Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Line 2
In variable cell, select Data and type ‘Member Length’. Note ‘>’ symbol appears at
the start of the line.
In expression cell, type ‘L=6.0’, click on the grey button at the end of the cell and
select ‘m’.
Line 3
In variable cell, select Data and type ‘Loading information’.
In expression cell, type ‘g_k=0.5 kN/m², q_k=1.5 kN/m², s=3.0 m’, clicking on the grey
button at the end of the cell to select each of the units.
Line 4
In variable cell, select Main Sub-Heading again.
Type ‘Design Forces’ in expression cell.
Line 5
In variable cell, type the equation ‘w=((1.4*g_k)+(1.6*q_k))*s’. Be careful to use the
proper case.
4 new lines will appear in your calc. This procedure has inserted a steel design
function into the calc. The properties of the steel section and relevant design tables
from the code have been drawn into the calc. These are hidden in the calc.
You will note that in the expression cell, the shear load is represented as ‘Fvx’ and
the moment as ‘Mx’. We do not need this line in our calc as we have already worked
these values out higher up in the calc. However we must change our earlier lines (6
& 7) so that the notation is the same, otherwise the imported function will not
understand our values.
In line 6 add ‘vx’ after F and in line 7 add ‘x’ after M.
Now delete line 9 using scissors icon . Thus we have added a bending design
check to our calc. without much effort.
Line 12
In variable cell, select Main Sub-Heading again.
Type ‘Deflection Check’ in expression cell.
Line 13
In variable cell, type the equation ‘W=q_k*s*L’, and select the units. This is the total
live load on the beam.
Move “Steel Section” in line 9 to line 4 using the Move row up button , so as to
include the self weight “sw” of the beam in the Loading Information. In the variable
cell of line 6 add “+1.4*sw” to the loading “w” calculation equation.
Highlight the first cell in the calc and select the Fix Bold Format for Calc icon . This
will make the headings red and other data cells blue. In lines 2 & 3, move to the
expression cell and make it blue using the Change Cell to Bold Blue icon . Lines
highlighted in blue are cells in which input data can be altered.
We can now alter the steel section size to find the most economical section that will
work. In line 9 click on the grey button in either of the first two cells. A section
selection dialog box will appear. From this a section can be selected which fails
(background turns blue). Select a 178 x 102 x 19 UB and move up by weight through
the sections until the screen turns white.
You can insert a picture from any source by clicking on the Select-View Sketch
button . Type in the pathname of the picture you wish to insert.
To save your calculation, click on the Save Whole Calc button . Give your calc an
Author name, a Class, Category and a Name title. You can also insert a sketch by
To place your calc back in the wizard, click on the Open New Calc (import) from any
Database button and select your previously saved calc. Click on the Replace
Current Calculation in Wizard button , and your calc will come back into the
wizard. At this point you can alter the input data highlighted in blue, and change the
steel section size until a satisfactory section is reached.
You can save this variation of your original calc under a new name or as the existing
name.
Export the calc to Word by clicking on the Paste Calc into Word button , and
watch the calc appear in Word. Note the way in which the formula and symbols have
appeared in mathematical format. Also note how g_k becomes gk and ~Delta