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BeamChek

jar546

jar546

CBO
Joined
Oct 16, 2009
Messages
12,721
Location
Not where I really want to be
Does anyone use this software?

We do and we love it. We use it to verify submitted drawings and occasionally find problems with what was submitted.

Thoughts?

Disclaimer: We are not using it to design or offer advise, simple to check submitted designs from contractors and RDP for steel girders and LVLs, glu-lams
 
Here is a recent example:

We did plan review for a new ranch home. The home was planned to be 24' wide, use 2x10 floor joists and 1 center positioned girder for floor support only, no roof load so table 502.5(2) applied. The RDP (architect) submitted stamped drawings showing the vertical supports 9'2" apart and specified a triple 2x10 built up beam. That design (which was not accompanied by calculations) does not meet the code prescriptively so I ran it on BeamChek and it failed. The RPD called me back when he got the plan review letter to let me know that he has specified that beam in many other homes and it was alway accepted by the code official. OK, starting off on the wrong foot here. I told him that I gave him the benefit of the doubt by running it with BeamChek and it still failed. I had him open up to Table 502.5(2) and showed him prescriptively it did not meet it. His response was that that table shows a 20' wide and 28' wide table and the house is 24'. I told him that even if we interpolate, it is still wrong. Long story short, he would not give up and submitted the same design in another town that I also do plan review for. I said he can use that beam if he has a PE submit a letter and provide calcs for our records. Never happened.
 
Used it, liked it very simple and easy to use....using struc calc now....a little more advanced than the version of BC I was using, but probably more than a Building Dept needs....
 
When I was behind the counter, I preferred Struct-Calc for spot checks of structural members.

But the Simpson and USP catalogs got the best workout.
 
I use the Ilevel Forte software as well as the Simpson and other manufacturers catalogs/span tables.

Ilevel Forte now includes some standard lumber.
 
We use Struc Calc. Works great for dimensional lumber, footings, post and beams. Engineered lumber we have questioned some spans and they will comeback with a printout from the manufacturer with all the info and it works. I think Struc Calc must have larger safety margins built into the program for the engineered products than the manufactures use.
 
We have been using Struc calc for years and it is great, the updated versions are more than we need.
 
I realize I'm a bit late to the party on this posting, but I hadn't noticed it until now.

We have beam check, use it to verify lumber sizes

Have found it quite useful
 
There was a thread on the ARE board about StructCalc offering sale prices. As I recall, the person called and asked to be notified when there was a sale and a week later they got an email for one. I think it was about 1/3 off the price.
 
It has been a year and a half since the last post and now I need another license for Beam Check so I thought I would look into Struc Calc instead. Is everyone still happy with it or did something better come along?
 
I have been using Beam Check for over 10 years and really love the program. It does everything I need (along with Forte) for residential design.
 
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