Timber Beams

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US Wood Beam API

Structural analysis for US wood beams following NDS 2018 (Allowable Stress Design).

Overview

The Timber Beam API calculates:

• Beam capacity and utilization ratio
• Bending, shear, and bearing checks
• Deflection under service loads
• Pass/fail status per NDS 2018

New to the API? Start with the Quick Start to run your first calculation.

Two Approaches

Single-Call (Recommended)

Create, configure, and solve in one request. API Reference →

Code
 
POST /v1/timber-beam/calculate

Best for: Quick calculations, automation, batch processing.

Multi-Step

Build calculations incrementally. API Reference →

Code
 
POST /v1/timber-beam/sheets      → Create
PATCH /v1/timber-beam/sheets/:id → Update
POST /v1/timber-beam/sheets/:id/solve → Solve
GET /v1/timber-beam/sheets/:id   → Get results

Best for: Iterative design, updating existing calculations.

Presets

13 presets provide defaults for common beam types:

Preset	Description
genericBeam	Flexible configuration (minimal defaults)
genericFlitchBeam	Steel-reinforced timber beam
floorJoist	Repeating floor members (16" o.c., top braced)
floorGirder	Multi-ply beam supporting floor joists
ceilingJoist	Ceiling framing member
rafter	Inclined roof members (4:12 slope default)
hipValley	Hip or valley rafter in roof framing
roofGirder	Ridge beam supporting rafters
roofHeader	Header beam in roof framing
floorHeader	Header beam over floor openings
comboBeam	Combined loading conditions
deckJoist	Exterior deck joist member
deckBeam	Main beam supporting deck joists

To list presets programmatically, see List Presets.

Response Format

All calculation endpoints return a results object with:

• passed - true if all NDS checks pass
• utilizationRatio - Demand/capacity ratio (0 to 1)
• summaryCheck - Details about the governing check

See Quick Start → Understanding Results for full details.

Design Standard

• Code: NDS 2018 (National Design Specification)
• Method: Allowable Stress Design (ASD)
• Units: Imperial

Units Reference

Parameter	Unit	Example
L_X (span length)	feet	14
Support positions	feet	0, 14
Support bearing width	inches	3.5
Distributed loads (D, L, S, Lr)	psf	40
Point loads (D, L, S, Lr)	lbs	1000
Deflection limits	ratio	360 (for L/360)
Spacing	inches	16

Load Types

The API supports standard load types: D (Dead), L (Live), Lr (Roof Live), S (Snow), W (Wind), E (Seismic).

For detailed load format documentation, see Attributes → Loads.

Next Steps

• Quick Start - Run your first calculation
• Presets Reference - Detailed preset documentation:
  • Joists - Floor, ceiling, deck joists and rafters
  • Beams - Girders, headers, and deck beams
  • Special - Generic and flitch beams, hip/valley
• Examples - Complete examples and troubleshooting
• API Reference - Full endpoint documentation