Slab element properties
Slab area properties fall into two categories: general and behavior.
The following is an explanation of RAM Concept slab area properties:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | User-defined label used to identify the slab in output. |
| Concrete Mix | Type of concrete used (defined in Materials Specification). |
| Thickness | You define slab thickenings, such as drop caps and drop panels, by specifying an increased thickness. |
| Surface Elevation | It is customary to set the typical elevation as 0. Setting the elevation to a very large value (such as 100 feet or 30 m) may result in round off errors in the analysis. You create surface and soffit steps by using different surface elevations for different areas. |
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| R-Axis | defines an orientation for the slab. If the slab is a two way slab with identical properties in all directions ("isotropic"), then the R-Axis is irrelevant, because there is no inherent orientation of the slab. However, if the slab is not isotropic, then this axis (defined as the counter-clockwise angle from 3 o'clock) defines the r-axis which is used along with the other slab area properties to define the behavior of the slab. The s-axis is always 90 degrees counter-clockwise from the r-axis. |
| KMr, KMs, KMrs, KFr, KFs, KVrs | Relative stiffnesses (compared to isotropic slab stiffness). |
Refer to Orthotropic behavior for further information on the use of Behavior properties.