RAM Connection STAAD

AD.2007-1001.5.1 RAM Connection Design Mode

Purpose

There is now a new mode in STAAD.Pro to dynamically link structural model data, including section

properties and analysis results, to the RAM Connection application to check connection designs for code

compliance. The resulting data and diagrams of the connection can also be included in the User Report.

Description

Connections are designed in the RAM Connection Mode by creating ‘Joints’, from the geometry, section

properties and forces resulting from the analysis and assigning a ‘Design Brief’ of connection templates

from which a suitable connection, where available, is reported.

The RAM Connection application operates using ‘Basic’ or ‘Smart’ connection templates.

A ‘Basic’ connection template contains all the information about the connection (such as the plate sizes

and bolt locations etc) which is applied to joint and then checked for code compliance. A Design Brief

that is to use Basic connections can contain multiple connections, i.e. each with a different plate size

and bolt diameter, if the first connection does not achieve compliance, then the next is selected until

either a suitable connection is defined or all the connections in the brief have been checked.

A ‘Smart’ connection template contains parametric rules defined in a macro which allows characteristics

of the connection to be modified (within limits) in order to achieve code compliance. A Design Brief

that is to use a Smart connection can only specify a single smart connection definition.

The definition of each connection template and the order in which they occur, are defined in a database

which can be displayed and/or modified from the Connection Design menu. See the RAM Connection

manual for more information on editing the connection database:-

STAAD.Pro 2007 Build 1001 Release Report

of 15AD.2007-1001.5.1 RAM Connection Design Mode

16-Oct-13mk:@MSITStore:C:\SProV8i\STAAD\Help\Release_Report_2007_Build_01+02.chm:...

Each folder contains a number of ‘templates’. The sequence of these templates determines the order that

will be used when performing a design.

A similar database of properties of Bolts and Welds exists which can be edited if required:-

Workflow

The following 6 stages outline the steps that should be taken in order to create and design a connection.

The workflow is essentially controlled from the Connection Definitions dialog on the right of the

Connection Page, displayed when entering the RAM Connection Mode:-



1. Create Design Envelope

The list analysis load case results that are to be checked for compliance are collated in Design

Envelopes which can be defined here or selected if already defined in the STAAD file.

The Design envelope is defined by clicking on the [Create Envelope…] button on the Connection

Definitions dialog:-

2. Create Joints

A joint is defined by a number of analytical beam elements meeting at a node.

To create a joint, select a number the beams that meet at a node and click on the [Create Joint…]

button. If a valid joint can be created, then a dialog box is shown to specify the type of joint that

could be created with the given beam selection, similar to the following:-



The range of Joint type and the number of beams that should be selected before clicking on the Create

Joint button is clicked is shown in the following table:-

Type (code)

Sample No. of selected beams required to form.

Beam-Column Flange Joints (BCF)

2 or 3

Beam-Column Web Joints(BCW)

2 or 3

Beam-Girder Joints(BG)

2 or3

Beam Splice Joints(BS)

2



Column Splice Joints(CS)

2

Continuous Beam Over Column Joints (CC)Column Cap(CP)

2 or 3

Column-Beam Braces(CBB)

1 or 2 column1 or 2 beams1 to 4 bracesBraces must be defined with the TRUSS command

Cheveron Brace(CVR)Aka Beam-Braces

1 or 2 beams1 to 4 bracesBraces must be defined with the TRUSS command



Once created, a joint is marked on the graphical window with a triangle symbol thus:-

The status of a joint is identified with a color code:-

Vertical X Brace(VXB)

4 bracesBraces must be defined with the TRUSS command

Color Example Meaning

Grey No Design Brief associated to the joint.

(see Assigning Design Briefs below)

Cyan A Design Brief has been applied, but no

design has yet been performed.

Yellow A design has been performed, but it is not

possible to find any template which does not

report a problem. The results of the last

template will be reported.

Green A design has been performed and a template

has been found which when applied there are

no reported problems.

Red The connection has been selected with the

joints cursor:-



3. Create Design Briefs

The Design Brief contains the connection templates that are to be assigned to the joint in order, until a

suitable connection template is found.

