D. Rémy & Co.

North America Engineering Team Lead

Join us in a 1-hour live webinar to learn more about designing with heavy timber for churches and chapels.

ClearCalcs Expert Hours with David Hourdequin (Pt. 1)

## What's changing with the NCC 2022 kick-off on 1 May 2023, and how do they affect your work as a structural designer?

### About this event

On 1 May 2023, it will become mandatory throughout Australia to use the NCC 2022, replacing NCC 2019. 

Join Brooks Smith, ClearCalcs' Head of Engineering R&D, on **Wednesday, April 26th, 2023, from 12 pm to 1 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST)** as he takes you through the changes of interest for structural design, with a particularly focus on those provisions that affect residential buildings.

We'll also discuss how to make use of the new NCC 2022 in ClearCalcs, as well as how to continue with NCC 2019 if you have an older project.

### In this webinar, we will cover: 

- What's all the ruckus about energy efficiency? And why is NCC 2022 only taking effect now, in 2023?
- A few changes in the NCC itself
- New revisions of standards that must be used:
    - AS 1170.2:2021: General Wind Loads
    - AS 4055:2021: Residential Wind Loads
    - AS 4100:2020: Steel Design

### Webinar Summary

The webinar titled "National Construction Code (NCC) 2022: What's New for Residential Structural Design" presented by Brooks Smith, Head of Engineering R&D at ClearCalcs, discussed the changes in the NCC 2022 that affect structural engineers, particularly those related to residential engineering. 

The webinar also provided information on ClearCalcs, a cloud-based platform for designing concrete, steel, cold-formed steel, and timber structures. 

The NCC 2022 introduces updates in energy efficiency requirements, wind loads, and other design provisions. ClearCalcs offers calculators compliant with the NCC 2022 and provides access to the updated standards.

#### Energy Efficiency Requirements:

The NCC 2022 introduces new energy efficiency requirements aimed at reducing household energy bills and addressing climate change concerns. The minimum thermal efficiency star rating increases from 6 to 7, requiring more insulation and control over glazing. A new whole-home energy use rating is introduced, with detached houses needing a rating of at least 60 and apartments needing a rating of at least 50. The NCC also includes condensation requirements and provisions for livable housing design.

#### Wind Loads:

The NCC 2022 updates wind regions, internal wind pressures, and other factors related to wind loads. The wind region map is revised, with new regions and changes to existing regions. Cyclonic regions no longer have special factors for wind speeds, but instead allow linear interpolation based on distance to the coastline. Terrain categories are simplified, and there are adjustments to shielding and hill multipliers. Internal wind pressures now consider large openings in buildings.

#### Steel Design:

AS 4100:1998, the steel design standard, is updated to the 2022 revision. The major change is the addition of a new bolt grade, Grade 10.9, aligning with the AS 1252.1 bolt standard. There are also changes to bolt capacity calculations and formulas for shear strength. Additionally, a major error in the mechanical properties of steel at elevated temperatures is corrected. ClearCalcs provides calculators compliant with the updated steel design standard.

Head of Engineering R&D

What's changing with the NCC 2022 kick-off on 1 May 2023, and how do they affect your work as a structural designer?

National Construction Code (NCC) 2022: What's New for Residential Structural Design

## Learn how you can effectively design common trusses for residential and light commercial buildings in ClearCalcs structural design software.

### About this event

Trusses are common structural systems used to design and construct various buildings, including residential, commercial, and industrial structures, to span large distances. These trusses consist of a series of interconnected steel members, typically arranged in a triangular pattern, that provide support and stability for the roof. 

Join Laurent Gérin, ClearCalcs’ structural expert, on **Wednesday, April 19th, 2023, from 1 pm to 2 pm Eastern Time (ET)** to learn more about how you can easily analyze and design a typical truss in ClearCalcs.

### In this webinar, we will cover: 
- How to input common truss geometries and loads in ClearCalcs
- Linking truss analysis results to ClearCalcs’ design calculators
- Worked examples of truss designs using ClearCalcs

**All registered attendees will receive a recording of the webinar after the event.**

Director of Customer Success

Learn how you can effectively design common trusses for residential and light commercial buildings in ClearCalcs structural design software.

How to Design Trusses in ClearCalcs

## All Things Beam Designs for Residential Structures

### About this event

Struggling to understand structural engineering basics?

Our 30-minute Live Residential Design webinar series is the perfect way for any design professional in the residential construction industry to improve their understanding of structural engineering. 

You’ll get to follow along with our Director of Customer Success, Connor Conzelman as he walks through how to design all types of common beams you may encounter in a residential project such as wood deck joists, wood headers, wood rafters, steel girders, and concrete girders.  This will ensure that you can confidently complete your next project!

Join Connor Conzelman on **Wednesday, April 12th, 2023 from 1 pm to 1.30 pm Eastern Time (ET)** to learn more about how to design common beams based on a real-life residential drawing plan and the tips and tricks you can use to speed up your structural design workflow in ClearCalcs!

### In this webinar, we will cover:
- Short introduction of the house 
- Locating beams in the plan 
- Designing common beams in ClearCalcs
-- wood deck joist, 
-- wood headers 
-- wood rafters
-- steel girder
-- concrete girder
- Tips and tricks to use to speed up your beam design workflow

### Webinar Summary 

The webinar titled Live Residential Design: Taos, NM Custom Home Pt. 1 was presented by ClearCalcs' Director of Customer Success, Connor Conzelman. The focus was on designing beams in the real world using ClearCalcs' cloud-based structural calculation software. Examples included wood beam presets and load linking features.

