AD.2007-1001.5.

1 RAM Connection Design Mode

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STAAD.Pro 2007 Build 1001 Release Report

AD.2007-1001.5.1 RAM Connection Design Mode
Purpose

There is now a new mode in STAAD.Pro to dynamically link structural model data, including
section properties and analysis results, to the RAM Connection application to check connection
designs for code compliance. The resulting data and diagrams of the connection can also be included
in the User Report.

Description

Connections are designed in the RAM Connection Mode by creating Joints, from the geometry,
section properties and forces resulting from the analysis and assigning a Design Brief of connection
templates from which a suitable connection, where available, is reported.
The RAM Connection application operates using Basic or Smart connection templates.
A Basic connection template contains all the information about the connection (such as the
plate sizes and bolt locations etc) which is applied to joint and then checked for code
compliance. A Design Brief that is to use Basic connections can contain multiple
connections, i.e. each with a different plate size and bolt diameter, if the first connection does
not achieve compliance, then the next is selected until either a suitable connection is defined
or all the connections in the brief have been checked.
A Smart connection template contains parametric rules defined in a macro which allows
characteristics of the connection to be modified (within limits) in order to achieve code
compliance. A Design Brief that is to use a Smart connection can only specify a single smart
connection definition.
The definition of each connection template and the order in which they occur, are defined in a
database which can be displayed and/or modified from the Connection Design menu. See the RAM
Connection manual for more information on editing the connection database:-

Each folder contains a number of templates . The sequence of these templates determines the order

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that will be used when performing a design.

A similar database of properties of Bolts and Welds exists which can be edited if required:-

Workflow

The following 6 stages outline the steps that should be taken in order to create and design a
connection.
The workflow is essentially controlled from the Connection Definitions dialog on the right of the
Connection Page, displayed when entering the RAM Connection Mode:-

1) Create Design Envelope

The list analysis load case results that are to be checked for compliance are collated in Design

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Envelopes which can be defined here or selected if already defined in the STAAD file.
The Design envelope is defined by clicking on the [Create Envelope] button on the Connection
Definitions dialog:-

2) Create Joints
A joint is defined by a number of analytical beam elements meeting at a node.
To create a joint, select a number the beams that meet at a node and click on the [Create Joint]
button. If a valid joint can be created, then a dialog box is shown to specify the type of joint that
could be created with the given beam selection, similar to the following:-

The range of Joint type and the number of beams that should be selected before clicking on the
Create Joint button is clicked is shown in the following table:-

Type
Sample
(code)
Beam-Column Flange Joints
(BCF)

No. of selected beams

required to form.
2 or 3

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Beam-Column Web Joints

(BCW)

2 or 3

Beam-Girder Joints
(BG)

2 or3

Beam Splice Joints

(BS)

Column Splice Joints

(CS)

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Continuous Beam Over

Column Joints
(CC)
Column Cap
(CP)

2 or 3

Column-Beam Braces
(CBB)

1 or 2 column
1 or 2 beams
1 to 4 braces
Braces must be defined
with the TRUSS command

Cheveron Brace
(CVR)
Aka Beam-Braces

1 or 2 beams
1 to 4 braces
Braces must be defined
with the TRUSS command

Vertical X Brace

4 braces

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(VXB)

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Braces must be defined

with the TRUSS command

Once created, a joint is marked on the graphical window with a triangle symbol thus:-

The status of a joint is identified with a color code:Color

Grey

Example

M eaning
No Design Brief associated to the joint.
(see Assigning Design Briefs below)

Cyan

A Design Brief has been applied, but no design

has yet been performed.

Yellow

A design has been performed, but it is not

possible to find any template which does not
report a problem. The results of the last template
will be reported.

Green

A design has been performed and a template has

been found which when applied there are no
reported problems.

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Red

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The connection has been selected with the joints

cursor:-

3) Create Design Briefs

The Design Brief contains the connection templates that are to be assigned to the joint in order, until
a suitable connection template is found.
To create a Design Brief, click on the [Create Brief] button on the Connection Definitions dialog.
The dialog appears thus:-

Define the name and select the required design envelope from the drop-list.
A Design Brief can be used to provide a single connection that can used by all joints that have the
Design Brief assigned to them or by having the option Design Connection Individually selected
then each joint could end up with a different template.
The design code that is to be used should be selected from the drop-list.

