RCDC V6.

0
Release Notes
RCDC V6 is here with numerous new features delivering greater accuracy and flexibility to the
design, detailing, drawing and reporting experience. The new features introduced are:

No Module Description

1 General Separate permanent and reducible live loads

2 General Option to create load combinations from other combinations

3 General Option to add user defined Steel and Concrete Grades

4 General Material and Rebar lists as per UAE standards

5 General Using E-tabs API for faster reading of analysis data

6 Column & Wall Check for beam induced shear as per IS 13920 added

7 Column & Wall Design of RCC Pedestals for only steel superstructure models

8 Column & Wall Joint checks for ductility as per ACI and EN

9 Column & Wall Slenderness check is optional (For P-Delta analysis)

10 Column & Wall Option to set maximum capacity ratio for design

11 Column & Wall Direct reading and detailing of capsule and half capsule sections

12 Column & Wall Feature to view section P-M curves in redesign section window

13 Column & Wall Enhancements to Combined wall detailing (complex geometry)

14 Column & Wall Enhancements in report presentation and elevations

15 Beam Design of beams for Axial Force and Bi-axial bending

16 Beam Design of members modelled as Spandrels

17 Beam Option to have stirrups of different diameters at a section

18 Footing Deign of eccentric footings

19 Footing Design of foundations as per Annexure D of Euro Code (EN)

20 Footing Design of footings for Pedestals

21 Pile Cap Design of Pile caps for Pedestals

22 Slabs Enhancements in Slab Auto-Detection, curved geometry

 RCDC V6.0
 General Separate Permanent and Reducible live loads

A new basic load case “Reducible Live

Load’ has been introduced in addition to
the existing “Live Load”. Any permissible live
load reduction will be applicable to the
cases defined as “Reducible Live Load”
only.

This feature will be applicable to Column,

Footing and Pile Cap design.

 General Define Load Combinations from other Load Combinations

Sometimes a load combination is applied as a

primary case in analysis and the same is used to
create design load combinations, RCDC can
accommodate this scenario. The load
combination which is applied as the primary
load will appear in the basic load cases table
in the ‘Primary Load Case’ window.

 General User defined Steel and Concrete Grades

User can now add material grades that are not the pre-
defined list in RCDC viz. M32, Fe 430, etc. These can be
created and appended to a particular file.

This data can be ported from one file to another via the
*.rcps settings template.
 RCDC V6.0
 General Material and Rebar lists as per UAE standards

This feature lets the user work with the ACI code and use Materials and Rebars as per local
style in the UAE.

This country specific setting is triggered by the country selected by the user when installing the
software. The country of use can be changed by the user by using the RCDCtool.exe
functionality in the installed folder.
 RCDC V6.0
 General Using E-tabs API for faster reading of analysis data

Reading of E-tabs analysis data has become much faster now with the option of reading data
directly from the E-tabs file using an in-built functionality. However, some data still will come
from the *.mdb file as before, but the bulk of the data which are the analysis results viz. member
forces and the displacement values, etc. will be directly read from the *.edb file.

Where required RCDC will also access the *.e2k file to read some data.

 Column & Wall Check for beam induced shear as per ductile design requirements

The ductile design of columns and walls is enhanced with the check for beam induced shear
being introduced. This is an optional check and follows all the provisions of the relevant codes.

 Column & Wall Design of RCC Pedestals for models with only steel superstructure

Pedestal design option for purely steel structures has been introduced in RCDC. The pedestals
will be sized, designed and the forces will be transferred automatically to foundation design
modules.
 RCDC V6.0

 Column & Wall Joint Design for Ductility as per ACI and Euro Codes

Joint design as prescribed in the ACI 318 and the EN 02 have been incorporated.

ACI: Clauses

EN 02: Clauses

 Column & Wall Optional Slenderness Check

Slenderness check is now an optional feature in RCDC.

This feature will be useful if the user has done P-Delta
analysis as the slenderness effects need not be
considered separately during the design process.
 RCDC V6.0
 Column & Wall Option to set maximum capacity ratio for design

The maximum capacity (interaction) ratio that the user wants to allow for column / wall section
design can be set. This feature will allow the user have a margin / buffer in his design.

