Connections example for RC-RE

This chapter will take you step by step through the design of steel connections. The structure
to be used in this chapter is only illustrative and is shown below:

It is a small steel building with steel columns, beams and girders.

See the previous examples for more details regarding to the generation and analysis of a
structure. The file of this example is available in the Data\Samples folder of RAM Elements.

1) Retrieve the structure

Select the Open a model command.

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Open Connections Example.etz.

2) Assign basic connections to the model

RAM Elements is shipped with ready-to-use connections templates called basic connections.
You will see in the following sections how you can customize them to your work practice.
For the moment we will work with the standard settings.

Remark: The example model comes already with connections.

To erase all connections follow the next procedure:
1.- Select all the structure, using the Select all elements button on the Home tab.

2.- Verify that the Spreadsheet button is pressed in the Home tab and select the Conn
worksheet.

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3.- Use the Delete selected connections button in the Active spreadsheet tools group in the
Spreadsheet tab to erase all the connections in the model.

Note. - Previous start assigning the connections, the user should take care to make distinction between inclined
beams and braces in the worksheet to let the program assign the connections correctly. For that:

Select all the braces of the model, go to Members/ Connectivity and description worksheet and change No to
Yes by making double click on the Brace cell.

Once the user has done this distinction, he is ready to start assigning connections.

To customize the connection design press the Design configuration button in the upper right
side in the Connections group on the Modules tab. The customization includes the
configuration of the load conditions included in the design, design standard, maximum
strength ratio limit and structural integrity.

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Keep a stress ratio limit of 1.0 (default value). The structural integrity is a design parameter only for the BS
5950-1:2000 design standard.

In order to apply any command you have to use the 'select and apply rule'. So, first, select

the whole structure. Press Select all elements button in the Selection group on the Home
tab.

Now you are ready to assign your first connections. As a first try you need to know exactly
the required connection on each joint. A recommended procedure is to design individually
each joint and evaluate the obtained connections.

Select the Design each connection individually option pressing the Assign button.

Then press the Basic Connections button group and select the Basic SP (Single Plate)
connection

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Steps to assign basic single plate connections to the whole structure.

In few moments the program will suggest an optimum single plate connection for each joint
of the structure that can have a shear connection.

Model with all shear joints with a single plate connection.

The user can display the template name of each connection in the graphic window, which
includes the family. To evaluate the different single plate connections required, select first
one instance of the desired connection family; in this case select a BCW connection. Finally
select the option Templates from the Properties button on the View tab.

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Display connection templates

The program includes several options for the selection of the connections. These options are
available in the Connections option of the Elements selection button on the Home tab.

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Connection selection options

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Single Plate BCW connections designed individually for each joint.

It is possible review the particularities of each connection selecting this and pressing the
Edit button in the Connections group on the Modules tab.

Note that some connections require 4 bolts while others require only 3 bolts. Let’s suppose
that for construction we decide to adopt the same connection for all BCW connections.

Select all the structure (pressing ), deactivate the option for design each connection
individually.

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Press again the button to assign single plate connections ( .) You can select the
BCW connections and you will see that all BCW connections are with 3 bolts (as expected).
The other families have also 3 bolts. When you design by group you can obtain the same
connection for each family independently of the related sections and materials of the joints.

It is possible check the status and strength ratio for the current load condition pressing the
Status button. It also possible to check the ratio for the controlling load combination; in
order to do that, select the option For the controlling load combination in the menu of the
Status button. Notice that a different ratio is shown for each connection.

Similarly it is possible to have the stress ratio pressing the Stress ratio button.

Notice that you can select all connections that have an OK or N.G. status pressing one of the
following buttons.
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You can print a summary report. Select all the structure and go to the Output tab and select
Design/Connections in the Reports group. Finally choose Group by tag in the Connection
design dialog. With this report you will obtain a summary of all adopted connections with
their main characteristics and the critical strength ratios.

The report looks like:

Now you can continue with the design of the moment connections.
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Press Hinges button in the Model group in the View tab to view all the hinges of the
structure (you have to select previously all members). The moment connections will be
designed only for the fixed joints.

Select all the structure (pressing ), activate the option to design individually each
connection and select the Basic FP Bolted connection. To see the designed
connections pick samples of the FP connections (one for BCW and one for BCF), go to the
Home tab and finally activate Connections/Select all connections of the same type option
pressing the Elements selection button .

Flange plate connections individually designed.

