The RAM Foundation module allows dead and live surcharges to be added on a foundation by foundation basis. The possibility exists that neither the gravity nor the lateral system will have dead or live load before these surcharges are added. For this reason, it is necessary that the dead and live load case always be present for foundation design. In the rare case where dead and/or live are not already present in a model, the foundation program adds these load cases. As with the dummy load cases mentioned above, corresponding null member forces are used for design when surcharges do not exist.

The dead and live load cases added in the foundation program do not affect other RAM modules. They are not saved as part of the load case data associated with the model.