STEEL CALCULATOR

Structural Engineering Calculators

SAFI
ENGINEERING CALCULATORS

The SAFI STEEL CALCULATOR™ allows to quickly verify, design and optimize steel beams and columns. It is also an efficient validation tool to verify design results of specific elements of complex models.

STEEL CALCULATOR™

The SAFI STEEL CALCULATOR™ allows the user to verify and optimize single and continuous beams and columns. The use of the Steel Calculator does not necessitate the input of an analysis model (joints, members and combined loads). These operations are automated.

The SAFI STEEL CALCULATOR™ allows to verify or optimize any standard section available in the SAFI databases according to the Canadian S16 standards, the American LRFD and ASD standards and the European Eurocode 3 and the Indian IS 800.

It is an efficient validation tool to verify design results of specific elements of complex models. Design optimization and automatic section selection features make economic and quality steel structures a reality.

The SAFI STEEL CALCULATOR™ is used as a standalone application or in combination with the GSE STEEL DESIGN program, part of the GSE (General Structural Engineering) software.

The user can select an appropriate model from the numerous available ones provided with the SAFI STEEL CALCULATOR™ . The input data consist of selecting a section shape and defining the basic loads, the design parameters and the geometric limits.
The results of the Steel Calculator are summarized for each member and displayed on the screen, detailed reports are also available.

The Steel Calculator for continuous beams and columns can rapidly perform the computations to carry one of the following tasks:
– Verification of the limit states design. A summary and a full analysis and verification report are available.
– Optimization according to weight in an attempt to find the best section. A summary and a full analysis and verification report are available.
– All sections results, which is a table to present the behavior of the model for every section in the databases. The best section is indeed included in this table.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

STEEL STANDARDS

The steel standards with which the verification and optimization calculations are made must be selected. The user must define the combined loads for verification and design computations. The combined loads are automatically generated when you use the Steel Calculator.

Canadian Standards
CSA S16-01, CSA S16-09 and CSA S16-14. The CSA S136 standard is considered when the CSA S16 is not applicable. It occurs for Class 4 sections (slender sections)

American Standards
Limit States Design of Steel Structures AISC 360-16 (LRFD) AISC 360-10 (LRFD) and AISC-LRFD-99
Allowable Stress Design AISC 360-16 (ASD), AISC 360-10 (ASD) and AISC-ASD-89

European Standard
Eurocode 3
Indian Standard IS 800-2007

CSA S16-01, CSA S16-09 and CSA S16-14 standards

Axial Compression: The factored axial compressive resistance of a member is calculated according to clause 13.3.

Bending: The bending strength (Mr) can be evaluated for beams when the compression flange has continuous lateral support or intermediate lateral supports. The resistance is calculated according to clauses 13.5 and 13.6.

Axial Compression and Bending: The resistance requirements of members subjected to both axial compression and bending are defined in clause 13.8.

Axial Tension and Bending: The resistance requirements of members subjected to both axial tension and bending are defined in clauses 13.2 and 13.9. Tension members are designed on the basis of net area as described in clause 12.3 of standard.

Shear: The factored shear resistance (Vr) developed by the web of a flexure member subjected to shear is defined in clause 13.4. For 2D models, the shear is given in only one plane. For 3D models, it is calculated along the y and z axes of the member’s internal coordinates normal to the neutral x axis.

AISC 360-16 and AISC 360-10 (LRFD and ASD) standards

Axial Compression: The factored axial compressive resistance of a member is calculated according to clauses E1 to E4, E6 and E7.

Bending: The bending strength (Mr) can be evaluated for beams when the compression flange has continuous lateral support or intermediate lateral supports. The resistance is calculated according to clauses F1 to F11 and B4. The strength of single angle limit states is calculated according to principal axes.

Axial Compression and Bending: The resistance requirements of members subjected to both axial compression and bending are defined in clause H1.1, H2 and H3.

Axial Tension and Bending: The resistance requirements of members subjected to both axial tension and bending are defined in clause H1.2, H2 and H3. Tension members are designed on the basis of clauses D1 and D2. The bending strength is evaluated with respect of the corresponding lateral support.

Shear: The factored shear resistance (Vr) developed by the web of a flexure member subjected to shear is defined in clauses G1, G2.1 and G4 to G6. For 2D models, the shear is given in only one plane. For 3D models, it is calculated along the y and z axes of the member’s internal coordinates normal to the neutral x axis.

