Splice levels are taken into consideration by the Column Design module when selecting column sizes. Rather than picking a different column size for each level, the program selects the same size for all levels between splices, based on the controlling design case between the splices. A splice at a level indicates to the program that the size can change between the level above and the level below; the lack of a splice indicates to the program that the size must be the same for the level above and the level below. The assignment of splice levels is done globally in the Story Data in the RAM Modeler. This can be overridden on a column by column basis using the Assign - Splicing command. There are three options:

• Global is used to specify that the Splicing conditions used for design are to be determined by the program based on the model geometry and the Story Data.
• Spliced is used to specify that the Splicing conditions used for design are to be considered as spliced, regardless of the model geometry and the Story Data.
• Not Spliced is used to specify that the Splicing conditions used for design are to be considered as not spliced, regardless of the model geometry and the Story Data.

Note that to clear a previous assignment, invoke the Assign – Splicing command and assign the Global option.

In Single mode, select the column (not the splice symbol) for which the Splicing assignment is to be assigned to the top of the column. In Fence mode fence entirely all columns for which the Splicing assignment is to be assigned to the top of the column. All assigns the Splicing assignment to the tops of all columns.

It is often useful to first design the columns with a splice specified at every level, then modify the splice level assignments based on the results to determine the best splice locations, and redesign the columns.

For some configurations of geometry and material the program may override the Splicing assignments. See Section 3.5, Column Splices.