To take a glance at all pocketEngineer software and OS requirements, click Software List.

For Android OS, see aDuctulator. tRod Sizer is a module in aDuctulator.

ALERT! The original copy of tRod Sizer is only available on this site. If you have downloaded it from other sites, you may have downloaded a fake/spam one. The original copy does not require setup installation, and there is no ads, no bundle, etc. 

Need to check whether the proposed hanger rod can take the load? How to calculate the tensile stress of the selected hanger rod? It's as easy as 1, 2, 3 with tRod Sizer - a small, mobile and handy tool for sizing of threaded hanger rod. 

Aim: creating a mobile design environment (ShowMe!) for the practising engineers & designers in today's mobile world.

Results: Instant solutions at your fingertips.

Highlights:

• calculate threaded rod diameter, tensile stress or maximum load capacity.

• built-in thread dimensions as per ISO Metric series (SI units) & Unified UNC series (IP units).

• fully mobile & independent program for Pocket PC/Windows Mobile & Windows PC.

• in SI & IP units.

• save results function.

Calculation Explained: Tensile Stress Area vs Root Area 

The effective cross-sectional area of the threaded rod that resists rod fracture is the tensile stress area. It has been observed during the testing of threaded rod that an unthreaded rod, having a diameter equal to the mean of the pitch diameter and the minor diameter has the same tensile strength as the threaded rod. This cross-sectional area called the tensile stress area is used for the purposes of calculating the tensile strength of the rod.

For metric series, the tensile stress area (for steel) = (PI/4)*(D-0.938194P)2

For inch series, the tensile stress area (for steel) = (PI/4)*[D-(0.9743/n)]2

where

D = nominal diameter, P = thread pitch, n = threads per inch, PI = 3.1416

Don't be confused with Root area - a more conservative stress area that is still widely used such as in ASME B31.1 code. Root area is based on the root diameter of the threads, and therefore its stress area is smaller than the tensile stress area. Root area is not based on experimental data. It is designed to introduce a factor of safety in thread strength calculations. The designer purposely assumes a "root" stress area smaller than the "real" tensile stress area to be sure that the rod isn't overstressed in service.

For metric series, the root area = (PI/4)*(D-1.3P)2

For inch series, the root area = (PI/4)*[D-(1.3/n)]2

Note: The built-in threaded rod data in tRod program uses tensile stress area. For greater flexibility, the user is allowed to input stress area when "u.input" is selected.

Did you know? tensile stress area . . .  

In the absence of thread dimensions/data, a common estimation practice is to use 70% of the rod cross-sectional area (based on rod diameter) for the tensile stress area. Be sure what you are doing - overestimating or underestimating!. tRod has built-in threaded rod data. 

Did you know? allowable stress . . .

Use yield stress (NOT ultimate tensile strength) for allowable (or working) stress with factor of safety for ductile materials. Design the hanger rod for a maximum allowable stress of 20-40% of the yield stress. In the absence of codes and standards, a good factor of safety is 4, i.e. 25% of the yield stress.

ASTM A36 mild (low carbon) steel is the most commonly available of the hot-rolled steels. It has yield strength of 36,300 psi (250 MPa). Taking 25% of the yield strength, the maximum allowable stress = 25% x 36,300 psi = 9,000 psi (62 MPa).