RAM Concept
Concrete slab design software
Design and analyze slabs
Automate time-consuming tasks such as the layout of tendons, design spans, and column and middle strips. Quickly rework floors when you need to make geometric revisions. Eliminate tedious manual iterations with the cloud-based post-tensioned slab optimization feature in order to reduce total tendon, reinforcement, and studded shear reinforcement costs.
Analyze long-term slab deflections and perform load history analysis to calculate for deflections with accurate consideration of time-dependent material behavior, cracking, and load history. Easily consider the effects of cracking, creep, shrinkage, tension stiffening, and load sequence.
Model tendons more realistically
Model banded, distributed, or arbitrary tendons with virtually any profile in their true three-dimensional positions. Get a better understanding of the effects of tendons on the slab with tendon loading analyses that consider full 3D hyperstatic (secondary) effects, including restraint from shear walls and stiff columns.
Perform accurate punching shear analysis
Check punching shear capacity for any slab geometry and reinforce columns below slabs and at transfer columns. Simplify real punching geometry into standard interior, edge, and corner conditions. Automatically design studded shear reinforcement (studrails) to save days of design time.
“Of all the structural software that I use, RAM Concept is the one that I would most unreservedly recommend. I wouldn’t want to do my job without it. It’s world class in just about every way.”
Technical Capabilities
Flexible Structural Modeling
- Elevated floors, mats, and rafts
- One-way and two-way slabs, pan joists, waffle slabs, beams, and girders
- Orthotropic or isotropic slab properties
- Drop caps, drop panels, and random thickenings of any shape at any location
- Openings of any shape at any location
- Wall, column, point spring, and line spring supports
- Zero-tension area springs to model soil
- Accurate modeling of irregular structures
- Imported CAD drawing as snapping background
- Automated meshing
Tendon Modeling and Design
- Banded, distributed, and arbitrary tendons with virtually any profile
- Automate tendon layouts over large areas
- Specify explicit tendon properties and quantities or a desired effective tendon force
- Automatic calculation of tendon profile based on desired balance load
- Friction losses including consideration of horizontal curves
- Analysis includes 3D hyperstatic (secondary) effects
- Post-tensioned slab optimization feature reduces total tendon, reinforcement, and studded shear reinforcement costs over entire floor
Loading Analysis
- Fx, Fy, and Fz point, line, and area force loads
- Mx and My point, line, and area moment loads
- Self-weight and tendon loadings calculated automatically
- Self-equilibrium loadings available for integrating floor-system analysis with building frame analysis
- Temperature and Shrinkage Loadings
- Filter loads through arbitrary-shaped patterns with on-pattern and off-pattern factora
- Pattern loading effects automatically enveloped together
- Live load reduction in accordance with ASCE 7, AS/NZS 1170.1, BS 6399-1, IBC, IS 875, UBC, or EC1
- Tributary/influence areas may be specified or calculated by the program
- Automatically generate load combinations for each design code
- Optional user-specified load combinations (no limit)
- Two load factors per loading, allowing easy enveloping of maximum and minimum forces
- Zero-tension area spring results for mat/raft foundations
Analysis Method
- Determine response of floor to walking-induced vibrations
- Specify walking excitation areas
- Solve for modes of vibration and peak accelerations and velocities
- Long-term deflections considering cracking, creep, and shrinkage
- Specify any number of steps in load history
Steel Reinforcement Modeling and Design
- Auto-selection of reinforcement by program or design-check of specified reinforcement
- Specify a uniform mesh of reinforcing over an area, with only additional required reinforcing designed
- Automatic calculation and consideration of development lengths and hooks
- Enforce custom detailing preferences
- True 3D representation and display of tendons, reinforcing bars, and shear reinforcement
- Export reinforcement to Revit through Bentley’s iTwin Analytical Synchronizer
Span and Cross Section Design
- Automated layout of design spans for entire floor, with the ability to manually revise
- Post-tensioned, reinforced, and hybrid concrete design
- Considers minimum, strength, initial service (transfer of pre-stress), service, and ductility design
- Cracked section analysis using appropriate material stress-strain curves for each component
- Retrieve an exhaustive design echo for each cross section using the auditor tool
- Tools that simplify the process of identifying, locating, and fixing design errors
- ACI 318, AS 3600, BS 8110, IS 456, EC2
Punching Shear Design
- Perform accurate punching shear analysis
- Automated generation of critical sections considering actual (not simplified) geometries
- Design for columns above or below the slab
- Consider biaxial moments
- Design of studded shear reinforcement (SSR)
- Check punching shear capacity for any slab geometry
- Reinforce columns below slabs and at transfer columns
- Simplify real punching geometry into standard interior, edge, and corner conditions
- Automatically design studded shear reinforcement (studrails) to save days of design time
Report Generation
- Fully customizable professional reports
- Reports are complete ready-to-submit calculations
- Reports can be printed to any page size or orientation
- Results tables can be output to spreadsheet format
Integration and Interoperability
- Fully compatible with Bentley’s iTwin Analytical Synchronizer
- Integration with Bentley Cloud Services enabling access to a wealth of software services
- Run as an integrated module within RAM Structural System
- Import/export of floor levels from/to RAM Structural System
- Import of structure and loadings from STAAD
- Import and export of CAD drawings
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