In this segment, Connor discusses the required inputs for designing a deck joist in ClearCalcs, including assumptions for joist length and bearing lengths. He also shows how to determine the actual connection to the top beam using structural drawings and details.

Connor explains how to determine the width of a rim joist and subtract it from the dimensions of the deck beam to find the actual bearing length. He also demonstrates how to use ClearCalcs' Wood Connections calculator to determine the hanger's width for the bottom connection of the joist.

Connor then proceeds to add a new calculation in ClearCalcs for the wood beam of the deck joist, using the Deck Joist preset and inputting the correct loads and member dimensions. He also demonstrates how to swap between different lumber grades and sizes in the software. In the next segment, he will discuss the design of the deck beam at the top of the deck system.

Connor proceeds to design a steel girder in ClearCalcs, which requires inputs such as the length of the beam and the supports. He explains that unlike the Wood Beam calculator, the Steel calculator does not require bearing lengths. Connor also mentions that he will create help content on including wind loads in the calculations.

Connor discusses how to determine the tributary width of a steel girder and input it into ClearCalcs for designing the beam. He also explains how to select the appropriate cross-section for the beam based on the loads and member dimensions, and demonstrates how to filter the available options in the software. Additionally, he mentions that ClearCalcs is now up-to-date with IBC 2021, ACI 318-19, and Florida Building Code 2020.

Connor discusses the Design Code for Load Combinations in ClearCalcs, which includes options such as IBC 2021, IRC, California Building Code, and Florida Building Code. He also answers questions from attendees regarding upcoming webinars, support for Canada's connection details, and concentrated lateral loads from shear wall hold-downs.

Connor offers to run training sessions and answer any questions about ClearCalcs, including the use of Autosize. He also addresses user questions about adjusting the duration factor and setting species defaults in the member selector. Connor encourages users to send their questions and suggestions to help@clearcalcs.com.

Learn how to design all things beam in a residential project with this work-along live webinar with ClearCalcs.

Live Residential Design: Taos, NM Custom Home Pt. 1

## An overview of recent changes to the ACI building code requirements for structural concrete 

### About this event
[The American Concrete Institute (ACI)](https://www.concrete.org/) has recently completed the technical update to the Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and published the latest [ACI 318-19](https://www.concrete.org/store/productdetail.aspx?ItemID=318U19&Language=English&Units=US_Units). 

The ACI 318 specifies the requirements for the safe design and construction of concrete structures. The code has been referenced by international building codes worldwide, such as the International Building Code (IBC), and it is expected that the ACI 318-19 will be adopted in the 2021 IBC. 

As a structural designer working with concrete, keeping up with code updates can be time-consuming. But don’t worry; we’ve got you covered! 

Join Eva Wu, ClearCalcs’ Structural Design Consultant, on **Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023, from 1 pm to 2 pm Eastern Time (ET)** to learn more about some major changes to the ACI 318-19 that might affect your concrete design and how you can ensure to meet the building code requirements with ClearCalcs concrete calculators. 

### In this webinar, we will cover:
- Overview of ACI and the Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete
- Major changes in ACI 318-19
-- The new strength reduction factor
-- The new calculation for shear capacity
-- The new requirements for development length in high-strength reinforcements
- How the ACI 318-19 updates are reflected in ClearCalcs concrete calculators

### Webinar Summary 
The webinar discusses changes to the ACI 318-19 Concrete Code, which is the governing body for concrete design. The presenters cover general changes and specific topics such as reduction factor changes, minimum reinforcement requirements, shear capacity changes, and development length requirements. The ACI 318 is considered the "Bible" for structural concrete design.

The presenters highlight the higher strength reinforcement allowed in the new version of the ACI 318-19 Concrete Code, with a cap of 100k compared to the previous 85k. They also ask for feedback on how they can help designers efficiently design high strength reinforcement and discuss additional requirements for reinforcement, as well as changes to the design of steel concrete composite columns.

The current segment discusses changes to the development length requirements for reinforcement in the new ACI 318-19 Concrete Code, including a new factor called the reinforcement growth factor that considers the strength of the bar and increases the required length for engagement. Other changes include the renaming of the cover factor to the location factor and the simplification of the confining factor based on spacing and bar area.

The presenters also demonstrate how the new code affects through capacity and development, with a larger section required to accomplish the same capacity and a need for a longer development length. They conclude by announcing that Claire Calix now fully supports concrete design to ACI 318-19 and invite questions and feedback from the audience.

The presenters also mention that designing plain concrete for smaller footings is often a viable solution when it's hard to get the full development length on the rebar, and ClearCalcs now has a calculator that automatically checks if the footing passes as plain concrete if it doesn't pass due to insufficient development length. They also discuss potential reasons for changes to make bigger footings or design, including complexity and consolidation of equations, but admit they're not entirely sure and would love to hear from the audience about their experiences with the new shear provisions.

Structural Design Consultant

An overview of recent changes to the ACI building code requirements for structural concrete.


Key Changes in the ACI 318-19 Concrete Code

## How to read architectural drawings and locate structural members for residential design.

### About this event

Struggling to understand structural engineering basics?

Our 30-minute Live Residential Design webinar series is the perfect way for any design professional in the residential construction industry to improve their understanding of structural engineering. 

You’ll get to follow along with our Director of Customer Success, Connor Conzelman as he walks through how to best read residential architectural and structural drawings and where to locate important information on the drawings. This will ensure that you can confidently complete your next project!

Join Connor Conzelman on **Wednesday, March 15th, 2023 from 1 pm to 1.30 pm Eastern Time (ET)**  to learn more about how to read an architectural drawing or a working plan from the eyes of a structural engineer and locate structural members so you can start designing!

