STEELbeam - Simply support and continuous beam analysis software for steel and wood

The use of steel beams in building designs often requires extensive and complex mathematical calculations . Some calculations are very complicated when dealing with continuous beams or complex loading conditions. This labour-intensive calculation process is even made more difficult when the designer wants to do a "what if" scenario. The problem becomes even harder when using tapered beams, as in the semi-trailer and rail industries.

ESS embeds its engineering expertise into STEELbeam, an easy-to-use program that reduces days of steel calculations each month to just minutes. STEELbeam takes the pain out of steel beam calculations by providing software that models that design problem and provides results instantly. STEELbeam's immediate feedback allows you to optimise your design by experimenting with various steel members and load conditions.

STEELbeam is an ideal tool for designers, engineers, fabricators and other technical staff who need to calculate the performance of structural members or mechanical components under loaded conditions. You can also use STEELbeam for other materials including timber, aluminium, brass and copper. STEELbeam is suitable for use in every country as it supports both international metric and imperial units.

STEELbeam assists fabricators of steelwork; the construction and housing industries; transport; shipbuilding; processing plants; resource industry; utilities; maintenance workshops; consulting engineers; general engineering; mechanical design and prototyping environments. STEELbeam is popular with the semi-trailer and rail industries as it allows the design to include tapered beams and multiple sections within the span.

STEELbeam is ideal for educational institutions and their students where visualisation greatly assists students to understand the effects of loads on members.

• Reduces days to minutes: STEELbeam is a quick, easy, accurate and proven way to calculate the performance structural steel members under loaded conditions. Each month, STEELbeam reduces days of manual steel beam calculations to minutes.

• Improves safety: STEELbeam contains built-in engineering expertise that eliminates guesswork and delivers a safe, high quality design.

• Spots problem areas: STEELbeam highlights maximum values or potential problem areas, making them easily identifiable.

• Easy to use: STEELbeam provides a graphical and intuitive analysis tool that enables the user to quickly examine and relate to the effect of loads on beams or shafts.

• Contains comprehensive reports: STEELbeam reports are complete and suitable to submit to a client. Print options include project and client details, the represented coloured beam with relevant supports, loads, resulting curves and dimensional information, input data and tabulated results at major points and / or increment positions along the beam.

• Handles complex designs: STEELbeam handles complex design that is generally too difficult to calculate manually with accurate results. This means that STEELbeam supports continuous beam designs - with more than two supports - tapering sections*, spring supports* and changing sections along the beam *.
* Professional edition only

• Handles diverse designs: STEELbeam support types include: fixed (constrained), pin (roller) and spring supports. Any load combination can be used including Uniform Distributed Loads (UDL), Triangular Distributed Loads (TDL), point loads and turning moments. Beam construction can be uniform, tapered or multiple section types. Graphical curve results include, shear force, bending moment, deflection and bending stress.

• Handles most materials: STEELbeam is not restricted to steel; it handles most construction materials, including aluminium and timber.

• Handles most structures: STEELbeam suits a wide range of applications, from large structures to the smallest of mechanical components.

• Flexibility and functionality: STEELbeam supports both international metric and imperial units. Its display tolerance of values can be set to suit applications, from larger commercial structure beams to the smallest of mechanical components.

• Accepts data easily: STEELbeam accepts section data that is entered manually as well as automatically from the comprehensive STEELcat catalogue included with the application. STEELcat also allows designers to create and save their own unique sections using a range of section creating tools provided with STEELcat.

Three Simple Steps to make your designs simpler and more profitable!

1. Simply define or select the beam from the comprehensive STEELcat Catalogue which includes OneSteel and Tubemakers sections;

2. Apply loads (point, moments, uniform or triangular) along with supports, (pinned, fixed and springed) anywhere along the member;

3. Review results and produce user defined reports.

Two editions are available being the Professional Edition for Engineers that need to tackle complex designs with tapered section beams, multi-beam segments and spring supports while the Workshop Edition provides and ideal tool for the design office or workshop to quickly analyse those everyday beam problems.

Feature List

Product Features

Workshop

Professional

Loads

§ Point Loads

§ Moments

§ Uniformly Distributed Loads

§ Triangular Distributed Loads

§ Beam Weight Optional

Supports

§ Fixed

§ Pinned

§ Spring

Results

§ Shear Force Diagram

§ Bending Moment Diagram

§ Displacement Diagram

§ Bending Stress Diagram

Catalogue

§ Onesteel (BHP) Hot Rolled

§ Tubemakers

§ Custom

Material Type

§ Standard Grades

§ Custom Grades

§ Residual Stress

§ User Definable (inc wood, aluminium etc)

Tools

§ Section Property Calculator

§ Mass and Surface Area Calculator

§ Results at any Point Calculator

§ Project Definition

Design Type

§ Cantilever

§ Simply Supported

§ Continuous Beams

§ Statically Indeterminate

Section Type

§ Uniform Section Beam

§ Multi Section Beam

§ Non Prismatic Section Beam (Tapered Sections)

§ Custom Section Beam

§ Any Combination of the Above

Interface

§ Print/Preview

§ Save

§ Load

§ Mouse Position Beam Analysis

§ Online Help

§ User Definable Colours

§ Turn On/Off Results

§ Multi Project

§ Print Project and your Details on Reports

Units

§ Metric

§ Imperial

§ Custom

File Format

§ Reads BEAM for Windows Files

§ Reads DyMak Beam Files

Data Exchange

§ STEELcat V1

§ STEEL41 V4

§ STEELestimator V2

§ STEELdetailer V1

Supplied Media

§ CD ROM

§ Over the Internet

Extend STEELbeam

STEELbeam with STEEL41 is the ideal beam analysis and design tool to AS4100.

STEELbeam will analyse the result of loads at supports and anywhere along the beam while STEEL41 allows the compliance to AS4100 to be confirmed

ESS partners with clients to make the impossible happen. As well as solving business problems for the steel industry, ESS engineers software that improves quality, reduces risk and cuts costs for clients in a wide range of industries. For more, visit www.ess.com.au.