In the same way to the shear connections is possible check the status and stress ratio for the
moment connections designed.
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Next, you can continue with the design of the brace connections, for that, select all the

structure (pressing ), press the Gusset button and select CBB_DA (Column, Beams
and Braces-Double Angle) connection .

As you can see 6 CBB Connections were assigned.

Brace connections

Now you have finished the connection design. Notice that the task was performed very fast
and in a simple way. What you need to know now, is how to configure your connections
design. This will be shown in the next sections.

If you want to review in detail a connection or several connections of the same type and
members, select it and press the Edit button in the Connections group on the Modules tab.

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For example select the SP BCF connections of the first floor (perimeter columns) and go to
the detailing of connections.

Review all the data for the selected connections in the connection pad. You can print the data or the results

reports by pressing or respectively.

You can edit any parameter of the connections. This is very useful when the design was not
successful in order to achieve an adequate connection. Notice, however, that any manual
change will be lost if the connections are redesigned or reassigned.

Now it is time to save your structure with all your connections. Press the RE Button and

choose Save or use the quick access toolbar.

What if the loads, geometry or any design condition change? No problem, you can redesign
all or part of your connections very fast. For example, select your FP BCW connections (tip:
use the option Select connections of the same type from the Home/Selection/Elements
selection/Connections). Change the connection configuration with a stress ratio limit of 0.80
and check the status and ratio for the selected connections.

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To upload the design of the connections, press the Redesign button in the Connections group
in the Modules tab. Note that the strength ratio for the critical load is now under the new
limit and that some connections have been modified to comply with the new limit.

3) Create a connection template

Although RAM Elements has by default several templates in the database, the user may
want to define new templates with all the specific characteristics required by the user
practice.

It is always suggested to back up your connections database (file Connections.ini in

the DB folder of main directory) before generating or changing your templates.

To access to the connections database go to the main window and press the Connections
button in the Databases group on the Home tab.

A dialog window showing the available connections grouped in folders will appear:

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Create a new group with the button. Enter a name for the new group of connections. For
the example you can adopt the "MyShearConnections" group.

Then, add a new table with the button.

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Enter the name, family, type, design code and press OK. In this case enter the options shown in the figure.

With the former table selected, press the button to create a new connection.

Notice that the name of the template is used to identify the connection and has to be unique
in the whole database (including all folders). Thus you have to assign a name that describes
the geometry and main characteristics of the connection.

The following window will be displayed:

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You can review/change all the parameters of the template connection.

The following data are required: Loads, Main Data and the specific data required in Shear
and/or Moment connections.

Now you can enter the specific parameters for the connection. Note that the beam, support
sections and materials are also transferred from the main program and they are not required
to be defined. The default values shown are used only for the 3D drawing.

Notice also that you have to enter only the parameters that are different from the desired
values and are constant for all connections to be generated with the template.

For this case accept all the default values.

Common tools are available for the manipulation of the drawing area in the status bar. Also
specific tools are available in the 3D Options and DXF Options to manipulate the drawing
area in the Extruded View and DXF View respectively.

The graphical area is referred to the area in the main screen where the 3D joint view is
shown. In this area the joint view can be rotated, can be increased or reduced. Pressing
navigation control displays a popup buttons with view options.

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  Button activates top view.

 Button activates lateral view.

 Button activates front view.

 Button activates an isometric view.

 Button inverts the views described.

Other commands that affect the view in the graphic area are in toolbar besides navigation
control.

A brief description of these commands is presented as follows:

 The button sets the original joint view.

 Press the button and drag a rectangle to select the area of the graphic to
amplify the view.

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 Example of area zoom

 Zoom in button.

 Zoom out button.

The help context ( ) is also available to give technical information related to the current
parameter to be edited (where the cursor is located).

4) Edit the templates to be used

If you want to enter a similar connection of the existing ones, you can use the Copy item
button. For example, place the cursor at the connection SP_1/4_BCF_2_3/4 and press the

button as shown below:

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The new item will be copied with the name “SP_1/4_BCF_2_3/4 – Copy(1)”. Introduce the
new name of the connection accessing the connection pad with the button. For this
example use SP_1/4_BCF_3_3/4.

Edit the new connection. In this example change the number of bolts from 2 to 3 and press
the OK button. Note that the connection is displayed with 3 bolts and that the length has
automatically changed to fit the bolts.

