There are specifications, such as the Building Code used for calculating Live Load Reduction, and values, such as the Yield Strength of beams, that are common to the majority of the structures modeled by one office. Rather than having to specify these options or input these values for every model, many of the common values are saved as program defaults. At the time a model is created, the defaults are assigned to that model.

The RAM Structural System uses numerous program defaults for modeling and designing structures. These defaults are set at the time the program is installed but can be modified at a later time.

The composite deck table, master steel tables, and the design steel tables supplied with the RAM Structural System can be modified and additional tables can be created. They can be customized to better conform to the design philosophy of the design office. The manipulation of tables for customizing the member design is discussed in the next chapter.