DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi, I hope someone can help me to check my amateur design of a single-storey home/office (36sqm). Instead of a roof, I'm building a terrace, probably using wood/cement boards.

It's a very low-budget project, about $7,000. Can you suggest an online/freelance structural engineer (not expensive) or some easy-and-inexpensive software that can help design the steel columns and beams?

The cement boards requires beams every 60cm, so that's easy enough (a 10x10 grid). I have a rough plan already, but I don't know what shapes and sizes of the steel members are required to support a cementboard-and-tiled first floor. Nor whether there is an easy way to bolt the members together or whether they all have to welded together in some way.

Is there any software that will calculate the requirements of the steel members, based on drawing them in? Or is there a simple rule-of-thumb rule I could follow to decide on what types and sizes of members to purchase that will safely support the structure without overspending?

Suggestions and ideas gratefully received :D

you will need a structural engineer to design the steel beams, then submit the building for planning consent with the structural calculations, there is no cheap alternative I am afraid.

thanks for the swift response, but I'm having to do it all myself without the luxury of a structural engineer - there's no requirement to get planning consent for constructions under 150sqm (I live in Thailand).

how would I go about getting some rule-of-thumb / ball-park calculations done? I'm reading books and watching videos on structural design - but so far it's all highly theoretical: I understand the basic principles and I know most of the parameters (load values), but still have no idea how to find a practical solution using real steel beams.

has anyone here built something similar that I could use as a model? or know where I can download a plan/design for a similar (basic) building project? I can try to extrapolate and add in a margin of error (what's a good figure? 50%? 100%? 200%?)

or how about some software that will allow me to draw in the frame and load values, and then list the members (I'm told this is a "Bar Report")?

ok try info@ calcs-online.co.uk