Metal Stud/Joist Design 4

[JStructsteel]

Anyone have a good resource for designing headers/beams for a system using cold formed steel products? ClarkDietrich has some design tables, software, but nothing for a beam design. I do see you can email them the info and they will send a design.

Just wondering what folks use?

 

[Celt83]

You can get the AISI spec for free sim to AISC . Most of the design resources come at a cost.Link

RGS will let you do a simple beam in their free version: Link

 

[Aesur]

We use CFS by RSG for non-typical designs that don't follow the SSMA and AISIWIN for most cold formed steel designs, including beams and headers. Scafco has a free version of AISIWIn which technically just sorts though the SSMA guides for you and interpolates. Link

 

[JStructsteel]

Thanks
Would you ever do a delegated design, and let the supplier provide a submittal for this? I provide layout, load bearing locations, and they do the submittal?

 

[dik]

I don't get involved with CFS stuff often, but I use a free program called CUFSM for some tricky problems. It's a little difficult to use, but worth the time invested. Last time for modelling some existing Z roof purlins.

https://www.ce.jhu.edu/cufsm/downloads/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JFAs8VuunU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqFFwU7ajCc

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[Aesur]

@JStructsteel - on the West coast it is common that the EOR does the CFS design, however as I understand it, it's common on the East coast to delegate based on what I have seen on plans with East coast engineers moving into our area and from responses on this forum. I'm honestly not that familiar with how it is in Georgia, even though I went to college there and grew up there.

 

[milkshakelake]

I'm in east coast USA and I do the CFS design when it's structural, not delegate it. Of course, the fee has to include that. I use CFS like Aesur and Celt83 mentioned, and back check with a few hand calcs (it's very tedious by hand). I grabbed the software before it went to subscription model, but the price is good even now.

FYI if you haven't done CFS before, the details get very involved. It's not something you can just jump into, because there are lots of connections and ways of doing things that vary by framer and material. It's not generally standardized and well published like steel, concrete, and wood. Good luck!

 

[driftLimiter]

Simpson has a cold formed design program that is pretty handy. Has some modules that I have not seen elsewhere including CFS shear walls.
There are limitations because its not a general solution.

I have used AISWIN in the past (the free one from SCAFCO does most of what is needed).

CFS design calcs are tough to get acquainted with because the material is inherently prone to instabilities. But for common shapes they have dealt with most of the complexities. Would Highly recommend Reading the Spec from AISI. Before endeavoring to use any program.

 

[phamENG]

I'll second Simpson's CFS program. I like it. It's also dirt cheap (like $350/year), so it can be profitable even if you only use it once a year.

I'm East Coast and also hate delegating it...but I hate delegating anything. By the time I provide the necessary information for the SSE to design them, it's pretty simple for me to go ahead and knock out the design anyway. People seem to think delegating it should provide savings in design...it doesn't. It costs more. It can save in construction costs (which is where it really counts), but to provide the information, back check the shop drawings/calcs, and then coordinate the inevitable mistakes....there is absolutely no savings regarding my total billing (at best it shifts from design to CA).

 

[dik]

That's where CUFSM is pretty good... it gives you a graph showing the instabilities and a 'picture' of the deformed shape. It's more of an academic program, but I use it for complicated problems... maybe one or two a year... I don't do a lot of CFS stuff.

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[driftLimiter]

Thanks for that @dik this software looks really cool!

 

[dik]

you can readily visualise the instabilities...

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[XR250]

When I was doing CFS design, my go to was AISIwin, CFS and manufacturer's catalogs.