View/Update (ACI 318)

The Process > View/Update command launches the View/Update dialog box; a powerful tool for investigating the design of concrete columns on a column line basis. When the command is issued, the cursor changes from the arrow cursor to the target cursor, allowing the engineer to select a column line.

If the selected column line is undesigned a design will be performed and the View/Update dialog will open. If the selected column line has a current design, the saved design will be displayed when the dialog opens.

The View/Update dialog consists of three tabs that display the design: the Longitudinal Reinforcement tab, the Transverse Reinforcement tab, and the Material Properties tab. A graphical display area is located to the right side of each tab that displays information relevant to the tab selected.

The View/Update dialog can be used to investigate various designs by making changes to the longitudinal reinforcement, the transverse reinforcement and/or the column material properties and then analyzing the new design data. The new design can be saved with the model by clicking the Update Database button. When this is done, the column is considered frozen or user-defined (see Section 3.11.5 for more information on freezing designs).

Optimize – Discards any changes made by the user in the View/Update dialog and optimizes the beam line per global criteria and any previously assigned data.

Analyze – Analyzes the column line using information entered in the View/Update dialog. The selected reinforcement is checked only; no reinforcement is assigned during an Analyze.

Update Database - Updates the model database with the parameters in the View/Update dialog box and saves the current design of each column in the column line. This column is then frozen so no further optimization is performed on the column line until the design is cleared.

View Results - This button is used to display the detailed design information on each column in the column line.

View Summary - This button is used to display a Summary report for each column in the column line.

Close - Closes the View/Update dialog box without updating the design. If the column information was saved using the Update Database button, this information will remain saved but any changes since that command was issued will be lost.

The traffic lights on the View/Update dialog box graphically indicate the status of the design on the column line. A Green light indicates the design is current and passes all checks for all the columns in the column line. Yellow indicates the design is not current and an analyze or optimize is required. Red indicates that there are design warnings for at least one column in the column line.

Setting	Description
Longitudinal Reinforcement Page:	Longitudinal Reinforcement page is displayed when the View/Update dialog opens. The grid on this tab displays the selected bar pattern from each bar pattern group tested and shows a Final Design pattern. The final pattern is the best design for the entire column line. It is automatically selected from the list of assigned bar pattern groups. The final design is selected from the group with the smallest reinforcement weight and, when applicable, the least number of design warnings. To analyze a bar pattern, it must appear in the Final Design column. Alternate patterns can be selected from the final column drop down list or patterns can be moved to the final column from the Design from Pattern Group columns. The final column drop down list contains all the bar patterns that have been generated from the defined bar pattern groups, regardless of whether groups were assigned to the column or not. To move a pattern, click on that pattern and then click the Move To Final button at the top of the column. Once a new pattern has been selected, click the Analyze button to analyze the reinforcement. The interaction diagram on the right side of the tab shows the column interaction surface at a given angle. Below it is the angle of the diagram and the list of all the design points checked for that angle. The angles are grouped in 2-degree increments. By default the angle and data point selected will be the ones for the selected story and pattern's controlling data point. Changing the angle will bring up the appropriate interaction surface and design points. The crosses + in the diagram identify all the checked design points. Selecting a data point in the list below the diagram will automatically move the slider to that point. The column axial capacity and corresponding moment capacity at the location of the slider for the given angle are displayed under the diagram. The slider can also be moved manually by left clicking and dragging the slider ends.
Transverse Reinforcement Page:	The second tab is where the transverse reinforcement design is displayed and changes to the design can be made. The size of the transverse bars cannot be changed because it is connected to the bar pattern, which is selected on the longitudinal page. The end location of the segment and the bar spacing of the bars can be changed. Additional reinforcement sections can be added to vary reinforcement within a story if desired. If changes are made to the end location or spacing, or if additional segments are added, the start and end values of each segment will be automatically updated when the user clicks into a new cell. In addition to these changes, the number of shear legs used per story can also be changed. Clicking the Analyze button will analyze this modified design. The Major and Minor column shear diagrams are displayed to the right of the reinforcement layout grid. The red envelope is the required capacity and the green envelope is the provided capacity. The slider can be moved by left clicking on the ends and dragging it up or down the diagram. The provided and required shear capacities are reported below the diagram.
Material Properties Page:	The third tab provides the engineer with a means for modifying material properties of the column line. As with either of the previous tabs, any modification to data on this page will cause the Analyze button to become available and the stoplight to turn yellow. The diagram on the Material Properties page shows the column line and the members that frame into it. Clicking on a specific story in the material properties grid will bring that column into the view screen. The diagram to the right of the material property grids displays a schematic drawing of the selected column. The beams are displayed to identify the column top and bottom and do not reflect the beams that are actually connected to the column.

Setting

Description

Longitudinal Reinforcement Page:

Longitudinal Reinforcement page is displayed when the View/Update dialog opens. The grid on this tab displays the selected bar pattern from each bar pattern group tested and shows a Final Design pattern. The final pattern is the best design for the entire column line. It is automatically selected from the list of assigned bar pattern groups. The final design is selected from the group with the smallest reinforcement weight and, when applicable, the least number of design warnings.

To analyze a bar pattern, it must appear in the Final Design column. Alternate patterns can be selected from the final column drop down list or patterns can be moved to the final column from the Design from Pattern Group columns. The final column drop down list contains all the bar patterns that have been generated from the defined bar pattern groups, regardless of whether groups were assigned to the column or not. To move a pattern, click on that pattern and then click the Move To Final button at the top of the column. Once a new pattern has been selected, click the Analyze button to analyze the reinforcement.

The interaction diagram on the right side of the tab shows the column interaction surface at a given angle. Below it is the angle of the diagram and the list of all the design points checked for that angle. The angles are grouped in 2-degree increments. By default the angle and data point selected will be the ones for the selected story and pattern's controlling data point. Changing the angle will bring up the appropriate interaction surface and design points.

The crosses + in the diagram identify all the checked design points. Selecting a data point in the list below the diagram will automatically move the slider to that point. The column axial capacity and corresponding moment capacity at the location of the slider for the given angle are displayed under the diagram. The slider can also be moved manually by left clicking and dragging the slider ends.

Transverse Reinforcement Page:

The second tab is where the transverse reinforcement design is displayed and changes to the design can be made. The size of the transverse bars cannot be changed because it is connected to the bar pattern, which is selected on the longitudinal page. The end location of the segment and the bar spacing of the bars can be changed. Additional reinforcement sections can be added to vary reinforcement within a story if desired. If changes are made to the end location or spacing, or if additional segments are added, the start and end values of each segment will be automatically updated when the user clicks into a new cell. In addition to these changes, the number of shear legs used per story can also be changed. Clicking the Analyze button will analyze this modified design.

The Major and Minor column shear diagrams are displayed to the right of the reinforcement layout grid. The red envelope is the required capacity and the green envelope is the provided capacity. The slider can be moved by left clicking on the ends and dragging it up or down the diagram. The provided and required shear capacities are reported below the diagram.

Material Properties Page:

The third tab provides the engineer with a means for modifying material properties of the column line. As with either of the previous tabs, any modification to data on this page will cause the Analyze button to become available and the stoplight to turn yellow.

The diagram on the Material Properties page shows the column line and the members that frame into it. Clicking on a specific story in the material properties grid will bring that column into the view screen.

The diagram to the right of the material property grids displays a schematic drawing of the selected column. The beams are displayed to identify the column top and bottom and do not reflect the beams that are actually connected to the column.