Introduction
EduBeam is a free, browser-based 2D structural analysis tool for beams, frames and trusses. You draw the structure, add supports and loads, and the finite element solver recomputes everything the moment you change anything. There is no Solve button, no installation and no account.
Launch EduBeam in a new tab and follow along with the Quick start.
Your first visit
The first time you open the app, a welcome dialog asks how you would like to start and which units and axes you want. You can change both later in Settings.
- Show me around points out the menu, undo and redo, the viewer buttons, the display options, the grid and units, and the bottom bar, one at a time.
- Draw your first beam is a seven-step guided task. You draw a beam with the mouse, support it, load it and read the results. A small card in the corner tells you what to do next.
- Open an example opens the gallery of ready-made models.
All three are also in the ☰ menu, so you can come back to them at any time.
What it does
| Area | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Structures | Planar (x–z) beams, continuous beams, frames and trusses built from nodes and 2D Timoshenko beam elements. End hinges turn any member into a truss bar. |
| Supports | Pin, roller, fixed, slider and every other combination of restrained Dx, Dz, Ry, picked by symbol. Rotated supports through a nodal angle. Support settlements. |
| Loads | Nodal forces and moments, prescribed displacements, uniform and trapezoidal line loads, point forces and moments along a member, and uniform or gradient temperature. |
| Sections | Material and section libraries (European and US), plus a polygon editor that computes , , , , principal axes and radii of gyration for any shape. |
| Results | Deformed shape, normal force N, shear force V, bending moment M, reactions, nodal displacements, element end forces and element stiffness matrices. |
| Analysis | Linear static analysis with one load case. Results are exact for the linear model, so no mesh refinement is needed. When a structure cannot be solved, EduBeam says why and animates how it can move. |
| Files | Save and open projects as JSON, share a whole model as a link, export the drawing as PNG or SVG and the results as CSV. Recently replaced models are kept so you can get them back. Everything stays on your device. |
| Units | SI or US customary in one click, or each quantity on its own. Axes either x right, z down or x right, y up. |
What it does not do (yet)
Knowing the limits up front saves time:
- 2D only. No out-of-plane behaviour, no 3D frames.
- Linear static only. No second-order (P–Δ) effects, no buckling, no dynamics, no plasticity.
- One load case. There are no load combinations or envelopes. Model each case separately and save each as its own file or share link.
- No self-weight. Apply it as a line load if you need it.
- No design checks. EduBeam gives you internal forces and displacements; code checks are up to you.
If a missing feature matters to you, open an issue.
Who is it for?
- Students learning structural mechanics who want instant feedback on hand calculations. See Checking results by hand.
- Teachers demonstrating how supports, hinges and loads change internal forces, live on a projector, in any of 12 languages. See Teaching with EduBeam.
- Engineers who want a quick sanity check before opening a heavier desktop package.
How this guide is organised
- Getting started. This page, the 10-minute Quick start and ready-made Examples.
- Tutorials. Complete models from start to finish, checked by hand: a three-hinged frame and a plane truss.
- Modeling. One page per building block: the user interface, nodes & supports, elements, materials & sections, loads, and units & settings.
- Results. How to read the diagrams and tables and how to verify them.
- Files & sharing. Projects, share links, image and CSV export, and teaching with EduBeam.
- Reference. Keyboard, mouse & touch, troubleshooting and the FAQ.
- Theory manual. Sign conventions and the element formulations for the beam and the truss.
The ? icons in the app open the matching page of this guide in your language.
Languages
The interface is available in English, Čeština, Deutsch, Español, Français, Polski, Português, Русский, Türkçe, Українська, ไทย and 汉语. EduBeam picks the language from your browser. Change it in Settings → Language & Locale, or open the app with a ?lang= parameter, e.g. run.edubeam.app/?lang=cs.
Authors & credits
EduBeam is led by Jan Voříšek, the maintainer and product designer behind the modern web edition. The browser version is developed independently of CTU. The original desktop EduBeam for Windows and Linux was created by Bořek Patzák, Jan Stránský and Vít Šmilauer at the Department of Mechanics, CTU Prague – Faculty of Civil Engineering. The solver is the open-source ts-fem library.
Contribute
- Report confusing behaviour or bugs as a GitHub issue.
- Improve these docs or translations by editing the files in
docs/and opening a pull request. - Share EduBeam with classmates and colleagues.