PyCBA — The Complete Guide: Free Continuous-Beam and Bridge Analysis in Python
PyCBA is an open-source Python library (AGPL-3.0) for continuous-beam analysis, developed at Monash University in Australia. You define span lengths, support types and loads in a few lines of code, and get bending moments, shear forces and deflections along the beam. It runs on any system that has Python.
PyCBA
Colin Caprani (Monash University)
A Python library for continuous-beam analysis: load patterning, influence lines, envelopes and moving vehicle loads. Suited to bridges and scripted checks.
Get it from the vendorWhat you get
- Continuous beams — many spans, with pinned, fixed or spring supports.
- Load patterning — placing live load on different spans to find the governing case.
- Influence lines — for any point on the beam, for reactions and moments.
- Envelopes — maximum and minimum values from all cases.
- Moving vehicles — running a design vehicle across the bridge and computing the response at each position.
Who it suits
Bridge engineers who want a fast check of a continuous span under traffic loads, students learning influence lines, and anyone building an automated checking tool. It is a library, not a program with a graphical interface, and it is limited to one-dimensional beams — not frames or plates.
Related tools
For 2D frame analysis in Python — anaStruct. For 3D models in code — PyNite. For frame analysis with a graphical interface — Ftool.
anaStruct
Ritchie Vink and contributors
Quick 2D frame and truss analysis in Python — moments, shear, axial force and displacements in a few lines of code.
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Pynite
D. Craig Brinck (JWock82)
A Python library for 3D finite element analysis of frames, plates and shear walls — static, P-Δ, modal and PDF reports.
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Ftool
PUC-Rio, Tecgraf
2D frame and beam analysis — fast to enter, aimed at learning and order-of-magnitude checks.
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Frame3DD
Frame3DD Project
3D frame and truss solver driven by an input file — excellent for automation and repeat runs.
Get it from the vendorThe bottom line
PyCBA does one thing well: continuous beams and bridges in a few lines of code. It is completely free, including for commercial use.