Ram Structural System & Combined Footings

RE: Ram Structural System & Combined Footings

SVGregory — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 20:12:09 GMT

Thanks! i will probably still model the paired columns on a continuous ftg in Ram SS to give me a quick look at the footings and to remind me which column reactions I need to pair up in Ram Elements.

I might try the SQLite database inquiry if it doesn't get too difficult. I have had a hard time in the past trying to find the right native report in RSS to get some results such as column reactions separated into load cases.

RE: Ram Structural System & Combined Footings

Seth Guthrie — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 19:43:57 GMT

We still design transverse reinforcing for continuous footings (or stirrups depending on the cross section aspect ratio), but this is based on uniform pressure across the width. We don't design for rollover forces.

You can export out the Ram Frame reactions now to make filtering or sorting easy. Otherwise the load case reactions are best IMO.

RE: Ram Structural System & Combined Footings

SVGregory — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 19:33:20 GMT

A 1-dimensional footing would only get the reinforcing in one direction. It sounds like the Ram Elements module is the way to go. What are the best reports in Ram SS to get the column reactions from the gravity and lateral load analyses?

RE: Ram Structural System & Combined Footings

Seth Guthrie — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 18:25:38 GMT

If the columns are centered on the footing and all the forces are in-plane, then a continuous footing design in RAM Foundation is fine for those column pairs. There are further details about the analysis and design of continuous footings in the program manual, but in a nutshell, we treat it like a 1-dimensional beam on periodic compression-only springs. This also works for more than 2 columns in a line.

The combined footing module in Ram Elements is limited to column pairs, but does a nice job. You can design a footing with the columns in the middle or shifted to any edge or corner so it's a little more versatile. Taking the whole model to Ram Elements and rerunning the analysis just for combined footing design might be extra work. Using the combined footing module in Ram Elements as a Stand-Alone module with column reactions manually input is probably just as fast.

The other option, and one that works even for groups of columns that are not in a line, is to design the foundation as a mat using Ram Concept.