Design Table

 RCDC V3.2
Capacity utilisation rations for each section will be displayed in the design table.
Utilisation ratios for both axial forces and flexure (interaction) ratios will be displayed.

6. Section Design information in redesign

Information regarding the performance of the section is displayed in the redesign
window. The information displayed include:
a. Axial capacity ratio
b. Flexure capacity ratio
c. Critical load combination
d. P, Mx and My for the critical load combination
 RCDC V3.2

7. Auto-renumber
Feature to auto-renumber columns is provided. This feature gives the user the freedom to
renumber columns either from (i) top to bottom or (ii) bottom to top.

8. Detailing enhancements in Column Auto-Design

Following enhancements have been made in the detailing of columns during auto-
design:
a. Increase number of bars in case of detailing failure. The number of bars will be
increased till the minimum bar spacing is reached. These sections will be
indicated by showing the reinforcement in red.

b. Reduce the number of bars in the section to optimise the design. The number
of bars will be reduced till the maximum bar spacing is reached. These
sections will be indicated by displaying the reinforcement in blue

9. Advanced Detailing option for Drawings

 RCDC V3.2
i Ductile links - bundled or higher diameter single links

ii Outer link in ductile walls - Hoops or horizontal links

iii Hoops or ties for inner links

iv Ties closed at both ends or open at one end

10. Colour coding of drawing in redesign window for better visualisation

 RCDC V3.2
Beam Design

1. In-Plan Grouping
Beams at a given level can now be grouped. Beams that are being grouped could be in
the same order or mirror. Multiple groups of continuous beams can be grouped together.

This feature in addition to the ability to group entire levels gives the user complete
freedom to arrive at most optimised design.

2. 6mm bars for Shear Reinforcement

6mm mild steel rebars can be used as for Shear Reinforcement in non-ductile beams.

3. Beam Torsional Shear Reinforcement

 RCDC V3.2
As per clause 41.4.3 in IS 456, the shear force due to the torsion should be taken by 2
legged (outer) stirrups, irrespective of the total number of the legs in the section.
RCDC V3.2 incorporates this clause and check for the same is provided in the design
calculation report.

4. Enhanced detailing during auto-design

The automated detailing performed during auto-design has been enhanced to provide
more efficient initial detailing. Changes made include:
a. Auto-incrementing number of layers for beams of large depth
b. Better appreciation of bar continuum in bottom steel
c. Improved of multiple legged stirrups for beams of large width
d.
 RCDC V3.2
5. Drawing Enhancements

a. Define effective span

b. Define curtailment location

c. Curtailment marking options

 RCDC V3.2
Slab Design

1. Define preferred Span / D to size slabs

Option to define preferred Span / D for slabs for various continuity criteria. RCDC will size
slabs based on this preferred setting. The Pt will be automatically increased to account
for modification factor for deflection check and shear check.

2. Increment of Pt for shear design

Pt of main steel will be incremented as required for shear check.

3. 6mm for distribution steel

6mm diameter mild steel rebars can be used for distribution steel.

4. Shear force for Two Way slabs as per BS 8110

Coefficients for computation for shear force for two way slabs will be as per table 3.15 in
BS8110.
 RCDC V3.2
Footing Design

1. Allow Loss of Contact when sizing footings

Pad footings can be designed with the provision of corner or edge uplift or Loss of
Contact. The permissible value of the LOC can be entered by the user.
The computation of the LOC and the pressure at each corner is done by redistribution of
forces.

2. Multiple options for design of footing cross section

Footing cross sections can be designed by either of three choices
a. With average pressure (as per current RCDC)
b. With max pressure
c. With factored SBC

3. Ignore Columns
A unique feature added in v3.2 is to ignore some columns and design footings for only for
selected columns. This allows the user to ignore overlapping footings in design and
quantities.
Column can be ignored either prior to or after auto-design.
A ignored column can be included for design at a later stage.
 RCDC V3.2

4. Change column size

Sizes of columns can be changed by the user during footing re-design. This feature can
be used to simulate a pedestal with dimensions different from the column.

5. Dowel Bars
Dowel bars (if) required to transfer loads from column to footing will be displayed in the
design table. In current release the ‘Load Transfer’ check is performed and the dowels if
required are presented in the design calculation report.

6. Slight modification to section design computation

Axial force used for section design will be only column axial loads. Current release adds
the self-weight of the footing and soil weight to the axial loads.