Beams
Click one support, then the other, and a beam spans between them. It takes its material's usual section, a catalogue size or one you type, hangs where you set it under the floor above, and lands on a wall, a column or another beam.
Every property, and what it does
Select a beam and these are its rows: its section, where it hangs and what each end lands on.
Section
What the beam is made of and its size.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Made of | The structural material. Each starts as its own usual section. | Sawn timber, Glulam, LVL, Steel, Reinforced concrete |
| Shape | The section's shape, from the shapes this material is rolled or formed in. | Rectangular, I-section (UB, UC), Hollow (RHS, SHS), Channel (PFC) |
| Preset | A catalogue size to start from. The numbers below are the truth and can be typed over. | The catalogue sizes of that material and shape |
| Width | Across the member. | Millimetres, 10 and up |
| Depth | Top to bottom: the member's height. | Millimetres, 10 and up |
| Flange, Web | Flange and web thickness of an I or channel section. | Millimetres |
| Wall | The wall thickness of a hollow section. | Millimetres |
Where it hangs
The beam's height, and what carries each end.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Drop | How far the beam's top sits below the underside of the plate above. Zero is flush under it; negative lifts it into the floor. | Millimetres; default 0 |
| Lands on | What each end lands on. A bearing runs the beam into its support; a hanger or a cleat stops it at the face. | Bears on a wall, Hanger at a wall face, Bears on a column, Bolted to a column face, Fixed to a beam, Free |
| Bearing length | How far the beam runs into its support. | Millimetres |
Derived
Read from the beam as it is.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Length (set out) | The beam's length, end to end. | Metres |
| Clear span | The span between its supports. | Metres |
| Storey | The storey it is on. | Read from the plan |
How the Beam tool works
Open the Beam tool
In the editor, open Structure and choose Beam, or type BEAM (BM).
Click support to support
Click one support, then the other; keep clicking to carry on. Each end records what it was clicked onto.
Set its section
Choose its material, shape and catalogue size, or type the width and depth.
See it everywhere
It is drawn on the plan with its tag, cut in sections, billed in the takeoff and exported to IFC.
Beam questions, answered.
Which beams can I draw?
Sawn timber, glulam, LVL, steel and reinforced concrete beams, in rectangular, I, hollow and channel sections.
What does a beam land on?
Each end can bear on a wall or a column, hang from a wall face, bolt to a column face, fix to another beam, or be free.
How high does a beam sit?
Its top sits under the floor above, lowered by its Drop. A negative drop lifts it up into the floor.
Read on
- Columns: Columns that carry the beams that land on them.
- Braces: Diagonals in the beam's own sections.
- Structure docs: Columns, beams, gridlines, braces and footings.