Should I use Strut or Combine when checking my member capacity?
When it comes to steel member design, PROKON offers two modules that can be used post-process results from Sumo and Frame or on their own through the Interactive Input.
S01: Strut
Design any hot-rolled section for axial stress.
Because the design procedure is relatively simple, design results are presented in tabular format. This feature makes the module especially useful when designing a large number of struts and ties. Non-symmetric sections like angles are supported.
S02: Combine
Design hot-rolled doubly symmetric sections and channels subjected to axial and bending stress.
Non-symmetric sections like angles are not supported. More design checks need to be performed for each member requiring more detailed output.
Conclusion
The two modules use a similar design approach. Although there may seem to be a degree
of overlap in their design features, the two rather complement each other with specialized individual design functions.
You will typically use them to design the different components of the same structure, e.g. design a roof truss in Strut and its supporting columns in Combine.