For beam-girder connection design, how do you prompt RAM for cases where there are beams on opposite sides of the girder that share the same bolts. i.e. clip angles on either same sharing bolts, with unique loadings from each side?
Evan and I discussed this issue in a phone conversation. There is an "Has Opposite Beam" flag that considers load from a left beam for other connection types. However, this option is not working for beam-girder connections. This issue is under review.
RAM Connection completes a bolt bearing check at the support for this type of connection. When "Has Opposite Beam" is checked, the program reduces the capacity by half. This assumption works well if the reaction on each side of the support is the same. It does not work well when the reactions are different, especially if the shear load this is entered for the right beam is less than the reaction in the opposite beam. I will file a change request to have the program use a demand equal to the sum of the right and left beam reactions instead of reducing the capacity.
For welded connections, the capacity at the support is the shear rupture strength of the base metal and the demand is the shear rupture strength of the connecting element. The approach of reducing the capacity by half for 2 sided connections works well for these connection. See AISC Manual Page 9-5 for more discussion this approach.
Another approach is to prorate the web thickness for double-sided connections that share bolts. For example (double-clip angle on both sides of girder web) if the left beam has 40 kips and 5 rows of bolts and the right beam has 60 kips and 6 rows of bolts the web thickness assigned to the left beam would be ( 40 kips/ 10 bolts) / ( ( 40 kips / 10 bolts ) + ( 60 kips / 12 bolts ) ) = 0.44 x the girder web thickness.