C n

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Figure 1

Column Design Line Data

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The drop-down menu in these cells allows you to select the column code check template and column design template that are applied to the individual column. These templates determine the specific design criteria and code checks that are used for the column. For more information about “Code Check Template” and “Design Template” parameters, please refer to the sections:

"Revisiting Code Check Templates with a Special Focus on Columns",
“Revisiting Design Templates with a Special Focus on Columns” ,
"Code Check Templates", "Design Templates", and "Design Criteria".

The "Design State" spreadsheet cell indicates the current status of the column design verification.

The reported DC (Demand-Capacity) ratio in column design reflects the most critical scenario and represents the envelope value of the design.

When the design state of a column reflects a "failed" situation and is accompanied by the term "Compatibility," it indicates that the column is not suitable to function as a "column" within the structural design. In other words, it does not meet the necessary design criteria and requirements to serve its intended purpose.

For more detailed information about the code check compatibility checks, it is recommended to refer to the section “Basic Compatibility Checks” under “Code Check Objects: Main Considerations”.

Depending on whether the vertical or stirrup rebars have been assigned from the Columns section geometric data, the design state will be reflected accordingly.

Design State: “No Reinforcement”: If either the vertical or stirrup rebars are not assigned, the design state will be marked as "No Reinforcement". This indicates that the column design line is not yet ready for code check, as the necessary reinforcement information is missing.

Design State: “Need Verification”: On the other hand, if all the rebar assignments have been completed, the design state will be shown as "Need Verification". This signifies that the column design line is prepared for further verification and code check procedures.

The up-to-dateness of the column design is monitored and indicated through several indicators presented below:

Design State: “red-dotted cell: If the project data has been modified after the code check, a red-dotted cell serves as a reminder that the code check needs to be re-run.

The status label "No Changes" indicates that the code check report for the beam is up-to-date.

The spreadsheet cell labeled "Changes After Last Code Check" provides information on the modifications made to the model following the completion of a code check. It displays the updates or revisions implemented as a result of the code check analysis.

Figure 2 depicts the newly opened spreadsheet that appears when the "View Changes" cell button is clicked, displaying any changes that have been made.

If the changes made are not significant enough to require re-running the code check, you can click on the "Ignore Changes" button. This action will change the status of the button from "View Changes" to "No Changes".

The "Back" button (Figure 2) enables you to return to the previous spreadsheet window.

The spreadsheet cell named "Code Check Timestamp" records the time at which the last code check was conducted. It serves as a reference to indicate the specific moment when the code check analysis was performed on the model.

These two cells, "Changes After Last Code Check" and "Code Check Timestamp," offer valuable insights into the code check process, allowing users to track and review the alterations made to the model and refer to the timestamp for the most recent code check operation.

The analysis source that will be considered during the verification process is indicated in the column cell labeled "Analysis Source". The selection and treatment of the analysis source in the code check process are explained in detail in the part “Revisiting Code Check Templates with a Special Focus on Columns” under the "Column Design" section.

By clicking on the cell-button labeled "Show" in the "Detailed Report" cell, you can access the corresponding detailed reports for each set of load combinations based on the selected analysis results. These detailed reports provide information such as design parameters, analysis results, M-N interaction diagrams, code checks with relevant references. Figures 3a-3d showcase some screenshots from the column code check detailed report, highlighting the available information.

This cell provides information about the tonnage of reinforcement used in the specific column. It indicates the total weight of the reinforcement bars employed in the design of that column.

Axial Force Moment Design

This section provides a separate interface, as shown in Figure 4, specifically designed for inputting parameters related to the M-N diagram. In this interface, the force and moment inputs are read-only, meaning they cannot be directly modified. These values are derived from the analysis results sources that have been assigned in the column code check template.

The force and moment inputs represent the most critical results obtained from the analysis results. These values are determined based on the assigned analysis sources to the column code check templates, and reflect the forces and moments acting on the column under various load conditions.

Shear Torsion Design

This section provides a separate interface, as depicted in Figure 5, specifically dedicated to the input parameters related to shear and torsion design. In this interface, the input values for shear and torsion are read-only, meaning they cannot be directly modified. These values are derived from the analysis results sources that have been assigned in the column code check template.

The shear and torsion inputs represent the most critical results obtained from the analysis results, which are crucial for evaluating the shear and torsional behavior of the column. These values are determined based on the assigned analysis sources and reflect the shear forces and torsional moments acting on the column under different loading conditions.

Design Properties

In the "Design Properties" section (Figure 6), you will find important parameters related to the design properties of the column. The user interface of the "Design Properties" spreadsheet, shown in Figure 6, also includes the buttons "Verify Selected" and "Verify All".

One of the read-only parameters in this section is the column length, which represents the physical height of the column and cannot be directly modified within this interface.

The input parameters in the "Design Properties" section include the concrete material properties and the column slenderness parameters.

The other input parameter group in this section pertains to the column slenderness parameters. These parameters, such as "unbraced" and "sway," play a crucial role in determining the column's behavior under different loading conditions. If a column is selected as "unbraced," the non-sway slenderness coefficient in that direction will be displayed as "N/A." Similarly, if a column is selected as "sway" is false, the sway slenderness coefficient in the corresponding direction will be displayed as "N/A."

Reinforcement Parameters

The "Reinforcement Properties" section collects the necessary inputs for the rebar template geometry, whether it is rectangular or circular, and the clear cover to stirrup distance (Figure 7).

