Residential engineering software 10

[JBStructEng]

In designing residential to medium sized commercial structures, which softwares would you recommend as useful tools? I've been tasked to research the best package for my team of five engineers and I want to get a good start. I've been considering enercalc, strucalc, Beamchek, Woodworks, Risa2D... I tried researching what they're like before downloading the free trials but they all say "We are the most intuitive software .. blah blah" and I couldn't find a concentrated thread for these programs. Any opinion from people who've actually used these would be really appreciated!

 

[jayrod12]

When I worked in a smaller company we paid for Risa3d and woodworks. Forte was free from weyerhauser.

That was all we really needed for residential to medium commercial.

At the large firm I'm at now, I have access to pretty much anything I want.

 

[medeek]

I used my own spreadsheets plus the following software on a regular basis:

Woodworks Shearwalls
Forte (Free) - Floor Joists and Rafters
BC Calc (Free) - Beams and occasionally a post when I don't trust my own spreadsheet/calculations.

I was using Strucalc for concrete footings but I found some issues/discrepancies with their calculations which I then emailed their support on. I have yet to receive a resolution to those questions so I have discontinued my use of their software and actually in the meantime I have programmed everything their software does into some nice compact spreadsheets.

I was looking for some wind load software initially for determining MWFRS and C&C but once again I was able to spreadsheet it.


A confused student is a good student.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, PE

http://www.medeek.com

 

[capeengineerma]

I am interested in this myself. I have been using a product call Multiframe 3d for over 10 years, but ever since Bentley took the program over, the annual subscription fees have skyrocketed. I do mainly high end residential and light commercial design and the program is great for beam and frame analysis and steel design but fall short on wood design. I use the manufacturers software (Forte) for designing engineered wood I-joists and laminated beams. The Multiframe program is great for quick analysis, but you need to do your own checks and design when using it for wood, but it will do a complete design review for all standard steel members. It is now part of some bigger program used for marine vessel design and it looks like it may no longer be sold as stand alone and support may become discontinued.

I have downloaded the demo for Woodworks, enercalc, and Risa2D and have messed around with all of them during my "free time" at night at home on my laptop. Based on my limited use of these demos I find that Risa2D has a pretty high learning curve and would take quite a while to become efficient. It looks very powerful. The limitations on the demo for Woodworks made evaluation of it impossible so I tossed that aside and haven't played with it. So far, I think enercalc is the best of what I have reviewed. It is very intuitive easy to use and you get good documentation. It also keeps up to date with all the engineered lumber manufacturer information, so manual input of this information is not required. I may pull the trigger and purchase a full copy of Enercalc and have a go at trying to use it for some full projects before purchasing multiple seats for my office.

 

[JoshPlumSE]

JBStruct -

I work for RISA, so obviously I'm biased towards our own software.

But, everyone's different, what's really intuitive for me might not be so intuitive for others. I'd encourage you to obtain Demo or Trial versions of the programs to play with. If your going to be spending any decent bit of money on the program, then just about every company should have some from of a demo/trial.

 

[msquared48]

I've used BeamPro extensively for continuous beam with varying distributed and point load conditions for concrete, wood and steel. Cheap and easy to use.

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)

 

[JBStructEng]

This is a huge help already.
Medeek - I'll knock strucalc off then. I heard they had issues with maintenance and your experience proves it I suppose.
capeengineerma - if you strongly like or dislike enercalc, I'd be interested to know if it's convenient.
Thanks everyone

 

[manstrom]

Forte. I prefer beamcheck, but it costs $.

Enercalc does most of everything else you need.

Spreadsheets as needed

Also, retainpro (maybe) for retaining walls. Enercalc will do cantilevered, but retainpro does restrained, segmented, gravity, etc.

I don't think you need RISA unless you get into frame analysis or more compicated structures.

When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty but when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.

-R. Buckminster Fuller

 

[JBStructEng]

I see. Seems like enercalc is not that great but more comprehensive than other options... tough

 

[Wallache]

Enercalc will cover nearly all analysis you need to do. Steel, concrete, wood, masonry, retaining walls, rigid diaphragms, simple portal frames, etc. It's been the standard at the firms I've worked at in the Southwest.

