ProSteel - BS5950 steel beam design software

Key features

• Steel beam design and checking to BS5950-1:2000
• Column design and checking to BS5950-1:2000
• Analysis of openings through beam webs using SCI/CIRIA guidelines
• Angle cleat, end plate and fin plate connection design in accordance with SCI 'Green Book' (connections with a single row of bolts only)
• And all in one easy to use and affordable program! A single user licence copy costs just £200+VAT. Full price list 

ProSteel and SuperBeam look very similar - this is not surprising given that they share a lot of common code. Like much Windows software, both have a menu at the top, button bar under and status line at the bottom. 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! You can choose from one of 24 colour schemes (themes). These screenshots use the Lavender theme. You can see them all on our themes preview page.

ProSteel (like SuperBeam and EuroBeam) works with projects. A project contains one or more 'items': beams, columns, connections, text pages and OLE pages, the last containing data produced by other applications on your system. The items in the current project are listed in the Project Manager which occupies the leftmost part of the desktop.

Beam data is edited using a five page dialog. Clicking on 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.

You can enter up to 30 loads per beam - dead and live loads are entered separately. As with SuperBeam, loads can be UDLs, part UDLs, point loads or variable loads. Load positions are measured from R1; when a position greater than the span is entered the member is analysed as a beam with cantilever end extending beyond R2.

You can also display and print beam loading and bending moment and shear force diagrams

So to work out a typical beam you enter the loads, click on Apply. Then click on the Steel tab (at which point you see this page of the dialog) 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.

The fourth page of the beam edit dialog holds details of any openings in the beam web. Openings are analysed following the methodology in the SCI/CIRIA paper; stiffener sizes (where required) are calculated by the program

The last page holds details of any splices. Splices can be added for I-section members. They can be bolted flange plate or welded end plate splices, but if there are two splices both must be identical.

Columns

ProSteel's column edit dialog is almost the same as the one in SuperBeam. It has three pages, one each for loads, steel design parameters and base plate sizing.

Connections

Connection design is based on the BCSA 'Green Book'. The connection edit dialog has two pages. The first one lets you select the supported beam and supporting beam or column. The second page contains the connection data.

Text pages

ProSteel includes a basic text editor that will allow straightforward pages to be created. Embedded tags within the text handle tabs, underlining and overlining (for titles) and tab setting. Such text page are useful for things like standard loading pages, title pages etc.

You also have the option of adding OLE Object Pages to your projects. An Object Page contains data produced by another application on your system such as a word processor or CAD package. When you want to edit the data the application which created it is called up.

Price list

If you are a registered user of	Price (single copy) including manual
ProSteel 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7 with expired update cover	£60 including 12 months update cover from date of purchase*
SuperBeam 1, 2, 3, 4 or 7	£100 do.*
None of the above - i.e. first time buyers	£200 do. BUY NOW
All prices subject to VAT and subject to change without notice For additional copy licences, site licences and update cover pricing see our ordering information page

* To get this price go to www.superbeam.co.uk/renew.
You will need your Greentram Software user number and postcode.