### In this webinar, we will cover:
- About the house and what it looks like
- Skimming through the plan
- Locating structural members:
-- Locating applicable codes and standards within the drawing
-- Locating beam, column, footing, etc. schedules
-- Details for specific installation instructions
- Discovering how each portion of the drawing applies to ClearCalcs structural analysis software 

### Webinar Summary 

The webinar titled "Structural Design Basics: How to Read Architectural Drawings" was presented by ClearCalcs Director of Customer Success, Connor Conzelman. The webinar covered the basics of structural design and how to read structural drawings. ClearCalcs is a cloud-based structural engineering platform that helps users be more accurate using FEA analysis. The webinar also discussed real-world examples of home designs in Taos, New Mexico.

Conzelman explains that important design information in structural drawings includes design loads, installation instructions, specified materials, member schedules, and member geometry. He then provides a visual example of the difference between architectural and structural drawings, before diving into the page nomenclature and how to read and navigate through structural drawings.

Conzelman explains the importance of including a sheet index in structural drawings, which helps navigate through the different types of sheets and their sequence numbers. He also emphasizes the significance of the general structural notes section, which provides crucial information about codes, loads, soil PSF, connections, and materials used in the design. Conzelman advises against blindly copy-pasting notes from past jobs and encourages readers to carefully review each line to ensure its relevance to the current project.

Conzelman then discusses the importance of grid lines in structural drawings, which help line up the building and levels. He explains how load linking can be used effectively with grid lines to track down posts and foundation plans. Conzelman provides a quick look at setting up load linking in ClearCalcs for a ridge beam, assuming it starts at a post and goes 15 feet out to the end.

Conzelman then moves on to locating structural members and their associated member schedules within the drawings, emphasizing the importance of using the sheet index to navigate through a large drawing set. He provides an example of how to locate a specific beam and its size, as well as demonstrating the use of ClearCalcs' member selector feature. Finally, Conzelman discusses the details symbol and how to find and read the actual detail in the drawings.

Conzelman demonstrates how to locate and interpret symbols in structural drawings, using an example of a deck joist and beam. He also previews an upcoming feature in ClearCalcs that will allow users to access code standards directly within the platform, saving time and money on updating physical code books. Conzelman concludes by answering a question from a participant about accessing codes and standards as a designer.

Conzelman also addresses how to find building permit information and codes and standards, suggesting contacting local building departments or purchasing the necessary books or PDFs online. He mentions that ClearCalcs is currently working on bringing US codes and standards in line with their platform and offers a student version of their software. The webinar concludes with a reminder to provide feedback and stay tuned for next month's webinar where they will dive deeper into designing structures using drawings.

Learn how to read architectural drawings and locate structural members for residential design.

Structural Design Basics: How to Read Architectural Drawings

# Get the latest changes to California Building Code (CBC) 2022 and understand how they impact your work as a structural engineer.

As a structural engineer, staying current with the relevant building codes and standards can be challenging, but it is an important part of the job.

With California Building Code (CBC) 2022 on the horizon, join our North American Structural Lead, Laurent Gérin on **Wednesday, January 25th 2023, 1 pm Eastern Time (ET)** to unpack the latest code changes in CBC 2022 relevant to the structural aspect of residential design and workflow (e.g. did you know the shear provisions for concrete have changed drastically with this new edition?).

## What we will cover
- An overview of California Building Code (CBC) 2022
- The latest updates and changes to structural design in CBC 2022
- Setting up your projects to CBC 2022 in ClearCalcs

### Webinar Summary 

The transcript is from a webinar on California Building Code 2022 for residential structural design. The webinar was hosted by ClearCalcs Director of Customer Success, Connor Conzelman, and presented by Laurent Gérin, P.Eng., ClearCalcs' North America Engineering Team Lead. The webinar covers recent updates to ClearCalcs, seismic loads, and the removal of shear walls from beta testing.

Laurent Gérin discusses the California Building Code (CBC) and its importance as the law of the land for building structures in California, with local jurisdictions having the ability to pass more conservative amendments. He also provides an example of how to check for local amendments in a specific jurisdiction.

Gérin explains that the California Building Code is based on the International Building Code and is typically released one year after the ABC, with a 45-day public review period for upcoming changes. He also discusses some general changes to the CBC, including updates to load calculations and the requirement to show the locations of wind zones on drawings.

Other updates to the California Building Code 2022 include requirements for special inspection during structural observation, site-specific analysis for seismic loads, and frost protection for exits without facing doors. The code also has stricter requirements for precast piles, particularly in high seismic zones.

The current segment discusses the Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic in the US, which have been updated in the 2021 version of the code. There have been some reductions in strength for wood panels and stricter rules for weak stories in high seismic categories. Additionally, there are now provisions for steel to shear walls and diaphragms using cross-laminated timber. The most significant change is the update to concrete shear capacity, which has a new formula resulting in about half the shear strength as in the previous version.

The current segment focuses on the changes to shear strength requirements in the California Building Code 2022, which have been drastically reduced for footings and walls. This means designers will need to use more concrete in their footings and may need to have awkward conversations with clients about thicker footings and slabs. The lambda s factor, which further reduces shear strength for certain structures, is also discussed.

Gérin explains that the Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic in the US have been updated in the 2021 version of the code, with some reductions in strength for seismic loads. He also discusses updates to ClearCalcs' popular calculators, including spread footings and concrete beams, and upcoming additions such as wall footings, concrete columns, pure footings, and a general calculator conforming to ECI three 1819.

the Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic in the US have been updated in the 2021 version of the code, with reductions in strength for concrete and changes to seismic loads. The engineering team at ClearCalcs is considering adding seismic overstrength factors to their software and is interested in hearing from users about their experiences with this.


