Wanted: Steel Beam Web Opening design software 1

[structuresguy]

Does anyone know of a software package which does web opening design in steel beams?

Thanks in advance.

Andrew

 

[SperlingPE]

ASDIP

 

[WillisV]

RamsBeam (as well as RamSteel) does them quickly and easily.

http://www.ramint.com/products/r_sbeam.jsp

 

[structuresguy]

Great thanks. I will check out the Ram products. Another office in our company uses Ramsteel, so they might even have an extra license available.

Thanks very much for the quick replies.

I also found out that AISC has a program which is $330 for members, but it is old DOS based.

I have a couple roof girders which have holes in them at regular spacing for AC duct. I am concerned about beam deflection overall with multiple openings. A single opening does not concern me too much, btu multiple can add up the extra deflection quickly I think.

thanks again.

Andrew

 

[WillisV]

Andrew - the AISC program you mentioned (called WebOpen I believe) was originally advertised with the AISC Design Guide for web openings. I verified RAMs output versus this program for a few test cases and they matched well.

Unfortunately for you both of these programs only take strength desing considerations into account and neither takes into account the effect these openings have on the deflection of the beam. The AISC Design Guide goes over a few different methods to approximate this deflection. Also using the FE method to explicitly model the beam with openings for deflections is always an alternative.

 

[fleisher]

STAAD.beam...from REI...now Bentley...now RAM???Very confusing.

http://www.reiworld.com