Rebar Templates

The "Rebar Templates" section provides a medium for creating your own rebar template from scratch. This feature is particularly useful for designing columns with arbitrary shapes and complex rebar arrangements.

Drawing Vertical Rebars

Hitting the "Draw Rebars" button initiates the rebar template creation process. This action opens a new dialog box that prompts you to specify the reference line distance for placing rebars, as shown in Figure 8. This reference line distance is crucial for accurately positioning the rebars within the column design. By providing this input, you can precisely define the spacing and arrangement of the reinforcement bars.

After entering the reference line distance, you can start locating the vertical rebar as in Figure 9a. It is important to at least roughly position all the vertical rebar locations to ensure that a row is created for each vertical rebar within the column design. By creating rows for each vertical rebar, you can further refine the rebar template and make necessary adjustments to achieve the desired reinforcement configuration.

Once you have completed the placement of the vertical rebars, you can exit the command by pressing the "Esc" button (Figure 9b).

To further refine the position of the vertical rebars and view the longitudinal rebars, you can click on the "Show Rebars" cell button under the "Longitudinal Rebar" column. This action will open a new window, as shown in Figure 9c, where you can visualize and manipulate the longitudinal rebars for the selected column design line (Figure 9d).

Once you have completed all the necessary manipulations and adjustments to the rebars in the "Show Rebars" window, you can click on the "Back" button. This will return you to the previous view (Figure 9b).

Drawing Horizontal Rebars

By clicking on the "Show Stirrups" button (Figure 9b), a new window will open, providing you with the necessary drawing action buttons for creating and modifying stirrups in your column design. This window, as shown in Figure 9e, offers various tools and options to help you accurately place and customize the stirrups according to your design requirements.

The "Draw Stirrup" button allows you to manually draw the stirrups by selecting the appropriate points and specifying the desired configuration.

The "Group X Rebars" button enables you to group the stirrup rebars in the X-direction together.

The "Group Y Rebars" button serves a similar purpose as the "Group X Rebars" button, but specifically for grouping the stirrup rebars in the Y-direction.

The "Closed Torsional Rebar" button is used to specify the closed torsional rebar shape, ensuring adequate torsional resistance in the column.

Figure 9f represents an example for the final state.

Tributary Area

Tributary Area

The "Tributary Area" sub-spreadsheet provides valuable information regarding the tributary area of the column and allows for relevant calculations and input parameters. Within this sub-spreadsheet, you will find several read-only parameters and an input parameter.

Input parameter called Trib. Correction Factor allows you to input a correction factor value if needed (Figure 10). The Trib. Correction Factor may be required, for example, to increase the tributary area considered in the design for the first interior columns.

The read-only parameters in the "Tributary Area" sub-spreadsheet include:

1. Floor Tributary Area (sqft): This parameter represents the total area of the floor that contributes to the load and forces acting on the column. It is a calculated value based on the floor plan layout and is expressed in square feet.

2. Trib. Area w/Correction (sqft): This parameter reflects the tributary area considering any correction factors or adjustments that have been applied. It is also calculated and expressed in square feet.

3. Reducible Area (sqft): This parameter indicates the portion of the tributary area that may be reducible based on specific design considerations (e.g live load reduction). It is also a calculated value expressed in square feet.
   
   

Tributary Forces

The "Tributary Forces" section provides a comprehensive analysis of the tributary forces acting on the column. It allows you to examine various forces contributed by different load components and combinations.

Within this section, you can gain insights into the forces resulting from slab-beam dead load, column dead load, self-weight (as the combined effect of these two loads), as well as specified load classes and combinations (Figure 11).

Similarly, for the "Showing Min Envelope" and "Showing Max Envelope" buttons:

By toggling between these modes using the respective buttons, users can view and analyze the data in different ways, considering various factors such as Live Load reduction or envelope values.

Verify Selected

The "Verify Selected" button, available within the "C n" section, serves a similar purpose to the one found in the "Column Design" section. However, it provides a specific functionality that interacts with the CAD medium (Figure 12).

When you click on the "Verify Selected" button under the "C n" section, it allows you to select the corresponding column(s) associated with that specific column design line using the CAD interface. This interaction occurs on a column per design line basis.

Verify All

The "Verify All" button, located within the "C n" section, provides a convenient way to verify all the columns associated with a specific design line simultaneously, without the need for individual selection.

(See also:

"Revisiting Code Check Templates with a Special Focus on Columns",
"Code Check Templates", and "Design Criteria".)

Interaction Diagram

The "Interaction Diagram" button, located within the "C n" section, enables you to generate the axial force-moment interaction diagram report for a selected column.

When you click on the "Interaction Diagram" button, it activates a selection command in the CAD environment (as shown in Figure 13). This allows you to interactively select a column for which you want to generate the interaction diagram report.

After selecting a column, the software generates the axial force-moment interaction diagram report specifically for that column. The report provides valuable insights into the behavior of the column under different combinations of axial force and moment.

Notably, the generated interaction diagram report does not mark the demand values on the diagram itself but only the capacity diagram (as shown in Figure 14).

Design Columns

The "Design Columns" button, similar to the "Verify All" button, facilitates the design process for all the columns within the column design line. However, instead of verifying the columns, it initiates the column design procedure using the pre-specified rebar templates. This button allows you to design each column individually within the design line.

(See also:
“Revisiting Design Templates with a Special Focus on Columns” ,
"Design Templates", and "Design Criteria".)