Importing Masonry Shear walls into RAM Elements

[Pcacciat]

Hello All,

My first posting here - I have a question regarding RAM Elements specifically. I am designing a structure with a precast plank on steel beam floor system, and CMU shear walls for a lateral system. I am using RAM Steel to design the gravity portion of my structure, and I have modeled the entire lateral system in RAM Frame. However since Frame cannot design masonry, I am attempting to export the lateral system to RAM Elements.

I have successfully imported the lateral walls into RAM frame, but the lateral loads come in as point loads applied to a new node at (what I assume is) the center of rigidity of each diaphragm. It does this regardless of whether I specify a rigid or semi-rigid diaphragm. Does anyone know of a way to have RAM distribute the lateral loads to the shear walls based on their stiffness, so that I can design the walls using the Masonry wall module in Elements?

Thank you

 

[structSU10]

I have never been able to do that - It will always bring the loads in with the assumption of a rigid diaphragm from RAM Structural System to RAM Elements. If you are trying a semi-rigid diaphragm, you could model the diaphragm out of shells and remove the rigid diaphragm restriction.