LAVA Specifications

Comprehensive wood building design made easy with LAVA structural engineering software.

Wood Building Modeling Features

  • Easy to use drawing with features including copy, move, snap, and mirror
  • Drawing grids are automatic scaled as the model zooms and pans
  • Import DXF to start model quickly
  • Quick selections of objects with double click or navigation pane
  • Undo/redo capability
  • Buildings from 1 to 6 stories

Building Codes

  • CBC 2022 ASD with Deflection checks and Special Seismic checks
  • IBC 2021 ASD with Deflection checks and Special Seismic checks
  • IBC 2018 ASD with Deflection checks and Special Seismic checks

Lateral Analysis: Wind and Seismic

  • Wind loads are generated automatically based on ASCE 7-16
    • Directional All-Heights Procedure
    • Torsional center of wind loads is calculated and shown graphically
  • Seismic loads are generated and applied based on ASCE7-16
    • Equivalent Lateral Force Analysis
    • Seismic center of mass is located and shown graphically
  • Building drift calculated
  • Collector loads calculated
  • Ability to mix lateral systems including frames, manufactured and traditional shear  walls

Material Design Codes

  • Wood Design Codes: AWC NDS-18 ASD
  • Steel Design Codes: AISC 360-16 ASD 

Diaphragm Theory

  • Flexible Diaphragm using Tributary Area
  • Rigid Diaphragm with Relative Stiffness
  • Envelope the Flexible & Rigid Diaphragm with user-defined contributions
  • Shear loads distributed by stiffness or shear capacity

Automated Loads

  • Gravity loads calculated and distributed based on tributary area
    • Loads tracked and transferred floor by floor
  • Load combinations automatically generated based on IBC with customization if needed
  • Automatic Live Load Reduction
  • IBC 2021 predefined Load Combinations and customizable
  • Roof and floor load assemblies predefined and customizable

Design Features

  • Designs and optimizes beams, walls, holddowns and straps
  • Live Load Reduction
  • Beam designs are based on capacity and deflection
  • Optimize elements with program selections or compare designs side-by-side to manually optimize
  • Post design with crushing checks
  • Complete wood wall design for bearing & shear walls
    • Transfer Around Openings design method
    • Perforated design method
  • Strap and Hold Down design for Wood Shear Walls

Comprehensive Database of Material and Hardware

Full up-to-date database including the following manufacturers/products:

  • Simpson  Strong-Tie
    • Strong-Wall® Shearwalls
    • Steel Strong-Wall® Shearwalls
    • Strong-Rod® Anchor Tiedown System (ATS)
  • MiTek Hardy Frame®
  • Trus Joist ® TimberStrand ® LSL
  • Trus Joist ® Microllam ® LVL
  • Trus Joist ® Parallam PSL
  • Roseburg RigidLam ® LVL

Shapes included in the database:

  • Comprehensive library of NDS species/grade, glulam database
  • AISC Hot rolled steel wide flange and tube shapes

Comprehensive Calculation Package

  • Reports are built with the click of one button and automatically regenerated as changes are made to the project
  • User can select the sheets that are included in the calculation package
  • Customize the calculations package to create a professional package, included information
    • Company logo on every page
    • Job description, site information, location, and all engineering specific cover sheet details
  • Graphical representation of the loads, moment, shear and deflection
  • Detailed calculations that are easily understood
  • Full model graphical displays showing Gravity and Lateral layouts

 Technical Specifications

  • Compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 11
  • Program technical support and training provided by Professional Engineers