RC Member Type

Use this option to select and/or define structure steel member types. You can access the option by:

• clicking Menu > Design > Required reinforcement of beams/columns - options > Code Parameters.
• clicking .

MEMBER is the main calculation element in the RC structure design module. Usually it is a structure element of a certain type, e.g. RC beam, RC column, bracing etc. A member allows one to perform appropriate calculations of the theoretical (required) reinforcement according to the relevant code requirements. In some cases a member can be defined as a chain of successive members entered during the structure definition.

The dialog consists of 3 main parts:

• Icons located in the upper part of the dialog.
• An active member type list located below the icons.
• A current selection field and standard buttons in the lower part of the dialog.

The following icons are located in the upper part of the dialog:

• - defines a new member type (Definition of a new RC member type).
• - deletes a selected member type from the active list.
• , , and - displays a list of active member types as: large icons, small icons, a short or a long list.
• - deletes (from the active list) all member types that do not occur in the designed structure.
• - opens the Label Manager dialog.

A member type in the structure is defined in 2 steps:

1. Member type definition

   If the active member type list is empty or a new member type is to be added to the active list, click the New Member Type Definition icon. Two situations are possible:

   • If none of the member types is selected, clicking on the New Member Type Definition icon opens a dialog for a new member type definition; default parameters will be set in the fields,
   • If any of the member types is selected, clicking on the New Member Type Definition icon opens a dialog b for a new member type definition; all edit fields will be filled in according to the member type selected.

   A new member receives a new name (Beam or Column) and is assigned the first available number. The name may be modified and must be unique. You cannot modify the names of default members, or save other data under these names.

   It is also possible to open the dialog for a new member type by double-clicking the element from the active member type list. The Member Type Definition dialog displays, and contains information for the selected member type. After you modify the required member parameters, click "ADD" or <ENTER> to update the active list.. If the label is not changed, the appropriate note will appear on the screen. This option allows for an easy modification of the member type.

2. Attributing a new member type to structure components.

To delete a member type from the structure:

1. Click on the active member type list
2. Select an object in the structure you want to delete the member type from.

You cannot modify this member type; it is assigned the same way as the member type is to a structure element.