Building With Steel I Beams

Steel Beams and Wood Beams

Introduction:

Steel I beams have become more common in residential construction in place of solid wood beams or engineered trust wood beams. The reason is that steel I beams have become competitive in terms of price with wood beams. In addition, steel I beams can carry a lot more weight and are smaller than wood beams. For example, an eight or ten inch steal I beam is often used in place of 2 x 10 and 2x 12 wood beams.

One of the problems associated with using steel I beams is the weight. Steel beams can be much heavier then wooden I beams. Usually a special handling crane is required to handle steel beams. Handling the heavy weight of wood beams can be avoided because they can be built in place.

If you are building your own home and plan on using steel beams you might consider a supplier that has the delivery equipment to place the beam in place when delivered. This is not an uncommon request but you need to have the site and location of the beam ready before the beam is delivered. Once the beam is put in place you will not be able to move it without having heavy lifting equipment available.

The size I beam you need is determined by the span and weight it needs to support. Most building suppliers have structural engineers on staff that can tell you what size steel beam you need. The cost of I beams may be cheaper than you expect when comparing it to solid wood.

For example, a solid wood beam for supporting the floor joist of a 32 X 48 foot house that is constructed with 2 x 10s will cost just as much if not more than a steel I beam. Depending on the house style (one or more floors) the support columns under a steel beam can be placed 10 to 12 feet apart where with a wood beam they will be restricted to 8 feet apart. The difference makes a big difference when finishing a basement.

Another drawback of using steel beams is that during a house fire and steel beam will usually fail before a fabricated solid wood beam. An steel beam will twist and buckle in extreme heat where as a fabricated beam will take much longer to burn before it reaches the failure point.

Steel I beams are great when used in areas such as a single story garage or a single story house because of the minimum weight of the attic it has to support. A ten inch I beam can span a twenty six foot garage thus eliminating any support post leaving you with a lot of open space without obstruction. For a single story house the column required to support a steel beam can be spaced up to 12 feet or more apart.

I highly recommend building with steel I beams rather than wood beams and trusses whenever possible. They are not that difficult to work with if you plan ahead. The additional space you gain without using as many columns to support the beam is a definite advantage.

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