Concrete Design Software: Beams, Columns and Walls

Beams are structural elements that support loads applied transversely, and therefore they mostly resist bending moments, as well as shear forces. Concrete beams are usually continuous, this is, they span between several supports. A common example of a T-beam occurs at the interior bay of a building floor, where a portion of the slab acts together with the projecting beam web. A beam at the border of the floor is called a spandrel beam.

This concrete design software performs the design of a multi-span rectangular, T, inverted-T, L, or inverted-L reinforced concrete beam when subjected to a combination of bending and shear loading, based on the latest ACI design criteria and the Ultimate Strength Design Method. Multiple options are included to model the beam geometry and loads, as well as the reinforcing steel.

Input

The required input data is organized on tabbed pages at the left half of the screen. The beam cross section may be either rectangular, T, spandrel, inverted-T, or L. A maximum of five spans may be modeled and two cantilevers. The end supports may be either pinned or fixed. This structural engineering software uses either the actual parabolic concrete stress-strain curve, or the simplified equivalent rectangular block. The steel considers the strain hardening region. Distributed and concentrated loads may be modeled as part of the dead, live, roof live, snow, wind, and seismic load cases. The program internally combines the applied loads per the specified load combinations.

Output

The output results are organized on tabbed pages. This structural engineering software calculates moments and shears along the beam for all the specified load combinations. The capacity is accurately calculated based upon geometry and reinforcement considering the moment gradient due to the development length of all the reinforcing bars. This structural concrete design software allows to show the beam per span number and per load combination, for a granular check of the whole design process. The construction graph shows a scaled sketch of the beam elevation with information of the reinforcement.

Bearing walls are structural compression members which also may resist out-of-plane lateral loads. The resulting moments are referred to as weak-axis bending. A tilt-up wall panel exposed to wind is an example of this type of wall. Per ACI, bearing walls may be designed as compression members using the strength design provisions for flexure and axial loads, like columns. Any wall may be designed by this method and no minimum wall thicknesses are prescribed. As with columns, the design of walls is difficult without the use of design aids. Wall design is further complicated by the fact that slenderness is a consideration in practically all cases. The Moment Magnification method is generally used to account for the slenderness effects.

ASDIP CONCRETE software performs design of either concrete or masonry bearing walls when subjected to a combination of weak-axis bending moments and axial loading. All calculations are based upon the latest ACI and TMS design criteria and the Ultimate Strength Design Method. This structural concrete design software calculates magnified moments due to slenderness and generates the capacity axial-moment interaction diagram. A two-story wall may also be modeled. The software includes wall opening design.

Input

The required input data is organized on tabbed pages. The wall section is rectangular with either one or two curtains of reinforcement. A masonry wall may be solid grouted. A parapet may be specified or the wall may be continuous at top. This structural engineering software uses the actual parabolic concrete stress-strain curve rather than the simplified equivalent rectangular block. The steel considers the strain hardening region. The loads may be modeled as part of the dead, live, roof live, snow, and wind load cases. The moments are internally magnified and the program combines the loads per the specified load combinations.

Output

The output results are organized on tabbed pages. This structural engineering software calculates magnified moments and axial loads for all the specified load combinations. The capacity interaction diagram is accurately calculated based on the geometry and reinforcement. The moment magnification process is detailed and reported for a granular check of the design. The values that fail the design criteria are highlighted in red for easier identification.