Get the latest changes to CBC 2022 and understand how they impact your work as a structural engineer.

California Building Code (CBC) 2022: What's New for Residential Structural Design

## How to Prepare Residential Structural Calculations Deliverables?

### About this event
If you feel like you’re overwhelmed by the approval process for residential house construction, you’re not alone. 

Preparing structural design calculations, making sure your design complies with different building codes, and responding to requests for information from your city’s planning department can be a maze-like process that takes months to complete.

If you’re nodding along, we have a treat for you! Join ClearCalcs expert, Matt Ward, founder and Principal Engineer of California-based Ward Engineering at the next ClearCalcs Learn Hour on **Wednesday, 16 November 2022, from 1 pm to 2 pm Eastern Time (ET)** to learn more about how you can effectively prepare your residential structural calculations deliverables for permit review and approval.

Since founding Ward Engineering, LLC in 2016, Matt has grown his civil engineering business and delivered more than 100 residential and commercial projects in California. The company prides itself on its quality engineering services, often referred to externally by the building department due to its thorough structural calculations package.

“[in this project], we didn't get a single comment from the building department, which is pretty unheard of with other people.” - Matt’s own words during his recent case study interview with ClearCalcs.

Curious to learn Matt’s secrets to preparing a thorough structural design calculations package that has been designed, approved, and permitted, effectively and efficiently with the help of ClearCalcs? Register now! 

### In this webinar, we will cover:
- General overview of residential structural calculations deliverables such as structural calculations and braced wall plans
- Essential components of structural design calculations such as project background, loads information including wind and seismic, and beams & columns design with ClearCalcs.

### Webinar Summary 

The ClearCalcs webinar hosted by Connor Conzelman featured a presentation by Matt Ward, PE on how to prepare residential structural calculations deliverables. The presentation focused on the Juniper house, a single-family residence that Ward Engineering did the engineering for. The goal was to teach attendees how to prepare a structural calculations package and a braced wall plan within 45 minutes.

Ward explains his philosophy when doing structural calculations, which involves starting with templates and letting them guide the process, as well as the importance of being able to easily delete sections. He then shows examples of the Microsoft Word and Excel templates he uses, before running through the 30-page structural calculations package for the Juniper house, which includes lateral and gravity information, Bracewell panel design information, and analysis of beams.

Ward explains the four steps he uses to determine seismic design category and create a Bracewell plan for lateral design, including using an online tool to determine SDS value, referencing the California Residential Code to determine seismic design category, and following specific rules when creating the Bracewell plan. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the code and regulations for different categories and notes that the maximum spacing between brace wall lines cannot exceed 60 feet.

Ward continues to explain the four rules for creating a Bracewell plan, including maximum panel distance from the end of a braced wall and satisfying minimum bracing lengths. He then demonstrates how to create baseball calculations using an Excel template, which involves inputting required bracing and adjusting factors to determine the total required bracing length.

Ward then shows the Bracewell wall plan for the Juniper house, explaining how he met his bracing check and other requirements such as having a panel within 10 feet of the beginning and end, and no gaps of more than 20 feet. He emphasizes the benefits of using a Bracewell plan over a share wall plan, including easier calculations and lower costs. Ward then moves on to discussing gravity load design, starting with listing the loads and identifying the girder trusses, which he considers to be like "super trusses."

In this segment, Ward explains how to identify and analyze the girder trusses and beams in the Juniper house using an Excel spreadsheet and ClearCalcs. He emphasizes the importance of discretion when selecting which beams to analyze and recommends beginners use ClearCalcs to size posts and footings.

In this segment, Matt Ward explains that while officials do not require a calculation for every beam in a structure, every beam must be accounted for by default. He demonstrates how he uses ClearCalcs to analyze two beams that provide justification for the rest of the house and shows how he names each beam with detailed information to make it easier for the plant checker to understand.

Ward proceeds to demonstrate how to insert ClearCalcs beam reactions and post sizes into an Excel table, which will populate the footing size. He also mentions the importance of using consistent grades and sizes of beams to eliminate multiple calculations. Additionally, he agrees that a load linking feature in ClearCalcs would be useful for users.

Ward proceeds to demonstrate how to link the load reactions from the beam to the column and then to the footing in ClearCalcs, as well as inputting lateral distributed loads for the column. He also notes that ClearCalcs has preprogrammed criteria built-in based on how the column will be used, such as the deflection limit.

Ward then discusses the features of ClearCalcs, including the member selector and load manipulation tool, which allows for easy adjustment of loads to reflect real-life conditions. He also highlights the importance of using the California Residential Code's table 602.3.1 for connections and demonstrates how ClearCalcs can automatically calculate reactions from columns to footings.

In this segment, Matt Ward discusses the features he likes in ClearCalcs, including the ability to optimize beam designs and the simple traffic light indicators. He also explains the subcategories for beams and columns, which make it easier to select inputs specific to the application. Ward emphasizes the usefulness of load linking and auto-updating of load-linked items, which allows users to quickly see if something else will fail based on loading changes.

During the Q&A portion of the ClearCalcs webinar, a question was asked about the differences between the California Residential Code and the International Building Code. While they are derived from the same codes, it is important to use engineering judgment and compare them side by side to ensure compliance with regulations. The webinar also announced a "Built with ClearCalcs" photo challenge to showcase what users have been building with the software.

