Användbarheten av Beam EC2 inom betongelement : En jämförelsestudie mellan beräkningsprogrammen Beam EC2 och Concrete Beam

Sammanfattning: Concrete is a versatile building material used all over the world. Today's constructions in building and civil engineering have high requirements and complexity that require a carefully executed dimensioning in connection with planning. Calculation programs that work based on standards are a tool for designers in calculation work. Complicated programs or ambiguities in the programs can take up important time, therefore good and clear programs are necessary for time efficiency. This thesis has compared the calculation programs Concrete Beam and Beam EC2, which both are calculation programs used for dimensioning concrete beams. Concrete Beam is used by most constructors in Sweden, while Beam EC2 is a new calculation program that is not used to the same extent. There is therefore a need to evaluate the respective calculation programs in order to increase knowledge in the construction industry about the differences between the calculation programs, as well as to open up the possibility of using more calculation programs in the future. The aim of the thesis is to investigate whether there are differences between Concrete Beam and Beam EC2 when dimensioning a concrete beam. To implement this, the differences in factors such as ease of use, available functions and a calculation result are examined. A smaller sensitivity analysis is also performed to analyze the stability of the calculation programs' values.    The thesis is carried out as a case study with input from a completed reference project by Sweco Sverige AB. The reference project contributes realistic values ​​that are used as input data in the study. The values ​​from the reference project are supplemented with smaller hand calculations for the loads acting on the beam, for example the dead weight and the wind load. This is because values ​​from the reference project are missing. The implementation involves applying the specified values ​​for the inputs from the case study and the hand calculations in the programs. The result shows how each program considers whether the concrete beam can withstand failure and the serviceability limit state, but also how the programs chose to dimension reinforcement in the beam, as well as the result from the sensitivity analysis. Based on the results, a certain difference in the calculation programs could be established, for example how they chose to shape the reinforcement in the beam, which then also led to differences in crack width and deformations. In contrast, the results for the moment and shear force were almost identical. The study also included a sensitivity analysis where Beam EC2 showed stable values ​​while Concrete Beam got a more uncertain result. Based on the results and the sensitivity analysis, the conclusion is that there are clear differences between the calculation programs. The usability is discussed in the opinion of the authors but needs further studies to be used as a general conclusion. The result is limited according to boundaries and the time frame for the work, but there is an opportunity for further studies regarding the differences and usability of the programs in the industry.