AutoDesign

Up to 2020 version

From 2021 version

The AutoDesign tab allows the user to set the minimum and maximum bar parameters for automatic design.

With the adjacent AutoDesign parameters the minimum beam reinforcement will be 2 no. – 16 mm diameter bars top and bottom with a minimum of 2 no. - 10 mm diameter link legs at a maximum longitudinal pitch of 200 mm.

In Pad foundations you also set the default pad size and AutoDesign size increments.

The AutoDesign reserve is a percentage increase in the applied moments and shears to allow for late changes in design or an increased factor of safety.

It should be noted that these settings will have no effect on the existing reinforcement but will be used if you select one of the 3 AutoDesign buttons:

           AutoDesign the Current member

           AutoDesign the Current Run of members (beam or column run)

           AutoDesign All Visible members

An efficient way to use the AutoDesign settings is as follows.

 Set wide ranging values say 2-6 bars and 12-32 diameter bars.

 Perform an AutoDesign All.

Assess the range of reinforcement used on the different spans.

 Set a narrower educated range of values say 4-4 bars and 16-25 diameter bars.

 Perform a second AutoDesign All.

Assess the Reinforcement

Re-assess the Support reinforcement doing an interactive re-distribution using the interactive redistribution spin buttons

Set your global re-distribution values.

 Perform a third AutoDesign All.

Select the  button to scan all members for design failures.

Manually fix any remaining reinforcement failures as described in section “Editing Main Beam Reinforcement ”.