Flitch beam specification

[Thorlogson]

Hi, I'm new to the forum. I've just downloaded the superbeam program to try it and tried a few things which I've mostly found OK. However, when I tried calculating the size of a flitch beam for a certain span and load it gives a solution as 63 x 100 C24 + 8 x 90 flitch plate. This is ambiguous. Does it mean two pieces each 63 wide, or two pieces with a total width of 63mm, i.e. 2 No 32 x 100? I would guess the latter, but surely the program could be improved here to give a precise result.

[Tony Bryer]

The way you describe it, it is ambiguous. You do though have the option to enter the width as an expression, e.g. 2No 47 (No is transposed internally to a multiplication sign) and when entered this way the size is displayed as (say) 2No 47 x 195 + 15 x 170 flitch plate which is clear.

The same comment applies when entering the dimensions for a double member lintel: you will get the same results whether you enter the width as 94 or 2No 47 (selecting two members in each case) but the latter makes it clear as to what is intended.