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The connection template group that is required should be selected from the drop-list. The default list
of groups with an installation of STAAD.Pro include:-

Basic Connection Templates

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19

Basic BP BCF
Basic BP BCW
Basic BP BG
Basic DA BCF Bolted
Basic DA BCW Bolted
Basic DA BG Bolted
Basic DA BCF Welded
Basic DA BCW Welded
Basic DA BG Welded
Basic EP BCF Bolted
Basic EP BCW Bolted
Basic EP BG Bolted
Basic EP BCF Welded
Basic EP BCW Welded
Basic EP BG Welded
Basic SP BCF
Basic SP BCW
Basic SP BG
Basic SSL BCF Bolted

20
21

Basic SSL BCW Bolted

Basic SSP BCF Welded

22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

Basic SSP BCW Welded

Basic ST BCF Bolted
Basic ST BCW Bolted
Basic ST BG Bolted
Basic ST BCF Welded
Basic ST BCW Welded
Basic ST BG Welded
Basic TP BCF
Basic TP BCW
Basic US BCF Bolted

32

Basic US BCW Bolted

33

Basic US BCF Welded

34

Basic US BCW Welded

35
37
38
39
40

Basic CP Bolted
Basic CS Bolted
Basic CS Welded
Basic FP BCF Bolted
Basic FP BCW Bolted

Bent plate, beam to column flange

Bent plate, beam to column web
Bent plate, beam to beam
Double angle bolted beam to column flange
Double angle bolted beam to column web
Double angle bolted beam to beam
Double angle welded beam to column flange
Double angle welded beam to column web
Double angle welded beam to beam
End plate bolted beam to column flange
End plate bolted beam to column web
End plate bolted beam to beam
End plate welded beam to column flange
End plate welded beam to column web
End plate welded beam to beam
Shear plate beam to column flange
Shear plate beam to column web
Shear plate beam to beam
Stiffened seated angle bolted beam to column
flange
Stiffened seated angle bolted beam to column web
Stiffened seated plate bolted beam to column
flange
Stiffened seated plate bolted beam to column web
Shear T bolted beam to column flange
Shear T bolted beam to column web
Shear T bolted beam to beam
Shear T welded beam to column flange
Shear T welded beam to column web
Shear T welded beam to beam
Through plate beam to column flange
Through plate beam to column web
Unstiffened seated angle bolted beam to column
flange
Unstiffened seated angle bolted beam to column
web
Unstiffened seated angle welded beam to column
flange
Unstiffened seated angle welded beam to column
flange
Cover plate bolted
Column splice bolted
Column splice welded
Beam flange plate bolted beam to column flange
Beam flange plate bolted beam to column web

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AD.2007-1001.5.1 RAM Connection Design Mode

41
42
43
44
45

Basic FP BG Bolted
Basic FP BCF Welded
Basic FP BCW Welded
Basic FP BG Welded
Basic EEP BCF 4Bolts

46

Basic EEP BCF 8Bolts

47
48

Basic EEP BCW 4Bolts

Basic MA Bolted

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Beam flange plate bolted beam to beam

Beam flange plate welded beam to column flange
Beam flange plate welded beam to column web
Beam flange plate welded beam to beam
Extended end plate, beam to column flange, 4
bolts
Extended end plate, beam to column flange, 8
bolts
Extended end plate, beam to column web, 4 bolts
Moment angle beam to column flange

SmartConnectionRange
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61

Smart DA
Smart DA Beam splice
Smart EP
Smart SP
Smart SP Beam splice
Smart ST
Smart SS
Smart US
Smart DW
Smart FP
Smart EEP
Smart MA
Smart Gussets

Double angle connections

Double angle beam splice connections
Shear end plate connections
Shear single plate connections
Shear single plate beam splice connections
Shear T connections
Stiffened seated connections
Unstiffened seated connections
Directly welded moment connections
Flange plate connections
Extended end plate connections
Moment angle connections
Gusset connections

