RAM Frame - Shear Wall Analysis Module Tutorial

Whether your shear walls have opening in them or not, the RAM Frame – Shear Wall Analysis module can be used to get more precise information about the force in the lateral walls.

To start the Shear Wall Analysis Module:

• Select Process – Results – Wall Analysis Results .

The program launches a separate application in the 3D view akin to the Steel Column module. Most of the actions in this mode are done from an elevation view of a shear wall.

• Select View – Elevation and select the wall elevation on Grid F .

NOTE: I f you start this program from an elevation view in the RAM Frame analysis mode, the same elevation will automatically come up.

Section Cuts

The Shear Wall Module works by reporting the forces on user-specified section cuts through walls. The section forces can be obtained graphically or through reports. When the program is launched from the RAM Frame Analysis Mode – Load Cases, then the results are for individual load cases. When the program is launched from the Load Combinations mode, then the section results are all given for the combinations.

• Select Assign – Section Cuts – Add .

The cursor will change into a cross-hair type cursor at this point.

• Click and hold the mouse just left of the wall and drag the mouse horizontally through the entire length of the wall as pictured below.

Final Section Cuts

When you let go of the cursor, an options box will pop up.

• Set the offset distance to 12 (300).
• Click [OK] .

The Green section cut will be adjusted to be exactly 12” from the lowest left corner of the wall where the section cut started.

• Create a second section cut by dragging horizontally through the left part of the wall only, just below the top of the opening.
  

• Set the elevation of the section cut to 96 (2500) and click [OK] .
• Now drag a slice vertically through the lintel near the middle of the opening, starting inside the opening and dragging up.
• For this cut the distance is measured relative to the corner of the opening (since the slice started in the opening). Set the offset distance to 24 (600) and click [OK] .
• To see the labels on the section cuts, select View – Section Cut Labels .

NOTE: S ection cuts can be altered after created using the command Assign – Section Cuts – Change. To review a table of the section cuts all at once, select Assign – Section Cuts – List.

Once complete, the three completed cuts should look like the following figure.

Completed Section Cuts 

To see the shear forces on the various section cuts:

• Select Process – Results – Display.
  

• In the options box that opens , select the first wind load case in the Y direction (Wind_IBC0 6 _1_Y).
• For the Force Type select Shear – Major . At this point, the shear forces will appear on the graphic. If the text is too large or too small to read, it can be adjusted using the buttons to increase or decrease text size in the top menu bar.
• When finished, click [Close] .

To see a table of the forces on an individual section:

• Select Process – Results – Wall Section Forces .
• With the Target cursor, select one of the section cuts.

A table of the section forces will appear. The forces are separated into axial forces P (positive = compression), overturning moment (Mmajor), out-of-plane moment (Mminor), shear along the length of the cut (Vmajor), shear perpendicular to the wall (Vminor) and torsion. For a wall with no included lateral columns, the minor axis shear and moment values (as well as torsion) will be zero since the walls are not assumed to have any significant out-of-plane stiffness in the analysis.

• When finished, Click [OK] .

Reports

The reports menu has printable versions of the section cut information. For a printable version of the section cut forces:

• Select Reports – Wall Section Forces – Single .
• Select a single section cut to generate a printable report.
• Close the report when finished.

Another useful report is the Envelope report. This report includes the maximum and minimum forces on each section cut similar to the force envelope reports in the analysis mode of RAM Frame. It is more useful to generate this report while working with load combinations. To get such a report:

• Select File – Exit to exit the Shear Wall Module and return to the primary RAM Frame window.
• Select Mode – Analysis – Load Combinations to switch into that mode.
• Select Process – Results – Wall Analysis Results to reopen the Shear Wall Module now in Load Combinations mode.
• Select View – Elevation and reselect the west shear wall.
• Select Reports – Envelope – Single .
• Select one of the section cuts previously defined.
• Close the report when finished.
• Select File – Exit to close the module and return to RAM Frame.

• Continue to RAM Frame Steel - Standard Provisions Tutorial
• Go back to RAM Frame - Analysis Tutorial
• Up to the RAM Structural System Tutorial