Concise Beam versions

v4.6 [Sep 7, 2016]
- Added additional shoring options. Previous versions of Concise Beam only had the option
of continuous shoring where the weight of the cast-in-place (CIP) pour is carried
completely by the composite section after removal of the shoring. Version 4.61 now allows
you to defined discrete shoring points. They can be evenly spaced, spaced at a maximum
distance apart, or placed at specific locations. Discrete shoring points will cause some
bending in the precast beam during placement of the CIP pour which will result in some
additional built-in stresses.
- Added optional limits to the travel of the moving load. In the previous version the moving
load travelled over the full length of the beam, as in the case of a bridge girder. Applying
limits will make it easier to model such applications as crane travel, or the transverse
variation of traffic moving perpendicular to the beam. For instance trucks in a loading bay
supported by slab planks spanning transverse to the direction of travel. In that case a
special moving load representing the two wheel lines as axles would have to be created.
- Completed the maximization/minimization of load effects and the tracking of corresponding
load effects. Transient and rare loads are disregarded if they don't maximize, or minimize, a
load effect at any section along the beam. Reversible loads are reversed in sign from the
input values in order to maximize, or minimize, a load effect at each section.
Corresponding load effects are also disregarded or reversed (e.g. to maximize shear a load
may be reversed which reverses the shear effect, and corresponding moment and torsion
effects). In this context maximized means most positive and minimized means most negative.
With this change all default load combinations now only use positive load factors.
Negative load factors are used in some building codes to account for reversed loads (e.g.
wind and EQ). This is no longer necessary in Concise Beam.
- 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 4.61. Version 4.61 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.
- Added facility to generate a new standard section using dimensional parameters.
- Added facility to trim a section to width or height (e.g. ripping a hollowcore plank to
width)
- Added indication of design check warnings to the graphs.
- Warnings are now distinguished from notes in text reports by using a capital letter
instead of a number for reference to the explanatory text.
- Added definition of openings to the Summary Report.
- Added first flexural frequency to Summary Report.
- Added width to the load description of area loads in the Summary Report.
- Added lifting and truck support locations to Summary Report and Stability report.
- Added indicator of special points to text report tables.
- Added option to only check non-composite section for vertical shear.
- Added kg and tonnes (t) to the list of Metric (MKS) force units for non-SI users.
- Added warnings that large openings in beam may be outside the scope of Concise Beam.
- Added variable strip height for strain compatibility analysis.
- Added check for rupture of steel in the flexural capacity calculation. Capacity will be
reduced to avoid or account for rupture.
- Added check of load group type against ULS combinations to ensure that load group types
selected by the user are included in at least one ULS combination.
- Added ability to define arcs in the text-based precast section import files.
- Completed and updated some tutorials (completing the tutorials still in progress).
- Added additional material to the Technical Background portion of the Manual (always a
work in progress).
- Reviewed and adjusted cracking calculations and crack control steel.
- Added S6 cracking method.
- Rearranged cracking report.
- Importing sections to a library from the problem file now only includes user-selected
sections and not generated sections (e.g. at openings).
- Added shear strength to check of applicability of minimum flexural strength for prestressed
beams under ACI. Also added a calculation option to not use shear strength to match previous
versions of Concise Beam.
- Added an adjustment for the check of long. steel for flexure and shear (Canadian codes) for
beams without stirrups.
- Revised calculation of crack spacing parameter for MCFT shear method for Canadian Codes.
- Put restrictions on load stages that certain load types can be applied or removed.
- Reworked the analysis results to better track corresponding load effects.
- Rearranged the applied loading and reactions tables in the Summary Report.