What's New

Watch the video below to see some of the new functionality included in this release.

The following is new in version 3.7 of ForteWEB software:

Attic Joist

An Attic Joist member type is now available for design. A structural member supported at each end, and sometimes at intermediate locations, by walls or beams. Attic joists are primarily used to provide support to the ceiling and any attic or partial floor above the ceiling. Find it in the Add Member menu, under the Ceiling System.

Maximum Utilization % in Job Summary Report

The maximum utilitzation % is now showing in the Job Summary Report so you can understand the controlling design parameter, for both passed and failed members. Once a member is designed, the Max UTIL % will populate in parenthesis, with a code for whichever design check, next to either Passed or Failed. If a member has not been designed, or if there are N/As in the Design Results table of the Report, the Max UTIL % will not display. This has been implemented for all member types.

Material List Report

The Print Material List button will be available when there is at least one designed member in the job. If a member is not designed, it will not appear in the Material List report. It allows you to print out all of the designed members (both Passed and Failed members) in the job in a PDF report, with their corresponding Label, Length, Material, Plies, and Net Quantity. The Label is the Member Name, which is found in the Job Tree. The file will be organized by level, similar to the Job Tree.

Other Updates:

• Multi-Member Connections for 22" and 24" Microllam® LVL members and Commercial

• Display an Import Log for XML files

• Consider H2 Construction Detail assembly for side loads while designing Flush Beams using TJI® Products

Previously in ForteWEB...

Version 3.6

Change Member Type

You are now able to change an existing joist or beam to a new member type. On the Member Info tab, you can change the system of an existing roof joist into a floor joist, or vice versa. Or change the system of existing beams to either roof or floor and/or the member to either flush or drop. Click the convert member button, and the page will refresh to contain the properties and tabs of the newly changed member type. The member name will update, appending ‘type changed’, the member notes will show the member type it was converted from, and all icons will be updated. Any properties of the member that were previously set and are still valid for the new member type will be retained.

Seismic Overstrength

Now you can apply seismic overstrength design to your members for IBC 2018 and newer! There is a new Seismic Loading tab at the job level where you can enter your Overstrength Factor, Design Parameter, and Seismic Design Category. Defaults will populate when first opening the tab, but you have the option to edit these and even save your own defaults for future jobs. To apply the settings entered in the Seismic Loading tab (at the job level) to a specific member, navigate to the Member Info tab for that member, and check the box within Member Settings. The Loads tab will update with Seismic (QE) instead of the original Seismic load. Enter in the Seismic (QE) load and design. New notes will appear on the Report tab to specify that seismic overstrength was used.

Other Updates:

  • Canadian Glulams

  • Improved Job Tree Drag and Drop Functionality

  • New member settings, including removal of supports with excessive uplift and only warn for excessive uplift (for horizontal members - Floor Beams and Floor Joists only)

Version 3.5

Informational Links

You will now see informational links in the ribbon at the top of the screen. Links are shown for a variety of topics and tools which provide assistance for learning more about our products and services. Click the link to access this information or scroll through to find additional topics. These informational links are also provided on the side of the log-in screen, as well as the Job Settings, Member Info, and Product Selection tabs with content related to that area of the app. These links help you access additional resources quickly and easily.

Vertical Holes in Joists and Beams

You can now design vertical holes in joists and beams. Input circular holes vertically into horizontal floor and roof members with a slope of .25/12 and smaller. ForteWEB will analyze the member with the holes and tell you if the member passes design. Vertical holes are typically used to pass wiring and other objects through a larger beam member.

Location Shorthand in the Link Reaction dialog

You can now use location shorthand in the Link Reaction dialog. Enjoy the quick location input you already have available in the Loads tab, now in the dialog.

Use R to reference the right end of the member, a Support number to reference a support or Support number and | to reference the center of a support, and M or C to reference the center of the member. Also remember you can offset a distance from any of these references by adding +/- and the distance depending on the direction. So, entering "C + 2.5" would give you the center of the member plus 2.5".

