Assign Column

Setting	Description
Column Size	Using the Assign > Column Size, sizes can be assigned to any concrete column. The size list in the dialog box displays the column sections available for assignment to columns. Concrete column sections are defined in the RAM Modeler. Clicking on a section in the list box selects it for assignment. Clicking the Single, Fence or All buttons closes the dialog box in the selection mode as described above. The status bar displays a prompt that tells the user what needs to be done to make the size assignment.
Sidesway	Selecting the Assign-Column-Sidesway menu command causes the Sidesway dialog box to be displayed. From this dialog box the engineer can override on a member-by-member basis (concrete only) the global sidesway criteria specified under Criteria-Sidesway (see Section 2.5.4). This criterion is not utilized unless the user has selected to consider column slenderness in the Criteria-Analysis dialog box (see Section 2.5.2). The sidesway affects the column slenderness calculation by determining if the column is a sway (braced) column (ACI 10.13, BS8110:Part2:1985:Sec2.5, AS3600 10.5./10.1.3.1) or a non-sway (unbraced) column (ACI 10.12, BS8110:Part2:Sec2.5, AS3600 10.5). Select the appropriate sidesway criteria for each local axis of the member (or specify that the global criteria are to be used for that axis). After the appropriate values are specified the engineer can assign the criteria to a single concrete member (click on Single), to multiple members (click on Fence) or to all concrete members (click on All). If Single is selected the dialog box will close and a target cursor will be made available. Click on each member to which the criteria should be applied. If Fence is selected the dialog box will close and a fence cursor will be made available. Click and drag a rectangle around all the members to which the criteria should be applied. Note that the criteria are only assigned to concrete members. To return to the dialog box to select a different sidesway criteria click the right mouse button. To view which member axes are using the global criteria and which have been overridden select the appropriate option from the View-Members Dialog box.
Effective Length Factor	Selecting the Assign-Effective Length Factor menu command causes the Assign Effective Length dialog box to be displayed. From this dialog box the engineer can override, on a member-by-member basis (concrete only), the global effective length factors specified in the Criteria- Effective Length dialog box. This criterion is not utilized unless the user has selected to consider column slenderness in the Criteria-Analysis dialog box. Select the appropriate values from the dialog box (see Section 2.5.5 for more information on the various options). The engineer can choose to override the global criteria in one or both axes of the member. The criteria are applied to the columns local axes. After the appropriate values are specified the engineer can assign the criteria to a single member (click on Single), to multiple members (click on Fence) or to all members (click on All). If Single is selected the dialog box will close and a target cursor will be made available. Click on each member to which the criteria should be applied. If Fence is selected the dialog box will close and a fence cursor will be made available. Click and drag a rectangle around all the members to which the criteria should be applied. Note that the criteria are only assigned to concrete columns. To return to the dialog box to select a different effective length criteria click on the right mouse button. To view which member axes are using the global criteria and which have been overridden select the appropriate option from the View-Members Dialog box.

Setting

Description

Column Size

Using the Assign > Column Size, sizes can be assigned to any concrete column. The size list in the dialog box displays the column sections available for assignment to columns. Concrete column sections are defined in the RAM Modeler. Clicking on a section in the list box selects it for assignment. Clicking the Single, Fence or All buttons closes the dialog box in the selection mode as described above. The status bar displays a prompt that tells the user what needs to be done to make the size assignment.

Sidesway

Selecting the Assign-Column-Sidesway menu command causes the Sidesway dialog box to be displayed. From this dialog box the engineer can override on a member-by-member basis (concrete only) the global sidesway criteria specified under Criteria-Sidesway (see Section 2.5.4). This criterion is not utilized unless the user has selected to consider column slenderness in the Criteria-Analysis dialog box (see Section 2.5.2).

The sidesway affects the column slenderness calculation by determining if the column is a sway (braced) column (ACI 10.13, BS8110:Part2:1985:Sec2.5, AS3600 10.5./10.1.3.1) or a non-sway (unbraced) column (ACI 10.12, BS8110:Part2:Sec2.5, AS3600 10.5). Select the appropriate sidesway criteria for each local axis of the member (or specify that the global criteria are to be used for that axis).

After the appropriate values are specified the engineer can assign the criteria to a single concrete member (click on Single), to multiple members (click on Fence) or to all concrete members (click on All). If Single is selected the dialog box will close and a target cursor will be made available. Click on each member to which the criteria should be applied. If Fence is selected the dialog box will close and a fence cursor will be made available. Click and drag a rectangle around all the members to which the criteria should be applied. Note that the criteria are only assigned to concrete members. To return to the dialog box to select a different sidesway criteria click the right mouse button.

To view which member axes are using the global criteria and which have been overridden select the appropriate option from the View-Members Dialog box.

Effective Length Factor

Selecting the Assign-Effective Length Factor menu command causes the Assign Effective Length dialog box to be displayed. From this dialog box the engineer can override, on a member-by-member basis (concrete only), the global effective length factors specified in the Criteria- Effective Length dialog box. This criterion is not utilized unless the user has selected to consider column slenderness in the Criteria-Analysis dialog box.

Select the appropriate values from the dialog box (see Section 2.5.5 for more information on the various options). The engineer can choose to override the global criteria in one or both axes of the member. The criteria are applied to the columns local axes.

After the appropriate values are specified the engineer can assign the criteria to a single member (click on Single), to multiple members (click on Fence) or to all members (click on All). If Single is selected the dialog box will close and a target cursor will be made available. Click on each member to which the criteria should be applied. If Fence is selected the dialog box will close and a fence cursor will be made available. Click and drag a rectangle around all the members to which the criteria should be applied. Note that the criteria are only assigned to concrete columns. To return to the dialog box to select a different effective length criteria click on the right mouse button.

To view which member axes are using the global criteria and which have been overridden select the appropriate option from the View-Members Dialog box.