For Students · Seismic Base Shear
Seismic Base Shear for a timber deck
Built for students learning it for a class or exam. See the concept move instead of memorizing formulas — and check your homework intuition. Simulate a timber deck live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.
Seismic Base ShearLive
equivalent lateral force
Controls
Presets
The equivalent lateral force method estimates the total earthquake base shear as V = Cs·W, where the seismic coefficient Cs scales the design acceleration by the structure's ductility (R) and importance (I). The base shear is distributed up the building, concentrating force at the top. Educational tool, not a code design.
Data Inspector
Seismic coeff. Cs0.150
Total weight W9,000 kN
Base shear V1350 kN
Roof force386 kN
Governing equation
Reading this result: Cs would be 0.167 but is capped at 0.15, so base shear is code-floored here — cutting R further will not add demand.
Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.
Also for:ResearchersEducatorsEngineersHobbyists & MakersK-12 StudentsFirst RespondersGeneral version →
More with Seismic Base Shear
Seismic Base Shear for a cantilever balconySeismic Base Shear for a bridge girderSeismic Base Shear for a floor joistSeismic Base Shear for a roof rafterSeismic Base Shear for a steel beamSeismic Base Shear for a crane boomSeismic Base Shear for a retaining wallSeismic Base Shear for a stair stringer
Frequently asked questions
- Is this good for students?
- Yes — this version of "Seismic Base Shear for a timber deck" is framed for students learning it for a class or exam. See the concept move instead of memorizing formulas — and check your homework intuition.
- Do I need to install anything?
- No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.