RAM Connection 2023 (v23.0.1) Release Notes – Updated September 2023
Features:
1. Bolted Connections Enhancement: All bolted AISC 360-16 connections are now calculated using J3.6 User Note. By internally using our bolt group engine, we have incorporated a more accurate approach to manage bolt bearing and bolt tear-out for connections with both vertical and horizontal force components. This considers the true "lc" edge distance for the direction of the load on the bolts. Additionally, bolt tear-out is now reported as a separate/independent limit state.
Figure 1. Tear-out and bolt effective strength limit states using User Note J3.6
For more information, review the AISC-16 Bolt Capacity Calculations using the AISC 360-16, Section J3.6 User Note Wiki.
2. Design Verification Tester for QA&R: Introducing a new automatic Design Verification Tester for Quality Assurance and Review (QA&R). RAM Connection now features a Verification tester that can be run in any installation to verify the design results. This tool utilizes benchmark results from referenced examples for various design codes.
The tool to launch the Verification tester is located in the Design tab in a new Group named Testing.
Figure 2. Design Verification tester tool.
The tool launches a new application with all the test cases and design results begin tested.
Figure 3. Verification test manager
The tester opens the model for each test case in RAM Connection and compares the results obtained from the design to the benchmark results defined in a spreadsheet. If a result does not match the reference, it is flagged red.
Figure 4. Design Verification tester showing a failed test case.
3. Mini Haunch Option for AISC and CSA: We've introduced a mini haunch option for AISC and CSA design codes. This addresses scenarios where several applications integrated with RAM Connection lack the capability to define haunched members. Users now have the flexibility to define the haunch as part of the connection without affecting the main 3D application.
Figure 5. Mini haunch option to consider a haunched beam for moment end plate connection.
4.Tubular Truss Connections Enhancement: Enhancements have been made to tubular truss connections to consider out-of-plane capacities for AS and NZS.
Figure 6. Out-of-plane demands and capacities in tubular truss connections.
5. AISC 360 Connections Demands for Connections to the Web: Multiple connections to the supporting web, such as BCW joint connections and gussets, were not calculating demands while considering the opposite connection. Now, all connections to the web properly consider the opposite connection when determining the connection demands.
Figure 7. Enhanced demand for BCW joint connections in AISC 360.
6. AISC 360 Enhancements for HSS Supports for Shear and Moment Connections: Several enhancements have been added for connections to HSS supports. These include:
- New Flange Plate Connection directly welded to the HSS support. Users can now choose between a directly welded or wrap-around plate, departing from the previous option of wrap-around flange plates.
Figure 8. Flange plate and Wrap-around plate options for HSS support. - New Diaphragm Stiffener for moment connections. Both Directly welded and Flange plate connections allow users to define diaphragms to enhance HSS support wall capacities. These diaphragms are also displayed in the 3D and DXF views.
Figure 9. Diaphragms for HSS supports.
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Angles in Clip angle and Standard tee connections can now be wider than the HSS support. For such cases, the weld to the support is automatically positioned between the support and the angle.
Figure 10. Angle to support weld for angles wider than the support.
7. AISC Manual 15th Ed. missing sections. Several missing section (i.e. heavy sections) from the AISC 15th Ed. were incorporated in our sections database to have to complete AISC sections set. RAM Connection RAM Connections users from RAM Structural System might experience several warnings when opening RAM Connection indicating duplicated items if these sections were previously used. This did not represent any issue but we have specified some small steps to get rid of the warnings here.
Resolved Issues:
- AISC 360 beam flexural yielding in coped beams equation did not consider the 1.6 factor for the limit in equation F11-1 limiting conservatively the limit state to FySx instead to 1.6FySx.
- Gusset connections were not considering correctly the transversal edge distance for L and 2TL braces where this value can be entered by the user, instead it was calculating the value as it is done for tubular sections.
- AISC 360 brace to gusset claw angle connection had the number of bolt rows and columns switched for the calculation of net area for tension rupture limit state. This has been fixed and now the net area is calculated properly with the correct number of bolt holes.
- AISC 360 Tubular Truss connection with three branches were being classified with participation percentages larger than 100% specifically for case where there was a point load considered in the joint. This has been fixed and now the point load is considered properly when calculating the branch participation.
- AISC 360 Base Plate connection for circular plates when designed using Minor Axis option was considering both moment effects to calculate flexural yielding at bearing interface. This was causing a conservative design that it is fixed now.
- EN 1993 Cap Plate connection reporting zero capacity when nc and nt are zero. This has been fixed by considering bolt rows are either in tension or compression but never zero at the same time, in this sense nc or nt will have always a value.
- EN 1993 Base Plate connection was crashing as the verification of anchor clashing with stiffeners were not working properly for the base plate geometry considered, as the base plate was really close to the column edges. This has been fixed and the anchors are validated properly for this stiffeners and plate geometry.
- NZS 3404 Bolted End Plate connection was not considering the axial load when estimating the flange force demand. This has been fixed and now the axial load is properly considered in both flanges.
- NZS 3404 Cover Splice connection was returning negative shear and bending interaction when the connector number was also missing. These has been fixed, the connector number has been introduced in the equations and the interaction has been limited to zero to avoid negative values.