Ram Masonry Wall Module - Flanged Walls

Regretfully, reinforcement design is not completed for wall flanges. This is one of the limitations for the masonry wall module that is noted in the RAM Elements Manual (see page 560).

The effective width of the flange is limited to the lesser of 6 times the flange thickness or the actual flange on either side of the wall.

If you want a complete solution (design of the wall and the wall flanges), then I would build a with the wall and flanges in the main program, analyze it, assign a masonry wall to the main wall, assign a masonry wall to each flange, and then pass the assigned walls one at a time into the module for design.

Is there a way to see what sort of forces would be transferred between the 'flange and the web' in this approach?

In the main program, you could report internal forces or face forces for the shells representing either the main wall or the flange (Output - Analysis - Analysis Results). You could also display forces or stresses in the shells on screen (View - Stresses). If you are looking for forces specifically at the flange/web interface, then reporting face forces may be best. Face forces represent the total integrated/resultant force on each face of the shell.

Also, note that the forces from the main program are transferred into the wall module after the masonry wall is assigned. You could also use the Diagrams tab to plot the force diagrams for both the main wall and the flange in the module.

In the main program, you could report internal forces or face forces for the shells representing either the main wall or the flange (Output - Analysis - Analysis Results). You could also display forces or stresses in the shells on screen (View - Stresses). If you are looking for forces specifically at the flange/web interface, then reporting face forces may be best. Face forces represent the total integrated/resultant force on each face of the shell.

Also, note that the forces from the main program are transferred into the wall module after the masonry wall is assigned. You could also use the Diagrams tab to plot the force diagrams for both the main wall and the flange in the module.

Thanks for the info. What is the best way to apply a line load to the wall (create dummy member at same nodes as wall)? Is there somewhere I can find more information on shell interface types? Thanks again.

In regards to my previous questions. When I have beams parallel to the shear wall which bear on the shear wall I get a very strange moment diagram in the masonry module diagrams. When I remove the beams the diagram looks better (although still a bit strange at the top but I suspect due to torsion). The wall deformation and stress when viewed in the main program look similar and 'correct'. Any thoughts on what's happening or how to make the beam only transfer gravity load?

Moment diagram w/ beams:

Simplified Models:

Note the user instructions state:

"To attach a file to your post, select the Insert/Edit Media button in the editor toolbar. Or, you..."

However you cannot attach a .etz model. So I could not post them. Is there a way to post these?

Thanks!

You can now model a distributed load along any shell edge. There is no need to model a dummy member or model as a series of point loads at intermediate nodes. See screen capture below for the button that will open the Distributed Loads over Shell Borders worksheet. For your model, I recommend using this feature rather than using members and shell interfaces.

The RAM Elements Manual only briefly describes shell interfaces. The Help Context (click F1 when in the Shell Interfaces worksheet) has more information. Shell interfaces are intended for a case where a masonry wall is inside a steel frame, and say the all is intended to resist all gravity loads and the frame is intended to resist all lateral loads.

Try the secure file upload instructions on the following web:

http://communities.bentley.com/help/w/be_communities_help/7079.communities-secure-file-upload

KJ thanks again for the response.
"You can now model a distributed load along any shell edge"
- Great! somehow I missed this.

"Try the secure file upload instructions on the following web:"
- I did. Were you able to see the models? Still curious as to what is causing that oddly shaped In-plane Moment diagram. Thanks again.