RCDC (SACD) V11.
03
Release Notes
RCDC V11.03.00 is here with new features enhancing the design capabilities. The
newly introduced features are:
No Module Description
1 General Addition of American code ACI 318-19
Update design functionality in footing module with new
2 Footing
analysis file- All Design codes
Use of different Steel grades for Main and Shear
3 Beam
reinforcement (Beams) – All Design Codes
4 General Enhancements
5 General Defects Resolved
RCDC (SACD) V11.03
General Addition of American code ACI 318-19
The 2019 edition of ACI 318 English-units edition (American Standard) is implemented
in RCDC. With this addition, all the structural elements supported by the program, such
as beams, columns, footings, etc., can now be designed using this code.
Update design functionality in footing module with new analysis
Footing
file- All Design codes
The advantage of the ‘Update Design’ option is that users can check the existing
design (which is based on an earlier analysis file) with the revised analysis file. If the
existing design reinforcement is sufficient or more than the revised design
reinforcement, then, the software will maintain the existing design. If the existing
design is less than the required size /steel for the revised analysis, then, the software
will show the updated design.
This feature handles changes in analysis such as changes in: footing location, column
size, column orientation, loading and so on. There is a set of rules implemented in the
software to identify changes in the superstructure data. The software then performs
the calculations needed to address these changes. The workflow for using this feature
is as below –
When an existing footing design file is opened, the following command is available in
the File menu.
RCDC (SACD) V11.03
Once the user clicks on this, program will prompt the user to select the revised analysis
file
The data from the revised analysis is read and if there are any changes in load cases
in the revised analysis file compared to earlier, the user needs to set the type for the
additional load cases and proceed.
RCDC (SACD) V11.03
Additionally, if there are any changes in load cases, the user needs to redefine the
set of load combinations for concrete design and sizing.
The program then performs the calculations and produces updated design results.
Users can now compare the existing design with the updated design. The Changed
report is available after update design is performed. This report will be auto saved in
the same folder where the RCDC file is saved.
RCDC (SACD) V11.03
Please refer to section “Footing – Update Footing design” of the program
documentation for information regarding the rules used by the program to identify
changes in the superstructure model.
Use of different Reinforcement grades for Main and Shear Links
General
(Beams) –All Design Codes
Different steel grades for Main and shear reinforcement can now be specified for the
beam design module. This functionality is enabled for all design codes available in
RCDC.
Further, new steel grades for main as well as shear reinforcement can be added to
the program’s library.
The option of changing steel grade is also available on the input screens for redesign,
and it can be set for individual beams.
General Enhancements
The following are the enhancements made in this release to existing features.
ADO ID – 790191, 790882, 800815 – General improvements in various modules
based on our renewed understanding of the ACI 318-2014 code.
Following are General enhancements
1. Capping steel grades for flexural design as per Table 20.2.2.4a,
2. Restricting value of Sqrt(f’c) to calculate shear capacity of section footing, pile-
cap and slab as per clause 25.5.3
RCDC (SACD) V11.03
3. restricting value of Sqrt(f’c) to calculate development length for footing, pile-
cap and slab as per Clause 25.4.1.4
Column,
1. Additional shear for ordinary frame column in case of short column action as
per Clause 18.3.3.
2. Minimum area of shear links in beam column joints as per Clause 15.4.1.
3. Spacing of links based of shear carried by links as per Clause 10.7.6.5.2
4. Criteria for minimum link diameter based on main reinforcement as per Clause
25.7.2.2.
Beam,
1. Criteria for maximum % reinforcement for special frames beams as per Clause
18.6.3.1
2. Spacing of shear stirrups as per Clause 9.7.6.2.2
3. Strength reduction factor for coupling beams as per Clause 21.2.4.3
4. Minimum reinforcement at any section of bottom based on maximum bottom
reinforcement as per Clause 18.3.2.
ADO ID – 671873 – Copy Paste option on various Screen of Tanks structures
copy paste facility is now available for reinforcement bar zone and curtailment
settings, input, and output screen of tank wall structures.
On this screen user can copy paste the number of zones and curtailment option.
RCDC (SACD) V11.03
On Design input screen, user can copy paste the type of wall, thickness, Material
grades and cover.
