MasterSeries: PowerPad
The essential structural analysis and design suite for small building projects.
MasterSeries PowerPad is a complete structural analysis and design suite. It is the ideal software choice for Engineers who require a wide range of Design capabilities at an extremely affordable price.
By bundling lite versions of the core analysis and design programs, MasterSeries PowerPad delivers a wide range of well-established programs (not pro-forma's) at less than a third of their full version price.
At the heart of PowerPad is our powerful MasterFrame analysis module. This integrates directly with our steel, concrete, composite and timber design modules to give you a seamless, fully integrated, 3D analysis and design environment.
Note: PowerPad is NOT a set of pro-formas, but lite copies of our real programs bundled together. View the case study below to see PowerPad in action
Click here to view a Case Study of PowerPad designing a House Extension, then scroll to the bottom to watch the video.
PowerPad is a Lite version of MasterSeries, incorporating limited versions of core MasterSeries programs. A summary of the features can be found below.
Analysis
- Simple steel, concrete, and timber beam designer
- 2D & 3D Frame Analysis - Analysis of beams, trusses, plane frames, grillages and space frames. With options for tension-only analysis, P-delta, the inclusion of haunches etc.
- Frame Analysis Pro - Gravity Area loading, Member Design Groups, Report generation. New for 2018
- Finite Element Analysis - Slab & Raft analysis New for 2021
- Portal Frame Analysis - Create 1 to 3 bay portal frames and analyse them as elastic, or plastic. You can also account for sway stability, and use P-delta analysis.
- Wind Analysis - Accurate wind loading for GB & Irish sites using the BS & EuroCode New for 2018

Member Design
- Steel Design - Integrated design of steel members for axial, moment, strut, tie, Annex-BB(G)
- Concrete Design - Integrated design of concrete beams, columns, and pad foundations
- Timber Design - Integrated design of axial with moment members, joists, rafters, and flitch beams
- Composite Design - Integrated design of primary and secondary composite beams

Connection Design
- Simple Connections - Carry out the design of flexible end plates, fin-plates, angle cleats and more
- Moment Connections - Design connections for the eaves, apex, baseplates, splices etc
Concrete and Masonry Design
- Masonry Design - Design cavity walls, freestanding walls, piers, and columns
- Pile Cap Design - Design pile caps to truss, beam and deep beam theories
- Retaining Wall Design - Design concrete and masonry retaining walls

Other Features
- Office Tools - Customisable calculation templates, exporting to Word and Excel
- Beam Designers - Simple steel, concrete, and timber beam designers
- Multiple Codes - Design to both Eurocode and British Standard
- View a more comprehensive list of features here.
There are three versions of PowerPad, allowing you to pick a package that best suits your needs. And, if those needs should grow over time, you can always upgrade.
PowerPad Plus
MasterFrame Pro with 200-member integrated analysis and design. (member limit increased for 2021)
PowerPad Pro 500
MasterFrame Pro with 500-member integrated analysis and design
PowerPad Student
A free student edition of PowerPad Plus.
Licencing
MasterSeries PowerPad is available to purchase as a traditional Perpetual Licence or rent as a low-cost Subscription Licence.
All licences are networked single concurrent user licences with multiple registered users allowing maximum use of each licence.
PowerPad offers a broad range of programs at an affordable price. What’s more, the suite is fully extendable, with the option to upgrade any PowerPad component to its full MasterSeries version, for less than the standard list price. So when extra capability is required, there is a quick and easy upgrade path available that doesn’t require you to replace your PowerPad software, or waste time learning new software.
Typical Upgrades
- For frame analysis, you can upgrade to a larger version of MasterFrame Pro. You can even upgrade PowerPad to the full MasterSeries Building Design Suite
- Got a lot of members to design? You can reduce and remove the design limits by upgrading to the full versions of the steel, concrete, and timber design modules
- If you want to add reinforced masonry, highway loading, or layered soil to your retaining wall design
- In composite beams, you can upgrade to account for web openings and additional loads
- In masonry, you might want to add more openings, or include bed reinforcement
- When you land a large project and need to design larger connections
PowerPad outputs to Word, Excel, PDF, any Windows printer, as well as DXF drawings of all the details.
Note: For security reasons we don't supply Word output files as they contain macros. Instead, the Word output has been converted to a PDF file.
- DXF/DWG sample output from Retaining Walls Download ZIP
- DXF/DWG sample output from Connections Download ZIP
- DXF/DWG sample output from Concrete Download ZIP
- Sample output to EuroCode View PDF
MasterSeries PowerPad is available to purchase as a traditional Perpetual Licence or you can rent as a low-cost Subscription Licence
Subscription licences are from as low as £85 GBP + VAT equivalent per month, when purchased on an annual basis
All licences are networked single concurrent user licences with multiple registered users sharing access, allowing maximum use of each licence.
No locking of licences to a PC, or complex licence transfer processes.
Operates Fully Standalone
Not applicable
This is PowerPad
Integrated analysis & design in steel, concrete, timber and connections
MasterSeries: PowerPad (Student Edition) is a FREE version of our commercial PowerPad Plus structural analysis and design software suite.
The ultimate 3D building design solution for all multi-material building projects.
Advanced analysis and design of elastic-plastic 3D portal frames and ancillary steel work. Design to Eurocode, British Standard, and SABS.