Beam & Truss Excel Calculations - a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Surveyors and Architects

Beam Spreadsheet Calculations

Course Outline

Step-by-step illustrated examples show how to use the spread sheet tools to optimize bolted joint designs. This course is divided into 8 sections:

1. Overview of major beam types.
2. Cantilevers
3. Beams with Pined Ends
4. Beams with Fixed Ends
5. Beams with Fixed & Pinned Ends
6. Continuous Beams
7. Truss Type Beams
8. Excel Math Tools

The course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

This course uses Excel spreadsheets to:

to document engineering calculations in Excel, Open Office or other spreadsheets
optimize the design of beams and trusses;
calculate cantilever: shears, moments, and deflections;
calculate beam: shears, moments, and deflections;
determine the forces in beam members;
select standard AISC steel beam sections for various loading conditions;
apply Excel calculations to typical beams;
analyze the static force balance in beams’
calculate the elastic force balance in beams;
calculate defections in beams with pinned and fixed ends;
analyze beams with one end fixed and the opposite end pinned;
determine: shears, moments, and deflections of two span continuous beams with pinned supports;
optimize the design of two span continuous beams with pinned supports;
use Excels “Goal Seek” to optimize beam designs; and
links are provided to standard steel beam data.

Intended Audience

The information will be especially useful to: students, engineers, architects, and innovators who want to a convenient method for calculating the strength beams and bolted connections.

Benefit to Attendees

Attendee of this course will have live spread sheets for calculating the strength of the most common types of beam applications.

Course Introduction

This course adheres to the recommendations of the American Institute of Steel Construction, AISC.

Course Content

You need to download and study the following spreadsheet:

Beam & Truss Excel Calculations

DISCLAMER: "This spreadsheet is provided for illustrative teaching purpose only, and is not intended for use in any specific project. Anyone making use of theinformation contained in this spreadsheet does so at his/her own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom."

Course Summary

A brief and to the point summary is provided in these lesson notes and Excel spreadsheets that will provide information that can be used to solve beam design problems and create new calculation methods.

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.