Show Factored or Total Loads on the Member Reports for supports

Based on your feedback, you can now choose whether to show Factored or Total loads on the Member Report for supports (IBC Only). A new checkbox has been added to the User Settings for you to decide which type of load to display. Check off to show Total Loads. Check on to show Factored Loads.

Other Updates:

  • Variable Slope Connectors no longer display Length on report for clarity

  • Updated design values for Parallam Plus material along with new and updated service levels for consideration of moisture content

  • Design using NBCC 2020 Building Code including the new wind loading tables and Provincial Building Codes for Canada

  • Define Load Bearing Length for point loads on members (NBCC only)

  • Use default material for members imported using XML

Product Updates:

  • Hem-Fir (HF) solid sawn products have been updated for Canada as per O86.

  • Double joist cantilever reinforcement has been updated for all depths of TJI 110.

Version 3.4

24” Long Supports

You can now specify support lengths up to 24” for members .

Max. Hole Size

ForteWEB can now calculate the maximum hole size allowed at a specific location along a member using the span and loading conditions specified by the user. The hole size will be calculated and displayed on the member report in the Holes grid. Only one “Max. Hole Size” can be calculated per span.

Up to 24” holes in TJI® Joists

You can now analyze up to 24” wide holes in TJI joists. Previously, holes could only be analyzed up to 20” wide.

Ask & Update Materials

Keeping your material list in sync with local Trus Joist® product availability is now easier than ever. ForteWEB will display a message in Product Selection when your Materials Manager does not match your local availability settings. You can then click to update your list to match!

Point Load Near Support for NBCC

An additional member reaction check has been included to account for loads applied near the support per CSA O86-19 Clause 15.3.3.7.3

International Building Code (IBC) 2021

IBC 2021 is now available for designing members. Building codes are located on the Job Settings tab.

Usability Updates

  • Organize loads by moving them around in the Loads Grid using drag & drop functionality.

  • Stay logged into ForteWEB longer and be asked if you want to resume before logging you out.

  • File locking has been updated to only lock files opened by other accounts.

  • NBCC users are now able to choose the vibration modification factor to use for composite stiffness in continuous span joists per CSA O86-19 A.5.4.5.2.

Product Updates

Additions

  • 8x DF materials are now available for Post Design

Removals

  • S Series TJI joists are no longer available

Version 3.2

Steel

Common ASTM steel beam sizes are now available for design in floor flush and floor dropped beam applications using both IBC and NBCC building codes.

Support Type Updates

Various changes have been made to Support Type and Material options on the Spans & Supports tab. Steel columns and steel plates have been added to compliment steel beam design. Updates have also been made to split out Concrete and Masonry materials for more accurate member analysis. Support Type names have also been updated for display on Member Reports.

Product Suggestions

Additional product solutions will now be suggested on the Solutions tab to provide additional product considerations. Suggested products will be marked with a star in the Cost Index and will only be shown if they meet or exceed specific requirements.

Tapered Ends for Flat Roof Beams

We now analyze tapered end cuts on flush roof beams with no pitch (i/e. a slope of .25/12 and smaller).

Additional Shorthand Commands

In addition to using “R” to reference the right end of the member, you can now use “M” or “C” to reference the center of the member. You can now also use “|” (a.k.a “Pipe” symbol) to reference the center of a support. To do this, enter the support number then “|” so entering “2|” would reference the center of support 2. You can offset a distance from these locations by adding +/- and the distance depending on the direction.

Product Updates

Additions:

  • ASTM Steel (A992) products are now available for “W” shape I-beams.

  • Additional widths and depths for Commodity Lumber are now available.

  • Additional depths for Glulam are now available.

Removals:

  • Microllam LVL with termite treatment for Hawaii product series has been removed.

Updates:

  • Bearing capacities have been updated for support materials. See Support Material Bearing Values table in Help for more info.

  • Connector catalogs have been updated for both Simpson and USP.

