SuperBeam 4

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Do you design houses, extensions, loft conversions or other small building works? If you need a quick and effective way to produce calculations for steel and timber beams and columns take a look at SuperBeam.

Key features

• Steel beam design and checking to BS449 Part 2

• Timber and flitch beam design and checking to BS5268 Part 2

• Column design and checking to BS449, with simple base plate sizing

• Checking of timber posts and studs

• And all in one easy to use and affordable program! Price list

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SuperBeam 4 looks much the same as many other Windows applications, with a menu at the top, toolbar under, status line at the bottom and Project Manager to the left. It runs on Windows 98SE and Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista systems.

You can choose the font(s) used to display and print calculations. A larger font is easier to read; a smaller font shows more information without scrolling - the choice is yours!

You can edit items by double clicking on the window, clicking on the pen icon on the toolbar, selecting 'Edit' from the menu or by pressing Alt+E - one of these should suit your preferred way of working.

Project options

The Project details dialog lets you enter job-related data in four fields as with our other programs. You can choose whether to enter total loadsor enter separate dead and live components of loads (the option selected applies to the whole project, not individual items). Most people will probably find that total load entry is simpler; dead/live load entry allows steel beam deflection to be checked against live load deflection only, and automatically calculates the required factor for steel bearing padstones and bearing plates. Top

Beam design

Beam dialog: load entry page

In SuperBeam 4 the separate load, steel, steel bearing and timber design dialogs used in earlier versions have been combined into one modeless dialog. You click on the tabs to select the required page. Clicking on the 'Apply' button commits any changes that you make without closing the dialog, and you see the updated calculations in the corresponding window. 'Undo' restores the data to what it was before you started editing or last pressed 'Apply'.

So to work out a typical beam you enter the loads (each beam can now have up to 30 loads), click on 'Apply', click on the Steel tab and make any changes, then 'Apply' again. The required size on the button immediately under 'Consider' (see below) - you can click on the button to manually choose an alternative section, if you don't want the one that the program has selected. Then click on the 'Bearings' tab and change the bearing details as necessary. Click once more on 'Apply' then close the dialog and you're done. Top

You can display and print beam loading and bending moment and shear force diagrams Top

Beam dialog: steel beam design parameters page

Beam dialog: steel beam bearing page

Steel column design and checking

Steel column edit dialog: load entry page

Steel column edit dialog: baseplate page

SuperBeam's column design dialog has three pages, one each for loads, steel design parameters and base plate sizing. Unlike ProSteel, connection design is not included as it is anticipated that in most instances this feature will be used for individual stanchions or those supporting beams bearing on an end cap. Top

Timber posts and studs

Timber post and stud edit dialog

This dialog shows lets you enter the loading and design criteria for timber posts and studs. These can be axially loaded only or axially loaded and subject to bending to about the major axis. Top

Text pages

SuperBeam 4 includes a basic text editor that will allow straightforward pages to be created. Extra tags within the text handle tabs, underlining and overlining (for titles) and tab setting. You can also add OLE object pages to your project: these contain data supplied and maintained by another application on your system, for example a page of spec notes produced using Microsoft Word or Lotus WordPro. Top

Page headings

SuperBeam 4 uses the same page heading dialog as our other Windows applications. It splits the page heading into a matrix of eight rows and four columns. The text in each cell can be left or right aligned or centered, and you can use any one of four (user selected) fonts. Lines can be drawn around cells as desired. Optionally text may be centered to the page rather than within a cell. You can create and save multiple page headings which can be switched at will. SuperBeam 4, SuperHeat 5 and ProSteel 5 all share the same set of headings: any heading created in one of these programs is instantly available to the others. Top

Price List

For additional copy licences, site licences and update cover pricing see ordering information page Top

SuperBeam and SuperHeat are registered trademarks of Survey Design Associates Limited

ProSteel and EuroBeam are trademarks of Survey Design Associates Limited

© Survey Design Associates Ltd, Kestrel House, 111 Heath Road, Twickenham, Middx. TW1 4AF, U.K.
Tel: +44 (0)20-8744 2002   Fax: +44 (0)20-8891 0866.

Top Last revised 1 June 2007