These sections go hand-in-hand and allow for the selection and viewing of beam reactions from other calculations within the active project file. Collectively, they are comprised of three main components:
1) Beam Calculation Table: Displays a list of beam calculations within the active project file. Creating links to calculations that are dependent on the active beam calculation is prohibited to avoid circular references. Prohibited calculations are included in the table for reference but are marked with strikethrough font. Buttons at the bottom of the table allow for the inclusion or exclusion of prohibited calculations from view.
TIP: Using unique names for your calculations and/or prepending your calculations with a key name ('B1', 'B2', etc.) can help you quickly recognize and differentiate your calculations at a glance.
2) Reference Sketch: A visual reference of the currently selected beam.
3) Reaction Table: Displays the reactions by load case at each support of the selected beam. Reactions for D, Lr, L, S, and H are shown at the service level, while W and E are presented at the strength level. It is important to note that these reactions are already formatted for direct incorporation into further calculations, ensuring there is no double-factoring of the referenced reaction forces.
Note: Since loads are linked on a load case basis, any live load reductions which have been manually accounted for on an upstream live load will carry through to downstream calculations. For example, if a 20 psf roof live load (unreduced) was manually input on a roof joist at 16 psf (reduced), the resulting "L Only" reaction would be based on 16 psf. The associated linked reaction on the supporting girder would also be based on the manually inputted 16 psf.
Once you've selected the reaction you'd like to link to the current calculation, move on to Edit Link Settings.