Steel Design Blog — AISC 360, AS 4100, EN 1993, CSA S16

Worked examples, design guides, and technical notes for structural steel connection and member design per AISC 360, AS 4100, EN 1993, and CSA S16. Every post links to free online calculators and reference tables.

The blog is the "explanation layer" for steelcalculator.app. The calculators are intentionally fast and interactive; the blog is intentionally slow and detailed. Posts aim to:

• document assumptions and typical pitfalls,
• provide worked-example structures (without copying copyrighted code text),
• link to calculators and reference pages, and
• create linkable resources that earn natural backlinks.

This index page should be fully server-rendered and list posts with summaries. Avoid rendering the list only after JavaScript runs.

Editorial policy (legal-safe)

Posts follow a conservative policy:

• No project-specific design recommendations.
• No reproduction of copyrighted standards tables/clauses.
• Focus on terminology, workflow, and verification patterns.
• Clear disclaimers about educational intent.

If a post uses numeric examples, they are illustrative only and should not be treated as design-ready values.

Blog post descriptions

Each blog post covers a specific design topic with worked examples, practical guidance, and links to the relevant calculators and reference tables. Here is what you will find in the current posts:

EN 1993-1-8 Steel Connection Design -- Bolt and Weld Checks provides a comprehensive overview of Eurocode 3 connection design methodology. It covers bolt shear and tension capacity per EN 1993-1-8 Tables 3.3 and 3.4, fillet weld design using the directional method, cross-section classification requirements that affect connection detailing, and worked examples for a typical bolted end-plate connection. The post links to the bolted connections calculator set to EN 1993 mode.

AS 4100 Bolt Group Design -- M20 8.8 Worked Example works through a complete bolt group design for Australian projects. It covers bolt shear capacity per AS 4100 Table 9.3.1, ply bearing and bolt bearing checks, bolt group analysis using the elastic (vector) method, and combined shear and tension interaction. The example uses M20 Grade 8.8 bolts in a typical bracket connection configuration.

Five Excel Problems in Steel Design -- And a Better Way discusses common issues encountered when engineers use spreadsheets for structural steel calculations. It covers version control and audit trail problems, unit conversion errors that go undetected, formula transparency and review difficulty, lack of standard-specific design factors built into spreadsheets, and the difficulty of maintaining and updating spreadsheet libraries. The post compares these issues with purpose-built calculators that handle units, factors, and standard selection automatically.

CSA S16 Base Plate Design -- W250x73 Worked Example presents a Canadian base plate design example following CSA S16-19 requirements. It covers concrete bearing strength per CSA S16 Clause 25, base plate bending moment and thickness calculation, anchor bolt design for tension and shear per CSA S16 Clause 13, and interaction checks for combined base plate loading. The example uses a W250x73 column section with specified anchor bolt layout.

IPE vs HEA vs UB -- Steel Section Comparison Guide provides a practical comparison of European and British steel section families. It covers the dimensional differences between IPE (European I-sections with parallel flanges), HEA (European wide-flange sections), HEB (heavier European wide-flange), and UB (British Universal Beams). The post includes cross-sectional area, moment of inertia, section modulus, and weight comparisons for equivalent-depth sections across families, helping engineers working across European and British standards choose the right section type.

AS 4100 Fillet Weld Design -- SP/GP Capacity Per mm Run presents a detailed worked example of fillet weld design to AS 4100. It covers the SP (structural purpose) and GP (general purpose) weld categories, weld throat thickness calculation for equal and unequal leg fillet welds, directional strength increase method, and weld group analysis for in-plane and out-of-plane loading. The post links to the welded connections calculator for hands-on practice.

Suggested reading paths

For readers new to steel calculator and steel design, start with the EN 1993-1-8 Steel Connection Design post to understand the general framework of connection design, or the AS 4100 Bolt Group Design post for a focused worked example approach.

If you work primarily in the US and Canada, the CSA S16 Base Plate Design post and the EN 1993 Steel Connections post (which draws comparisons to AISC 360 methodology) will be most relevant.

For Australian engineers, the AS 4100 Bolt Group Design and AS 4100 Fillet Weld Design posts cover the two most common connection design tasks.

If you are evaluating the site's approach versus spreadsheets, the spreadsheets problems post provides a detailed comparison. If you need to choose between European and British steel sections, the IPE vs HEA vs UB comparison guide has the dimensional data you need.

