Browsing, following up Jeff Weir’s recent comments, led me to a Bacon Bits post about a new add-in from Microsoft called Data Explorer, for importing, transforming and merging data from a wide variety of sources.
Follow the Bacon Bits link for more details and download link, and Calling A Web Service From Data Explorer for another look at it from Chris Webb’s BI Blog.
Previous post in this series.
Download latest version of RC Design Functions6.
Previous posts in this series have looked at elastic design functions. We now move on to functions for ultimate limit state (ULS) analysis of reinforced concrete sections:
Input for the functions is shown below:
Output from the UMom function is controlled by the parameters: Out1 and Out2, as for the EStress functions, with 11 columns (selected by Out1) and up to 17 rows (selected by Out2). Alternatively a complete column may be displayed by entering the function as an array function, with Ctrl-Shift-Enter.
Umom output columns 1 to 6:
Umom output columns 7 to 11: 
UMomPF provides similar functionality for Eurocode 2 and BS 5400 and BS 8110: 
The new MaxAx function provides 3 alternative outputs (controlled by the Out1 parameter):
Graph of average column stress for maximum axial load against slenderness ratio (Le/r), generated using the MaxAx function:
The “Interaction Diagram” sheet uses the Umom and MaxAx functions to create an interaction diagram, using the input on the Umom Input sheet.
Further details of input and output options are given on the download file:
RC Design Functions6.
The concrete ULS design spreadsheet last posted at: Concrete ULS spreadsheet update has been updated to fix a problem encountered with non-symmetrical reinforcement using the Eurocode 2 rectangular stress block.
Download from ULS Design Functions.
Typical input and output interaction diagram are shown below for a simple rectangular section with asymmetric reinforcement.
Umom Input
Umom Interaction Diagram
Rain, Steam and Speed; JMW Turner
Rain, Steam and Speed – detail
Joseph Mallord William Turner and Isambard Kingdom Brunel were the leading British practitioners in their respective fields in the 19th Century. Their works came together in Turner’s painting “Rain, Steam and Speed”, which depicts Brunel’s Maidenhead Railway Bridge over the Thames, which at the time of its construction was the longest span and flattest masonry arch structure in the World.
The painting is discussed here:
with a longer discussion of Turner’s works portraying the Industrial Revolution here:
Brunel’s work on the Maidenhead Railway Bridge is described at this site:
Where Thames Smooth Waters Glide
which includes a wide range of historical images and texts relating to the bridge.
Brunel’s design for Maidenhead Railway Bridge
Brunel’s design for Maidenhead Railway Bridge
The ULS Design Functions spreadsheet has been updated with the addition of provision for the Eurocode 2 rectangular stress block. The new spreadsheet can be downloaded from: ULS Design Functions.zip (including full open-source code).
For more details see: ULS Analysis of Concrete Beams; now with added units
Typical input screen:
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