To create a Design Brief, click on the [Create Brief…] button on the Connection Definitions dialog.

The dialog appears thus:-

Define the name and select the required design envelope from the drop-list.

A Design Brief can be used to provide a single connection that can used by all joints that have the

Design Brief assigned to them or by having the option ‘Design Connection Individually’ selected then

each joint could end up with a different template.

The design code that is to be used should be selected from the drop-list.

The connection template group that is required should be selected from the drop-list. The default list

of groups with an installation of STAAD.Pro include:-

Basic Connection Templates



1 Basic BP BCF Bent plate, beam to column flange

2 Basic BP BCW Bent plate, beam to column web

3 Basic BP BG Bent plate, beam to beam

4 Basic DA BCF Bolted Double angle bolted beam to column flange

5 Basic DA BCW Bolted Double angle bolted beam to column web

6 Basic DA BG Bolted Double angle bolted beam to beam

7 Basic DA BCF Welded Double angle welded beam to column flange

8 Basic DA BCW Welded Double angle welded beam to column web

9 Basic DA BG Welded Double angle welded beam to beam

10 Basic EP BCF Bolted End plate bolted beam to column flange

11 Basic EP BCW Bolted End plate bolted beam to column web

12 Basic EP BG Bolted End plate bolted beam to beam

13 Basic EP BCF Welded End plate welded beam to column flange

14 Basic EP BCW Welded End plate welded beam to column web

15 Basic EP BG Welded End plate welded beam to beam

16 Basic SP BCF Shear plate beam to column flange

17 Basic SP BCW Shear plate beam to column web

18 Basic SP BG Shear plate beam to beam

19 Basic SSL BCF Bolted Stiffened seated angle bolted beam to column flange

20 Basic SSL BCW Bolted Stiffened seated angle bolted beam to column web

21 Basic SSP BCF Welded Stiffened seated plate bolted beam to column flange

22 Basic SSP BCW Welded Stiffened seated plate bolted beam to column web

23 Basic ST BCF Bolted Shear T bolted beam to column flange

24 Basic ST BCW Bolted Shear T bolted beam to column web

25 Basic ST BG Bolted Shear T bolted beam to beam

26 Basic ST BCF Welded Shear T welded beam to column flange

27 Basic ST BCW Welded Shear T welded beam to column web

28 Basic ST BG Welded Shear T welded beam to beam

29 Basic TP BCF Through plate beam to column flange

30 Basic TP BCW Through plate beam to column web

31 Basic US BCF Bolted Unstiffened seated angle bolted beam to column flange

32 Basic US BCW Bolted Unstiffened seated angle bolted beam to column web

33 Basic US BCF Welded Unstiffened seated angle welded beam to column flange



SmartConnectionRange

Once a connection group is selected, all the available templates are displayed as available.

If the group is a Basic type then one or more templates can be moved to the Selected side by clicking

on the [>] or [>>] to move all templates to the selected side.

If the group is a Smart type, then only a single template should be moved to the selected side using

34 Basic US BCW Welded Unstiffened seated angle welded beam to column flange

35 Basic CP Bolted Column cap Plate bolted

37 Basic CS Bolted Column splice bolted

38 Basic CS Welded Column splice welded

39 Basic FP BCF Bolted Beam flange plate bolted beam to column flange

40 Basic FP BCW Bolted Beam flange plate bolted beam to column web

41 Basic FP BG Bolted Beam flange plate bolted beam to beam

42 Basic FP BCF Welded Beam flange plate welded beam to column flange

43 Basic FP BCW Welded Beam flange plate welded beam to column web

44 Basic FP BG Welded Beam flange plate welded beam to beam

45 Basic EEP BCF 4Bolts Extended end plate, beam to column flange, 4 bolts

46 Basic EEP BCF 8Bolts Extended end plate, beam to column flange, 8 bolts

47 Basic EEP BCW 4Bolts Extended end plate, beam to column web, 4 bolts

48 Basic MA Bolted Moment angle beam to column flange

49 Smart DA Double angle connections

50 Smart DA Beam splice Double angle beam splice connections

51 Smart EP Shear end plate connections

52 Smart SP Shear single plate connections

53 Smart SP Beam splice Shear single plate beam splice connections

54 Smart ST Shear T connections

55 Smart SS Stiffened seated connections

56 Smart US Unstiffened seated connections

57 Smart DW Directly welded moment connections

58 Smart FP Flange plate connections

59 Smart EEP Extended end plate connections

60 Smart MA Moment angle connections

61 Smart Gussets Gusset connections



the [>] button.