Version 3.1

Floor Performance Tab Updates

Additional information has been added to the Floor Performance tab for TJ-ProRating. This information gives better guidance as to what Pro-Rating is, allowing you to make better decisions when it comes to designing your ideal floor system.

Negative Support Removal Setting

A new setting has been added to the Member Info tab that allows you to remove supports with excessive uplift during analysis. This setting is available for Floor Joists, Flush Beams, and Dropped beams.

Performance Updates

Changes were made to increase performance of the Spans & Supports, Loads, and Product Selection Tabs, allowing for faster input of values and selections. While entering values into the grid, you can now move from field to field without delay. Instead, the graphic will wait a few seconds before showing new changes. Please note that the graphic does not need to be fully up-to-date before you can move to a new tab.

Advanced Search

You can now search for a job or folder in File Manager using any string of text contained in the name.

Type in Comment Field

You can now type Comments directly into the Comment field in all grids, eliminating the need to interact with an additional window in your browser.

Simpson Hanger Updates using API

ForteWEB is now leveraging Simpson’s API to provide the most up-to-date hangers.

Remember Current Location in File Manager

ForteWEB will now open to your last location in File Manager when “Start in File Manager” is checked in User Settings.

Product Updates

1 ½” x 7 ¼” 1.6E TimberStrand LSL is now available for wall member types

Version 3.0

Material Availability

Material lists will now display availability information based on your zip/ postal code. Material Availability will show Unavailable and Special Order materials to help make informed decisions when building your default list of materials to display in Materials Manager and when determining the right material to use for a member in a job. For more information, see the Materials Availability help topic.

User Specified Bracing

Bracing for floor and roof members can now be customized on the Spans and Supports tab. Bracing intervals for the Top and Bottom edges of each member can be specified independently of one another unless the Maximum Allowable bracing option is selected. A new Lateral Bracing grid is now included on the Member Report that displays the bracing intervals defined for each member.

Building Code Functionality Updates

The building code for each job can now be changed to a different build code year after members have been entered into the job. When the building code is changed, a redesign is required for each existing member in the job before design results can be displayed.

For new users, the building code will now be automatically set based on your registration information. When the country is United States, the building code will be set to IBC. For all other countries, the building code will be set to NBCC.

Usability Updates

  • Folders in the left navigation panel of File Manager will now be sorted alpha-numerically.
  • Focus will automatically be placed on new columns added in the Loads grid and all other grids.
  • The indent for members in the Job Tree have been increased to better distinguish between each level and the list of members.
  • Additional building codes are recognized for import into ForteWEB via Single Member Sizing XML.
  • Wind Sills will now display a default lateral load in the Lateral Load grid when “Do not apply…” is checked on the Wind Loading tab (NBCC only).

Product Updates

  • 1 1/8” TimberStrand LSL is now available for design as a Flush Beam member type.
  • Design values for Parallam PSL have been updated.
  • Simpson Strong-Tie connector updates for US and Canada.

Version 2.4

  • Improved customer experience for updating linked loads and job file locking.
  • Addressed Software Advisory 2002a - “Incomplete Load Transfer from Vertical Members with Multiple Loads”

Version 2.3

Improved File Manager

File Manager has been updated to improve efficiency.

  • Folders are listed under My Files and Teams on the left side. These folders can be expanded or collapsed including the root directories. Open a folder by selected it.
  • A Recent files section has been added. Go to a file's location or open a file from the Recent files list. This section can be collapsed to save space.
  • Search for a file. The My Files and Team directories will be searched at the same time.
  • Sort on the "Modified by" attribute in a Team's file list.
  • The year shows on the "Modified" attribute.
  • The selected sort saves between sessions.
  • Move files between teams if you are the administrator of that team.
  • Leave a team even if you are the last member which removes the team from your File Manager.
  • Download now saves a ForteWEB file which will include all the information in the file.
  • Create a shortcut by dragging a file from File Manager to your project folder.
  • Start ForteWEB in File Manager by checking on 'Start in File Manager' checkbox under your Settings.

