Selecting Criteria > Sidesway opens the Sidesway dialog. From this dialog box, you can specify globally (for the entire structure) if the frames are braced or unbraced against sidesway/non-sway and sway-sensitive for BS5950. The third option, " partially braced " (Non-sway in Axis), refers to the case where a structure is braced against sidesway in only one direction (e.g., a moment frame in the global x-direction and a braced frame in the global y-direction).

A fourth option "Calc. Per Load Combination" is available for BS5950:2000 design code. When this option is applied the program will calculate the lateral story drifts at the position of each member being designed, for each floor, for each load combination. Drifts are calculated using only the factored notional load cases in each load combination. These drifts are then used to calculate λcr (per Load Combination), which if between 4.0 and 10.0 will then result in the member being designated as a sway-sensitive member in that axis.

Clicking OK will save the Sidesway setting. Modifying the Sidesway criteria after a code check has been performed will invalidate the results of that code check. The model will be redrawn on the screen in its original colors (rather than the code check colors) indicating that the code check must be re-run.

Clicking Cancel will return you to the RAM Frame program in Steel mode without changing the Sidesway criteria.

The engineer can also assign sidesway on a member-by-member basis, overriding the global criteria, using the assign sidesway menu item.