On output screen, reinforcement bar for vertical, horizontal and shear
reinforcement can be copy-pasted. Copy-Paste is also available for vertical
reinforcement bar with curtailment if any. When the copy paste operation is
performed on these forms, various design checks are performed. If the new
reinforcement is sufficient and satisfies all the design checks, only then it is
accepted. Else, an error message is displayed.
ADO ID – 746018 – Providing Unsupported length and effective length factor for
grouped columns and levels in redesign tool
On redesign section and redesign column, RCDC now allows users to provide the
unsupported length factor and effective length factor for each column if the
column / walls are grouped or levels are grouped.
RCDC (SACD) V11.03
Redesign Section:
Redesign Column:
ADO ID – 801072 – ETABS - Reading the new Table format of ETABS .accdb 2019
and 2020 version.
Import of data from .accdb files for E-tabs 2019 and 2020 versions is now
supported.
ADO ID - 604932 – Pile-cap capacity reduction are applied to tension capacity of
pile in uplift check
When there is a tension in the pile for uplift force check, the pile-cap capacity
reduction factors are now applied to tension capacity. So, if user provides capacity
reduction factor in the design settings, it applied to compression and tension
capacity of the pile.
RCDC (SACD) V11.03
ADO ID - 794514 – ACI 318M-2019 modification in % vertical reinforcement used
for shear check
For Non ductile / intermediate type wall, 50% of main reinforcement of wall is used
to calculate section capacity in shear check. For Ductile wall with or without
boundary element, 20% of main reinforcement is used. This is to account for the
fact that not all reinforcement will be in tension for a given load combination
calculation in the calculation of section shear capacity.
General Defects Resolved
Following are the list of Defects resolved in this release.
ADO ID - 794515 - Shear walls are not read by RCDC in this specific case
If the structure contains walls and slabs as parametric surfaces and the surface
type is not set for the slab, RCDC is unable to read the walls. This issue has been
resolved. Now if the slab is present as a parametric surface without the type
defined, RCDC can read the walls.
ADO ID - 763741 - Tank wall output window shear failure presentation issue
When a tank wall fails in shear check, the failure was not shown on the output form.
Now, it is marked as failed on the output screen so that user can take corrective
action. It was a reporting error since, when a wall fails in any of the checks, RCDC
doesn’t generate the output reports.
ADO ID - 797070 - Time taken to read Steel Structural file to be reduced
For superstructure models containing steel members, if a user wants to design a
pedestal and a footing, RCDC was taking a long time to read the entire model.
Reading time has been reduced by skipping the reading of super structure steel
members for beam propagation logic.
ADO ID - 797965 - Issue while importing load cases that have special character(s)
In Ram SS files, if rotation axes are specified for seismic loads, the load case title
contains special character(s) by default. RCDC was displaying an error reading file
message for these types of load cases. This has been resolved now by skipping
special characters in load case title during the reading phase.
ADO ID - 804275 - Column Crack width - Neutral axis depth value is presented
incorrectly in the report when section is Un-cracked.
RCDC performs the crack-width check at top and bottom location of the column.
If the axial force in the column is compressive, the section is identified as
uncracked in the crack width check. In one of the cases where column is cracked
RCDC (SACD) V11.03
at bottom location and Un-cracked at top location, the value of Neutral axis
presented was incorrect for uncracked section. However, crack-width check is
correct, and all other values are shown correct. This has now resolved, and correct
value of Neutral axis is presented
ADO ID - 799654 - NBN code presentation issue for area required for torsion
For BS EN Belgium annex Beam design, area of shear links required for torsion was
incorrectly presented in the design calculation report. The final area of shear
reinforcement required was correct in the design. This has been resolved and
correct values are now printed in the design calculation report.
ADO ID - 831691 - Issue in importing RAM SS file in Slab module
For NBN code, if a user provides a custom concrete grade in the RAM SS file,
meaning, a grade other than one available in the code, with values up to two
decimals, RCDC was encountering an error in reading the RAM SS file. This has been
resolved.
ADO ID - 799629 – Diameter of vertical reinforcement in Boundary zone should be
used to calculate ductile link spacing
The boundary element ductile links spacing is dependent on the diameter of main
reinforcement provided in the boundary element zone. In earlier versions, RCDC
was using minimum diameter provided across the wall to calculate ductile links
spacing in boundary element zone. Now, as the ductile links are provided for
Boundary element vertical reinforcement only, minimum diameter of vertical
reinforcement is used to calculate ductile link spacing.
