Woodworks.... 1

[kmart30]

Anybody have good/bad experiences with using woodworks design suite? I am playing around with the demo now and the shear walls module seems very easy to use and gives me exactly what I need for sizing connections and everything. Either way it would save me a good amount of time and I am assuming I can use it for any type of structure(not just wood) to sum up all the loads from wind mostly? Does it have any large limitations or tips I should know before I purchase? Obviously judgement and experience will rule over all but this would save me a good amount of time assuming its accurate. Any feed back would be much appreciated. Thanks guys!

 

[dik]

I've used Woodworks for nearly a decade and it's an excellent program... almost like it was written by engineers for engineers... and in a pinch, use it for designing concrete and steel...

Dik

 

[kmart30]

Ok great...It doesn't design concrete and steel right? Are you just referring to grabbing loads from wind, seismic, dL & LL, and applying them to steel/concrete members?

 

[NorthCivil]

I never tried the demo version, but the full version does size W shape beams.

 

[KootK]

I like Woodworks Sizer. Cheap, effective, and does design very basic steel beams. I'm less enamored with the design suite. I've wanted to use it to model buildings in 3d for lateral and load take down and I've found that to be rather clumsy and time consuming.

I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.

 

[dik]

It doesn't design conc or steel, but have often used it for analysis... I have it on my desktop and can usually run something faster than I can find my excel spreadsheet.

Dik

 

[dik]

KootK...

sizer works like a charm... for analysis of other simple things too. Very intuitive.

You should try using the building framing part a couple of times just to get the hang of it, and it is surprisingly good for loads and analysis.

 

[Celt83]

sizer is great for wood design. Will echo everyone else on the using it for other materials as well typically just for shears an moments, huge benefit is it does every possible live load pattern configuration and as long as you use consistent input units have found you don't need to follow the built in designations.

Used it to test a personal analysis app project and results from sizer verify well with FEM and Theory of Three Moment results. Sizer does do some wonky rounding every now and again. Oh and occasionally for right side cantilevers with a point load near the end the shear diagram will be off due to how they do their internal beam stations.

 

[dik]

Celt83...

Best comment yet...

Dik

 

[txeng91]

Woodworks sizer is great. Wish they had a standalone shearwall analysis, as using the module they have is somewhat time consuming.

Sorry to go off topic but does anyone have recommendations for something as simple and quick as Sizer for steel beams. I currently use RISA for most of my steel sizing but it's not as quick and dirty as Sizer is which is what I love about it.

 

[KootK]

Sizer itself does simple steel beams. Is there still a stand alone RAM SBeam available? If so, that might fit the bill.

I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.

 

[atrizzy]

A long time ago I used a program called StrucCalc for member sizing, which was extremely quick, easy and intuitive. I haven't used it for 10 years though so I'm not sure how it has aged.
Apparently it's still in production, though.