Please post below with any suggestions you may have so that we can improve our calculator! Also if you have any general comments (positive or negative) then don't be afraid to let us know!
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Hey, I like this tool a lot, but unfortunately it could not solve my problem because I had 5 point loads. Would you please increase the number of point loads to be about 8. It will help a lot in the future.
Yep Tommie. We are on it. Check the features of the PRO calculator! It will be available soooon
very good website
The program is amazing! thanks a lot!! But that would be great, if it would be possible to add some more supports, and make frame structures, add internal hinges ant etc.. Thanks!
The PRO calculator will have the ability to add more supports. As for frames and hinges…maybe in the future
I really think that Kips should be added as a unit, obviously it’s not very difficult to just do the shear/moment diagrams in lb/f and convert but it would be easier and more efficient. I also think that for distributed load there should be a selection for “entire beam” so you don’t have to type the start and end point of where the loading is applied.
Very very true!! Thanks for taking the time to let us know about this =) We’re not too familiar with American units but we’re trying our best
***RESOLVED – 14 Mar 2013***
Added different types of force units
I only played around with one beam but I like the program.
1. The magnitude of a vector is positive. When I tried to put in a downward load, I needed to make the magnitude negative (in the input window). That is technically incorrect.
2. If a vector pointing down has a negative number next to it, some readers might misunderstand that to mean -15N down = 15 N up.
Suggested solution:
In the input window for a point load you might ask a user to select up or down (just like selecting one of the supports, by clicking on it), and then input the magnitude (truly as a positive number).
In the sketch, I would make the number positive. The direction of the load would be indicated by the arrow.
Haven’t checked but the same might apply to point moments and distributed loads.
Note: I might be interested in using this site to design fun problems for my students. That is why I’d like for the sketches to look as clear as possible
Thank you very much Rainer. I’m actually surprised no one picked up on this earlier as you are absolutely correct! A downward pointing force with a negative label would indicate a positive force. I have made the changes and will update the program in the next couple of days. Thanks for your suggestion and glad to hear you are finding the calculator useful!
***RESOLVED – 13 Mar 2014***
Negative loads no longer have a -ve sign next to their magnitudes, rather they just point downwards now.
Diagrams are great. Equations? I need some help figure out C’s from integration.
Hi Melodie. Okay so if you’re integrating the shear force functions to get the bending moment functions then you will have constants of integration. To get the constants (C’s) you need to substitute your boundary conditions which are dictated by the slope, deflection, shear force and moment at supports and free ends:
At roller/pin supports at the end of beam: Moment = 0 and Deflection = 0
At roller/pin supports in the middle of the beam: Deflection = 0
At fixed supports: Slope = 0 and deflection = 0
At free ends: Shear Force = 0 and Moment = 0
The equations are coming. We will be working on it soon =) In the meantime you’re going to have to figure them out for yourself
Hiya
Noticed that the beam is limited to 4 point loads. Is it possible to alter this so that more can be added. As a student, this is a great tool for me to be able to check the exercises I do in class. But a lot of the exercises have more loads than the tool allows.
Kind regards,
Ryan.
We were both engineering students. I myself only graduated a few months ago…I did 3 mechanics courses (mostly dynamics but still included statics), 2 mechanics of solids courses (which were all static structural) as well as 1 FEA course. I never came across a question/problem with more than 4 of either type. That’s why we chose 4 of each type of load…it’s a lot of work to recode the calculator but there’s been more requests like this. This feature will be available in the PRO calculator…
Paul.
This calculator is amazing! It is very useful as a sort of solutions manual for my current CE homework. Thank you for providing such an awesome tool at no cost.
This calculator is awesome! Thanks a lot for the hard work that went into creating such a helpful tool! It would be nice to have calculations available for statically indeterminate beams (more than 2 supports etc) as well as beams with internal hinges. Keep up the good work !
Cheers Will! We appreciate the feedback! It makes a that hard work worthwhile when we know it’s helping people out. We’re a little busy with other projects at the moment but we still plan to release improvements to the calculator at some point =)
Please make the diagram easily printable.
You can take a screenshot of the diagrams once you’re zoomed into them and they turn out out pretty clear. Then you can just print them from your computer or put them in a document (whatever you like). Please see our Facebook page as I’ve explained how you can download the diagrams to your computer =) Hope this helps!
I would be great if you could enter in certain distances along the beam and be told the bending moment acting on the beam at that certain point. It might already be possible to do this, but I’ve only been using the calculator for 15 minutes and am unable to figure it out.
Hi Peter. This is exactly what the “Add Evaluation Point” button does (underneath “Add Distributed Load”). If you click that button it says “The SFD and BMD will give direct values at these points. Don’t worry about adding points where supports or loads exist because they will already be evaluated”.
Check out our facebook page for an example:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=185810611621843&set=a.182740105262227.1073741828.182320028637568&type=1&theater
Statically indeterminate beam solutions please!
Hi Jay, we have had a few people make this suggestion. We will look into it next time we meet, but at this stage it appears to be too difficult to code. However we will discuss it and hopefully add it to the website. Thanks for your feedback! Sam
Good stuff. Used it to estimate forces acting on bolts in a woodworking project. A lot quicker than digging up my old statics textbook!
Glad we could help! Enjoy
I like the software, but it would really help if I could input more than 2 supports
I agree. As I said above and previously it will probably be added in the future when we have more time to make changes.
Possible to add more than 2 supports in the future?
Thanks!
Yes in the future it will probably be added! You’re going to have to be patient =) Sorry.
Great website! Would be even better if we could keep the beam and supports while changing around the loads instead of having to recreating everything every time.
But you can? Use the table to remove everything except the beam and supports…then add your new loads as you wish!
i mean once i click solve, the table disappears and I must recreate the entire beam for a similar problem
Ahh ok. Good point. This is a good suggestion. Thanks!
Put in a damn UNDO BUTTON!!! thanks
Use the table underneath the calculator to delete anything you add! How hard is it to click the red X at the end of the table then re-add? Very easy…
GREAT tool but if possible you should find a way to add the working to the results.
Yep this is starting to be a pretty common request but I doubt it will be possible…sorry you guys are going to have to figure out the answer for yourselves. We can’t do everything!
I would really REALLY love to be able to add 5 point loads. I was always really bad at shear/moment diagrams in school and this is the perfect solution. Otherwise this is an amazing tool. Thank you so much for making this freely available.
Hey Nick thanks for the great feedback! You’re going to have to be patient buddy because our time is invested in other projects at the moment but we’re trying to make time to improve the calculator as per all your requests and suggestions
Really useful. thanks for your hard work.
a couple of suggestions: An undo button would be useful as I ended up putting the forces on the wrong side and having to start again.
Another useful feature would be to include the figures and calculations for working out the BMs and SFs.
other than that. I know what my diagrams should look like. thanks a lot.
Thanks for your constructive feedback Jack. There is a table underneath the calculator where u can view all of the values you have put into the calculator. The far right column of that table allows you to delete individual loads, supports etc. Just click the red cross
No need to start again. The figures for the BMs and SFs should be coming up on the axes of the graphs. If you need further information at a specific location add an evaluation point. As for the calculations and equations, it seems a little too difficult to provide that information. We are discussing this at the moment.
Thanks again!
Paul.