BRGPLT9.xls

"BRGPLT9" is a spreadsheet program written in MS-Excel for the purpose of the analysis and design of beam bearing plates.  This program is applicable to beams supported on concrete walls, pilasters, and piers in an attempt to distribute the beam reaction over an area sufficient to keep the average bearing pressure within acceptable limits.  Specifically the program will check both the beam web shear and beam end bearing capacity, determine the required bearing plate thickness, and determine the minimum beam flange thickness required without a bearing plate.

This program is a workbook consisting of two (2) worksheets, described as follows:

• Doc - Documentation sheet
• Beam Bearing Plate - Beam bearing plate design

All the worksheets are independent and self contained, so that you can move them from one workbook to another. All the worksheets are protected, but not with a password.

Program Assumptions and Limitations:

1.   This program uses the database of member dimensions and section properties from the "AISC Shapes Database", Version 3.0 (2001) as well as the AISC 9th Edition (ASD) Manual (1989).

2.   The user may select from W, S, and M shapes.

3.   This program utilizes the procedure for the design of beam bearing plates from the AISC 9th Edition (ASD) Manual (1989), pages 2-141 through 2-144.

4.  This program will determine the required beam bearing plate thickness based upon the given input, and will also determine the minimum beam flange thickness to sustain the reaction without using a bearing plate.

5.  This program contains “comment boxes” which contain a wide variety of information including explanations of input or output items, equations used, data tables, etc.  (Note:  presence of a “comment box” is denoted by a “red triangle” in the upper right-hand corner of a cell.  Merely move the mouse pointer to the desired cell to view the contents of that particular "comment box".)

Calculation Reference
AISC Steel Construction Manual