Principal Engineer, Ward Engineering

How to Prepare Residential Structural Calculations Deliverables?


How to Prepare Residential Structural Calculations Deliverables with ClearCalcs?

ClearCalcs is full of time-saving tips, tricks, and tools that help engineers save precious time in their design projects. 

Whether you’re a senior structural lead looking to get your project more organized, your team learning and delivering projects faster, or just learn more about designing with different materials or complying to different building codes, our product experts will show you how you can use ClearCalcs features to fit perfectly into your design workflow.

We'll show you how to link your loads to track your load path dynamically, swap material to offer your client multiple selections without increasing your workload, or create sheet groups to stay organized - in short, ClearCalcs will help you save more and time stay more organized than ever before!

**Join us on Wednesday 26th October, 12pm AEDT**  to get insights into how the most successful ClearCalcs users are using the tool for their design projects. 

### In this webinar, we will cover:
- Quick touch on load linking
- Duplicate & swap material workflow
- Creating and organizing sheet groups
- Setting up template projects for common designs
- Common formulas to be used in Input Fields

### Webinar Summary 

The webinar on time-saving tips and tricks in ClearCalcs was presented by Brooks Smith, Head of Engineering R&D. The platform is cloud-based and allows users to design concrete, steel, cold-formed steel, or timber. It provides live solutions and clean, clear printouts with rapid product updates.

During the webinar, Brooks Smith discussed various ways to make the most out of ClearCalcs, including setting project defaults that automatically apply values in relevant presets, using different building standards for performance-based design, and utilizing user formulas in any calculation within a project. He also mentioned that all questions would be answered in the second half of the presentation.

Brooks Smith explains that ClearCalcs allows users to set default loads and preferred sections, which can be used for one-click auto-sizing of members. He also notes that the platform provides options for wind load calculations, including using the AS 4055 class or the AS 1170.2 calculator for more precise results. Additionally, users can copy preferred sections from previous projects and these will be listed at the top of the member selector.

Brooks Smith also explains that ClearCalcs allows users to group calculations into folders for easy organization and quick access. He notes that the member selector is available for making quick changes, such as changing a member selection from a screen. Additionally, he mentions that ClearCalcs provides upgrades for calculators, which can be reverted if unexpected changes occur, and that their customer support team is run by their engineering team.

Brooks Smith continues to explain time-saving tips and tricks in ClearCalcs, including the ability to link loads between calculators and change materials instantly. He also highlights the platform's user formulas feature, which allows users to type formulas into any input box using standard mathematical notation and cross-reference other inputs or computed values within any of the sheets. Finally, he mentions that ClearCalcs provides an Excel export option for transferring tables to AutoCAD drawings or summary documents.

Brooks Smith discusses new features added to ClearCalcs this year, including support for back-to-back and box sections for cold-formed steel calculators, removal of the 1.5 liter limit on sleeper retaining wall calculations, and the addition of various timber sections requested by users. He also encourages users to send requests for new features and announces the upcoming integration of standards documents into the platform.

Brooks Smith also demonstrates how ClearCalcs allows users to change materials for any calculation, instantly switching over everything including supports and loads. He notes that this feature is commonly used to provide clients with multiple options for their project. Additionally, he explains that users can make use of any of the other fields and cross-reference them to create formulas within their calculations.

During the Q&A portion of the webinar, Brooks Smith addressed questions from attendees about potential future features, such as a composite beam calculator and more three-dimensional options. He also encouraged users to send specific requests for tools related to patio design and assured them that ClearCalcs' customer support team is staffed by engineers who are developing the calculations.


Join us in this 1-hour webinar to learn how to get the most out of ClearCalcs structural design software and make design calculations the easiest part of your job.


Time-saving tips and tricks to optimise structural design at ClearCalcs (AU)

ClearCalcs is full of time-saving tips, tricks, and tools that help engineers save precious time in their design projects. 

Whether you’re a senior structural lead looking to get your project more organized, your team learning and delivering projects faster, or just learn more about designing with different materials or complying to different building codes, our product experts will show you how you can use ClearCalcs features to fit perfectly into your design workflow.

We'll show you how to link your loads to track your load path dynamically, swap material to offer your client multiple selections without increasing your workload, or create sheet groups to stay organized - in short, ClearCalcs will help you save more and time stay more organized than ever before!

**Join us on Wednesday 26th October, 1pm Eastern Time (ET)**  to get insights into how the most successful ClearCalcs users are using the tool for their design projects. 

### In this webinar, we will cover:
- Quick touch on load linking
- Duplicate & swap material workflow
- Creating and organizing sheet groups
- Setting up template projects for common designs
- Common formulas to be used in Input Fields

### Webinar Summary

The webinar recording on Time-saving tips and tricks to optimize structural design at ClearCalcs was hosted by Connor Conzelman, Director of Customer Success and presented by Eva Wu, Structural Design Consultant. They discussed project setup, project defaults, load linking, calculation upgrades, and unit conversions. The platform allows for easy customization and automatic updates.

The current segment explains the various geometries and load parameters that can be set in ClearCalcs, including rafter and joint spacing, bearing length, headroom, and wind load. The platform also allows for the creation of preferred sections, making it easy to find commonly used sections for auto-sizing.

Users can organize and group their designed sections in ClearCalcs, making it easy to find commonly used sections for auto-sizing. The member schedule is a powerful tool for double-checking all the members, quantity, and utilization calculation at once. Additionally, users can edit member details and confirm that default loads are being pulled into calculation templates.

