Mid-July 2026 product update
More ways to frame a deck—and a new way to support it.
New Castle Steel, Fortress Evolution, and American Ground Screw bring manufacturer-specific framing and foundation workflows into the same connected DeckDraft plan.
Framing
3 primary systems
Traditional wood, New Castle Steel, and Fortress Evolution.
Foundation
Ground screws are connected
Tributary-load sizing, frost review, schedules, details, and takeoffs.
New Castle Steel and Fortress Evolution are now available as complete, manufacturer-specific framing systems.
Steel joists, beams, posts, stairs, span reviews, 3D output, details, and takeoffs stay connected to the selected system.
American Ground Screw adds a separate foundation workflow with tributary-load sizing, frost checks, and a foundation schedule.
What is new
Two framing systems. One foundation system. Each keeps its own rules.
Primary framing system
New Castle Steel
Build around NCS 8-inch joists, single or double box beams, steel support posts, track, blocking, and manufacturer-specific stair framing.
Primary framing system
Fortress Evolution
Use Evolution 2x6 joists, single or double 2x11 beams, steel posts, ledgers, brackets, blocking, straps, and steel stair components.
Foundation system
American Ground Screw
Choose Model 3 ground screws as the job foundation, then review screw selection, tributary demand, frost depth, and capacity by support.
Built for earlier review—not final engineering approval
DeckDraft uses published manufacturer and evaluation-report data to surface layout issues while the plan is still easy to change. Final member selection, soil conditions, connections, corrosion exposure, installation requirements, local approval, and project-specific engineering still need qualified review.
Steel Framing Is A System Choice, Not A Lumber Swap
The new steel workflow starts in Current Job Settings under Primary Framing System. Choosing New Castle Steel or Fortress Evolution changes the framing choices throughout the job so the plan is built around the selected manufacturer instead of treating steel like a generic material label.
- Choose manufacturer-specific joist assemblies and 12-inch or 16-inch on-center spacing.
- Select single or double steel beam assemblies at the project level, with per-beam overrides when a run needs something different.
- Use the matching steel support post and system-specific blocking behavior.
- See steel member proportions and finish carried into the 3D model.
- Keep New Castle and Fortress components separate in framing plans, details, and material takeoffs.
Span And Cantilever Review Now Follows Manufacturer Data
DeckDraft reviews steel layouts against the selected system, assembly, spacing, load profile, joist span, cantilever, beam condition, and support layout. When the exact project load falls between available manufacturer charts, the workspace uses the next higher table conservatively.
- The joist comparison popup shows span and cantilever limits for each supported steel assembly.
- Beam review responds to the joist span and cantilever being carried, not just the distance between posts.
- New Castle joist cantilevers are checked against both the manufacturer limit and the required backspan.
- New Castle box-beam end cantilevers use published single- and double-beam caps in addition to the adjacent-post-span check.
- Conditions outside a manufacturer chart are called out for review instead of being presented as a passing design.
Plans, Stairs, Details, And Takeoffs Stay Connected
Changing the primary framing system reaches beyond the framing selector. DeckDraft carries the choice into the views and outputs contractors use to review a job, with system-specific logic where New Castle and Fortress build differently.
- New Castle stairs use joist-in-track box stringers, fabricated tread boxes, top straps, and manufacturer width rules.
- Fortress stairs use Evolution stringers, adjustable rise/run brackets, trays, top straps, and bottom anchors.
- Framing and detail sheets use manufacturer-specific assemblies rather than generic wood details.
- Material takeoffs include the selected steel members, blocking, tracks, brackets, caps, fasteners, and connection allowances modeled by the job.
- The takeoff remains an estimate, with unusual angles, field cuts, special connections, anchorage, and project engineering still requiring review.
American Ground Screw Joins The Foundation Options
American Ground Screw is a foundation workflow, separate from steel framing and separate from helical piles. A wood, New Castle, or Fortress deck can use ground screws when that is the selected foundation system and the project conditions support it.
- Auto-size each support from its tributary load, selected soil basis, and required frost depth, or use one fixed job selection.
- Choose supported 3-inch and 4.5-inch Model 3 screw configurations and listed lengths.
- Override an individual support when needed without hiding an undersized or too-short selection.
- Review compact pass/review counts on the Foundation Plan and expand the schedule for demand, capacity, utilization, size, and embedment.
- Carry the selected ground screws into foundation graphics, schedules, details, and takeoff output.
Why it matters
Material decisions now change the whole plan—not just a note on it.
Contractors can start with the system they intend to build, compare the available assemblies, and catch more span, cantilever, support, or foundation questions before the drawing reaches the field.
Because the same selection follows the framing plan, 3D review, details, schedules, and takeoff, there is less manual translation between the design decision and the documents used to price and review it.
Try the new systems on your next layout.
Open Current Job Settings to choose the primary framing system, then choose the foundation system that matches the job. DeckDraft will carry those choices through the connected plan workflow.
Start a deck plan