ProSteel 5: 2002 changes

Release 5.00f: 25 October 2002

1. You can now define where the INI file(s) used to store the program settings are located, a change which has been requested by a number of network administrators.

2. Where the two reactions are different, web buckling and crushing calculations are now shown for each end of a beam instead of the one with the higher reaction.

3. Where a beam extends as a cantilever, the figure used for the reaction at R1 for bearings, web buckling and crushing and connections now assumes that there is no live load on the cantilever so will be higher than before. In such cases the web crushing and buckling calculation at R2 assumes a continuous bearing.

4. The Steel Check dialog has been redesigned and now contains two list boxes, the first for the section type, the second for the sections of this type. B & D dimensions are shown. If you position this dialog to one side of the calculation window you can see the calculation when you select an alternative section.

5. Selecting a B/F load initially gives the wrong load description (the first standard load name) - fixed

6. You can now have up to 20 standard load descriptions (previously 10)

7. A Project Summary button has been added to the toolbar

8. If you run the program in a maximised window this setting is now remembered and used next time you run it

9. If you change the name of the steel data file or standard notes file in the User Setup dialog and the new file does not exist, the old file is copied over to the new location/name. Previously an error message was displayed.

The SCI 'Green Book' on connections has just been republished and its provisions should be incorporated in the next release

Release 5.00e: 9 March 2002

One bug fix, one minor change:

1. Bug fixed which could cause larger than optimum sections to be selected for twin or triple section beams (if you have done calculations for twin or triple section beams using 5.00a-d you may like to redo them using this version or manually check smaller sizes to see whether they are suitable)

2. The beam web opening printout has been changed slightly so as to (more logically) show the stiffener size (where required) before the calculation of the Vierendeel moment resistance.

Release 5.00d: 5 March 2002

This incorporates minor internal changes which reduce the memory used by the program; these should overcome isolated instability problems reported by a few users

Release 5.00c: 21 Feb 2002

One important and one minor bug fix:

1. A change made in release 4.20e meant that the reaction components and shear forces resulting from variable loads not starting at R1 were incorrectly calculated (reaction too high one end, too low the other). The bending moment and deflection were correctly calculated.

2. Load totals for true cantilevers (i.e. beam span = 0) were misaligned on printouts

If you have current update cover and have entered an activation key you can get this now. See How to use the web updates facility

Release 5.00b: 4 Feb 2002

1. If you selected 'Cap connection' for a stanchion, the moment resulting from the load being applied at the face of the column was incorrectly calculated using the unfactored load; this has been fixed. As a precaution we would suggest that you recheck any columns designed using earlier releases of ProSteel 4 or 5 using the cap connection option.

2. If you entered a variable load with positive and negative loading values(for example a variable load with w1 and w2 values of 10 and -10) the resulting bending moment and shear force were incorrectly calculated: the method used was to calculate the total load (which of course was 0) and its point of action, giving nil reactions. This has been changed.

3. The Project Summary and Project File Catalogue can now be copied to the Windows clipboard and from there pasted into other applications (for various reasons, this facility will not be extended to the calculations themselves, but these can be exported as a PDF file).

4. If a valid activation key has previously been entered a confirmation dialog is now displayed advising you of this if you select the 'Enter Activation Key' dialog option.

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