How RAM Concept lays out longitudinal program reinforcement

Note: This section describes the method RAM Concept used for the layout of longitudinal program reinforcement. Neither transverse reinforcement nor SSR are considered here.

RAM Concept considers all of the spans' and all of the design sections' designs when laying out program reinforcement. RAM Concept 's layout algorithm uses 5 steps as follows:

Step 1 Divide reinforcement requirements into groups.

RAM Concept divides all the span and section reinforcement requirements into similar groups by considering the following characteristics:

Span Direction - latitude or longitude
Slab Face - top or bottom
Reinforcement Elevation - the absolute elevation of the reinforcement
Reinforcement Orientation - the plan view orientation of the reinforcement (always perpendicular to the cross sections)

Requirements with all similar characteristics are grouped together for further processing.

Step 2 Find regions of overlapping and nearby requirement

For each requirement group, RAM Concept then finds requirements in a region that may be able to be satisfied by the same reinforcement callout.

Step 3 Create preliminary callouts for each region

For each region's requirements, RAM Concept creates an optimal set of reinforcement callouts considering the cost factors specified in the General tab of the Calc Options dialog. These preliminary callouts do not consider development lengths.

Step 4 Consider development lengths

For each preliminary callout, RAM Concept investigates all of the related cross sections and determines (considering the area of developed reinforcement and the total area of reinforcement required at each cross section) the necessary extension of the bar beyond the related cross sections.

If the required bar extension cannot be provided (due to a slab edge or bar end cover requirements), reduced extensions using 90-degree or 180-degree hooks are investigated. If the hooks will not provide the adequate development, "anchors" will be placed at the end of the bar.

Note: Any bar that is required to extend to within the end cover distance of a slab edge will be given an "anchor" end condition.

Step 5 Convert to concentrated program reinforcement

As a final step, RAM Concept converts the bar callouts (including development lengths and bar end conditions) into concentrated program reinforcement.

See also "Reinforcement layout and detailing parameters" in Chapter 28, "Calculating Results".