I am working on the design of a concrete substructure (elevated slabs, concrete columns, basement walls, and foundation elements), while a collaborating firm is designing the steel superstructure above. See the Figures below.
We have been provided the reactions imposed on our concrete substructure from their steel superstructure above. See Figure 3 for example of this condition.
In RAM Modeler, the assignment of Point Loads representing the gravity loads from steel columns above is simple enough. However, I'm struggling to understand the proper method of assigning the loads from the steel braces above. The elevated slab is intended to be the lateral load path which delivers the lateral load to the shear walls.
I've found that Nodal Loads can be assigned in RAM Modeler, but only if a lateral (frame) beam or wall is present at the desired location. Are there other (more appropriate) ways of assigning imposed forces from these braces? We hadn't anticipate having a frame beam/wall at every occurrence of a steel brace; but as an exercise, in RAM SS, I did model a frame beam or wall beneath every occurrence of a steel brace from above. I then assigned a Nodal Load with Z and X or Y forces representing the forces from the steel brace. After analyzing in RAM Frame and RAM Concrete, I have imported to RAM Concept and am experiencing Analysis Errors as shown below.
I am still working to understand the Self-Equilibrium Loading dynamic and realize that not all of the Analysis Errors are related to my question of assigning imposed lateral loads. But any help on how best to assign the imposed loads from the braces above so that the structure is analyzed in the way we intended it to behave would be much appreciated.
Thanks.