AutoCad plug-ins and Flitch Beams

[PT999]

Can anyone recommend a good AutoCad 2000 plug in for architectural type drawings, floor plans, elevations, etc.
Something that lets you put in walls, doors and windows without always erasing lines to fit them in.

I know this is a structural engineering site. But I can't be the only PE out there who also does building and framing design.

On a structural engineering question. Flitch Beams...
(2 timber beams with a steel plate in between), exactly what is the maximum length you can design for. Is it a function of plate thickness. Regarding bolts, how is size and spacing figured. Structural bolts are never used, usually Carriage Bolts (not ASTM 325). I figure they are SAE Class 5's to Class 8's. Anybody know what is customary. Probably the bolts are the stuff sold at places like Home Depot.

Ok, these are my questions fo today

 

[SweetNlow]

Carriage bolts have a button head and square shaft for part of the length so they do not twist as you tighten up the nut.

 

[SlideRuleEra]

A good reference on flitch plate design including bolting may be found at:

http://www.destefanoassociates.com/tech/flitch.pdf

Hope this helps

 

[ben1212]

I never thought about the length of a flitch beam before, good question. I guess you'd want the wood to be continuous pieces. It's hard to get 2x12's longer than 24 feet. I think you can get LVL's longer. I have done LVL flitch beams before. If the span get longer than 24 feet you should probably be using a steel beam anyway. I'd be concerned about a floor beam getting bouncy. Also how the beam is braced will impact the length. Although typically you'll have the top continuously braced unless you have some weird transfer girder or something.

For the bolts, I use the bolt design values in the NDS, I think they are for A307 bolt, not sure though. I take the moment and divide by the distance between the rows of bolts to get the shear force along the top and the bottom of the beam.

I have a spreadsheet I made up for flitch beams. Bug me about it and I will e-mail it to you. I'd like someone else to check it over anyway if you are up to it. It's probably still a little rough around the edges.

 

[PT999]

Ben 1212
please see Flitch Plates thread

 

[baueng]

I've used Architectural Desktop 3.3 with Acad 2000 and found it does everything you're looking for. StruCalc just came out with their latest update and it now includes Flitch Plate beam designs and checks. Looks like you're doing similar work to me. Good luck.