Engineering calculations are at the heart of civil engineering design. The calculation sheets that accompany a project can provide evidence of the design competency and that the specifications are met.
Common building calculations are formalized in design guides, such as Eurocodes, AASHTO, IBC etc. The equations tend to be mathematically simple — only needing basic arithmetic operations on the design parameters — but they still require engineering experience to determine the which, why, and when.
The calculations for other civil engineering projects can demand more mathematical insight and may need more computing horsepower to complete the iterations.
In this white paper, we outline six tips that every civil engineer should apply when creating calculation sheets in engineering calculation software. Alongside these topics are shown smart ways that modern engineering calculation software can save time or make the task easier. The examples cover engineering principles and provide insight into what can be done with these powerful tools.
Each example has a link to a PDF with the fully disclosed equations, documented design procedures and references. They were developed in Maple Flow, an engineering calculation tool created by Maplesoft. Maple Flow has a freeform interface that gives flexibility when creating print-ready calculation sheets and is backed by a units-aware math engine.
Read the white paper and download a free 15-day trial of Maple Flow here.
