Professional Beam Design Software

Design steel and wood beams faster with WebStructural's powerful beam designer. AISC 360 and NDS compliant. Try it free today.

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What is WebStructural Beam Designer?

WebStructural Beam Designer is a professional-grade structural analysis tool built specifically for designing steel and wood beams. Whether you're a structural engineer, contractor, or student, our beam designer makes complex structural calculations simple and fast.

Built on proven finite element analysis methods and compliant with industry standards like AISC 360 for steel design and NDS for wood design, WebStructural provides accurate, code-compliant beam designs you can trust. No installation required - design beams right in your browser.

Why Choose WebStructural Beam Designer?

Lightning Fast

Real-time analysis updates as you design. No waiting for calculations - see results instantly.

Code Compliant

AISC 360 for steel, NDS for wood. Industry-standard design methods you can trust.

Visual Results

Interactive shear, moment, and deflection diagrams. Understand your beam behavior at a glance.

Cloud-Based

No installation needed. Access your designs anywhere, anytime from any device.

Comprehensive Libraries

Extensive shape libraries for steel (W, HSS, C, L) and wood (dimensional lumber, glulam, LVL).

Made for Engineers

Built by structural engineers, for structural engineers. Intuitive workflow that matches your process.

Comprehensive Beam Design Capabilities

Steel Beam Design

  • AISC 360 compliant calculations
  • W-shapes, HSS, channels, angles, and more
  • LRFD and ASD design methods
  • Lateral-torsional buckling checks
  • Multiple steel grades (A36, A992, A500, etc.)
  • Composite beam design

Wood Beam Design

  • NDS compliant design
  • Dimensional lumber, glulam, LVL, PSL
  • ASD and LRFD methods
  • Lateral stability checks
  • Multiple wood species and grades
  • Flitch beam design (steel + wood)

Multiple Span Support

  • Design multi-span continuous beams
  • Cantilever beams and overhangs
  • Pinned, fixed, and free supports
  • Automatic reaction calculations
  • Easy span configuration

Flexible Loading Options

  • Uniform distributed loads
  • Point loads at any location
  • Linear (trapezoidal) loads
  • Applied moments
  • Multiple load cases (D, L, Lr, S, W, E)
  • Automatic load combinations per ASCE 7

Advanced Bracing Options

  • Continuous bracing modeling
  • Point bracing at any location
  • Unbraced length calculations
  • Top flange, bottom flange, or full bracing
  • Automatic capacity adjustments

Detailed Reports & Diagrams

  • Interactive shear and moment diagrams
  • Deflection plots for all load cases
  • Capacity ratio summaries
  • Detailed calculation reports
  • Reaction tables
  • Print-ready documentation

How Beam Designer Works

1. Choose Your Beam

Select from our comprehensive shape library. Steel W-shapes, HSS, channels, angles, or wood dimensional lumber, glulam, and engineered lumber products. Pick your material grade and design method (LRFD or ASD).

Shape selection dialog

2. Configure Spans & Supports

Add spans, set support conditions, and configure your beam geometry. Simple one-span beams or complex multi-span continuous beams - the choice is yours. Click supports to toggle between pinned, fixed, and free conditions.

Span configuration

3. Apply Loads

Add your design loads by type and load case. Uniform loads, point loads, linear loads, and moments. Organize by load case (dead, live, snow, wind, etc.) and let WebStructural automatically apply load combinations per ASCE 7.

Load input dialog

4. Set Bracing & Analyze

Configure your bracing conditions to accurately model lateral support. WebStructural instantly analyzes your beam and checks all design requirements. See capacity ratios, shear and moment diagrams, and deflection plots in real-time.

Analysis results

Built for Professionals

Structural Engineers

Save hours on beam design with instant calculations and code-compliant results. Perfect for preliminary design, quick checks, or detailed analysis.

  • Fast preliminary sizing
  • Detailed design documentation
  • Multiple design code support
  • Save and manage projects

Students & Educators

Learn structural design with interactive visual feedback. See how loads, spans, and bracing affect beam performance in real-time.

  • Visual learning tools
  • Instant feedback
  • Comprehensive tutorials
  • Free tier available

Contractors & Builders

Quickly verify beam sizes and capacities on the job. Simple interface, no engineering degree required to understand results.

  • Easy-to-understand results
  • Quick beam checks
  • Mobile-friendly design
  • No installation needed

Technical Specifications

Design Standards

  • Steel: AISC 360 (14th and 15th Edition)
  • Wood: NDS (National Design Specification)
  • Loads: ASCE 7 load combinations
  • Methods: LRFD and ASD

Analysis Engine

  • Finite element analysis (FEA)
  • Real-time calculation updates
  • Accurate deflection and stress analysis
  • Support for indeterminate beams

Shape Libraries

  • Steel: W, S, M, HP, C, MC, L, HSS, Pipe, Built-up sections
  • Wood: Dimensional lumber, Glulam, LVL, PSL, LSL
  • Custom shape definition
  • Thousands of standard shapes

Platform

  • Web-based (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
  • No installation required
  • Cloud storage for projects
  • Responsive design for mobile and tablet

Ready to Design Better Beams?

Join thousands of engineers who trust WebStructural for fast, accurate beam design. Start your free trial today - no credit card required.