SDCalcs Help
Contents
About SDCalcs
SDCalcs analyzes prismatic steel beams using the Euler-Bernoulli beam-element method and performs selected steel-member design checks. The program supports combinations of distributed and point loads.
The program can:
- Model pinned and fixed-end support conditions.
- Calculate reactions, shear, bending moment, rotation, and deflection.
- Use LRFD combinations for design and ASD combinations for reactions and deflections.
- Identify governing shear and moment demands.
- Classify beams as compact or noncompact.
- Calculate flexural strength.
- Calculate shear strength.
- Check total-load and live-load deflection ratios.
- Display loading, shear, moment, deflection, stress, and reaction diagrams.
- Generate an organized printable report.
Quick-Start Procedure
- Start a new design or open an existing project.
- Enter a meaningful member description.
- Enter distributed loads in pounds per linear foot.
- Enter point loads in pounds and their locations in feet.
- Select the left and right support conditions.
- Select a W-shape from the section list.
- Choose whether beam self-weight will be included.
- Choose whether Cb will be calculated automatically or set equal to 1.0.
- Enter the beam length in feet.
- Enter Fy in psi.
- Select the number of finite-element sections. For a typical design, 100 sections are sufficient.
- Enter the total-load and live-load deflection limits.
- Enter the unbraced length in feet or select a value from the list.
- Click Run Model.
- Review the input, governing results, diagrams, element results, and printed report.
Load Combinations
SDCalcs uses the following LRFD combinations for flexural and shear design:
- 1.4D
- 1.2D + 1.6L + 0.5Lr
- 1.2D + 0.5L + 1.6Lr
The following ASD combinations are used for reactions and deflections:
- D
- D + L
- D + Lr
- D + 0.75L + 0.75Lr
Combinations containing roof live load are applicable only when roof live load has been entered.
Flexural Design
SDCalcs calculates flexural capacity in accordance with Chapter F of AISC 360-22. The user must verify that the selected provisions, assumptions, unbraced length, section classification, and calculated capacity apply to the project.
Shear Design
SDCalcs calculates shear capacity in accordance with Chapter G of AISC 360-22. The user must verify all design assumptions and project-specific requirements.
Deflection Checks
Total-load deflection is evaluated as:
Maximum dead-load deflection + maximum live-load deflection + maximum roof-live-load deflection
Live-load deflection is evaluated as:
Maximum live-load deflection + maximum roof-live-load deflection
The user is responsible for selecting appropriate deflection limits for the supported construction and applicable project requirements.
Results Tabs
Results are displayed for the load combination selected in the diagram load-combination list.
- Design Summary: Summary of the calculated analysis and design results.
- Stress Diagram: Beam cross-section and calculated stress values.
- Loading Diagram: Graphical representation of the applied loads.
- Shear Diagram: Calculated beam shear diagram.
- Moment Diagram: Calculated bending-moment diagram with Cb values where applicable.
- Deflection Diagram: Calculated deflected shape of the beam.
- Reactions: Beam support reactions for the applicable combinations.
- Member Details: Physical properties of the selected steel section.
- Element Results: Detailed results for each finite element.
- Element Forces: Forces acting at the ends of a typical beam element.
Element Results
- Elem.: Element number.
- Span ft: Starting and ending locations of the element.
- Dist L lb: Distributed-load force carried to the left end.
- Dist R lb: Distributed-load force carried to the right end.
- Point L lb: Point-load force carried to the left end.
- Point R lb: Point-load force carried to the right end.
- Defl L in: Deflection at the left end.
- Defl R in: Deflection at the right end.
- Shear L lb: Shear force at the left node.
- Shear R lb: Shear force at the right node.
- Moment L lb-ft: Moment at the left node.
- Moment R lb-ft: Moment at the right node.
- Reac L lb: Reaction at the left node.
- Reac R lb: Reaction at the right node.
Element Forces
The Element Forces tab illustrates the force directions and sign conventions acting at the ends of a typical beam element. Review these conventions when interpreting the detailed element results.