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Calcimator

Connection Hardware Calculator

Design precast-to-structure connections — determine count, capacity, and spacing from panel weight and lateral loads.

Inputs

lbs
ft
ft
psf

Results

Total connections required

6

Gravity connections4
Lateral connections2
Allowable per connection3,000 lbs
Wind force on panel3,600 lbs
Seismic force on panel3,000 lbs
Governing lateral force3,600 lbs
Approx vertical spacing4 ft
Embed plate size (if welded)6 in sq
Tieback Connections2
Horizontal Spacing3.33
Connection Type NameWelded embed plate
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter panel weight in lbs, panel height and width in ft to define the panel being connected.
  2. Set design wind pressure in psf (from ASCE 7) and the seismic coefficient Fp/Wp for your site.
  3. Select connection type: 0=welded embed plate, 1=threaded insert, or 2=bolted bracket.
  4. Set the safety factor (PCI recommends 4 for gravity connections).
  5. Read Total Connections Required split into Gravity Connections and Lateral Connections.
  6. For welded connections, use Embed Plate Size (in sq) and Vertical Spacing (ft) for shop drawing preparation.

How the result changes with Panel weight

Panel weightTotal connections required
10,0906
35,06516
65,03529
90,01041

What each input means

Panel weight
Total panel weight in pounds.
Panel height
Panel height.
Panel width
Panel width.
Design wind pressure
Component wind pressure (ASCE 7).
Seismic coefficient (Fp/Wp)
Seismic force coefficient per ASCE 7-22 Ch. 13 (typical 0.2-0.6).
Connection type (0=weld, 1=insert, 2=bolt)
0 = Welded embed plate (~12 kip), 1 = Threaded insert (~6 kip), 2 = Bolted bracket (~20 kip).
Safety factor
Connection safety factor (PCI recommends 4 for gravity).

What each result means

Total connections required
Minimum total connections (gravity + lateral).
Gravity connections
Connections needed to support panel dead weight.
Lateral connections
Connections needed for out-of-plane wind/seismic.
Allowable per connection
Capacity per connection after safety factor.
Wind force on panel
Total out-of-plane wind force.
Seismic force on panel
Out-of-plane seismic force (Fp).
Governing lateral force
Larger of wind or seismic force.
Approx vertical spacing
Approximate vertical spacing between connections.
Embed plate size (if welded)
Recommended embed plate dimension.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Panel weight = 10000, Panel height = 12, Panel width = 10, Design wind pressure = 30 = 7 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Total connections required
    Total connections required
    6 = 6
  3. Calculate Gravity connections
    Gravity connections = max(2, ceil(panelWeight / allowablePerConn))
    4 = 4
  4. Calculate Lateral connections
    Lateral connections = max(2, ceil(lateralForce / allowablePerConn))
    2 = 2

Engine last updated .

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