{"id":1649,"date":"2020-04-30T16:56:50","date_gmt":"2020-04-30T16:56:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/upgllc.com\/contractorssteel\/?p=1649"},"modified":"2020-11-18T19:15:56","modified_gmt":"2020-11-18T19:15:56","slug":"steel-beams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/upgllc.com\/borrmannmetals\/blog\/2020\/04\/30\/steel-beams\/","title":{"rendered":"Know Your Shapes \u2013 What Is a Steel Beam?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steel beams are the backbone of our society. In fact, when you see a non-residential building, <\/span>you’re surrounded by structural steel beams. Did you know, t<\/span>he modern method of producing beams (rolled from a single piece of steel) was patented by Alphonse <\/span>Halbou<\/span> back in 1849? In fact, it is still the<\/span> structural steel<\/a> of choice <\/span>for hundreds of thousands of buildings around the globe.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The shape of the beam <\/span>makes<\/span> it an ideal choice for unidirectional bending parallel to the web. In addition, the horizon<\/span>t<\/span>al flanges resist the bending moment while the web resists shear str<\/span>ess.<\/span> Often called an<\/span> I-beam <\/span>(since, <\/span>when it is vertically supporting a load, it looks just like the letter \u201c<\/span>I<\/span>\u201d<\/span>),<\/span> i<\/span>t is one of the most <\/span>efficient<\/span> shapes to use. <\/span>For instance, <\/span>the beam <\/span>uses the least amount of steel per foot <\/span>for<\/span> a variety of applications.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Steel Beam Diagram<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"beam<\/p>\n

Beam Depth:\u00a0The distance from the top and bottom surface of the steel (see \u201cA\u201d in diagram).
\nFlange Width:\u00a0The top and bottom flat horizontal sections width (\u201cB\u201d).
\nFlange Thickness:\u00a0The thickness of the top and bottom flat horizontal sections (\u201cC\u201d).
\nWeb Thickness:\u00a0The thickness of the vertical center section of a steel beam (\u201cD\u201d).
\nFillet radius:\u00a0The curved portion, where the inside transition between the web and flange occurs is called a fillet. The radius of the fillet is called the fillet radius (not always provided).<\/p>\n

What makes up <\/span>a b<\/span>eam? First, the top and bottom (the flat, horizontal section) of the \u201c<\/span>I<\/span>\u201d are known as \u201cFlanges\u201d. Next, the middle portion (or I) is called the \u201cWeb\u201d<\/span>.<\/span> Did you know,\u00a0 your web is what resists the shear force, while the flanges resist <\/span>most of<\/span> the bending moment experienced?<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Order a Steel Beams<\/h2>\n

Do you know how to order a wide flange beam? As an example,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>you have a drawing from your engineer that calls out a<\/span> W<\/span>27 x 178 <\/span>that is 30 feet long.<\/span> Next, you call up a local metals distributor (including Contractors Steel who stock tens of thousands of tons of beams<\/a><\/span> at four stocking locations in the Midwest<\/span>). Then, you say <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m looking for a 27 @<\/span> 178 x 30 foot long\u201d. That means you want a 27\u201d web<\/span> (the middle part of the I) <\/span>thickness from end to end (<\/span>that is<\/span> actually 27.81\u201d from the two outer edges<\/span>). Then,<\/span> the 178 refers to the weight per foot of the beam x a 30 foot long piece. Therefore, that one-piece<\/span> weighs 5,340 <\/span>lbs<\/span> (or, more than<\/span> 2.5 tons)!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Beam<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To look further at the beam, t<\/span>he flange is 14\u201d wide<\/span>, <\/span>but the actual dimensions<\/span> (when measured from end to end is <\/span>14.085<\/span>\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Steel<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The thickness of th<\/span>at<\/span> flange <\/span>would be <\/span>1.19\u201d<\/span> thick (which can be done with a standard tape measure)<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Flange<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And the thickness of the web<\/span> (the middle portion of the I)<\/span> is .75\u201d:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Web<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Steel Beam Specifications<\/h2>\n

Depending on the application, you\u2019ll order <\/span>standard or wide<\/span> flange<\/span> beams to an ASTM specification. The most common is ASTM<\/span> A36<\/span>,<\/span> which has a min yield of 36 KSI, a tensile range of 58-80 and an elong<\/span>ation of 21. Furthermore, other common beam specs <\/span>include<\/span> ASTM A709<\/span> and ASTM A992. In fact, all beams that are purchased through a service center<\/span> should come<\/span> with an MTR, or Material Test Report.<\/span> MTRs show the chemical composition of the steel used to manufacture the <\/span>beam<\/span>. In addition, they also contain the yield, tensile and elongation properties.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Partnering with Contractors Steel<\/h2>\n

Did you know, when you partner with Contractors Steel,<\/span> you <\/span>have<\/span> access to <\/span>ALL<\/span><\/b> of <\/span>our<\/span> processing <\/span>capabilities? <\/span><\/a>This includes:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n