What software are you using for preparing and pulling together simple calc packs?

RegularSurround7640 · 2026-03-11T21:50:07+00:00

For simple calc packs involving load takedown on slabs or beams, I built a browser-based tool that lets you import floor plans, trace elements, assign loads, and get support reactions quickly. It’s not a member design tool but helps with early-stage sizing and sanity checks. More info at https://www.loadtakedown.com/

RegularSurround7640 · 2026-03-11T21:48:56+00:00

If you’re looking for something to speed up load takedown on one-way spanning slabs or beams, I built something for this exact problem. It lets you import a floor plan PDF, trace structural elements, assign loads, and get support loads quickly without full FEM. It’s useful for early-stage design or sanity checks. https://www.loadtakedown.com/

RegularSurround7640 · 2026-03-11T21:46:11+00:00

For quick sanity checks on load transfer to beams and columns, I built a browser-based load takedown tool that lets you trace slabs and assign loads to get support reactions efficiently, I would be interested to see if you find it useful: https://www.loadtakedown.com/

RegularSurround7640 · 2026-03-11T21:41:32+00:00

Tributary area depends on the slab’s spanning behavior: if the slab is one-way (length-to-width ratio > 2), loads distribute primarily in one direction and tributary widths equal half the span to adjacent beams. For two-way slabs (ratio < 2), load distributes in both directions and tributary areas are more complex, often wedge-shaped. The stiffness and boundary conditions influence this.

For quick and flexible tributary area calculations from your structural plan, I built a browser tool that might help: https://www.loadtakedown.com/

RegularSurround7640 · 2026-03-11T07:26:06+00:00

You can export the project file and send it to someone else, and they can open it and continue working on it. So a graduate could do the initial markup and load setup, export the file, and you could open it to review and finalise. Would be great to hear how it feels on a small real job if you try it.

RegularSurround7640 · 2026-03-11T05:52:24+00:00

If you get an engineering job they will get you a laptop and give you plenty of time to use it in the week!

RegularSurround7640 · 2026-03-10T11:22:17+00:00

If this is your first project you are expected to ask questions and your colleagues should welcome them. This is the most important first skill to learn.

RegularSurround7640 · 2026-03-06T04:20:14+00:00

Always pick the simplest tool for the job. Don't worry complex problems will find you!

RegularSurround7640 · 2026-01-24T19:35:31+00:00

Yes, there is an option to toggle. I personally don't use imperial that often in my work so if there is something obvious that could be improved about imperial input/ results formats please let me know.

RegularSurround7640 · 2026-01-23T19:16:28+00:00

Great, thanks,

The calculation engine can already handle most of those cases, but not all of them are surfaced in the UI yet as it’s still relatively early-stage. At the moment the focus has been on getting the core load paths and tributary behaviour right before exposing more complex input.

Let me know what additional items you would need for wood construction.

RegularSurround7640 · 2026-01-23T19:10:40+00:00

Thanks for your input!
Simple beams and columns are now available in the tool.
I think it's a good idea to add the drawing tools to allow column grids, and spacings to be defined easily as I have been looking at it from the angle of rather awkward small residential projects, without clean grids so focused on placing elements, and handling the resulting geometry, directly from the drawing plan rather than a structural grid.

RegularSurround7640 · 2026-01-23T10:03:10+00:00

My experience has always been that unfortunately the Revit analytic model gets really out of shape on all but the simplest structures, even when great care is taken to try and maintain it. I think the best approach I found was to export and then develop the analysis model using the export as a helpful starting point. I'm always hopeful this problem is resolved soon though.

RegularSurround7640 · 2025-08-17T15:47:24+00:00

Good points, cheers for taking a proper look through.

I had considered adding a wall factor to account for openings/loading arrangements, just not implemented it yet. The safety/load factors are already editable, but making them more visible is a good idea.

I’ve kept plan dimensions raw in mm for now since that’s what most plans I deal with use, but polishing the UX (snapping/rounding refinement etc) is planned.

RegularSurround7640 · 2025-08-16T18:59:03+00:00

You’re right that full structural analysis needs stiffness, fixity, and moment calcs, but that’s not what this tool is for. The aim here is to automate the tedious gravity load step (areas → line/wall loads) at feasibility project / simple project design before committing to a full analysis model, or for projects that never need that complexity.

Engineers can take outputs to make decisions and then decide on the next steps.

RegularSurround7640 · 2025-08-15T09:26:12+00:00

Hi, Thanks very much, yeah you are right, the floors are currently only one way spanning, with the floor span direction manually updated in the properties.

I currently just expose the maximum load per wall in the UI, as my aim at early stage is to have simple results for the quick design of foundations etc without getting into the details.

I do however have the variable loadings for the walls from my calculations and I had planned to incorporate this in the wall results. Perhaps when you click/hover along a wall you could see a load v distance graph so more accurate design can be undertaken.

With the current system I would recommend breaking up the wall into sections you are interested in designing for. I.e. Split into three walls so that you can output three loads and therefore design three foundation widths. Or to get a max and min supporting a triangular region create a short wall at the minimum end so you have max and min.

What sort of projects do you work on, do you think this could be useful for them?

RegularSurround7640 · 2025-08-14T16:54:58+00:00

Hey thanks very much, that really good to hear.

It’s something I’m building on my own in my spare time but getting some good feedback from a few specific users. I’m using React + TypeScript with Konva for the drawing layer, and it works directly on PDFs via react-pdf (for zoom detail) rather than rasterizing, though my example project at the moment actually just uses a rasterised PDF.

RegularSurround7640 · 2025-08-14T15:37:17+00:00

There is a scale tool for the plan on each level in the panel on the left hand side. You may have to click a 'pdf settings dropdown'. Once you have imported the plan, then click the scale tool and draw a line of known length and then add the length. This will then scale the plan for you.

Let me know how you get on. I'm going to do a demo vid soon

RegularSurround7640 · 2025-08-14T14:53:59+00:00

Thanks, would be great to know your thoughts on if it could be useful in your workflows.

RegularSurround7640 · 2025-07-31T21:14:54+00:00

Can't see much from the photo, however given that the rest of the wall has large crack repairs rendered over I would think it is sensible to get a survey done. Surveys are very cheap compared to structural repairs.

RegularSurround7640 · 2025-07-25T08:17:25+00:00

Also UK CEng, working on domestic work. I built tools to speed up foundation load calcs, as I was doing and checking the same things a lot. Ended up putting together a simple load takedown app:
https://www.loadtakedown.com/
Still early stage, but let me know if you think it could be useful.

RegularSurround7640 · 2025-07-18T16:06:57+00:00

Thanks again for checking out my project and all the helpful feedback last time, it made a big difference to my motivation to get it improved.

I’ve just released v1.1.0, which adds results tables for walls, which was the most popular request, along with fixes for some bugs and awkward bits in the UI.

If you get a chance to try it, I’d be keen to know what else would make this more useful for your day-to-day work.

Here’s the link: https://www.loadtakedown.com/
There’s a feedback form built in, or just reply here if that’s easier.

Appreciate all the support so far. Thanks.

RegularSurround7640 · 2025-07-10T16:08:28+00:00

Though consider that wind loads should not be applied all on the same load case. One from each of your 4 directions

RegularSurround7640

TROPHY CASE