Steel Beam Sizing For Residential Construction

In part 2 sizing engineered headers and beams we compare cost and performance of some engineered wood products to sawn lumber.

Steel beam sizing for residential construction.

Before the foundation is poured the land must be professionally surveyed to ensure the building site is level and that the builders know the exact boundaries of the plot. 1 2 select steel beam size select the steel beam size from the dropdown list. S shapes are designated by the letter s followed by the nominal depth in inches and the weight in pounds per foot. Construction of a steel building or metal structure is similar to the construction of most other buildings and it all starts with a strong foundation.

You have a choice of w beams s beams or american standard channels. This table is for residential construction only and is meant only for the purposes of initial estimation. Span listings are based on allowable deflection live load and dead load which are all listed in your building code book. Sizing for a residential steal beam.

Diarmud civil environmental 4 nov 08 19 26 a w8x28 gives you a deflection of about 8 9 inches this is way too much. A residential steel beam is very common in most homes. Possible supported lengths are in two foot 600mm increments. For floors and tables a 20 to a 29 for roofs and floors.

All illustrations are courtesy of the journal of light construction. Beams come in all sizes thicknesses weights lengths and galvanized. Maximum spans for steel beams supporting floors in dwelling units. Just give us a call if you need something special.

W beams and s beams both have a distinctive i shape whereas the width and depth are more similar in w beams the depth is noticeably greater than the width in a s beam. You must consult your local beam span tables to ensure that the beam sizing is correct for your area. We also offer a selection of galvanized steel beams. The most common type of steel beam used in construction is the i beam which is also known as an h beam or w beam.

Residential steel beam tips. Forming part of sentence 9 23 4 3 1. Metals depot stocks a wide range of steel beam sizes for thousands of applications. I shaped beams are effective at carrying bending and shear weight across.

For more precise lengths you will need to consult span tables. Shop online for standard or cut to size lengths at wholesale steel beam prices. Steel beams 1 the spans for steel beams with laterally supported top flanges shall conform to table 9 23 4 3. Standard steel i beam sizes chart for sizes dimensions and section properties of standard steel i beams s shapes.

Most are 8 inches tall but 10 or 12 inch high beams allow you to span greater distances with fewer pesky columns.