> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://enercalc.com/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://enercalc.com/docs/user-manual/calculation-modules/beams.md). # Beams Overview of the single- and multi-span steel, concrete, and wood beam design module in ENERCALC. ## Overview There is one main module for designing Steel, Concrete and Wood beams. There are separate modules for Composite Steel Beams, Steel Beams with Torsional Loads, and one for Masonry Lintels.

The add item dialog with the beam module selected — Adding a beam calculation

This section deals ONLY with typical single- or multi-span Steel, Concrete & Wood beams. The presentation screen is divided into three areas: **(1) Beam Span Manager**, **(2) Data Entry** and **(3) Calculation Results** as illustrated below:

The beam module presentation screen divided into three numbered areas: beam span manager, data entry, and calculation results — Beam module presentation screen

### (1) Beam Span Manager This area displays a visual representation of the beam and allows you to create and modify the beam layout.

The Beam Span Manager showing a single 26 ft span with support icons and the +/- icons at each end — The Beam Span Manager

Click on the support icons to select the type of support fixity: Fixed, Pinned, or Free. Click on the \[**+/-**] icon to display a window to add or delete beam spans:

The window for adding or deleting beam spans — Add / delete span screen

Click on a span in the beam representation to select it. The **Beam Span Data** tab updates to show all information for the selected span, including its length and section properties.

The left span is selected in the beam representation, and the Beam Span Data tab shows Span 1 is active with a length of 26 ft — Clicking the left span selects Span 1

The right span is selected in the beam representation, and the Beam Span Data tab shows Span 2 is active with a length of 10 ft — Clicking the right span selects Span 2

{% hint style="info" %} **Beam Span Manager layout:** By default the Beam Span Manager appears above the Data Entry tabs. To move it to full width across the top of the screen, click the **three-dot menu** (⋮) and select **Move Beam Span Manager Full Width**. Use the same menu to switch back. {% endhint %}

The three-dot menu showing the Move Beam Span Manager Full Width option — Use the three-dot menu to adjust the Beam Span Manager layout

### (2) Data Entry This set of tabs on the left side of the screen is where you enter all information for the beam. The tabs will show different options depending on the material type selected. Each tab is described in detail below. For material-specific options, click one of the following to jump: [Wood](/docs/user-manual/calculation-modules/beams/wood-beam.md) [Steel](/docs/user-manual/calculation-modules/beams/steel-beam.md) ### (3) Calculation Results This set of tabs on the right side of the screen displays the results of the calculation. The [Results](#results) section below covers the general result views. For material-specific result details, click one of the following to jump: [Wood](/docs/user-manual/calculation-modules/beams/wood-beam.md) [Steel](/docs/user-manual/calculation-modules/beams/steel-beam.md) ## General

The General tab showing the beam material buttons, compression edge lateral bracing options, design method and design values — The General tab

### Change Material To Clicking one of these buttons changes the material type used for the beam. ### Design Method For wood & steel you can select ASD or LRFD design methods. Concrete design is always ultimate strength (LRFD). ### Design Values Specify material-specific design values. ### Compression Edge Lateral Bracing These selections control how the module will evaluate the lateral compression edge bracing for the design. The available modes are: * **Fully Braced** — The compression edge is continuously braced along the full length. * **Unbraced** — No lateral bracing is provided. * **Uniform Spacing** — Bracing is provided at a uniform spacing. Specify the **Location Start** and **Brace Spacing**. * **Span-by-Span** — Bracing is defined individually for each span on the Beam Span Data tab. When any option other than Span-by-Span is selected, the bracing definition applies to all spans of the beam. The bracing options vary by material type. Click one of the following to jump: [Wood](/docs/user-manual/calculation-modules/beams/wood-beam.md) [Steel](/docs/user-manual/calculation-modules/beams/steel-beam.md) ### Deflection Limits These are used as the basis for the deflection design check and also as the starting point for automatic member selection. ## Beam Span Data This tab is used to define span length and beam section information:

The Beam Span Data tab used to define span length and beam section information, with the select span buttons, span length, deflection ratios and section name — The Beam Span Data tab

### Selected Span These buttons allow you to select which span the values in the data entry area apply to. ### Length This is where you define the length of the currently selected span. ### Section Name & Buttons For steel and wood you can enter the standard beam section designation. {% hint style="info" %} **Quick lookup:** You can also type in the section name and the module will search the built-in database for a match. If a match is found, the section properties will be loaded from the database and they will appear on the Properties tab. {% endhint %} ### Section Database For steel and wood beams, click the **Database** button to open the section database. The database contains an extensive number of standard shapes commonly used in the USA. See the [Wood Beam](/docs/user-manual/calculation-modules/beams/wood-beam.md) and [Steel Beam](/docs/user-manual/calculation-modules/beams/steel-beam.md) pages for details on the material-specific databases.

The Beam Span Data tab with the Database button indicated — The Database button on the Beam Span Data tab

### Quick-List For steel and wood beams, the Quick-List provides a fast way to select a member section from the database. The list defaults to the calculation's governing standard version. Click the lock icon to allow selecting sections outside of the governing standard.