The webinar also covered how to reference and perform math on numbers stored in ClearCalcs, as well as the platform's feature for quickly changing materials and unit conversions. The presenters emphasized the importance of upgrading templates for bug fixes and new features, and highlighted the underutilized auto-sizing and preferred sections features. Load linking was also discussed, with a tip on how to ensure the correct reaction load is referenced.

ClearCalcs allows for easy customization of geometries and load parameters, including rafter and joint spacing, bearing length, headroom, and wind load. The platform also features preferred sections for auto-sizing and a member schedule for double-checking all members, quantity, and utilization calculations at once. Users can reference and perform math on numbers stored in ClearCalcs, export calculations to CSV or Excel files, and quickly change materials and unit conversions. Upgrading templates is important for bug fixes and new features, and load linking ensures the correct reaction load is referenced.

The current segment explains how ClearCalcs allows for easy customization of geometries and load parameters, including rafter and joint spacing, bearing length, headroom, and wind load. The platform also enables users to export member schedules as Excel sheets and includes a built-in code reference feature for the Australian standard 4100. Additionally, ClearCalcs is looking to implement a commenting feature for internal communication and encourages users to send in future requests for new features.

Eva demonstrated how to use ClearCalcs to optimize structural design by creating preferred sections and comparing different materials for a beam design. She also showcased the new simple wood beam template, which was designed to minimize confusion and make it easier for first-time users to navigate the platform.

Eva explains how ClearCalcs simplifies the process of designing beams by allowing users to define load and support parameters on a single page, eliminating the need for constant scrolling. She also demonstrates how to modify graph load combinations and find governing load combinations, emphasizing that all calculations automatically pull the worst-case scenario. Users are encouraged to send feature requests and questions to ClearCalcs' structural engineers directly through the help button.




Time-saving tips and tricks to optimize structural design at ClearCalcs (US)

# How to design cold-formed steel beams and columns to American Standards Using AISI S100-16

## About this event
With the increasing price of wood material in construction, cold-formed steel framing is rapidly becoming the material of choice in sustainable construction due to its properties being lightweight, extremely strong, non-combustible, and relatively easy to install. 

Designing CFS can be challenging/CFS is unique in its design due to several issues like buckling. Due to its low thickness to width ratio, CFS members can easily buckle when compressive, bearing and shear bending forces are applied. Therefore, buckling is a major design consideration for CFS.

Join us on **Wednesday, September 28th, from 1 pm to 2 pm  Eastern Time (ET)** to learn how you can design cold-formed steel beam and column to American Standards AISI S100-16. 

Normally, to produce a compliance design, many engineers need to either use overconservative span tables or figure out the incredibly complex CFS engineering standards. ClearCalcs makes figuring out the standard easy with our integration of the Direct Strength Method in CFS design calculations. 

## In this webinar, we will cover:
- General overview of AISI S100-16 and how it relates to cold-formed steel beam and column design
- Common real-world examples and applications using cold-formed steel
- Worked examples in ClearCalcs 
- Common limitations and assumptions in ClearCalcs’ CFS Beam and Column calculator 
- Highlight on the newly released Back-to-Back and Boxed Sections and how it can help your design workflow. 

### Webinar Summary 

The webinar on Cold-Formed Steel Design to American Standards was hosted by ClearCalcs' Director of Customer Success, Connor Conzelman, and presented by Behnam Ordoubadi, Structural Engineering Developer. The webinar covered designing a cold-formed steel beam using AISI S100-16 and the direct strength method, with a focus on prequalified sections and strong access. The presentation materials will be shared for reference.

The current segment discusses the unique advantages and challenges of using CFS in construction, including its light weight, good strength-to-weight ratio, and susceptibility to buckling and web crippling. The section also highlights the need for careful design considerations and analysis to ensure structural integrity.

The segment goes on to discuss the preferred method for analyzing cold-formed steel beams, which is the finance strip analysis. The speaker emphasizes the customizability of CFS and provides an overview of the different capacities that need to be checked during the design process, including flexural capacity, shear capacity, load interaction, and deflection. The segment also delves into the details of global buckling and localized buckling, and how they affect the design of CFS beams.

The segment explains how finance strip analysis is used to analyze cold-formed steel beams, and highlights the importance of checking different capacities during the design process. The speaker also discusses the specific challenges of global and localized buckling, and provides equations for calculating critical buckling capacities. Additionally, the segment covers the design considerations and equations for analyzing shear population and web crippling in cold-formed steel beams.

The current segment provides further details on the design considerations and analysis needed for cold-formed steel beams, including the preferred method of finance strip analysis and the different capacities that need to be checked. The speaker also discusses the challenges of global and localized buckling and provides equations for calculating critical buckling capacities. Additionally, the segment covers the design considerations and equations for analyzing load infractions and deflection.

The segment provides a step-by-step example of designing a cold-formed steel beam using ClearCalcs' software, highlighting the ease and customizability of the process. The speaker emphasizes the importance of choosing the right section and checking different capacities during the design process to ensure structural integrity.

The segment discusses the advantages and challenges of using cold-formed steel in construction, emphasizing the need for careful design considerations and analysis to ensure structural integrity. The preferred method for analyzing CFS beams is the finance strip analysis, which checks different capacities such as flexural capacity, shear capacity, load interaction, and deflection. The segment also covers the specific challenges of global and localized buckling and provides equations for calculating critical buckling capacities.

The segment continues by discussing the design process for custom sections in ClearCalcs, noting that while it is still a work in progress, users can define any type of section with arbitrary material properties and analyze it using the beam analysis calculator. The speaker also addresses questions from attendees regarding fastener checks for cold-formed steel and connection design for steel I-beams, and concludes the webinar by thanking participants and encouraging them to reach out to ClearCalcs' support team for assistance.

