Hello Everyone,
RAM Concept Novice here. I was curious as to in what ways are the Design Span and Design Section different while designing a Mat Foundation. Can we use both these options alternatively or am I missing something?
Thanks,
Anil
A design section is a single cross section, and a span segment is a span comprised of several periodically spaced sections. They both work for design and you can mix them if needed. The biggest difference in the output is that the design section can only report what steel is needed at that location, not how long the bars should be.
Thanks for the prompt response. So won't a span segment serve the purpose of a design section in all the cases? Why would one use a design section over a span segment? Or in what situation would I mix them up instead of using multiple design spans?
Span segments usually make single design sections redundant. I like to use a single design section where I only need one station to be checked, like a mat supporting an elevator core with 4 cantilevers to check only.
Can't we use a span segment in that case too?
Certainly, but the extra sections are not critical and slow you down. If sections fall very near to the free edge of concrete that can also cause issues because the rebar can't be developed.
We could also use a single span segment with no design sections, couldn't we?
I would not use a single span segment for my example, since the two cantilevers and the distance between the walls surely represent 3 spans. You might want to review the program manual Chapter 23 Defining design Strips and this wiki: https://communities.bentley.com/products/structural/structural_analysis___design/w/structural_analysis_and_design__wiki/ram-concept-design-strips-tn.aspx
Answer Verified By: Anil Tripathi