In the design of a structure a great number of decisions must be made. What is acceptable to one engineer may not be acceptable to another. It is crucial that the user understands the decisions and assumptions being made by the RAM Steel Beam Design module. If these are not appropriate for the specific conditions of a particular building, the user should augment or replace the results from RAM Steel Beam Design with those of some other tool.

The purpose of the Technical Notes is to explain the assumptions and methodology of the RAM Steel Beam Design module. Every effort has been made to include a discussion of significant decisions and assumptions made by the program. Generally, if there is any question as to how the RAM Steel Beam Design module handles any particular condition, a small model can be quickly created and analyzed, and the results verified with the appropriate hand calculations.

The RAM Steel Beam Design module has been extensively tested and used. It is impossible, however, to anticipate every possible configuration that could be encountered by the program. Ultimately the engineer is responsible for the safety and adequacy of the design of the building.