Beam calculation with solution

[JW_12910167]

Hi,

Which software do you recommend for verifying bending moments and shear forces in a beam from Mathcad calculation?
I use the beam calculator https://solveredu.com/en/beam-calculator/. It's generally good, but do you have any other recommendations?

[SPaulis]

As a Mathcad solution, there isn't much out there for complex beam setups and loadings.  And for free ones to boot.  There are too many moving parts so for Mathcad we tend to just use the beam equations from our code books.  For anything more complex, I switch over to RISA3D but only because that is what is available to the engineer's in our company.

I know topic well this because I did program a beam calculator function in Mathcad.  It could accept unlimited spans, span lengths, span properties, node fixities, point loads, UDL's, VDL's, and point moments.  All the loads can be placed (start/stop) at any position and not subject to node locations only.  And I could get any specific information I requested from it, like a list of max. moment in each span, a reaction or internal force at a specific location, or raw data that I could immediately pop into a plot to visualize the internal forces.  But, sadly for the community, it is proprietary right now:(...  (or at least not yet;)

Although it could accept virtually any beam/load configuration (except curved distributed loads), we usually do not have that such complex loading requirements when we use Mathcad as out platform for a solution.  Everything complex I use our structural modeling software since it also handles updated code checks automatically.

So I find that this function is only useful for a a small slice of applications.  I only use it when the beam is slightly more complex that the common beam equations, yet not complex enough to warrant the extra effort of running model on another app to copy and paste into my Mathcad sheet.  

If you are looking for a non-Mathcad solution, of course I recommend RISA3D.  Easy to use and it has decent output options.  We usually only design simpler "temporary works" structures.

P.S.  I didn't actually do much searching online to find other beam modeling solutions.  I tend to enjoy programming them myself so there may be others that I've overlooked.

[Catalina]

Hi @JW_12910167,

I wanted to see if you got the help you needed.

If so, please mark the appropriate reply as the Accepted Solution or please feel free to detail in a reply what has helped you and mark it as the Accepted Solution. It will help other members who may have the same question.

Of course, if you have more to share on your issue, please pursue the conversation.

Thanks,