Floor Information
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Floor Information Tab

The Floor Information tab allows you to manually input your primary / secondary beam arrangement and 

1. Brief Management

To add a new brief, click on the Add New Brief (blue +) button on the Floor Information tab or the Add Brief button on the top toolbar .

A title for the brief is entered at the top of the tab. Additional briefs can be added or briefs deleted and sorted from the 3 icons to the right of the brief title box. When adding a new brief, it will be a copy of the current brief. This can then be edited as desired for the new design check.


2. Beam Layout

A graphical arrangement of the layout can be seen within the Floor Information tab.

The user can specify the lengths of the different beams within here and the calculation output will update accordingly for the new arrangement / areas.

For example, a simple secondary beam can be defined with the span of the beam and the distance each side to the next adjacent secondary beam being entered on the floor layout diagram.

To model an edge primary beam, set the upper dimension to zero. Loads and concrete are then taken from one side only of the primary beam.


Unpropped or Propped 

Select if the beam is propped or not during the construction.

Setting the beam to "Propped" on the Floor Information tab bypasses construction stage bending checks and limits initial deflections, as temporary loads are transferred to the props.


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The Propped / Unpropped setting defines how the beam is treated during construction.

For unpropped construction, the steel beam carries the wet concrete, deck/precast units and construction loads before composite action develops, so construction-stage bending, deflection, torsion and stability checks can be critical.

For propped construction, the beam is assumed to be temporarily supported while the slab is placed, so some construction-stage effects are reduced and loads are applied to the beam later, once composite action has developed. This can change final deflections because the load history and shear connector slip behaviour are different.

MasterSeries uses this setting to modify the construction-stage and serviceability calculations, but it does not design the props or determine their number, spacing, capacity or layout; these must be assessed separately by the engineer/contractor.

Read more in our guidane note titled📄 Construction-Stage Torsion, Propping and Deflections in Composite Beam Design

Before the concrete cures, the bare steel beam must carry the wet concrete weight and a construction load defined in the  ðŸ“„ Loads, Cases, Deflection tab (default 0.75 kN/m²). 


Simplified Input Options (Beam Layout) 

This option allows the user to quickly set up if the beams are Primary, secondary or mixed primary/secondary. When the simplified input button is selected, it will add 3 simple options to choose from.


Secondary Beam

A secondary beam brief defines a simple floor beam arrangement, including span, spacing, and applied loading, ready for a design check. Define a simple secondary beam by entering the span and the spacing to adjacent secondary beams on the floor layout.


Primary with One (Central) Transverse Beam

Primary with 2 Transverse Beams (2/3rds)

Selecting Primary with Incoming Secondary beam enables an additional input for the secondary beams framing into the primary beam.

The secondary beam weight can be selected from the section size list at the bottom of the tab.


Transverse Beams (Checkbox)

Turn off Simplified Input to open a table where you can place the incoming secondary (transverse) beams at your own positions along the primary beam.

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Inputting a transverse beam will automatically update your design to a 'Primary' Composite beam.

X (m)

Location along the beam of the incoming secondary beams.

Section No.

The secondary beam weight can be selected from the section size list at the bottom of the tab.


Mixed Primary - Secondary beam

Ticking the box for Mixed Primary-Secondary will allow the beam to act as a mixed beam with secondary beams coming in to one side and the slab spanning directly on to the other side.


Overwrite Area

By default, each secondary beam uses the same loaded areas as shown in the main diagram, unless you overwrite them. This can be useful if the distance to the next primary beam is not constant, e.g., at an angle relative to the beam you are considering.


Length

These will be assumed to be the same lengths as in the main diagram unless you wish to overwrite the loaded areas.

Width

The Width defines the loaded width of the floor slab that is supported by each individual transverse (secondary) beam.

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Blank 'Length' and 'Width' Cells

If a beam uses 'Length' and 'Width' values any following entries where the cell is left blank (or zero), means the input will inherit the properties of the previously defined value (i.e. in the row above), and not the value specified in the graphical layout.


3. Loading

This will affect the combination factor for the imposed load. The type of imposed live load should be selected from the drop down list for

  • Residential
  • Office
  • Shopping
  • Storage
  • Roof

Add loads for:

  • Imposed live load

  • Partitions

  • Services (and finishes)


Old Manual

Floor Information

 

On the Floor Information tab you can define the beam layout dimensions and loadings.

Primary, secondary and mixed primary/secondary beams can be set up quickly.

To add a new brief, click on the Add New Brief (blue +) button on the Floor Information tab or the Add Brief button on the top toolbar  (yellow +).

 

 

Secondary beam.

 

 

A simple secondary beam can be defined with the span of the beam and the distance each side to the next adjacent secondary beam being entered on the floor layout diagram. The values for the imposed live load, partitions and services and finishes are added. The type of imposed live load should be selected from the drop down list for Storage, Residential, Office, Shopping and Roof. This will affect the combination factor for the imposed load.

A title for the brief is entered at the top of the tab. Additional briefs can be added or briefs deleted and sorted from the 3 icons to the right of the brief title box. When adding a new brief, it will be a copy of the current brief. This can then be edited as desired for the new design check.

The secondary beam can be set as propped during the construction stage.

 

 

Primary with incoming secondary beams.

 

 

 When the simplified input button is selected, it will add 3 simple options to choose from.

 

                                         A secondary beam

                    A primary beam with one central transverse (secondary) beam

          A primary beam with transverse beams at third positions

 

The secondary beam weight can be selected from the section size list at the bottom of the tab.

 

 

 

Primary Edge beam with several secondary beams.

 


If you switch off the simplified input button, a table opens up enabling you to input transverse (secondary) beams at your own chosen positions along the primary beam. These will be assumed to be the same lengths as in the main diagram unless you wish to overwrite the loaded areas. This can be useful if the distance to the next primary beam is not constant, eg, at an angle relative to the beam you are considering.

To make the beam an edge primary beam, set the upper dimension to zero as shown above and the loads and concrete will only be considered from one side of the primary beam.

 

 

 

Mixed Primary - Secondary beam.

 

 

Ticking the box for Mixed Primary-Secondary will allow the beam to act as a mixed beam with secondary beams coming in to one side and the slab spanning directly on to the other side.