Structural Engineering Developer

How to design cold-formed steel beam and column to American Standards Using AISI S100-16

Cold-Formed Steel Design to American Standards

## How to design a residential home to meet the International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC), and the relevant American Standards.

### About this event

Structural design and analysis are crucial parts of residential building design and construction. The primary objective of structural design and analysis is to ensure the house structures being built can resist all applied loads without failure during their intended life. In the United States, the construction of a residential building is governed by the International Residential Code (IRC).

Join our Structural Lead North America, Laurent Gérin, on **Wednesday, August 24th, from 1 pm to 2 pm Eastern Time (EST)** to learn how you can translate the architectural drawing of a residential home into ClearCalcs to design and analyze your house structures to meet the relevant American Standards as prescribed by the International Residential Code (IRC).

We will show how:
- To set up your project defaults to save time when designing contiguous buildings
- Use presets so you can choose the optimal member with pre-loaded data for your design
- Load linking will dynamically add reactions between your loads from roof to foundation
- All registered attendees will receive a recording of the webinar after the event.

### In this webinar, we will cover:
- How to read your architectural plan
- Finding your wind loads to ASCE 7 wind maps
- Setting up your workflow in ClearCalcs

### Webinar Summary

The ClearCalcs webinar begins with introductions and a brief overview of the platform. The focus of the webinar is on building a house in ClearCalcs, with Laurent leading the presentation. The first topic discussed is projects in ClearCalcs and how to collaborate with coworkers.

Users can create template projects in ClearCalcs for frequently designed buildings or retrofits, which can be copied and used for real projects. The project details page allows for optional information, including preferred sections that can be copied from other projects to save time in finding different sections during design. The location information and building standard can also be set on this page.

Laurent moves on to discuss project defaults in ClearCalcs, which can be used to set up the geometry and load of a project. These defaults can be overridden as needed, but they are useful for saving time when designing frequently used structures such as stud walls. The platform also offers a convenient window calculator and ANCE hazards tool for determining wind pressure and other factors.

Laurent continues to discuss the project defaults in ClearCalcs, including options for absolute deflection limits and building geometry such as number of stories and roof slope. The platform also offers default spacing for rafters, joists, and studs, which can be easily updated for convenience. Additionally, Laurent explains the input options for floor dimensions, headroom, and window height, as well as wind loads and effective wind areas.

Laurent explains how to determine wind pressure based on the enclosure type of a building, with enclosed buildings having fewer windows and partially enclosed buildings having more. He also emphasizes that project defaults are just defaults and may not apply to every design, but they can save time when designing an entire home from top to bottom.

Laurent discusses the member presets in ClearCalcs, which can be used to quickly design frequently used structures such as floor joists and rafters. The platform also offers a feature called auto styles, which allows users to filter by different sizes and see their preferred sections at the top of the list for easy visualization. Laurent then demonstrates how to design a rafter and adjust the beam plan link to fit the project's needs.

Laurent discusses load linking in ClearCalcs, which allows users to carry loads from the top of the roof all the way down to the foundation. This feature is useful for avoiding mistakes when copy-pasting numbers and for tracking the load path throughout the structure. Laurent demonstrates load linking by designing a ridge beam, first floor stud wall, floor joists, second floor stud wall, and wall footing.

Laurent discusses the design of a stud wall to support multiple loads, including wind loads and gravity loads from joists and walls above. He demonstrates how to link these loads in ClearCalcs and shows that the two-by-six Douglas fir is sufficient for this application. The next step is to design the floor joists, which he quickly completes using auto-sizing.

Laurent links the roof rafters to the stud wall above it, automatically carrying the loads to the first floor. He adds floor joists and designs a wall footing, which takes all the loads from the stud wall, rafters, and floor joists. The platform's useful feature guarantees that changes made to the design will be recalculated based on the new load.

After discussing the different modes of printing and exporting in ClearCalcs, Laurent demonstrates how to export a project and archive it for future reference. The platform also offers a duplicate feature for making changes to previous projects without altering the original.

How to design a residential home to meet the International Residential Code (IRC) and the relevant American Standards.

Residential Home Design to American Standards

## How to design a residential home to meet the Australian National Construction Code (NCC) and the relevant Australian Standards.
### About this event
Structural design and analysis are crucial parts of residential building design and construction. The primary objective of structural design and analysis is to ensure the house structures can resist all applied loads without failure during their intended life. In Australia, the construction of a residential building is governed by the National Construction Code (NCC).

Join our Head of Engineering, R&D, Brooks Smith, on **Wednesday, August 24th, from 12 pm to 1 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST)** to learn how you can translate the architectural drawing of a residential home onto ClearCalcs to design and analyse your house structures to meet the relevant Australian Standards as prescribed by the National Construction Code.

We will show how:
- To set up your project defaults to save time when designing contiguous buildings
- Use presets so you can choose the optimal member with pre-loaded data for your design
- Load linking will dynamically add reactions between your loads from roof to foundation

**All registered attendees will receive a recording of the webinar after the event.**

### In this webinar, we will cover:
- How to read your architectural plan
- Finding your wind loads to AS/NZS 1170.2
- Setting up your workflow in ClearCalcs

### Webinar Summary

The webinar on designing a house to Australian standards using ClearCalcs was presented by Brooks Smith. ClearCalcs is a cloud-based structural design platform that simplifies engineering work with design tools for concrete, steel, cold form steel, and timber. The agenda covered setting up a project, inputting loads and geometry, identifying members, sizing them efficiently, following the load path structure, and submitting the work. A lighthouse keeper's dwelling plan was used as an example.

