Electronically Enhanced Traditional Structural Steel Beam Design Using Electronic Design Charts

Although advanced computer programs to predimension, design, and detail structural components have become so widely used and even necessary for most engineering offices, classical tools, such as design charts and tables, still find their fans in the industry. This is because many engineering tasks are more efficiently carried out if the traditional design charts and tables are used. Therefore, there is no question in whether design charts and tables should be made available to practicing engineers; the question is: should they be confined to the world of paper? Or would it be more beneficial to bring the convenience of a design chart to the engineer’s computer screen while improving its usefulness. To illustrate this concept, an MS Excel application that produces unbraced beam design charts, similar to the ones that are found in the AISC Manual of Steel Construction, was developed by the writer. This paper describes how this application was developed and gives examples of its use. Recommendations pertaining to future developments in the field are given in conclusion.