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Calcimator

Moment Frame Analysis Calculator

Analyze lateral forces on a moment frame using the portal method: column shear, moments, base shear, and drift.

Inputs

kN
bays
ft
ft
stories

Results

Exterior Column Shear

16.67 kN

Total Base Shear

300 kN

Column Moment29.17 kN·m
Beam Moment (interior)58.33 kN·m
Estimated Lateral Drift0.01 mm
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter the number of bays, bay width in feet, and number of stories with story height in feet.
  2. Input column and beam section properties (moment of inertia) for each member group.
  3. Set the lateral load distribution in kips per story level.
  4. Review the Story Drift, Overturning Moment, and Member End Moments.
  5. Check that story drift ratios are within code limits (typically H/400 for wind, H/200 for seismic).

How the result changes with Number of Bays

Number of BaysExterior Column ShearTotal Base Shear
2.917.24 kN300 kN
7.656.54 kN300 kN
133.85 kN300 kN
182.78 kN300 kN

What each input means

Lateral Force per Story
Horizontal force applied at each story level (wind or seismic).
Number of Bays
Number of bays in the moment frame.
Bay Width
Typical width of each bay (center-to-center of columns).
Story Height
Floor-to-floor height of each story.
Number of Stories
Total number of stories in the frame.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Lateral Force per Story = 100, Number of Bays = 3, Bay Width = 6, Story Height = 3.5 = 5 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Exterior Column Shear
    Exterior Column Shear
    16.67 = 16.67
  3. Calculate Total Base Shear
    Total Base Shear
    300 = 300
  4. Calculate Column Moment
    Column Moment
    29.17 = 29.17
  5. Calculate Beam Moment
    Beam Moment
    58.33 = 58.33

Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.

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