The project details screen in ClearCalcs allows for optional fields, except for the building standard which defaults to the organization's default. Project defaults can be used to save time by entering data once and having it propagate throughout the entire project, including default loads and geometry. Advanced functionality includes using any field in project defaults anywhere in ClearCalcs.

The current segment explains how ClearCalcs simplifies the process of identifying individual members for design by providing presets that open up with the most common inputs already applied, saving time for the user. If a preset is not available, users can request it from the engineering team.

ClearCalcs offers two options for sizing members: the member selector and auto size feature. The member selector allows users to filter sections by stress grade, manufacturer, and size, while the auto size feature automatically selects the most structurally efficient section from preferred sections set by the user. ClearCalcs also simplifies following the load path structure through load linking, which automatically updates any relevant changes made in upstream sheets. Finally, ClearCalcs offers options for reviewing, organizing, exporting, and printing the completed project.

ClearCalcs also offers the ability to organize calculations into groups and view quantity views, which allows for quick changes to be made to member selections. The platform also provides three different print modes for exporting calculations and an archive function for finalizing projects and keeping track of versioning.

ClearCalcs allows users to easily modify loads and geometry in a project, and offers presets for identifying individual members for design. The member selector and auto size feature simplify the process of sizing members efficiently, while load linking updates any relevant changes made to the load path structure. ClearCalcs also provides a member schedule for easy organization and exporting options for PDFs.

ClearCalcs allows users to easily change materials for members if the initial selection does not satisfy design requirements, and this can be done through the member selector or the "change material" button. ClearCalcs also offers a student plan for academic use and users can send feature requests through the help button. Additionally, the default paper size for exports is based on the user's web browser settings.

ClearCalcs allows users to disable bearing checks by setting the bearing lengths to zero, and project defaults are specific to individual projects and do not affect previous or future projects. However, ClearCalcs may consider adding organization-level defaults in the future. There is currently no way to add individual deflection limit absolute criteria to different load cases, but ClearCalcs welcomes feature requests. The platform also plans to update its masonry support calculators and potentially add a wall bracing design calculator. ClearCalcs already offers connection calculators for timber bolts, nails, screws, steel bolts, and welds, but plans to make connection design easier for users.

ClearCalcs plans to expand their connection calculators to include options for elbow connector and moment bolt connection, as well as allowing users to enter specific locations for individual discrete braces in their steel calculator. They also independently take into account uplift and downward loads in their cold form steel calculator, which considers the restraints on the top and bottom flanges separately.

How to design a residential home to meet the Australian National Construction Code (NCC) and the relevant Australian Standards.

Residential Home Design to Australian Standards

## How to design Wood Shear Walls to resist lateral wind and seismic loads to AWC SDPWS 2021& AWC NDS 2018

### About this event

Wood shear walls are a highly engineered structural element primarily used to resist horizontal loads (e.g. wind and earthquakes). Wood shear walls are an efficient system commonly used in both residential and commercial buildings.

Like any other structural element, for wood shear walls to be effective they must be designed and constructed correctly, such that the slender wall element can transfer the shear forces created by horizontal loads to the foundation.

Join our North American Structural Lead, Laurent Gérin, on Wednesday, July 20, 1:00 to 2:00 pm EDT to learn more how you can use ClearCalcs to easily design wood shear walls.

You will learn about our all-in-one design solution that lets you check shear capacity, chord forces, and gives you hold-down anchor forces to compare with your favorite manufacturer data. We will also share how our classic “member selector” tool lets you quickly compare different sheathing types and thickness, as well as nail spacings. Finally, get the opportunity to get behind the scene of our world-class support and how our team is constantly improving based on your feedback!

All registered attendees will receive a recording of the webinar after the event.

### In this webinar, we will cover:
- General overview of The American Wood Council’s (AWC) 2015 Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS) and how it applies to wood shear walls design
- Common examples of wood shear walls design
- Worked examples in ClearCalcs

How to design Wood Shear Walls to resist lateral wind and seismic loads to AWC SDPWS 2021& AWC NDS 2018


Calculating Wood Shear Walls Capacity

## How to Design Sleeper Retaining Wall to Australian Standards 4678-2002 & 2159-2009 with ClearCalcs

### About this event

In residential house construction, a retaining wall is required when there is a significant slope on the property that is being built on, and support is needed to hold back a sloping section of soil.

Primarily, the function of a retaining wall is to resist the weight of soil pushing against it, and the design of it needs to ensure deep enough foundations and strong enough structural components. One of the most challenging aspects of designing a retaining wall is accurately understanding the impact of the soil properties on the retaining wall calculations.

Join our Head of Engineering R&D, Brooks Smith, to learn more about how you can use ClearCalcs to solve your sleeper retaining wall design calculations. We will show you how to keep your parameters as simple as possible while ensuring your calculations are accurate, make conservative assumptions to make your calculations work, and how you can easily link reactions between the sleepers and the retaining wall.

All registered attendees will receive a recording of the webinar after the event.

### In this webinar, we will cover…
- General overview of Australia Standards 4768-2002 and 2159-2009, and how they specifically relate to the Sleeper Retaining Walls design
- Common real-world examples of Sleeper Retaining Walls
- Worked examples in ClearCalcs
- Understanding the different methodologies available to analyse sleeper retaining walls

How to Design Sleeper Retaining Wall to Australian Standards 4678-2002 & 2159-2009 with ClearCalcs

ClearCalcs Learn Hour