Once a connection group is selected, all the available templates are displayed as available.
If the group is a Basic type then one or more templates can be moved to the Selected side by clicking
on the [>] or [>>] to move all templates to the selected side.
If the group is a Smart type, then only a single template should be moved to the selected side using
the [>] button.
Once the Design Brief is defined, it is saved by clicking on the [OK] button.
4) Assign Design Briefs to Joints to create Connections
The final stage in setting up the design is in assigning Design Briefs to Joints. The process is simple
and similar to that used elsewhere in STAAD.Pro. The Design Brief should be selected in the
Connection Definition dialog,, the choice of assignment selected from the options at the base of the
dialog and then click on the [Assign] button

Note that when a design Brief is selected the joints that have been assigned this brief are displayed in
the dialog above the Assign button. When changing to the option Assign to Edit List this list can

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be edited and is updated when clicking on the Assign button.

Note that STAAD.Pro will check that only suitable briefs are assigned to defined joints, e.g. it is not
possible to assign a Design Brief of templates Basic BP BG (Bent Plate Beam Girder) to a joint that
has been defined as type Beam Column Flange (BCF)
5) Design Connection
To perform the connection design, select the required design option from the Connection Design
menu:-

All connections with associated briefs will be designed and their status reported in a Connection
Design dialog:-

During the design process, an [Abort] button is provided to allow the design process to be cancelled.
Upon completion, this becomes a [Done] button which must be clicked to complete the design.
6) View connection details
The connection design results can be viewed on an individual joint, by double clicking on the
symbol with the joint selection cursor. The information is displayed in the RAM Connection design
window thus:-

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If a design has not yet been performed (i.e. the joint is color coded cyan), then one will be performed
and the resulting connection displayed. Note that the status of the connection is reflected in the color
code of the icon in the top right corner:-

Status
RAM Connection
Connection DOES pass all
design checks

Joint color code

Connection DOES NOT

pass all design checks

A preview of the DXF drawing of the connection can be displayed clicking on toolbar icon:-

This DXF image will be available in STAAD.Pro

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Additionally, both the input data and results can be displayed and printed directly here by clicking on
the relevant icon:-

7) Drawing and Results

A full list of the defined connections, templates used, capacity ratio and overall status is
displayed in the Drawing & Results page.

Any connection that has been designed, not matter if it s ratio has exceeded unity or has failed for
some other reason, by clicking on the joint name, the DXF diagram of the connection and the design
results for the current template are displayed thus:-

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8) Add to report
The connection details and the diagrams can be included in a User Report along with other
STAAD.Pro information.
a) Results
To add the connection results, click on the menu item, File > Report Setup to open the report setup
dialog. On the Items sheet select the RAM Connection Report from the Available drop-list. All
connections with results are displayed and those that are required in the Report should be moved to
the Selected side.
b) Diagrams
If a diagram of the connection is required, take a photo as with any other graphic and it can be
included as any other picture.

Pages

The RAM Connection mode operates with two pages:The two pages are:Connection, in which the joints,
briefs and connections are defined
and designed.
Drawing and Result, in which the
summary, layout and the results of
designs can be displayed.

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Menus

When entering the RAM Connection Mode, the menu structure changes to the following:File
Edit
View
Tools
Select
Connection Design
Mode
Widow
Help
All menus apart from the Connection Design menu are available in other modes, however, there is an
enhancement to the Select menu.
The Connection menu contains the following options:Design All Connections
All defined connections (i.e. Joints with
defined Briefs) are designed according
to the setting s of their associated brief.
Design Selected Connections
Only connections selected with the joint
cursor are designed.
Configure Connection Database
Launch the Connections database
Configure Bolt & Weld Database
In the RAM Connection mode, the Select menu is enhanced with two additional items:-

Joint Cursor
Changes the cursor such that individual
defined joints can be selected from the
graphical display.

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Select Joints
All joints defined as one of the following
9 joint types are selected:Beam-Column Flange Joints
Beam-Column Web Joints
Beam-Girder Joints
Beam Splice Joints
Column Splice Joints
Continuous Beam Over Column
Joints
Column-Beam Braces
Beam-Braces
Vertical X Braces

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