Hi Cecil,
I assume this is your first PT slab design. Your question is only the tip of the iceberg of questions and construction issues that you are going to run into.
Unless this slab is just a tiny isolated piece, I would suggest you consult with (or partner with) an experienced PT designer...
I cannot see any savings that would warrant the fees to complete an analysis of this magitude for a regular type slab.
The FEA design tools have improved significantly in the last ten years.
For regular structures equivalent frame design can still be faster than FEA-based design (especially if...
For very regular structures, the two analysis types will result in very similar design forces/moments and hence there will be little difference in the design.
For irregular structures, FEA will "find" a more efficient load path, as the effective strip width guesses in EFM will tend to be...
RAM Concept can import lateral moments from either RAM-Frame or STAAD. The moments can also be entered manually.
When used with the RAM Structural System (RSS), geometry, loadings, etc. can be imported into RAM Concept. Column reactions can be exported back to RSS for column design.
When used...
