Tekla Structural Designer allows you to create and analyze curved beams in any material. Only concrete curved beams can be designed.

1. Select the beam type and size.
2. In the Properties window, ensure that Linearity is set to one of the following:
   • Curved major, if you want the beam to curve vertically.
   • Curved minor, if you want the beam to curve horizontally.
   Tip:

   You can control the direction in which horizontally curved beams curve.

   When you place the beam, you select its start point and its end point. The curve of the beam always lies on the left side of the line from the start point to the end point of the beam.

3. Still in the Properties window, specify an appropriate chord height value to define the curve.
   Tip:

   You can reverse the curve direction of a vertically curved beam by using a negative chord height value.

   Note:

   Horizontally curved beams always use the chord height defined in the property set. Therefore, they do not curve automatically to fit on any curved grid line that you may have defined.

4. In the Properties window, adjust the remaining properties according to your needs.
5. Click the start point of the beam.
   Tip: If you are using a point along a member, do the following:

   1. Click the member to view its points.

   2. Click the point that you want to use, or type the distance from the start of the member to the desired point.

6. Click the end point of the beam.

   Tekla Structural Designer creates the beam.

   Note:

   If you are using a 2D view when defining beams that curve vertically, you cannot see the beam on the graphical display.

   Change to a 3D view to see the beams.