Beams are crucial for the weight distribution of a building’s floors, ceilings, and other components. There are different sizes and types of beams available in the construction sector. Steel i beams are one of the most popular and widely used beam structures.
Today, we are going to discuss how far a steel i beam can span.
How far can a steel i beam span?
A steel i beam can span very far if it is installed properly. But the span size depends on the length and width of that particular steel i beam. Larger steel i beam will have a wider span than smaller steel i beam. The load distribution is also crucial for determining the span size.
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There are different sizes of steel i beams available and all these beams have different span sizes. Let’s discuss in detail.
8-inch steel i beam:
While selecting the span of steel i beam, there are a lot of things that you need to take into consideration. First of all, you will have to think about the details of the beam. For example, the size and weight of the beam and how the load is distributed on it.
Usually, an 8-inch steel i beam can span as far as twelve feet or one hundred and forty-four inches.
An 8-inch beam means that the width of the beam is 8 inches and the twelve feet span means that another beam will be needed after the twelve feet distance.
10-inch steel i beam:
The span of a 10-inch steel i beam will naturally be longer than an 8-inch steel i beam. Because as the width of the beam increases, its span increases too. That is why a 10-inch steel i beam can span as far as sixteen feet.
After that distance, a new steel i beam will be required.
12-inch steel i beam:
A 12-inch steel i beam will have a larger span size than a 10-inch steel i beam for obvious reasons. A 12-inch steel i beam can span as far as twenty feet. A set of 12-inch steel i beams can be constructed by maintaining this distance between them.
What factors affect your steel i beams span?
There are a lot of factors involved when it comes to affecting the span of steel i beams. Let’s discuss them in detail.
The width:
One of the most important deciding factors when it comes to the span of the beam is its width. A wider beam will have a wider span as it is able to handle more loads. That is why larger beams are preferred instead of smaller beams while constructing a building.
Using smaller beams will increase the cost.
The restraining:
How the restraining points are used on a steel i beam can decide its span sizes. Steel i beams are not known for being fully restrained as they are restrained only at the supporting points.
The load safety:
The load safety factors of the steel i beam can influence its span. There are several load safety factors involved in this case. They are variable, permanent, and moment gradient load safety factors.
These load safety factors have a unique function that decides the span of steel i beam.
The deflection:
There is a separate deflection limit for each steel i beam. This deflection limit can change the span of the steel i beam. This is one of the crucial factors that can decide how far a particular steel i beam can span.
The bracing length:
The steel i beam being fully braced or partially braced can also dictate the size of its span. The length between the bracing members is a key factor here.
What is the maximum span of a steel i-beam?
There is not an exact number for how much a steel i beam can span. The span size of steel i beam depends on its size, load distribution, and other safety factors. But it is no secret that longer and wider steel i beams will have a wider span.
If you are planning to maximize the span of your steel i beam, it is better to install wide and long beams rather than narrow and short ones. The span size of the steel i beam is crucial for the construction of your building.
How do you calculate the span of a steel beam?
Calculating the span of a steel beam is not an easy task. It requires math, physics, and common sense. First of all, you will need while calculating the span of a steel beam is its width. A wider beam will be able to span further.
After that, you will have to take into account the load distribution of the steel i beam. Loads are distributed on the steel i beams via uniformly, partially uniformly, and point techniques.
The deflection limit of the steel i beams will be crucial while calculating the span of a particular beam.
There are a number of steel beam calculators available online where you can input the shape, size, load distribution of your steel i beam to find out its span size. Most of the steel beam manufacturers even provide span charts with their beams.
Steel i beams are one of the important parts of your construction. The smooth construction of your building depends on the accurate installation of the beams. It is wise to take the help of an engineer to calculate the span of your steel i beams rather than doing it yourself.
How big of an I beam do I need?
Different span sizes require different beam sizes. Let’s discuss in detail several span sizes and how big of an i beam is needed to achieve that span.
16-foot span:
If we take all the calculation factors into consideration, a steel i beam needs to be ten inches wide to achieve a span of 16 feet. It means a ten-inch steel i beam will have to be installed every sixteen feet.
20-foot span:
You will need to use a twelve-inch steel i beam to achieve a span of 20 feet. Anything less or more than that will harm the construction process.
30-foot span:
An 18-inch steel i beam will be required for a 30-foot span. It means a set of 18-inch steel i beams will have to be installed maintaining a 30 feet gap between them.
40-foot span:
To achieve a 40-foot span, you will be required to install a twenty-two-inch steel i beam. A shorter or longer beam will make your building weak because of the uneven distribution of load.
60-foot span:
Generally, a twenty-eight inch steel i beam will be needed to achieve a span of 60 feet. The steel i beams will be needed to be evenly put out to achieve safety and optimum weight distribution.
How much does a steel beam cost to install?
The installation cost of steel beams depends on a lot of things. First of all, larger beams will cover more area than smaller beams minimizing the number of beams. But larger beams also cost more than smaller beams.
Generally, it requires two hundred to three hundred USD per foot to install a steel beam. The average installation cost of steel beams is somewhere between three thousand to four thousand USD if you are talking about a big enough project.
How much weight can steel i beam support?
How much weight steel i beam can support depends on its size and span. A larger beam will be able to support more weight than a smaller beam. Usually, if a steel beam is installed properly, it will be able to handle six thousand and one hundred lbs per square inch.
The span between the steel beams needs to be accurate to handle this amount of weight.
Which is stronger, an h-beam or an i-beam?
H-beams come in the shape of an H and I-beams come in the shape of an I. But they might seem the same to an inexperienced eye. H-beams have wider flanges than I-beams which distinguishes them.
An h-beam is often considered stronger than an i-beam because it has a thicker center web. It is also heavier compared to an i-beam. All of these factors give h-beams the ability to carry more load than i-beams. But i-beams have greater longevity than h-beams.
Final Thoughts
A properly installed steel i beam can span very far. The load distribution, the deflection limit and the size of the steel i beam also plays an important role in deciding the span of a steel i beam. Professional help can be sought to calculate the span of a steel i beam accurately.