Download the demo version and then purchase an activation key allowing full functionality. Single user license just $99
SuperBeam 4 looks much the same as many other Windows applications, with a menu at the top, toolbar under, status line at the bottom and Project Manager to the left. It runs on Windows 98/ME and Windows 2000/XP systems.
You can choose the font(s) used to display and print calculations. A larger font is easier to read; a smaller font shows more information without scrolling - the choice is yours!
A SuperBeam project is made up of one or more 'items', each of which can be one of the following:
The Project details dialog lets you enter key data in four fields. You can choose whether to enter total loads or enter separate dead and live components of loads (the option selected applies to the whole project, not individual items). Most people will probably find that total load entry is simpler; dead/live load entry allows steel beam deflection to be checked against live load deflection only, and automatically calculates the required factor for steel bearing padstones and bearing plates.
In SuperBeam 4 one 4-page modeless dialog is used to enter loads and beam design criteria. You click on the tabs to select the required page. Pressing the 'Apply' button commits any changes that you make without closing the dialog, and you see the updated calculations in the corresponding window. 'Undo' restores the data to what it was before you started editing or last pressed 'Apply'.
So to work out a typical beam you enter the loads (each beam can now have up to 30 loads), click on 'Apply', click on the Steel tab (the steel design parameters page shown below is then displayed) and make any changes, then 'Apply' again. The required size on the button immediately under 'Consider' (see below) - you can click on the button to manually choose an alternative section, if you don't want the one that the program has selected. Then click on the 'Bearings' tab and change the bearing details as necessary. Click once more on 'Apply' then close the dialog and you're done. Similarly for a wood beam enter the loads, click on the 'Wood' tab and (the wood beam design parameters page shown below is then displayed) and make any changes, then 'Apply' again.
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You can display and print beam loading and bending moment and shear force diagrams for each beam
SuperBeam's column design dialog has three pages, one each for loads, steel design parameters and base plate sizing. You can enter an axial load, an axial load applied via a cap connection (i.e. assumed to act at one edge of the member, moment calculated automatically), applied reactions with their offsets from the member center line (do.) or enter your own moments.
This dialog shows lets you enter the loading and design criteria for timber posts and studs. These can be axially loaded only or axially loaded and subject to bending to about the major axis.
SuperBeam 4 includes a basic text editor that will allow straightforward pages to be created. Extra tags within the text handle fonts, tabs, underlining and special characters. You can also add OLE object pages to your project: these contain data supplied and maintained by another application on your system, for example a page of spec notes produced using Microsoft Word or Lotus WordPro.
SuperBeam 4 uses the same page heading dialog as our other Windows applications. It splits the page heading into a matrix of eight rows and four columns. The text in each cell can be left or right aligned or centered, and you can use any one of four (user selected) fonts. Lines can be drawn around cells as desired. Optionally text may be centered to the page rather than within a cell. You can create and save multiple page headings which can be switched at will.
When you want to print out your calculations the dialog above is displayed. You can choose which sheets to print and which copies - the copy recipient names can be printed on each sheet and are user definable. Each page number can be given a prefix (e.g. A.22) or suffix (e.g. 22a). There is also a Print Project option which lets you print out all the selected sheets from your project in one go, and a Project Summary which gives brief details of each item in the current project. You can also 'print' your calculations to a PDF file which can be read by anyone who has a copy of the free Adobe Acrobat reader: useful if you need to email a set of calculations to someone.
Download the demo version, try it for up to 30 days, then purchase an activation key to allow full functionality.
A single user license costs just $99 Buy now!.
Existing users please email Tony Bryer to receive upgrading details
SDA also produce produce SuperBeam UK with steel and timber design to BS449 and BS5268 and ProSteel for steel design to BS5950. Full details can be found on our main (UK) site
