Structural Engineering Loads Explained

The Centroid of a section (or Center of Gravity if we assume a uniform density section) is the intersection of its neutral axes. Under bending in any arbitrary direction across the section, this is...

Many tables and charts exist to help us find the moment of inertia of a shape about its own centroid, usually in both x- & y-axes, but only for simple shapes. How can we use those simple shapes...

As any good student of mechanics knows, we get the best stiffness from a given amount of material by flinging it far away from the neutral axis, which is why I-beams, T-beams, and box beams are so...

Back before computers ran the show, Drafters & Engineers had to manually compute their section properties. While some shapes are simple or contrived enough that we can fully describe their...

Compression members are one of the most common sorts used in building design. Load-bearing walls were the earliest structural members, though now we mostly rely on columns with non-loadbearing...

With so many options on the market, choosing the "right" calculator can be tricky, but luckily there are a few ways to narrow it down a bit. Unfortunately, you're likely to need a pair of...