How to Create Columns and Beams in FreeCAD Arch

This guide explains how to design and insert structural columns and beams using the Arch (or BIM) Workbench in FreeCAD. You will learn how to access the Structure tool, utilize predefined structural profiles such as standard steel sections or simple rectangular blocks, extrude components along custom paths, and adjust structural dimensions and alignments directly within the property editor.

1. Switch to the Correct Workbench

To begin modeling structural elements, open your FreeCAD project and switch to the Arch or BIM Workbench using the workbench dropdown selector in the top toolbar. Both workbenches share the underlying structural tools, though the BIM workbench offers an optimized user interface for architectural drafting.

2. Creating a Structural Column

Columns are typically vertical structural members created either from a point location or from a 2D profile.

  1. Activate the Structure Tool: Click the Structure tool button (an icon showing a concrete beam/column section) from the top toolbar, or go to Arch > Structure.
  2. Choose a Preset or Custom Shape: In the Task panel on the left:
    • Select a structural category (such as Concrete or Steel).
    • Choose a profile type, such as Rectangular, Circular, or standard structural profiles (like HEA, HEB, or IPE).
    • Specify the cross-sectional dimensions (Width and Length/Depth) and the overall Height of the column.
  3. Place the Column: Click in the 3D viewport to set the base insertion point. You can snap to grid intersections, existing geometry vertices, or enter exact 3D coordinates in the Task panel.
  4. Modify Existing Columns: Select the column in the tree view to modify parameters in the Data tab below. Adjust properties such as Height, Length, Width, and Placement at any time without recreating the object.

3. Creating a Structural Beam

Beams are horizontal or inclined members typically generated along a linear path.

  1. Draw a Base Line:
    • Switch to top or isometric view.
    • Use the Draft Wire or Draft Line tool to draw the path where the beam will run (for instance, spanning between two column centers).
  2. Convert to a Beam:
    • Select the newly created line or wire in the 3D view or Tree view.
    • Click the Structure tool.
    • FreeCAD will automatically convert the line into a structural element running along that trajectory.
  3. Assign Profile and Alignment:
    • Select the generated beam in the Tree view.
    • In the Data tab, set the structural profile dimensions (Width, Height or select a preset section).
    • Adjust the Profile Placement or Face Number properties to align the beam so it rests correctly on top of or flush with supporting columns.

4. Creating Columns and Beams from Custom 2D Sketches

If you need non-standard structural cross-sections (such as complex hollow tubes, flanged channels, or decorative pillars):

  1. Switch to the Sketcher Workbench and create a closed 2D shape on your desired work plane.
  2. Ensure the sketch is fully constrained and closed.
  3. Select the sketch in the Tree view and switch back to the Arch/BIM Workbench.
  4. Click the Structure tool.
  5. In the Data tab for the newly created structure:
    • Set the Height property to extrude the custom cross-section into a vertical column.
    • Alternatively, assign a line or wire to the Tool or Base property to sweep the custom sketch horizontally as a beam.