Beam Analysis Tool with AI Optimization

A comprehensive application for structural engineers that combines traditional beam analysis with AI-powered optimization capabilities. Available in both desktop GUI and web-based Streamlit versions.

Table of Contents

• Features
• System Requirements
• Installation
• Usage
• File Format
• Optimization
• Project Structure
• Examples
• Limitations
• License
• Support

Features

1. Beam Analysis

• Load beam data from CSV or Excel files
• Calculate shear forces and bending moments
• Visualize results with interactive diagrams
• Evaluate multiple material and cross-section options

2. AI-Powered Optimization

• Genetic algorithm-based design optimization
• Multiple optimization objectives:
  • Cost minimization
  • Weight reduction
  • Deflection control
  • Safety factor maximization
• Customizable constraints:
  • Maximum allowable deflection
  • Minimum required safety factor

3. Material Library

Preloaded with common engineering materials:

• A36 Steel
• Aluminum 6061
• Concrete
• Titanium Grade 5 (Streamlit version)

Material properties including:

• Young's Modulus
• Yield Strength
• Cost factors
• Recommended safety factors
• Density

4. Cross-Section Analysis

Supported cross-sections:

• Rectangular
• I-beam
• Circular
• Hollow Circular (Streamlit version)

Automatic calculation of:

• Area
• Moment of Inertia
• Section Modulus

5. Reporting

• Generate PDF reports with:
  • Analysis results
  • Diagrams
  • Design recommendations
• Export functionality for sharing results

System Requirements

• Python: 3.7 or higher
• OS: Windows, macOS, or Linux
• Recommended:
  • 4GB RAM
  • 2GHz processor

Installation

1. Clone or download the project:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd beam_analyzer_project

2. Create and activate a virtual environment:

   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

3. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

The project provides two interfaces:

Desktop GUI Application

Run the desktop application with:

python run_gui.py

Features:

• Traditional desktop interface using Tkinter
• AI-powered optimization with genetic algorithms
• Interactive plotting with matplotlib
• PDF report generation

Web-based Streamlit Application

Run the web application with:

python run_streamlit.py

Or directly with Streamlit:

streamlit run beam_analyzer_gui_03.py

Features:

• Modern web interface
• Enhanced visualization
• Better user experience
• Responsive design

Basic Workflow

1. Load Data: Upload a CSV or Excel file containing beam analysis data
2. Select Material: Choose from the predefined material library
3. Choose Cross-Section: Select the beam cross-section type and enter dimensions
4. Run Analysis: Calculate stresses and safety factors
5. View Results: Review analysis results and diagrams
6. Optimize Design (GUI only): Use AI optimization to find the best design
7. Export Report: Generate PDF reports for documentation

File Format

Your beam data file should contain three columns:

Column Name	Description	Units
Distance (m)	Position along the beam	meters
SF (kN)	Shear force at each point	kilonewtons
BM (kN-m)	Bending moment at each point	kilonewton-meters

Example CSV format:

Distance (m),SF (kN),BM (kN-m)
0.0,25.0,0.0
0.5,25.0,12.5
1.0,25.0,25.0
1.5,25.0,37.5
2.0,25.0,50.0

Optimization

The AI optimization feature (available in the GUI version) uses genetic algorithms to find optimal beam designs based on:

• Objectives: Cost, Weight, Deflection, or Safety Factor
• Constraints: Maximum deflection and minimum safety factor
• Variables: Material type, cross-section type, and dimensions

The optimization process typically takes 1-3 minutes depending on the complexity.

Project Structure

beam_analyzer_project/
├── beam_analyzer_ai.py          # Desktop GUI application
├── beam_analyzer_gui_03.py      # Streamlit web application
├── run_gui.py                   # GUI launcher script
├── run_streamlit.py             # Streamlit launcher script
├── requirements.txt             # Python dependencies
├── README.md                    # This file
├── data/                        # Sample data files
│   ├── sample_beam_data.csv
│   └── simply_supported_beam.csv
├── docs/                        # Documentation (future)
├── samples/                     # Additional examples (future)
└── venv/                        # Virtual environment

Examples

Sample data files are provided in the data/ directory:

• sample_beam_data.csv: Example beam with varying loads
• simply_supported_beam.csv: Simply supported beam with point load

To test the applications:

1. Start either the GUI or Streamlit app
2. Load one of the sample files
3. Select a material (e.g., A36 Steel)
4. Choose a cross-section (e.g., Rectangular)
5. Enter reasonable dimensions (e.g., 100mm width, 200mm height)
6. Run the analysis

Limitations

• Optimization is only available in the desktop GUI version
• Some advanced features may vary between versions
• Large datasets may require more processing time
• Genetic algorithm optimization may take several minutes

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

For issues, questions, or contributions:

1. Check the documentation
2. Review sample data files
3. Test with provided examples
4. Create an issue for bugs or feature requests