PEB design software for the concept stage: frames, grid, tonnage and drawings
PEB design software at the concept stage answers the questions a client asks before anyone designs anything: how the shed will look, where the columns go, how much steel it will roughly take and how much sheeting it needs. CivilOS's PEB Designer takes the span, length, bay spacing, eave height, roof slope and any crane, and draws the tapered portal frame section, the column grid and the side elevation to scale, with indicative member depths, purlin and girt counts, steel tonnage and sheeting areas.
It has two modes: a complete PEB industrial building with sheeting, roll-up doors, ridge ventilators and colour, and a bare PEB structure of frames only. The drawings export as DXF. The calculation is deterministic — no AI — and every figure is labelled indicative, because a concept is not a design.
What you can do
| Feature | What it does | Export / status |
|---|---|---|
| Frame section | Tapered portal frame with eave, ridge and slope; haunch and mid-span rafter depths | DXF · print |
| Column grid | Bays from the length and bay spacing, gridlines and column positions | DXF · print |
| Side elevation | Sheeting, roll-up doors and ridge ventilators | DXF · print |
| Secondary members | Z-purlin depth and count per slope, girt rows | Schedule |
| Quantities | Indicative steel tonnage, roof and wall sheeting areas | Schedule |
Why a concept tool is useful
Before a PEB is ordered, the client compares options: a 24 m span against two 12 m bays, an 8 m eave against 10 m, a crane or none. Each changes the steel and the sheeting, and a quick, consistent comparison — the same rules applied to every option — is what decides the brief the manufacturer then designs to.
What indicative means here
Member depths follow typical Indian PEB proportions (a rafter haunch depth of about span/40, tapering to roughly half at mid-span); the tonnage follows a kg per m² rule that rises with span, crane and eave height. They are honest first numbers. They are not checked against wind, seismic or crane loads, and they must not be used to order steel.
How to start
- Open Create Your OWN Plan and choose PEB Building at the top.
- Pick the mode — industrial building or bare structure.
- Enter the brief: span, length, bay, eave height, slope, crane.
- Read the drawings and the schedule; try another option.
- Export DXF or print the sheet for the client and the manufacturer.
What CivilOS does not do
- No structural design. No load calculation to IS 875, no frame analysis, no member design to IS 800.
- No connection or foundation design.
- Indicative tonnage only — never for ordering steel.
- No fabrication drawings. Those come from the PEB manufacturer.
- A concept for checking by a structural engineer.
Where a browser tool fits
PEB manufacturers design with dedicated analysis and detailing software that produces the frame design, connections, anchor bolts and shop drawings. That is where the building is actually engineered.
Before that, the owner, the architect and the contractor need a fast, consistent picture of the options and their rough steel. That is this tool, and it costs nothing to start.
Open Create Your OWN Plan free → choose PEB Building and enter the spanFrequently asked questions
What is a PEB?
A pre-engineered building is a steel building whose primary frames are tapered built-up portal frames, with cold-formed Z-purlins and girts carrying the roof and wall sheeting. It is the usual structure for factories, warehouses and sheds in India because it is fast to fabricate and erect.
Is it free?
Yes, to start. Create a free account (no card) and the Free plan opens every module, including the PEB Designer, with a monthly allowance; prints carry the CivilOS letterhead. Pro, Max and Enterprise Seats plans add more hours and generations and put your own letterhead on every print. The Training Corner, Knowledge Library and Feedback are free without limit.
Does it design the PEB structurally?
No. It produces a concept: the frame geometry, the grid, indicative member depths from typical Indian PEB practice, and an indicative steel tonnage from thumb rules. The structural design — loads to IS 875, the frame analysis and member design to IS 800 — is done by the PEB manufacturer's or your structural engineer.
What does it draw?
A cross-section through the portal frame with its slope, eave and ridge heights; a column-grid plan with bays; and a side elevation with the sheeting, doors and ventilators. They export as DXF for AutoCAD and print as a sheet.
How accurate is the tonnage?
It is a budgeting figure from a kg per m² thumb rule that rises with span, crane load and eave height — good for a first estimate and for comparing options, not for an order. The manufacturer's design gives the real figure.
Do I need to install anything or create an account?
No installation: CivilOS opens in an ordinary browser on a laptop, tablet or phone and can be installed as an app from the sidebar. A free account is needed to open the engineering modules; it takes a minute and asks for no card.
Draft for checking. Every safety-critical output of CivilOS is a preparation document. Drawings, quantities, rates, programmes and inspections must be verified, and the result signed off, by a licensed professional before they are issued, tendered, built or paid against.