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Change the number of bolts from to 2 to 3 for the new template. Enter the desired name for the template.

5) Create a connection database

If you want to create several connections, the procedure outlined in steps 1 and 2 might be
very lengthy and time consuming. A very fast procedure can be adopted in order to
change/create a set of connections.

First, you have to create a connection prototype as performed in steps 2 and 3.

Let’s generate a whole set of Single Plate connections of the database.

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Select the former generated folder. Press the button “Copy items to clipboard”. Open Excel and paste it in a
worksheet

The spreadsheet will look similar to the following figure:

Note that each column of the spreadsheet contains the different values of a specific
parameter of the connection. You can use the different tools available on Excel to copy or
change the values. In this example copy the data line (row 4) 4 times. The following
columns will be edited in the following way:

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The name and the number of bolt rows (Nrow) are changed.

The user can keep or even erase the rest of the columns. In the latter case the connection will
take the default values.

Once the data is defined, the user may proceed with the generation.

Then select ALL the information and copy the data to the clipboard (Ctrl+C)

Press the Copy items from clipboard button to paste the connections into the database.

The program will ask if the existing connections are going to be replaced. Answer yes and
then a message with the number of generated connections (6) will be displayed.

The following connections will be generated:

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As you can see, this way of generating the connections is fast and allows creating the
complete set of templates that a design office may need with the required custom values.

6) Configure the toolbar

Normally, a reduced list of connections of the same type may be required for a specific
project. This list may be defined in an assignment button in the following way:

Go to Connections group on the Modules tab, then press the Assign button and select the
Customize the tool bar option.

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The following window will appear:

There are groups of connections that are predefined by the program and cannot be edited but
it is possible to define a new user’s group. For this purpose, select the “USER” group in the
“Toolbar” combo box.

Press to define a new group. Enter the name of the group (My group).

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Dialog window to define a new group of buttons in the toolbar.

Press to define a new assigning button.

Dialog window to define the name of the new button.

Steps to assign the group of SP templates to the new button.

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Select the desired template or group of templates and press the button. Repeat the
process until you have assigned all the connections of the list. Note that the order in the list
is very important because it will define the priority in the selection of the template. To

change the order in the list you can use the and buttons.

You can assign an adequate bitmap to your button. Press and select the bitmap for the
single plates.

Remark: You can create your own bitmaps with any drawing tool like PaintTM.

Dialog window for selecting the bitmap for the new assigning button.

Now you have a new button ready to be used in the connection design with your single plate
connections. You can try it in the model following a similar procedure was performed with
the basic connections.

7) Assign smart connections to the model

The program comes with another group of templates besides the basic connections. They are
the ‘Smart’ connections, where the program determines all the main design parameters as
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the connector size, number of bolts, size of welds, etc. based on the connection forces. This
allows having one smart connection template per family and connection type. These self-
optimizing templates are included in the Smart Connections group.

Remark: If you have previously created connections from the basic group, erase all
connections with the same procedure described previously.

First, select the whole structure. Press .

Select the Design each connection individually option from the Assign button.

Then press the Smart Connections button group and select the Smart SP (Single Plate)
connection.

As you may notice the different Single Plate connections have been assigned to the model.

To view the main designed parameters, press the Edit button in the Connections group
on the Modules tab. If you review the results of the design you can see that they are similar
to the results obtained with the basic connections in the first part of the example. Notice
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however that the result for a design by group will not be the same because the program will
design an optimum connection for each subgroup (same family and member sections).

8) Assign base plate connections to the model

The program allows the creation of column – base plate connections using predefined
templates. The base plate templates are defines as 'Smart', as they allow the program to
determine the main design parameters as the base plate dimensions, weld sizes, anchor
embedment length and diameter based on the acting forces.

In order to assign a base plate connection, select the Design each connection individually
option pressing the Assign button.

Select all the support joints at the model base:

Next, from the available template list, select from the Base Plate Connection group the
template as it is show in the next figure.
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Choose Smart Fixed Uniaxial Base Plate as the template for the connections.

If there are braces connected to the joint then choose the Smart Gusset Base Plate template.

Choose Smart Gusset Base Plate as the template for the base plate with braces connection.

Press the Edit button in the Connections group on the Modules tab to check the main
design parameters from the selected connections.

Remark: The anchors are designed for the code ACI 318-08 and due method compatibility
only are available when the design method selected is AISC 360-05 LRFD or AISC 360-10
LRFD.

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