Structural Calculator — Perron Engineering Toolset

W-shape beam design per AISC 360-22 Chapter F. Checks flexure (with LTB), shear, and deflection.

Section & Material

W-Shape (select or enter custom)

Yield Strength Fy (ksi)

Span & Loading

Beam Type / End Conditions

Span L (ft)

Brace Pt Lb (ft)i

Unbraced Length (Lb)
Distance between points where the compression flange is laterally restrained against lateral-torsional buckling. Smaller Lb → higher Mn capacity.

How to pick a value:

Lb = 0 (or Lb ≤ Lp): continuous bracing — e.g. floor with welded steel deck on top flange, or composite slab
Lb = full span L: no intermediate bracing — bare beam between end connections
Lb = L ÷ n: discrete bracing at n equal intervals (purlins, perpendicular framing)

Gulf Coast industrial typical cases:

Pipe rack beam supporting pipes on top: usually Lb = L (pipes don’t brace the flange unless guides are designed for restraint)
Floor beam w/ welded metal deck: Lb = 0
Roof beam w/ through-fastened panel: Lb = 0 (top flange compression case)
Equipment platform beam (no diaphragm): Lb = L
Cantilever / fixed-end beams: bottom flange is in compression near supports — bracing of the bottom flange controls; default conservative is full cantilever length

Quick check: Compare Lb to Lp shown in results. If Lb ≤ Lp the beam yields before LTB — you have plenty of bracing. If Lb > Lr, LTB controls the design.

Loading Type

Dead Load wD (k/ft)

Live Load wL (k/ft)

Point Load P (kips, at midspan)

Cb Factor (Eq. F1-1 or 1.0 conservative)

Deflection Limits

LL limit (L / ?)

TL limit (L / ?)

Column compression design per AISC 360-22 Chapter E. Checks axial capacity with slenderness. Combined axial + bending per Chapter H.

Section & Material

W-Shape

Yield Strength Fy (ksi)

Effective Length

Height H (ft)

K (strong axis)

K (weak axis)

KL/r limit

Applied Loads (LRFD)

Axial Pu (kips)

Moment Mux (kip-ft)

Moment Muy (kip-ft)

Gulf Coast Reference Wind SpeedsVult, ASCE 7-22 — click to expand

Galveston Island, TX160 mph

Corpus Christi, TX155 mph

Houston (coastal), TX140 mph

Houston (inland), TX130 mph

Beaumont / Port Arthur, TX140 mph

Lake Charles, LA135 mph

New Orleans, LA140 mph

Baton Rouge, LA130 mph

Mobile, AL140 mph

Pensacola, FL150 mph

Verify at ASCE 7 Hazards Tool for exact site coordinates.

Site Parameters

Wind Speed V (mph, Vult)

Risk Category

Exposure Category

Directionality Kd

Topo Factor Kzt

Elev. Factor Ke

Structure

Structure Type

Height z (ft)

Width B (ft)

Length L (ft)

Internal Press. GCpi

Solidity Ratio ε (0-1)

Anchor Bolt Circle Ø (ft)

No. of Anchor Bolts

Tank Empty Dead Weight (kips, for net uplift)

No. of Pipes

Avg Pipe OD (in, w/ insulation)

Pipe Trib. Length (ft, span between supports)

Pipe Op. Weight (plf each, optional)

Cast-in-place headed anchor bolt design per ACI 318-19 Chapter 17 (LRFD). Checks steel, concrete breakout, and pullout for tension; steel and breakout for shear.

Anchor & Embedment

Bolt Diameter d_a (in)

Anchor Grade

Embedment hef (in)

Edge Distance ca (in)

Concrete f'c (psi)

Concrete Condition

Applied Loads (LRFD)

Tension Nua (kips)

Shear Vua (kips)

Anchor Head Bearing Area Abrg (in², headed bolt head)

Spread footing design: bearing (Terzaghi), overturning, sliding.

Soil Properties

Cohesion c (ksf)

Friction Angle φ (°)

Soil Unit Wt γ (kcf)

Allowable Bearing qa (ksf, override)

Footing Geometry

Width B (ft)

Length L (ft)

Depth Df (ft)

Footing Thickness T (ft)

Applied Loads (Service, ASD)

Vertical V (kips)

Horizontal H (kips)

Overturning Moment M (kip-ft)

Required FS (Overturning)

Concrete foundation design per ACI 318-19: one-way shear (§22.5), two-way punching shear (§22.6), flexure (§22.2), and minimum reinforcement (§9.6, §7.6.1.1). Sizes thickness and rebar.

Foundation Type

Type

Footing & Column Geometry

Footing Width B (ft)

Footing Length L (ft)

Footing Thickness T (in)

Column / Pedestal Width a (in)

Column / Pedestal Length b (in)

Column Location

Materials

Concrete f'c (psi)

Rebar Grade Fy (ksi)

Bar Size

Bottom Cover (in)

Applied Loads (LRFD, factored)

Axial Load Pu (kips, downward)

Column base plate design per AISC Design Guide 1 (2nd Ed.). Axial compression + optional moment. A36 plate default.

Column Section

W-Shape

Plate & Concrete

Plate N (in, parallel to d)

Plate B (in, perp to d)

Plate Fy (ksi)

Concrete f'c (psi)

Grout / Full bearing?

Applied Loads (LRFD)

Axial Pu (kips)

Moment Mu (kip-ft)

Fillet weld capacity per AISC 360-22 Section J2. Electrode E70XX default. Checks weld shear capacity for in-plane and out-of-plane loading.

Weld Parameters

Weld Size w (in, leg size)

Electrode FEXX (ksi)

Weld Length L (in)

Weld Configuration

Base Metal Check

BM Thickness t (in)

BM Fy (ksi)

Applied Loads (LRFD)

Shear Vu (kips)

Tension Tu (kips)