RAM Concept is intended for the analysis and design of elevated (suspended) concrete floors and mat foundations (rafts). These floors or mats can be conventionally reinforced concrete (RC), post-tensioned concrete (PT), or a hybrid. A hybrid floor is one that contains both RC and PT areas. For example, most PT floors have some areas, such as pour strips or elevator core slabs that are designed with mild reinforcement.
RAM Concept can also design the following:
The following have been analyzed and designed using RAM Concept. Specific limitations and other notes are
RAM Concept cannot design the following:
The only limit is the performance of the computer hardware. The analysis run time is approximately proportional to the square of the number of nodes in the model, so large structures may take a significant amount of time to analyze. Design time is approximately proportional to the number of span segment strip cross sections. The RAM Concept manual contains a section “Decreasing calculation time” that contains more detailed information on this topic.
RAM Concept's analysis of slab elements considers shear deformation as well as bending deformation. This ensures that RAM Concept gives reasonable results for both thin slabs and thick slabs. In general, RAM Concept's design provisions apply the code requirements that are appropriate for slabs with typical span-to-depth ratios. If the geometry of your slab is outside the usual ranges (e.g. a thick grade beam), you may need to consider if any special design considerations are necessary.
Not by itself. You can use the RAM Structural System to integrate numerous floors into one large model.
RAM Concept Structure FAQ
Structural Product TechNotes And FAQs