New and upcoming blog topics

The blog is actively expanding to cover more design standards and topics. Upcoming categories include:

• Bolted connections: Bearing vs slip-critical connections, block shear checks, net section design, and prying action in tension connections.
• Welded connections: Groove weld design, weld group effects, fatigue design of welded details, and prequalified weld joint selection.
• Member checks: Beam stability screening, column buckling curves, and combined axial and bending interaction.
• Serviceability: Vibration analysis for floor systems, deflection limit selection, and long-term deflection considerations.
• Loading: Wind load parameter determination, seismic load path detailing, and load combination selection.
• Standards comparison: Side-by-side comparisons of how AISC 360, AS 4100, EN 1993, and CSA S16 handle common design checks.

Each new post will link to the relevant calculators and reference tables, creating a comprehensive learning and verification network.

Current posts

• EN 1993-1-8 Steel Connection Design — Bolt & Weld Checks
• AS 4100 Bolt Group Design — M20 8.8 Worked Example
• 5 Excel Problems in Steel Design — And a Better Way
• CSA S16 Base Plate Design — W250x73 Worked Example
• IPE vs HEA vs UB — Steel Section Comparison Guide
• AS 4100 Fillet Weld Design — SP/GP Capacity Per mm Run

Suggested categories (for future posts)

To build topical authority and internal link depth, expand into categories such as:

• Bolted connections (bearing vs slip, block shear, net section)
• Welded connections (effective throat, group effects, detailing)
• Member checks (beam stability screening, column buckling)
• Serviceability (deflection limits, vibration concepts)
• Loading workflows (wind pressure parameters, load combinations)
• Data and QA (section properties provenance, unit consistency)

Each new post should link to the specific tool pages it references and to the relevant reference tables.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are blog posts a substitute for the governing standard? No. Posts explain workflows and pitfalls. The standard remains the authoritative source for requirements.

Will posts include exact code clauses? No. The site avoids reproducing copyrighted text. It focuses on interpretation and process.

Can I request a topic? Yes—prioritize topics where users routinely make mistakes: units, hole types, deflection limits, and load definitions.

Why does the blog help SEO? Long-form content earns backlinks and captures informational queries, then links internally to calculators.

Can posts include spreadsheets? They can, but be careful not to publish proprietary code tables. Focus on generic verification templates.

How should posts link to calculators? Use clean internal links and avoid parameterized URLs as canonical references.

Will posts be updated? They can be, but keep an edit history or last-updated date for transparency.

Are comments or user submissions allowed? If implemented, moderate carefully and avoid creating an implied engineering advice channel.

How do I use a blog post alongside a calculator? Read the blog post to understand the design methodology and assumptions for your specific standard. Then open the related calculator (linked at the bottom of each post), enter your design parameters, and compare the calculator outputs with the worked example values. This cross-check verifies that you are using the calculator correctly and confirms your understanding of the design procedure.

Run This Calculation

The posts on this blog reference the following calculators. Use them alongside each post to verify the workflows described.

→ Bolted connections calculator — AISC bearing and slip-critical bolt groups, shear and tension checks.

→ Welded connections calculator — fillet and groove weld capacity per AISC 360 and AWS D1.1.

→ Base plate & anchors calculator — axial and moment base plates, anchor bolt tension and shear.

→ Load combinations calculator — ASCE 7-22 LRFD and ASD combinations with governing case highlight.

→ Beam capacity calculator — W-shape moment and shear capacity with LTB and compact section checks.

Related pages

• EN 1993-1-8 steel connection design — bolt & weld checks
• AS 4100 bolt group design — M20 8.8 worked example
• 5 Excel problems in steel design — and a better way
• CSA S16 base plate design — W250x73 worked example
• IPE vs HEA vs UB — steel section comparison guide
• AS 4100 fillet weld design — SP/GP capacity per mm run
• Bolted connections calculator
• Welded connections calculator
• Guides and checklists
• Tools directory
• Reference tables directory
• Steel Fy & Fu Reference — Yield and Tensile Strength by Grade
• Bolt Capacity Table — A325 & A490 Shear and Tension
• Fillet Weld Size Chart — E70XX Capacity per Unit Length
• Column K-Factor Table — 6 End Conditions, AISC Values
• Disclaimer (educational use only)
• AISC bolted shear tab worked example

Disclaimer (educational use only)

This page is provided for general technical information and educational use only. It does not constitute professional engineering advice, a design service, or a substitute for an independent review by a qualified structural engineer. Any calculations, outputs, examples, and workflows discussed here are simplified descriptions intended to support understanding and preliminary estimation.

All real-world structural design depends on project-specific factors (loads, combinations, stability, detailing, fabrication, erection, tolerances, site conditions, and the governing standard and project specification). You are responsible for verifying inputs, validating results with an independent method, checking constructability and code compliance, and obtaining professional sign-off where required.

The site operator provides the content "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the operator disclaims liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of, or reliance on, this page or any linked tools.