 

[manstrom]

Enercalc does have it's share of glitches, but it is fairly versatile and can take you a long way.

Make sure and check the results. The combined footing analysis for example doubles the shear force to the section.

When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty but when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.

-R. Buckminster Fuller

 

[CBSE]

WoodWorks Sizer - This is by far the easiest beam/column program I have used for simple quick calcs. You can do multi-spans, many different load types, and it has most products you would ever use.
WoodWorks Connection - You can only get this by buying the entire Suite. I have this because I like the connection program. I don't use the shearwall portion (it feels clunky to me). Unfortunately you can't get the connection program without having the entire product sweet. I don't have to mess around with my connection spreadsheets anymore and for the price, it is well worth it.
RISA 3D/2D - I really like the program but haven't made the purchase yet. I will most likely purchase RISA 3D and RISA Foundation this year. The wood shearwall program is pretty cool.
ENERCALC - This is great for simple calcs of a multitude of materials. It also has a simple frame analysis program that has been pretty beneficial.
RetainPro - Good program for retaining walls. I haven't dabbled too much into RISA for it's retaining wall program, but it has one as well.

I have my own spreadsheets for wood shear walls for the most part.

Proprietary Products:

BCCalc: Good free program that has their proprietary products in it. You can also do beam calcs for a wide variety of wood sizes and products. They have a "King Beam" that is less expensive than other engineered beams and is stronger, so I typically use that program specifically for that beam.

Forte: I only use this for i-joist calcs if a client specifically wants them.

 

[medeek]

I've been considering purchasing Enercalc since it seems to be a good multi-purpose tool to have kicking around. I'll have to give beampro and beamcheck a try, I'm always on the lookout for a better software. The comments on this thread are very helpful.

A confused student is a good student.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, PE

http://www.medeek.com

 

[EngineeringEric]

Does anybody else ever use StruCalc? it works great for residential up through small commercial since i does steel design as well

 

[Ron]

I use RISA 3D for almost everything except the spreadsheet stuff. Have used a variety of FEA software over the past 30 years, some good, some bad. Have been using RISA 3D for about 8 years now. Went through lots of iterations of STAAD...some like it, some don't....I didn't.

My only complaint about RISA 3D is that it seems difficult (at least for me) to input odd sections. I do mostly delegated structural analysis and remediation design, so I often have to deal with odd sections that are not in the standard tables.

This could be "operator error" though!!

Unlike JoshPlum, I don't work for RISA.....I do; however, like the software and even more importantly, the response I get from their technical staff when I run into a problem. I also like the fact that it is not subscription based and hope it never becomes such.

 

[TomKn]

I think most of residential work is rather simple, so I used strucalc most and sometimes enercal. If I need to design something complicated, I used RISA-2D or 3D. Other free softwares like forte and others also sometimes is very useful, but they are only for their product. Recently I found the one in softpedia.com, "isdt". I downloaded demo,but I have not tried it yet.

 

[JBStructEng]

Thanks everyone. Maybe I'll check out that strucalc as well. Haven't done that yet.
Enercalc is so far exactly as most of you have commented.. a broad helpful tool but seems like I have to be aware of my process even more to avoid any errors.
Risa is smooth and great. I'll probably buy it for certain projects but seems a bit impractical for smaller projects.
TomK, what's softpedia? is isdt the software...? never heard of it.

 

[SLTA]

I use enercalc, and it works just fine for me. Places I worked before used enercalc, staad, and risa-3d, all depending on what was needed. I do almost all residential work and enercalc has met my needs - well, mostly.

No one program will be perfect. And with any program - garbage in, garbage out. Double check your results.

Please remember: we're not all guys!

 

[JBStructEng]

Got Enercalc. Thanks guys.
I also will buy this new software which I just tested out on a presolved problem. Pretty skeptical of these new toys but I can see all the math so that earned my trust I guess. basically it let me calibrate and draw onscreen onto my house plan and calculated for me at the same time. Too powerful of an idea to pass up. Going to buy two copies only though and try it for a while before making everyone in the office get it. Thanks Tomkn for the recommend... let me know if you tested it too. Don't want to get fired for picking a bad toy. Can't figure out the name, though.. is it isdt or is it fiat?