Before the Columns can be designed we must specify a bar patterns that we wish to use. You can define any number of bar patterns or layout and the program can consider up to three of these layout for each column that it designs. To define the bar patterns:

• Select Assign > Edit Bar Patterns.

For this example we will define three bar patterns.

• Select 3 for Top/Bottom Face Bars (B).
• Select 1 for Additional Bars Each Side (H).
• Select #5 (T08) for Min. Longitudinal Bar Size.
• Select #9 (T12) for Max Longitudinal Bar Size.
• Select #3 (T06) for Transverse Bar Size.
• Click [Add].

  A new line of data will appear in the Bar Pattern Groups Created list box.

• Increase the Min Longitudinal Bar size to #8(T10).
• Increase the Max Longitudinal Bar size to #11(T32).
• Increase the Transverse Bar Size to #5(t08).
• Click [Add] to create the second pattern.
• Increase the Additional Bars Each Side to 2.
• Select #5(T08) for Min. Longitudinal Bar Size.
• Select #9 (T12) for Max Longitudinal Bar Size.
• Select #3 (T06) for Transverse Bar Size.
• Click [Add] to create the last pattern of 10 total bars.
• Click [OK].

Now the bar patterns we just defined must be assigned to the concrete columns in the model. To do this:

• Select Assign > Bar Patterns.
  
• Check the box next to each of the patterns that we defined. The graphic on the side indicates the pattern information for the highlighted pattern.
  Note: As you click on each bar pattern the graphic and data to the right are updated to provide a description of that bar pattern.
• Click [All] to assign those two pattern options for design to all of the concrete columns.

At this point you could generate the Load Combinations for design, but the combinations used in the Concrete Beam Module are already defined so we can skip ahead to designing the columns.