There are five parameters that influence how Concept lays out and details reinforcement.

Three of the parameters are layout "cost" values that affect RAM Concept 's priorities when laying out program reinforcement. They have no effect on user reinforcement.

The cost parameters are:

Bar Length Cost When this value is increased RAM Concept gives a higher priority to minimizing the weight of the reinforcement. This also causes RAM Concept to create a larger number of callouts.

Bar Group Length Cost When this value is increased RAM Concept gives a higher priority to minimizing the total length of all of the callouts summed together. This also causes RAM Concept to use more reinforcement than necessary in some areas.

Bar Callout Cost When this value is increased RAM Concept gives a higher priority to minimizing the total number of callouts. This also causes RAM Concept to use more reinforcement than necessary in some areas, and may cause RAM Concept to provide reinforcement where none is required.

Using the default values for these three cost parameters usually results in acceptable program reinforcement layouts. However, you may want to try adjusting these parameters if you want RAM Concept to arrive at different layouts.

The other two parameters are as follows:

Bar Rounding Length RAM Concept lays out the program reinforcement with lengths that are a multiple of this value. The only instance where the program reinforcement does not use this rounding length is where both ends of a reinforcement callout are not straight (they are hooked or anchored).

Bar End Cover RAM Concept uses this value when detailing both user and program reinforcement. Bar ends - except for bar ends with anchors - are always pulled back from slab edges by this amount.