Design and Implementation of Versatile Beam Analyzer

Abstract

A versatile beam analyzer is presented in this note. It displays shear, moment, and deflection diagrams as well as influence line diagrams of a two-dimensional beam. The computing engine of the program was carefully designed to handle changing segmental flexural rigidity easily as well as to minimize computing time. Coupled with an effective graphical user interface, the analyzer responds instantaneously to a user's on-screen play. The analyzer can be used both as a learning tool and as a tool for preliminary design of continuous beams. The methodology used for the development of this beam analyzer can be extended to other specialty computer programs.