beam design software
beam design software
(OP)
I am a mech. engr and I have a client that will require several beam designs in different sizes and loading.
They will all have uniformly distributed loads, that do not extend the full length between simple supports.
Also I might have the same in a statically indeterminate (3 supports) arrangement.
I need to calculate stress and deflection. There are enough variations and investigations to make software the best way to go.
I would appreciate any recommendations you guys might have. I probably will not use this again. I will not be designing trusses or complex designs, and would like to spend under $300.
Any suggestions. Thanks alot in advance!
They will all have uniformly distributed loads, that do not extend the full length between simple supports.
Also I might have the same in a statically indeterminate (3 supports) arrangement.
I need to calculate stress and deflection. There are enough variations and investigations to make software the best way to go.
I would appreciate any recommendations you guys might have. I probably will not use this again. I will not be designing trusses or complex designs, and would like to spend under $300.
Any suggestions. Thanks alot in advance!
Paul Ostand
www.ostand.com






RE: beam design software
RE: beam design software
In my case, my initial shot will use about 1/3 Sy to achieve deflections within the parameters of my machine.
Paul Ostand
www.ostand.com
RE: beam design software
Does anyone have any experience with this? It looks good.
Paul Ostand
www.ostand.com
RE: beam design software
RE: beam design software
I use struc calc but they are closer to $500. But they are cheap to upgrade. It is really simple to use if you have continuous beam. I wouldnt buy it if you are going to do trusses or frame though because it wont do that.
http://www.swijetty.com
Sea Water Intake and Jetty Construction
RE: beam design software
RE: beam design software
I am pretty sure a mechanical engineer can figure that out. You dont have to be civil/structural to know all that.
http://www.swijetty.com
Sea Water Intake and Jetty Construction
RE: beam design software
A word of warning, depending on the shape that you are using there may be failure modes you are not used to working with. Are you familiar with lateral torsional buckling and local buckling? These are failure phenomena that I personally would want to check.
I am sure that you are capable of determining the moments, shears and axial forces in the members, with that I would recommend Tedds. It is a program that I use often and it checks these failure modes, if you input the forces. However I am not sure of the cost of this program. I also believe that you can download a demo version of RISA. My old roommate from college used the demo version for a few months when he started working. You will not be able to save the file, and I am not sure of what you will be able to print out. But that may be an avenue worth looking into.
Good luck, and when in doubt make it stout.
RE: beam design software
What are the unbraced lengths of the beam? If they are overly long, is there a way to provide a brace point?
What kind of support do the reaction points have? Can what ever supports the new beams support the load of the unit plus the beam?
How will you connect the new beams to their supports?
These are questions that need to be answered. Plugging numbers into a software program with no understanding of what those numbers mean is a shaky way to proceed.
Would most of us structural engineers feel its OK to post a question on the mechanical board to the effect of ' I need to size an RTU for a small office, were can I buy a software program to size it for me?'
RE: beam design software
If doing wood and/or steel - check out www.BeamChek.com - about $150 - yes it is spelled that way
RE: beam design software
http://www.beamchek.com/
I don't want to poke the proverbial beehive here, and I'm not looking to start some big off-topic discussion, but if we never did anything we've never done before, how would we learn ANYTHING?? This sounds like pretty simple stuff as far as the world of engineering goes. Not like you're building a skyscraper. Good luck with your project, and if you have a question, post it on here! That's what these boards are FOR.
RE: beam design software
I think most state liscensing boards for engineers would tend to disagree with that position.
RE: beam design software
I am a practicing structural engineer. I usually know what I don't know, and generally keep myself out of trouble by asking the right questions.
If you don't know what you don't know, you may not even realize that you need to ask certain questions. The tiniest gap in your knowledge can have disastrous consequences in this profession.
Are we enabling someone that is delving into an area outside their field of expertise to unknowingly get themselves into serious trouble? It has definitely happened before, and merits a warning at the very least. There are attorneys out there waiting with knife and fork for people who screw up when they practice outside their field of expertise.
Ostand, only you can answer the question as to whether you know what you don't know. If you cannot readily answer all of the questions posed by lkjh345, and there will be no one to check your design, then you really should consider having a structural engineer handle the beam designs.
RE: beam design software
RE: beam design software
http://www.swijetty.com
Sea Water Intake and Jetty Construction
RE: beam design software
RE: beam design software
I have many of these, similar ones, to design, besides determining the best lengths and support locations. I don't feel it worth while building a spreadsheet, and checking it for this one job. I burned out on shear, moment and deflections. Just too many of them to do.
Considering what my time is worth, the bucks into a program is a bargain, even if I never use it again. A bargain for me and my client.
For your interest, I have found one program at $285 and it looks very nice (and friendly). I haven't purchased it yet, but have run the evaluation version. http://www.orandsystems.com/
I will look into your recommendations and again thanks to all.
Paul Ostand
www.ostand.com
RE: beam design software
RE: beam design software
RE: beam design software
RE: beam design software
Well the reason is it moves slightly vertically and also must clear some machine elements on the floor, hence it is limited to being on supports.
The Orand software allows you to set up the problem very easily so you input loads (cont, conc., moment), supports (type and location), dimensions, I etc.
The output is shear, moment, deflection, stress, slope and maybe something else.
Check it out the free demo is full functioning. And no, I have no connection with them. Actually, I haven't purchased it yet, still using the demo.
Dave, I'll check out the ones you mention.
Thanks again
Paul Ostand
www.ostand.com
RE: beam design software
Not to be entirely flip but, if your time is so valuable; wouldn't it be better spent farming out this work to someone who specializes in structural work? It will take far less time and the return product will definately be correct. In fact in the three days spent discussing which software to buy for under $300 dollars, a structural engineer could have had you an answer and kept the project moving.
I do structural and civil work and there are alot of other engineering problems I COULD tackle. But my time and my clients' money is better spent allowing those who specialze in those fields address those problems, while I address those in which my expertise lies.
RE: beam design software