RAM Elements CONNECT Edition v16.6 Release Notes

RAM Elements CONNECT Edition v16.06.00.187 Release 
Notes – Updated February 2022

Enhancements:

1. Update wood design to NDS-2018. The wood design was updated to the latest NDS-2018 including both ASD and LRFD. The update includes the Beam Design and Truss Design modules. The Wood Design module will be updated for next release (v16.07).

Figure 1. New NDS-2018 design code.

2. Option to Import user custom data from previous version. This was previously only possible the first time RAM Elements was launched for each new version. Now the tool can be called from the General configuration dialog as required. The user custom items to be imported include database items like sections, materials, bolts, welds, anchors and connections templates, supporting files like Leos, images, models, configurations files and assignment toolbars for steel connections.

Figure 2. Import user custom data.

3. Large enhancement to design speed. Several fixes and enhancements were performed to the way RAM Elements handle the design station information related to unbraced lengths and others that improved largely the design speed.

4. Some small enhancements like:

• Retaining wall module option to avoid concrete strength reduction factor. The module now has an new option in the advanced dialog to include or not the strength reduction.
  

Figure 3. Strength reduction factor option

Resolved Issues:

• AISC 360-16 single angle design when eccentricity is considered was not reporting the limit states based on principal axes.
  
  
• Beam to Girder (BG) joints were not properly identified when including an opposite beam. This is fixed now and both BG with and without an opposite beam are properly detected.
  
  
• OpenRE File (merge) was not using units properly to locate the model. The dialog is fixed and now all entries are using the current units configuration.
  
  
• Update design tool was not being enabled after a section is updated. This is fixed now and if the user updates sections and does not delete analysis results then the tool is enabled.
  
  
• iTwin Services - Local Synchronizer when using alignment methods was causing a crash as some referenced nodes were being deleted. This was corrected and now all alignment methods work properly.