Wood Frame Structural Software?

[drile007]

Does anyone have any recommendations for good wood frame structural software?
I'm looking for the software whith:
1) Automatic generation of framing loads and reaction transfer all the way to foundation (load transfer).
2) Automatic calculation of wind and seismic loads (with lateral design of shear walls).
I was looking for BuildingWorx Suite but I've heard that is no longer in business!?
Is there any friendly alternative?

Thank you in advance

 

[SteelPE]

Most of the wood designers I know use BC calc and then drive the forces themselves through the building. It's kind of a PITA but that's how they do it. BC also has a 3d software package which they give to lumber yards (they may have to pay for it) that allows them to design the building for gravity loads from top to bottom.... but as far as I know they don't let engineering companies use this software.

Most of the wood designers I know say the method of driving the loads through the structure themselves is more efficient as they don't have to create a 3d model for every structure which would take a long time especially on the really complex houses.

 

[jayrod12]

Agree with SteelPE,

In Canada we have a woodworks software called sizer for vertical and horizontally spanning members, and they also have a separate shearwall program and separate connections program if you desire. It's only for running single members basically and you have to drive the loads through the building yourself (which is much faster to be completely honest).

RISA 3d does reasonable wood design to the IBC including shear walls if I'm not mistaken. It also has load combination generators.

iLevel (Weyerhauser) has a single member sizing software called Forte that allows you to use LVL, LSL, PSL as members. They have more advanced softwares that they give to Truss design and manufacturing plants (Lumber yards) called Javelin. It allows for 3d modelling and full design from top to bottom including tall wall and frame calculations.