Engineering software

What are the computer softwares being used to assist in frame engineering? Are there any recent reviews of these programs and what is the price range? How do you the experts feel about the use of computer programs in helping to engineering frames?

To size individual beams, there are numerous spreadsheet type beam calculators available. Here are three examples:

BeamCalc - http://www.wdv.com/Software/BeamCALC/

BeamChek - http://www.mcneel.com/products/beamchek.html

StruCalc - http://www.strucalc.com/

Duncan Ellis of Carpenter Oak and Woodland has also devised an excellent beam calculator for use with UK timbers and units. Perhaps a little encouragement from Guild members might result in an American edition of this software.

Turning to whole frame finite element analysis, the ideal software package for timber framers has yet to be written, but there are some pretty good ones out there. Here are three candidates:

1. Analysis for Windows. Check out http://gallery.uunet.be/cuylaerts

2. Visual Analysis. See http://www.iesweb.com/visualanalysis.htm

3. Multiframe. Info at http://www.formsys.com/Multiframe/MFIndex.html. Also see "Hammer-Beam Roofs I" in Timber Framing No. 48.

None of these programs are perfect or terribly well adapted for Timber Framers. An interest group of frame modelers plans to get together in Vermont at the Halloween Guild Conference to see if we can collectively improve our lot.

A great one for the frame design is at

http://www.risatech.com/products/2d/p2d.htm

Regards

Another inexpensive (< $200), 3D, FEA program I've used is GBEAM from Grape Software.

http://www.grapesoftware.mb.ca/

I have not used the Windows version, but I got results identical to Ed Levin's when I ran the DOS (v2.0)version on the Speed River Bridge and also on his 1 1/2 story Cape from Timber Framing.