Concise Beam Version 4

Concise Beam is an easy to use program for the design of precast concrete beams. Concise Beam will perform a load analysis and design checks in accordance with the latest edition of ACI 318, CSA A23.3 & S6, AS3600, or NZ3101.1. Key code parameters can be customized to simulate other design codes. The beam can be conventionally reinforced, partially or fully pretensioned. It can model any cross-sectional shape and will allow the cross-section to vary prismatically (step-wise) over the length of the beam. A graphical editor allows the user to describe any cross-section, including voids.

Concise Beam works in two-dimensions using beam theory (ACI B-region) but will also account for torsion along the beam. Concise Beam is NOT able to perform any analysis or design checks required for disturbed regions (ACI D-region) such as at sudden changes in section, large openings, notches, or dapped ends. The user can work in metric or U.S. Customary (Imperial) units, with a variety of individual units (i.e. mm, cm, m), and switch back and forth at will. Libraries of industry standard cross-sections and materials are provided with Concise Beam. The standard libraries can be modified, extended and customized by the user.

Feature List

Visual Presentation of the Features (with screen shots)

News

April 1, 2019 - Concise Beam version 4.62f is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF APRIL 2019 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.62f is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Adjusting and corrected FLS stress ranges.
• Reworked the shear design for beams and hollowcore without shear reinforcing that require minimum reinforcing. In some circumstances minimum reinforcing can avoided if the concrete shear strength is twice the shear load. Prior versions of Concise Beam doubled the required shear strength to satisfy this condition. This new version halves the calculated concrete shear strength instead of doubling the required strength, which reads better with the code and more recent common practise. It can also reduce the amount of extra strengthening needed for thinner hollowcore.
• Corrected the load factor and name of dead load groups under CSA S6.
• Corrected defining openings at the start of a segment.
• Corrected exclusion of DLA in S6 lane load.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions for Concise Beam. If your evaluation period is over but you'd like to try this latest release before purchasing a license you can ask for a short extension to your evaluation period by contacting me.

March 8, 2019 - Concise Beam version 4.62e is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF MARCH 2019 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.62e is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Adjustment to check of maximum number of divisions along beam.
• Adjustment of long. Steel check with shear for compression side of section (CSA codes only).
• Clarified the crack control table for CSA A23.3.

February 10, 2019 - Concise Beam version 4.62d is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF FEBRUARY 2019 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.62d is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Extended the PCI Hollowcore load distributions to include the new distribution for cantilevers in the 3rd edition of the PCI Hollowcore Manual. Concise Beam is not able to account to the location of the loading on the cantilever so it assumes that the loads are on, or extends to, the end of the cantilever. Other loading conditions may require the default distribution to be edited.

February 1, 2019 - Concise Beam version 4.62c is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF FEBRUARY 2019 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.62c is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Corrected display of span length for lifting and transport in Summary Report when stability checks turned off.
• Adjusted effective flange width under CSA S6.

January 8, 2019 - Concise Beam version 4.62b is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF JANUARY 2019 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.62b is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Corrected defining openings at the start of the beam.
• Some adjustments to the Summary Report.
• Adjustment to the flexural calculation.

November 9, 2018 - Concise Beam version 4.62a is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF NOVEMBER 2018 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.62a is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Corrected section trim dialog.
• Restored revised uncracked concrete stress reports and graphs for non-prestressed beams.
• Corrected changing library path when selecting materials.

October 17, 2018 - Concise Beam version 4.62 is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF OCTOBER 2018 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.62 is a major new release which includes the following significant changes;

• Added check of effective width of cast-in-place pour.
• Added third method for calculating shear strength of hollowcore fill.
• Added option to include wind load with live load in ACI span/deflection check.
• Beams can now be defined with a fractional number of strands and reinforcing bars.
• Added optional CPCI stress-strain curves for prestressed steel.
• Added new option for rebar definition.
• Added overall dimensions to cross-sections
• Added detail report for prestress losses.
• Added CSV export option for loading, reinforcing, and core fill.
• Added extent of warnings to design tables.
• Added option to reverse the sign of moment graphs.
• New library names.
• New file format.
• ... for the complete list of changes see the Revision History.