Transfer Reactions to/from Vertical Members

Link reactions to or from vertical members. Transfer a reaction from a designed beam to a post or from a designed post to a joist for example. Let ForteWEB define the load magnitude(s) to be applied for you. Select Link Reactions from the Add Load dropdown to select the designed member to transfer the reaction from, which support to transfer, and type of contact. A Linked Load will be created in the member's vertical loads grid for you.

Also when transferring reactions onto a non-vertical member, you can show a graphic of the member the load is being transferred to. Hover over the new button to show the member graphic.

Custom Eccentricity

Select a custom eccentricity for loads on Vertical Members. Choose the amount of the member side dimension to offset the load from center. The larger the offset the less load the vertical member can support due to increased bending stresses.

Loading Assistant

Add loads to wall headers using the Loading Assistant. The Loading Assistant will calculate the loads to apply from the roof system onto a header in the wall below based on the configuration and geometry of the roof. Fill in the roof information, the location of the header and have ForteWEB create the loads for you.

Note: The Loading Assistant is only available for the Wall Header member type.

Job Tree Enhancements

The Job Tree has also been improved - adjust the width of the Job Tree, edit the name of an item as you are adding it, you'll have to confirm item deletion to reduce the possibility of accidentally deleting an item, and you'll see new icons for the items in the tree with a unique icon for each type of item.

Updated Logos on Reports

Logos have been relocated on reports to maximize space and reduce the number of times the member report is multiple pages.

Improved experience if you are logged in multiple times

If you've logged into ForteWEB multiple times on different tabs or browsers, if you try to access the same file, ForteWEB will inform you, so you don't overwrite recent modifications.

Tour Videos

When you launch the tour of ForteWEB, a video plays showing the different parts of the application.

Updated Hanger Products

Hanger design has been updated to include the newest product offerings for Simpson Strong-Tie® and MiTek USP connectors.

TimberStrand® LSL Changes

Certain depths of 1 1/4” 1.3E TimberStrand are available for selection and design of Floor/Roof Flush Beams and Hip/Valley Beams. Depths include:

  • 22"
  • 24"

Version 2.1

Lateral Wind Loading

Wind Loading along with Lateral Wind Load Design settings are now available for IBC and NBCC building codes. Wind Loading settings are found on the Wind Loading tab at the Job Level, and Lateral Wind Load Design settings are found on the Level tab. Use these settings to help determine the appropriate lateral loading for wall studs, wall columns, wall headers and wind sill (NBCC only) members.

Wall Members (Column and Stud)

Stud and column design is now available! Located under Wall members within the Add Member menu, embedded wall columns and wall studs are available for your wall design needs.

Wall Member: Wind Sill (NBCC only)

Available using NBCC building code, you will see a new member type for Wall: Wind Sill. Previously, wind sills were defined using the Wall: Header member type. Use wind sill members to design horizontal sill members at a wall opening for lateral wind loads.

Commercial Loading

The Commercial building class is now available for selection from the Level Properties tab for each job and as a load display type in Quick Loads Settings. Selecting Commercial for the building class allows you to add Concentrated Live Load to certain member types being designed on a level. When selecting Commercial for Quick Loads, you can specify the Concentrated Live Load and/or Partition load to be automatically applied to your member when the Quick Load is selected on the members Load tab.

Damage Reporting

You can now request assistance when a Trus Joist product is damaged in the field. After entering the member geometry, loading and damage information into the job, select Report Damage from the Help dropdown menu when the member fails design. Once you have completed the Report Damage form, the form information along with the job file will be sent to Weyerhaeuser Technical Support for review.

Suggest Ideas

Share your ideas for making ForteWEB better! Select Got an Idea from the Help dropdown menu to be directed to the ForteWEB ideas webpage where you can submit new ideas or vote on existing ideas.

Hangers

Updated products and design values are now available for sizing MiTek USP connectors.