EC3 standard

Axial Compression: The factored axial compressive resistance of a member is calculated according to EN 1993-1-1:2005 clauses 6.2.4 and 6.3.1

Bending: The bending strength (Mr) can be evaluated for beams when the compression flange has continuous lateral support or intermediate lateral supports. The resistance is calculated according to EN 1993-1-1:2005 clauses 6.2.5 and 6.3.2. The bending resistance is reduced depending on the shear forces applied (EN 1993-1-1:2005 clause 6.2.8).

Axial Compression and Bending: The resistance requirements of members subjected to both axial compression and bending are described in EN 1993-1-1:2005 clauses 6.2.9 and 6.3.3.

Axial Tension and Bending: The resistance requirements of members subjected to both axial tension and bending are described in EN 1993-1-1:2005 clauses 6.2.3 and 6.2.9. Tension members are designed on the basis of net area as described in EN 1993-1-1:2005 clause 6.2.2 of the standard.

Shear: The factored shear resistance (Vr) developed by the web of a flexure member subjected to shear is defined in EN 1993-1-1:2005 clause 6.2.6 and EN 1993-1-5:2006 clause 5.3.

IS 800 standard

Axial Compression: The factored axial compressive resistance of a member (Cr) is calculated according to clause 7.1.

Bending: The bending strength (Mr) can be evaluated for beams when the compression flange has continuous lateral support or intermediate lateral supports. The resistance is calculated according to clauses 8.2.1 and 8.2.2. The bending resistance is reduced depending on the shear forces applied (clause 9.2).

Axial Compression and Bending: The resistance requirements of members subjected to both axial compression and bending are described in clause 9.3.

Axial Tension and Bending: The resistance requirements of members subjected to both axial tension and bending are described in clauses 6 and 9.3. Tension members are designed on the basis of net area as described in clause 6.3.1 of the standard.

Shear: The factored shear resistance (Vr) developed by the web of a flexure member subjected to shear is defined in clause 8.4.

Predefined models include:

– Simple beams with common support conditions.
– Continuous beams with up to four spans.
– Cantilever beams
– Gerber beams
– Columns with offset loads with common support conditions.

• Standard CISC, AISC or European sections or parametric section shapes libraries created with the GSE software.
• Sections can be selected by the user or by the program.
• Dead, live, wind, snow and seismic loads.
• Required inputs : section types, basic loads, geometric limits and design parameters.
• To account for steel shape availability, the program can also perform verification on all section shapes of a given category.

SECTIONS

SECTION TYPE

-Section Designation: Before performing verification, the section name must be chosen. For the optimization and the verification of all sections, this value is not required.

-Gap for Double Angles: The back-to-back distance of the angles must be defined only for the double angles. For these sections, the gap must be entered for the verification and the optimization.

-Beam Length L: The length of each member in the model must be specified

SECTION CLASSIFICATION

The section shapes shall be designated as class 1, 2, 3 or 4 depending on the maximum width-thickness ratios of their elements subjected to compression.

•The various steel design parameters such as unbraced length, bending coefficients and second order effects coefficients can be customized to tune-up the model.

•Load combinations are created automatically by the program according to various codes such as the NBCC, BOCA, UBC, ASCE 7 and Eurocode.

•Load patterns for continuous beams can be carried out automatically by the program.

•Load combinations and load patterns can be customized to tune-up the models.

•Graphical tools are provided to validate the models, the section dimensions and loads.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

DESIGN AND VERIFICATION
FEATURES

•Ultimate limit states and service loads.
•Calculation of the bending, compression, tension, shear and combined resistance of steel elements.
•Deflections verified according to user defined criterions.
•Singly symmetric, asymmetric and built-up section shapes are covered for all design codes.
•The program optimizes the section shapes to minimize the weight of the elements of the model. This optimization is performed based on the complete or customized list of standard section shapes as well as any user defined library of standard and parametric sections shapes.
•Geometrical limits can be defined to control the dimensions and properties of the section shapes selected by the optimization engine.
•The optimization engine can check various deflection criterions in the section selection process.

•Verification and optimization results are available for a given model.
•Results for all possible sections that may be used for the given model can also be printed.
•Results summaries directly provided on the screen for each member of the model.
•Detailed report and executive report (critical values) as selected by the user.
•Graphical or numerical visualization of results.
•Customized list of input data and results can be printed.
•All graphics and numerical results can be printed or copied to the clipboard for use by external programs.

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STEEL CALCULATOR

Structural Engineering Calculators

SAFI
ENGINEERING CALCULATORS