October 8, 2018 - Concise Beam version 4.61k is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF OCTOBER 2018 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.61k is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Corrected analysis of partial length area loads.

August 6, 2018 - Concise Beam version 4.61j is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF AUGUST 2018 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.61j is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Corrected the generation of ledger beam sections.
• Corrected the amount of shear steel at the ends of prestressed beams for ACI codes.

July 10, 2018 - Concise Beam version 4.61i is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF JULY 2018 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.61i is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Corrected inclusion of snow, ice, and rain loads in live load deflections.
• Corrected display of cracking results in the top of untopped beams.

June 25, 2018 - Concise Beam version 4.61h is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF JUNE 2018 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.61h is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Adjusted calculation of Vci for ACI and NZ codes.

March 28, 2018 - Concise Beam version 4.61g is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF MARCH 2018 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.61g is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• The cracking calculations have been extended to check cracking in the cast-in-place pour at the end of the beam where continuity is being simulated. Included a general review of the cracked properties calculations.
• Adjusted the calculation of the first flexural frequency.

February 25, 2018 - Concise Beam version 4.61f is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF FEBRUARY 2018 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.61f is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Adjusted longitudinal steel tension check for CSA A23.3 and S6.
• Some adjustments to the beam opening generator to avoid overlapping openings.
• Corrected problem entering the long/torsion stiffness parameter in the S6 Distribution Parameters dialog.

January 28, 2018 - Concise Beam version 4.61e is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF DECEMBER 2017 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.61e is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Added invertible prestress load factors at SLS for stress and deflection.

December 28, 2017 - Concise Beam version 4.61d is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF DECEMBER 2017 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.61d is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Added option (D4) to control how prestress camber is restrained or not when the beam is shored for it's own weight.
• Corrected the shear depth used for horizontal shear for beams with only non-composite section resisting vertical shear.
• Corrected support rotations when using US units.
• Allow higher lock-off stress for strand.
• Corrected CIP Pour stresses with shoring.

December 4, 2017 - Concise Beam version 4.61c is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF DECEMBER 2017 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.61c is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Corrected graph for concrete stress at bottom of cast-in-place pour.
• Corrected Warning C explanation for the Shear Design graph.
• Turned off erection deflection for shored beams.
• Corrected the calculation of the tensile steel during lifting.
• Corrected display of graphs when opened by double-clicking on them.
• Added new moving load files for LRFD and Standard AASHTO.

November 22, 2017 - Concise Beam version 4.61b is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF NOVEMBER 2017 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.61b is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Adjusted check for rupture of strand.
• Reinstated load group reactions to Summary Report. This table will be reworked in the next version with an option to turn load group reactions on or off in the Summary Report.

November 10, 2017 - Concise Beam version 4.61a is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF NOVEMBER 2017 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.61a is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Adjustments to the section generator.
• Added new libraries based on the CPCI Design Manual, 5th edition to replace the 4th edition libraries.
• Correction to shoring calculation where the beam weight is also shored.
• Adjusted check for rupture of strand.
• Fix a problem starting program from an icon on 64-bit systems.

October 27, 2017 - Concise Beam version 4.61 is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF OCTOBER 2017 AT THE EARLIEST TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS RELEASE. Users evaluating this new release will be able to use this version for the remainder of their 30 day evaluation period. If your license has expire please contact me about how to bring your license up to date in order to use this latest release and to receive technical support. You do not need to install any previous versions of Concise Beam before installing this latest release.

Version 4.61 is a major new release which includes the following significant changes;

• Additional shoring options.
• Limits on travel of moving loads.
• Generate sections from dimensional parameters.
• Trim width or height of existing sections.
• Warnings more visible.
• Option to only use non-composite section in shear.
• MKS metric system.
• ... for the complete list of changes see the Revision History.

more news...