Calculators
16 free tools for cold-region civil & structural work. Each shows its method and references — confirm against the governing code before design use.
Frost Depth
Modified Berggren
Estimate design frost penetration depth from the air-freezing index and soil properties — the signature cold-region foundation question.
Snow Load
ASCE 7-22
Ground snow → flat-roof → sloped-roof snow load, with representative Alaska ground-snow values built in.
Seismic Base Shear
ASCE 7-16
Design spectral accelerations and equivalent-lateral-force base shear — essential in the most seismically active state in the U.S.
Frost Heave Susceptibility
USACE F1–F4
Classify a soil's frost-heave susceptibility (USACE groups F1–F4 with the Casagrande screen) from its gradation.
Beam Check
Statics
Simply-supported beam moment, shear, deflection and bending stress — with an optional allowable-stress check.
Unit Converter
Reference
Fast conversions across the units engineers actually use — force, pressure/stress, moment, distributed load, and more.
Cooper E-80 Live Load
AREMA Ch. 15
Maximum railway live-load moment and shear on a simple span under the AREMA Cooper E-80 train — the governing load for railroad bridges.
AASHTO HL-93 Live Load
AASHTO LRFD
Maximum highway live-load moment and shear per lane — design truck vs. tandem plus lane load, with dynamic load allowance.
LRFD Load Combinations
AASHTO LRFD
Factor dead and live-load effects through the AASHTO LRFD Strength and Service combinations to find the governing demand.
Live-Load Distribution Factors
AASHTO LRFD §4.6.2
Per-girder live-load distribution factors for moment and shear — turn a per-lane HL-93 effect into per-girder demand.
LRFR Load Rating
AASHTO MBE
Inventory and Operating rating factors from the AASHTO LRFR rating equation — capacity vs. dead and live-load demand.
AREMA Railroad Rating
AREMA Ch. 15
Rate a railway bridge member as the Cooper E loading it can carry — Normal and Maximum levels, the rail-side analog of LRFR.
Lateral Earth Pressure
Rankine
Rankine active, at-rest and passive earth pressure — coefficients, the pressure diagram, resultant and overturning moment on a retaining wall.
Rebar Development Length
ACI 318-19
Tension development length of deformed bars per ACI 318-19 §25.4.2 — confinement, casting, coating, size and grade factors with the 12-in floor.
Atmospheric Ice Load
ASCE 7 Ch. 10
Freezing-rain ice thickness and ice weight on a round member per ASCE 7 Chapter 10 — design thickness, height factor and weight per foot.
Thermal Movement
AASHTO §3.12
Thermal expansion and contraction of a member — total movement plus expansion/contraction about an installation temperature, with cold-climate ranges.