My office is looking to confirm some column designs in an outside software (like SConcrete or spColumn). What output values or reports from RAM Concrete Column would best be suited for this? I can go into the Concrete Column module and select Reports>Column Design and have a printout showing the fully factored moments, axial loads, and shear forces being felt by the column. Or I can go through Concrete Analysis>Reports> Column Design Forces and get values lower than what was provided in the Column design module. I feel that the more accurate report is the Column Design report in the Concrete Column module, but the information will be cumbersome to sift and organize.
The values in the concrete column design report are the critical values from a specific controlling combinations. Those are not always the largest values. The reported moments may also be amplified due to moment magnification. If the column is gravity only, then the Concrete Analysis report - Column design forces is my recommendation. Note that due to the potential for skip loading, this is an envelope style report for DL and LL. If the column is lateral, you'll also need the lateral load case forces from Ram Frame - Member force report. Obviously these are all unfactored.
Answer Verified By: Eric Feuge-Miller
Is there a particular reason that a shear force is generated in the RAM Concrete>Concrete Column>Reports>Concrete Column Design Report for gravity columns while in the RAM Concrete>Concrete Analysis>Reports>Column Design Forces Report there are only axial and moment loads?
No particular reason. Shear forces in concrete columns due to gravity loads are seldom critical I guess.
For a more wholistic review of the design suggested by RAM, would you still maintain the previous advice of using the Column Design Forces report values, factored using LRFD equations, then imported into a software like SConcrete? Or would it be more reasonable to combine the two suggested worst-case design combinations for longitudinal and transverse designs to arrive at a conservative solution?
If it's a gravity column I would use the Column Design forces report. If it's a lateral column you'll also need the lateral forces (from Ram Frame - Member forces). The data in the concrete column design report is already adjusted for things like moment magnification and minimum eccentric moment which is risky to transfer to other software (it might magnify the moments again for example).