The following general limitations apply:

• Continuous beams (more than one span) must be co-linear in the plane of the web within a small tolerance (sloping in elevation is allowed),

• Rolled doubly symmetric prismatic sections, doubly symmetric hollow sections, channel sections are fully designed, plated beams are also fully designed

• Single angles, double angles and tees are designed, but additional limitations apply, (see Angle and tee limitations)

• Deflection checks are performed for the major axis only. Minor axis deflections are not checked.

• Design of beams with web openings is beyond scope.

The following additional limitations apply for plated beams:

• Double and single symmetric I-sections allowed

• Single or multi-span allowed, including cantilever spans

• Design for axial force (tension or compression) or flexure (major or minor) or any combination of these

• Non-composite only

• Flanges and web all have same grade steel

• No design of curved beams (plan or elevation)

• No auto design

• No torsion design

• No seismic design

The following assumptions apply:

• All supports are considered to provide torsional restraint, that is lateral restraint to both flanges. This cannot be changed. It is assumed that a beam that is continuous through the web of a supporting beam or column together with its substantial moment resisting end plate connections is able to provide such restraint.

• If, at the support, the beam over sails the supporting beam or column then the detail is assumed to be such that the bottom flange of the beam is well connected to the supporting member and, as a minimum, has torsional stiffeners provided at the support.

• In the Tekla Structural Designer model, when not at supports, coincident restraints to both flanges are assumed when one or more members frame into the web of the beam at a particular position and the cardinal point of the centre-line model of the beam lies in the web. Otherwise, only a top flange or bottom flange restraint is assumed. Should you judge the actual restraint provided by the in-coming members to be different from to what has been assumed, you have the flexibility to edit the restraints as required.

• Intermediate lateral restraints to the top or bottom flange are assumed to be capable of transferring the restraining forces back to an appropriate system of bracing or suitably rigid part of the structure.

• It is assumed that you will make a rational and “correct” choice for the effective lengths between restraints for compression buckling. The default value for the effective length factor of 1.0 may be neither correct nor safe.

• Lateral bracing is assumed not offset from the shear center of a beam, so that E4(d) and E4(e) are not implemented in design for axial compression.