iSectionLite vs PlateOptimize

iSection: For all structural engineers, steel designers, mechanical engineers: This engineering application for the iPhone or the iPod Touch calculates the mechanical and structural properties of three-plate built up section members. That includes moment of inertia, modulus of section, radius of gyration, area and weight. The calculations are done in both principal axes. This program is particularly useful for analysis and design of indeterminate structures and for calculating actual and allowable (permissible) stresses of structural members (beams, columns, etc.). The input is top flange width, top flange thickness, bottom flange width, bottom flange thickness, web depth and web thickness. The top flange and bottom flange dimensions can vary. You can select a section from a large library of hot rolled shapes: European IPE, HEA, HEB, HEM and American W shapes Canadian W metric shapes and British universal beams and columns (UB and UC shapes). More shapes from other countries will be added in the next releases. The input can be in mm or inch units, the output of area, Ixx, Sxx, Sxt, Sxb, Iyy, Iyt, Iyb, Syy rx, ry, rt, rb, Syt, Syb, depth and neutral axis can be displayed in mm or inch units. The weight can be displayed in kg/m or Lb/ft. This is a light version with limitations: The hot rolled library contains selected American shapes only and the built up section can have only equal top and bottom flanges. For the full version see iSection in the App Store. See also iConcrete in the App Store which designs single and double reinforced concrete rectangular and T beams.

"PlateOptimize uses topology optimization (SIMP method) to design efficient steel base plates for structural columns. Input your column dimensions, plate size, bolt layout, and loading — get an optimized plate thickness profile with a visual density map. Export results as DXF for CAD integration."