 Column & Wall Direct reading and detailing of capsule and half capsule sections

Capsule and half capsule

geometries that are modelled in
analysis will be identified as a
standard shape for the purpose of
design and detailing.

 Column & Wall Feature to view section P-M curves in redesign section window

RCDC display PM
Curve in redesign
stage. User can
assign required
reinforcement
arrangement for the
column and check
the PM curve and
capacity of column.
 RCDC V6.0
 Beam Design of beams for Axial Force and Bi-axial bending

RCDC allows to design beams for Bending and axial force. Beams are designed for combined
effect of axial and biaxial moments. As per the axial stress ratio, member will be identified
whether it is to be detailed like beam or Column. As these are beams, RCDC follows the
detailing of the reinforcement like that of beam. Cross sections at 13 locations are checked as
per column design. Shear design is performed along both the directions separately. Checks
like minimum eccentricity and slenderness are performed as per column design and are
optional. User can provide maximum capacity ratio.

RCDC allows design of beams as per the support conditions. RCDC also allows to ignore minor
direction moment and axial force by providing maximum values as for torsion.
 RCDC V6.0
 Beam Design of members modelled as Spandrels in E-tabs

RCDC can design spandrel element as beam element. E-Tabs provides output for spandrel
only at the ends.

While modelling spandrel, user needs to split it into number of parts as per requirement;
however, it should be noted that more the number of parts of the spandrel more accurate the
results would be as end forces of the spandrel are considered for spandrel design. Also, when
forces for spandrel with closely spaced nodes are to be considered, the force nearest to the
spandrel to be designed will be taken and further design will be carried out.
Following modifications are required in Analysis file -

1. Spandrels can be divided into any number of parts. RCDC will auto identify the BM at
given sections and calculate the steel.
2. Each part of the total spandrel must be identified with different spandrels number.
 RCDC V6.0
 Beam Option to have stirrups of different diameters at a section

RCDC now allows to beam shear links with different diameter for outer and inner for
optimisation purpose. Option is provided in design setting to select this feature. RCDC will
provide the higher diameter for outer link as required and lower diameter for inner links. RCDC
will not allow to provide higher diameter for inner links than outer link. So in case if the beam is
governed by torsion, outer links can be of bigger diameter for effective resistance.

User also can re-detail the beam with different diameters in redesign stage. Even if user has
not selected this option in design settings prior to auto design user can change the detailing
in redesign stage.
 RCDC V6.0
 Footings Design of Eccentric Footings

This is a new feature which covers designing and detailing of footing with eccentric column,
in one or both the directions.
RCDC designs and details eccentric foundation based on following philosophy:
 Eccentricity in one direction; local / global; with or without LOC
 Eccentricity in both the directions; local / global; with or without LOC

User can define the maximum possible offset from column face in local or global directions.

Insert layout and section drawing for an eccentric footing

 RCDC V6.0
 Footings Design of foundations as per Annexure D of BS EN 1997.1.2004

RCDC allows to design footing as per Annex-D of BS EN 1997.1.2004 which is analytical

method for bearing resistance calculation.

User has to provide the soil properties as per the drained or un-drained condition.

RCDC then calculates relevant soil parameters as per Annexure D in EN and calculate the
footing size as variable bearing and shear capacities of soil.

 Footings Design of Footings for Pedestals

When Pedestals are designed for steel columns in the Column

Design module, RCDC gives the user to create an input into
RCDC Footing Design. The loads from the base of the column
are transferred to the base of the pedestal for the purpose of
the Footing Design.
 RCDC V6.0
 Footings Design of Pile Caps for Pedestals

When Pedestals are designed for steel columns in the Column

Design module, RCDC gives the user to create an input into
RCDC Pile Cap Design. The loads from the base of the column
are transferred to the base of the pedestal for the purpose of the
Pile Cap Design.

 Slabs Enhancements in Slab Auto-Detection, curved geometry