The Quick-List showing a database edition selector, member type buttons and the scrollable list of sections — The Quick-List

### Span-by-Span Bracing When you have selected **Span-by-Span** on the General tab, the bracing options move to the Beam Span Data tab where you can define bracing independently for each span. The available options include **Fully Braced**, **Unbraced**, **Midspan**, **1/3 Points**, **1/4 Points**, **1/5 Points**, **Uniform Spacing**, and **Locations**. The layout of these options varies by material type. Click one of the following to jump: [Wood](/docs/user-manual/calculation-modules/beams/wood-beam.md) [Steel](/docs/user-manual/calculation-modules/beams/steel-beam.md) The **Uniform Spacing** option lets you set a starting point and subsequent spacing for the bracing within the selected span:

The dialog for defining the starting point and subsequent spacing of bracing within the selected span — Define bracing spacing

The **Locations** option lets you set up to three specific bracing locations referenced from the left end of the selected span:

The dialog for setting up to three specific bracing locations referenced from the left end of the selected span — Define bracing locations

## Loads This tab is used to configure loads on individual spans AND across all spans:

The Span Loads tab with the Add Load, Copy Load and Delete Load buttons, the Load Type selections, Auto Add Beam Weight and Auto Unbalanced Live Load Placement options — The Span Loads tab

Use the \[**Add Load**], \[**Delete Load**], and copy icon buttons to add, copy, or delete loads. Use the load types selections (**Point**, **Uniform**, **Partial Uniform**, etc.) to specify the type of load that will be added. This selection affects the **currently highlighted** item in the table of loads. The data entry areas below will change based on the type of load selected. The **Auto Add Beam Weight** option will calculate the weight of the beam and add it to your applied loads as a uniform dead load on the beam. Note that this option applies to the FULL LENGTH of the beam...it is NOT a setting that can be set on a span-by-span basis. The **Auto Unbalanced Live Load Placement** option is a very powerful selection. When you have two or more spans, you can select this item and the module will automatically generate load combinations for all possible permutations of patterned live load being placed on alternate spans. For instance, on a two-span beam, it would create conditions that place live load on both spans, live load on the left span only, and live load on the right span only. That is a total of three permutations of live load, and it will do this for ALL of the load combinations that are selected to run. {% hint style="warning" %} **NOTE:** **This can significantly increase recalculation time needed for beams with many spans.** {% endhint %} **Load classifications are**: D: Dead, Lr: Roof Live, L: Live, S: Snow, W: Wind, E: Seismic, H: Earth Pressure **Loads that get patterned with Auto Unbalanced Live Load Placement**: Lr: Roof Live, L: Live ## Linked Loads This tab is used to dynamically transfer support reactions from other calculations and apply them as loads on the current beam calculation, allowing you to maintain a connected load path. For more information on using Linked Loads, see [Linked Loads Overview](/docs/user-manual/calculation-modules/linked-loads/linked-loads-overview.md).

The Linked Loads tab used to transfer support reactions from other calculations onto the current beam — Linked Loads tab

## Load Combinations This tab is used to specify the load combinations that will be run for the analysis of this beam, as shown in the screen capture below:

The Load Combinations tab with the Select button for retrieving a load combination set, the delta symbol for editing multipliers, the SDS and Rho entries and the opposite sign option — The Load Combinations tab

The **Load Combination Set** dropdown is used to retrieve load combinations sets from the [Load Combination](/docs/user-manual/main-menu/databases-in-main-menu/load-combination-manager.md) database. Hover over a row or right-click it to open the menu for editing load combination values. After you change an item's values, click **SAVE** to save the change and view the revised load combination in the list. Specify the magnitude of SDS and/or Rho to automatically integrate the associated additional internal factor in the load combinations. The option labeled \[**Automatically create combination using opposite sign for**] triggers the module to create **additional** load combinations with the "**W**" and/or "**E**" factors set to negative values. This has the effect of reversing the direction of application of the wind and seismic loads that have been applied to the member. ## Results The results area provides detailed output for the current calculation. The tabs along the top allow you to select the major areas available for review: **Calculations**, **2D Sketch**, **Diagram**, and **3D Rendering**. See the individual sections for each material type for specific discussions of these result sections. ### Calculations The Calculations tab offers several sub-tabs that let you review the numeric detail of the calculation. The left-most tab is always the Summary Results where the concise design is given.

The Calculations tab showing result sub-tabs for Summary, Max Combinations, M-V-D Summary, and Support Reactions — Calculation result tabs with sub-tabs

### 2D Sketch The 2D Sketch tab provides a scale illustration of the beam, including an indication of support conditions and applied load magnitudes.

The 2D Sketch tab showing a scale illustration of the beam with support conditions and applied load magnitudes — 2D Sketch

### Diagram The Diagram tab provides moment, shear, or deflection diagrams for the beam.

The Diagram tab showing a moment, shear or deflection diagram for the beam — Diagram

### 3D Rendering The 3D Rendering tab displays a three-dimensional rendering of the beam, including support conditions, bracing, and applied load magnitudes.

The 3D Rendering tab showing a three dimensional rendering of the beam with support conditions, bracing and applied load magnitudes — 3D Rendering

--- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://enercalc.com/docs/user-manual/calculation-modules/beams.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.