I just got off the phone with one of Weyerhaeuser's engineers and he told me about a free web based program to help design and calculate the type of wood I would need to hold x amount of load over x length at x angle. It seems great so far so I thought I'd share it with everyone!
https://www.forteweb.com
Good luck!
Greg
Free software to figure out joist span loads
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Gregwor
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Free software to figure out joist span loads
It appears that you've made the mistake most people do. You started building without consulting this forum.
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nmk85roll
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Gregwor
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Re: Free software to figure out joist span loads
The only downside about that one is that it doesn't include engineered wood like LVL or LSL. And sadly, a regular old 2x8 doesn't let you get very far with any sort of load. LVL studs seem to be the best solution for us nerds.
It appears that you've made the mistake most people do. You started building without consulting this forum.
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nmk85roll
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- Joined: Sat Oct 18, 2014 12:40 am
- Location: Chicago, IL
Re: Free software to figure out joist span loads
Actually, you can in worst case scenario type of way. If you use "Yellow Pine" as the species, you now can select MSR, MEL or E grade options. So I would select the E grade related to the LSL I was looking to use and get a rough idea of where I'm at in regards to span. However, I always do the calculations by hand with actual collected data prior to building, but the calculator is nice to get you in the ball park.Gregwor wrote:The only downside about that one is that it doesn't include engineered wood like LVL or LSL. And sadly, a regular old 2x8 doesn't let you get very far with any sort of load. LVL studs seem to be the best solution for us nerds.