Assigning Lateral Member Sizes
The RAM Steel Beam Design and RAM Steel Column Design modules optimize the design of the steel gravity members. It is not necessary to assign sizes to these members. However, if you want the program to use (check) a specific size for a particular gravity beam, the Assign Sizes command can be used to assign a size to an individual gravity member. The selected member size would be checked for adequacy and no design optimization will be performed for that member. If the steel beam is specified as composite then RAM Steel Beam Design module will determine the number of studs required to meet the design criteria.
The lateral analysis performed in RAM Frame, on the other hand, requires that preliminary sizes be assigned to the Lateral members in order to analyze those frames. The preliminary sizes can be assigned manually in the RAM Modeler using the Assign Size commands, in RAM Frame using similar Assign Size commands, or member size can be left out and the program will then automatically assign a size adequate for the gravity loads only when the RAM Steel Beam and RAM Steel Column modules are executed.
- Select the elevation view of the braced frame on Grid A.
- Select .
- From the list of sizes, select a W12x22 (UB305x102x33).
- Click [Fence].
- Fence all the beams of this frame.
- Select .
- From the list of sizes, select a W10x33 (UC254x254x73)
- Click [Fence].
- Fence all the columns of this frame.
- Select .
- From the list of sizes, select a HSS5x5x3/8 (SHS120x120x6.3)
- Click [Fence].
- Fence all the braces of this frame.
- Repeat the same steps for the braced frame on line F.
That completes the braced frames, now you can move on to the moment frames.