Once the Design Brief is defined, it is saved by clicking on the [OK] button.

4. Assign Design Briefs to Joints to create Connections

The final stage in setting up the design is in assigning Design Briefs to Joints. The process is simple

and similar to that used elsewhere in STAAD.Pro. The Design Brief should be selected in the

Connection Definition dialog, the choice of assignment selected from the options at the base of the

dialog and then click on the [Assign] button.

Note that when a design Brief is selected the joints that have been assigned this brief are displayed in

the dialog above the Assign button. When changing to the option ‘Assign to Edit List’ this list can be

edited and is updated when clicking on the Assign button.

Note that STAAD.Pro will check that only suitable briefs are assigned to defined joints, e.g. it is not

possible to assign a Design Brief of templates ‘Basic BP BG (Bent Plate Beam Girder) to a joint that

has been defined as type ‘Beam Column Flange (BCF)’

5. Design Connection

To perform the connection design, select the required design option from the Connection Design

menu:-

All connections with associated briefs will be designed and their status reported in a Connection

Design dialog:-



During the design process, an [Abort] button is provided to allow the design process to be cancelled.

Upon completion, this becomes a [Done] button which must be clicked to complete the design.

6. View connection details

The connection design results can be viewed on an individual joint, by double clicking on the symbol

with the joint selection cursor. The information is displayed in the RAM Connection design window

thus:-

If a design has not yet been performed (i.e. the joint is color coded cyan), then one will be performed

and the resulting connection displayed. Note that the status of the connection is reflected in the color

code of the icon in the top right corner:-

Status RAM Connection Joint color code

Connection DOES pass

all design checks

Connection DOES NOT

pass all design checks



A preview of the DXF drawing of the connection can be displayed clicking on toolbar icon:-

This DXF image will be available in STAAD.Pro.

Additionally, both the input data and results can be displayed and printed directly here by clicking on

the relevant icon:-

7. Drawing and Results

A full list of the defined connections, templates used, capacity ratio and overall status is displayed in

the Drawing & Results page.



Any connection that has been designed, not matter if it’s ratio has exceeded unity or has failed for

some other reason, by clicking on the joint name, the DXF diagram of the connection and the design

results for the current template are displayed thus:-

8. Add to report

The connection details and the diagrams can be included in a User Report along with other

STAAD.Pro information.

a. Results

To add the connection results, click on the menu item, File > Report Setup to open the report

setup dialog. On the ‘Items’ sheet select the ‘RAM Connection Report’ from the ‘Available’

drop-list. All connections with results are displayed and those that are required in the Report

should be moved to the ‘Selected’ side.

b. Diagrams

If a diagram of the connection is required, take a photo as with any other graphic and it can be

included as any other picture.

Pages

The RAM Connection mode operates with two pages:-



Menus

When entering the RAM Connection Mode, the menu structure changes to the following:-

File

Edit

View

Tools

Select

Connection Design

Mode

Window

Help

All menus apart from the Connection Design menu are available in other modes; however, there is an

enhancement to the Select menu.

The Connection menu contains the following options:-

In the RAM Connection mode, the Select menu is enhanced with two additional items:-

Design All Connections All defined connections (i.e.

Joints with defined Briefs) are

designed according to the

setting s of their associated

brief.

Design Selected

Connections

Only connections selected with

the joint cursor are designed.

Configure Connection

Database…

Launch the Connections

database

Configure Bolt & Weld

Database…



RAM Connection STAAD

Documents

Transcript of RAM Connection STAAD