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 simple 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

Presentation of the Features (pdf)

News

September 14, 2020 - Concise Beam version 4.64 is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2020 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 4.63f is a major release which includes the following changes;

• Added latest code releases - AS3600-2018, ACI318-19, CSA A23.3-19, and CSA S6-19. (note: the fatigue requirements of AS3600-2018 have not yet been fully implemented)
• Added ability to over-write fr (flexure) in the concrete dialog.
• Implemented ACI minimum flexural steel for non-prestressed beams.
• Added option (F10) to use prestressed minimum flexual strength (1.2Mcr) for non-prestressed Beams (ACI only).
• Revised shear width calculation for beams with sloped webs. Now limited to double tees and hollowcore.
• A correction to the creep factors under AS 3600-2009.
• Corrected a crash using the S6 code for mixed prestress and rebar.
• A new file format has been created for the problem files to accommodate additional data used by the program. It still uses the *.con extension but cannot be read by versions of Concise Beam prior to version 4.64. Version 4.64 will read files created by Concise Beam version 2.x, 3.x, and all prior versions of Concise Beam 4.x. Files will now be saved in the new file format.

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.

September 7, 2020 - Concise Beam version 4.63f is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2020 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 4.63f is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Corrected analysis of generated loads (missing stations).
• Corrected hollowcore fill dialog for openings at beginning of beam.
• Account for user-defined shear width in generated sections.
• Adjusted location of lateral stability check.

August 6, 2020 - Concise Beam version 4.63e is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF AUGUST 2020 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 4.63e is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Corrected a problem with the horizontal shear for moment regions.
• Corrected missing load groups in the reaction table.

June 6, 2020 - Concise Beam version 4.63d is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF JUNE 2020 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 4.63d is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Corrected a problem reading older files with customized load combinations.
• Check for required changes to shoring points when the beam length changes.
• Removed a errant note in the Shear Design table under CSA S6.

May 13, 2020 - Concise Beam version 4.63c is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF MAY 2020 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 4.63c is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• A few more adjustments to the loading dialog related to generated load groups to make it easier to understand.
• Correction to the gamma parameter for the Zia-Hsu method (PCI) for lightly prestressed beams.
• Adjustment to the transverse steel spacing check where minimum shear/torsion steel is not required.
• Correction to the cracked section properties for very wide CIP pours.

April 28, 2020 - Concise Beam version 4.63b is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF APRIL 2020 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 4.63b is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• A few more corrections to the loading dialog related to generated load groups.
• Corrected problem with self-weight load groups for older files.
• Corrected the sign convention note in the shear details table.

March 30, 2020 - Concise Beam version 4.63a is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF MARCH 2020 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 4.63a is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• A few corrections to the loading dialog related to turns loads or load groups on or off.

March 10, 2020 - Concise Beam version 4.63 is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF MARCH 2020 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 4.63 is a major new release which includes the following significant changes;

• Added PCI & CPCI analysis and checks for walking and rhythmic vibrations.
• Added vibration limits from CSA-S6 to the deflection table.
• Added option for over-stress allowance of ULS checks.
• Added option to design interface ties separate from stirrups.
• Added option to use full CIP pour as effective in flexure.
• Added option to make CIP pour non-composite.
• Added option to waive minimum shear steel requirement based on tests where allowed.
• Added option to use full strength of hollowcore fill when shear strength of precast plank is reduced for lack of minimum required shear reinforcing.
• Combined generated self-weight load groups into Applied Loading dialog. Removed the separate self-weight dialog.
• Added option to paginate text reports for printing. Paginated reports can also be viewed on screen.
• Added polygon rotation to precast library text file import format.
• New file format.
• ... for the complete list of changes see the Revision History.

February 28, 2020 - Concise Beam version 4.62m is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF FEBRUARY 2020 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 4.62m is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Corrected a bug in the loss calculations for the CSA S6 method.

December 12, 2019 - Concise Beam version 4.62L is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF DECEMBER 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 4.62L is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Adjusted the minimum shear reinforcing requirement at the ends of prestressed beams under ACI.
• Correction to ensure that minimum longitudinal torsion steel is maintained with the compression side reduction.
• Corrected an unnecessary warning about maximum shear reinforcing spacing.

October 21, 2019 - Concise Beam version 4.62k is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF OCTOBER 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 4.62k is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Adjusted long. reinforcing check with shear (CSA codes) for beams with compression steel.

Sept 5, 2019 - Concise Beam version 4.62j is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF SEPTEMBER 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 4.62j is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Updated a warning explanation in the flexural strength table.
• Updated a warning explanation in the interface shear tables.
• Updated notes under torsion steel table.
• Added checks on zero load factors.
• Correction to PCI Simplified loss method when using transformed section properties.

July 11, 2019 - Concise Beam version 4.62i is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF JULY 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 4.62i is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Corrected generation of new load group name when duplicating an existing group.

June 10, 2019 - Concise Beam version 4.62h is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF JUNE 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 4.62h is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Corrected development length of very short unstressed strands.
• Corrections to the Shoring Reactions table.
• Added check that at least one ULS combo is active.
• Adjusted number of load groups showing in handling stress reports.

May 14, 2019 - Concise Beam version 4.62g is now available for download

YOUR COMMERCIAL LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT UP TO THE END OF MAY 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 4.62g is a maintenance release which includes the following changes;

• Corrected saving of default load combo names in customized code.

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.

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.

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