FRP calculator for beam, load and section properties

Yes. The FRP profile calculator is fully free, runs in your browser without login or sign-up, and is available worldwide. F1 Composite publishes it as an engineering reference for specifiers selecting pultruded FRP profiles.

It is a preliminary global-beam screening tool, not a complete standards compliance calculation. The method selector applies simplified resistance and load factors oriented to ASCE/SEI 74-23 with ASCE 7-22 (including the time-effect factor λ for the selected load duration), CEN/TS 19101:2022 with EN 1990:2023, or GB 50608-2020, plus a legacy ASD screen. EN 13706 grade minimums can be used with the ASCE or CEN screens; GB datasets stay with GB factors. The tool does not perform local or lateral-torsional buckling, creep deflection or creep rupture, web crippling, connections, full load combinations, system stability, or project-specific qualification checks, so a licensed engineer must complete the applicable code design. Australia, New Zealand and Canada have no design standard of their own for pultruded shapes; the methodology page lists the load standards to pair with either screen.

Yes. For every FRP grade the calculator reports the longitudinal modulus E_L (fiber direction), transverse modulus E_T (typically 0.25–0.35 × E_L for E-glass pultruded), in-plane shear modulus G_LT (typically 3–4 GPa), and both tensile and compressive strengths (bending is checked against the lower of the two). Deflection includes a load-case-matched Timoshenko shear correction driven by the E_L / G_LT ratio — typically adding 5–15% at common span-to-depth ratios, and more on very short spans (L/h ≲ 10).

FRP characteristic strengths are multiplied by a screening factor for the service environment: 1.00 indoor dry; 0.85 outdoor exposed, in line with the moisture conversion factor CEN/TS 19101 uses outdoors; 0.75 on strength and 0.90 on stiffness for wet service, the ASCE/SEI 74-23 adjustment for a polyester matrix; 0.75 for mild chemical exposure and 0.70 for 32–60 °C, both F1 screening values that need resin-specific data. ASCE/SEI 74-23 also limits the service temperature to T_g − 22 °C. Metals are unaffected.

The EN 13706 E17/E23 and GB 50608 Class I/II material properties reflect E-glass / polyester pultruded profiles. Vinyl ester and polyurethane FRP have similar modulus and slightly different strength; phenolic FRP has lower modulus and significantly better fire performance. For non-default resin systems, contact F1 Composite engineering for project-specific characteristic values.

Not as full design checks. The calculator flags a wall-slenderness advisory per shape — outstanding flanges and angle legs at b/t > 18, box flat widths and tube D/t at > 40 (E-glass pultruded typical) — prompting a dedicated local-buckling review per ASCE/SEI 74-23 Ch.3 or CEN/TS 19101 §6. Lateral-torsional buckling, web crippling, single-angle principal-axis bending, long-term creep, and bolted/bonded connection design (ASCE/SEI 74-23 Ch.8) are out of scope — these need a dedicated tool such as PulCalc 3.x or project-specific engineering. F1 Composite engineering supports these checks on request.

FRP elastic modulus is 17–28 GPa versus steel's 200 GPa — about 1/8 to 1/10 of steel. To match steel's deflection, the FRP section needs roughly 8–10× the second moment of area, achieved by going deeper (stiffness scales with depth cubed). The FRP replacement is still lighter because FRP density is 1.9 g/cm³ versus 7.85 g/cm³ for steel: ~25–30% lighter under uniform geometric scaling (the calculator's conservative figure), and 40–60% lighter when the section goes deeper rather than uniformly larger.