Create a beam system to support a structural floor.
This video demonstrates the following:
You use beam systems to fill structural bays with equidistant beams to help support floors or ceilings in a structural model. Beam systems are also useful for laying out rafters for wooden roofs.
In this video, we will create beam systems to support a simple floor and a concrete awning. When a standard structural bay is already available in the current view, you can add a beam system using the Automatic Beam System tool. Click Beam System and then Automatic Beam System. In the Options bar, you can specify beam type, justification, and desired layouts for the beam system. Place the cursor within the bay. The direction of the beams in the system will orient parallel to the nearest beam to the cursor. Click to place the beam system.
To add the floor, click the Structural Floor tool, select a floor type, and then use the Draw panel tools to sketch the floor boundary. Here, we will select the same supports that frame the beam system. After the boundary is completed, use the Modify tool to adjust the sketch, and click Finish Edit Mode to complete the floor.
In oddly shaped bays, you can sketch the boundary, or as in this next example, select the supporting elements of the beam system. Click Beam System and then, if prompted, Sketch Beam System. In the Draw panel, click Pick Supports. Select the boundary elements that will support and frame the beam system. Remember, the boundary must be a thoroughly-enclosed loop to create the system. Use the Beam Direction tool to specify an edge to which the beam system will run parallel. Click Finish Edit Mode to complete the beam system.
For the awning, we will add a composite metal deck. Click Structural Floor and then select a deck type. In the Draw panel, select Pick Supports and select the boundary elements of the awning. Use the Modify tool to adjust the sketch. Add lines where necessary. Because this is a composite deck, you should also specify the span direction. In the Draw panel, select Span Direction, then the Line tool. Sketch a line depicting the parallel direction of the metal deck. Like the Beam Direction tool, you could also select a floor edge to determine the Span Direction. Click Finish Edit Mode to complete the floor.
Use the Beam System and Structural Floor tools to quickly design and lay out the floors, roofs, and ceilings of your structural model.