RAM Concept

Structural analysis and design of slabs

RAM Concept is a software application for the structural analysis and design of conventionally reinforced and post-tensioned concrete floors, mats, and rafts. RAM Concept contains an advanced feature set that allows for the design of a wide variety of floor systems including post-tensioned, reinforced concrete and hybrid systems, elevated slabs and mat/raft foundations, one-way slabs, two-way slabs, beams, and joist systems.

Historically, the vast majority of concrete floors have been analyzed by approximating a region of a slab as a frame (or design strip), and then analyzing the frame/strip using variations of conventional frame or moment distribution analysis techniques. There are two limitations to this approach. First, in irregular structures, the approximation of the real structure into a frame model could be grossly inaccurate and designing with the analysis results might not even satisfy equilibrium requirements in the real structure. The second limitation is that even in regular structures with regular loadings, the frame analysis approximates the slab/column interaction and provides no information regarding the distribution of forces across the design strip.

RAM Concept enables the engineer to design post-tensioned and reinforced concrete slabs by using a finite element model of the entire slab. RAM Concept can predict the elastic behavior of a slab much more accurately than frame models. In addition, the finite element method guarantees that the analysis satisfies all equilibrium.

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