Sizing Floor Beams

Beams of more than one ply must be fastened together with either nails or bolts.

Sizing floor beams. Use 2 6 in this example. The full table shows more lumber sizes. This span table excerpt shows two possible sizes of built up floor beams 2 x 10 and 2 x 12. Staggered pattern with at least a 3 x 120 nail.

It also shows the maximum that the beam can span for various numbers of such pieces of lumber built together this is indicated by 3 ply 4 ply and 5 ply. Maximum floor joist span for no. A 2 2x10 can span 10 feet and so on. Bc calc performs engineering analysis to help our customers size beams joists columns studs and tall walls for their building projects.

The extra two inches of vertical distance when a floor is framed with 2 x 10 joists rather than 2 x 12s can be quite important for example. We have learned from our experience to use at least a 3 1 4 x 131 groove shank nail in a column of four every foot apart down the laminate. The numbers in gray indicate the distance between the support posts. 1 ft 0 3048 m.

Pick the span you want pick 4 0 for example select the fb column of the lumber you intend to use in af pa design values for joists and rafters 2 hem fir fb 1104 psi e 1 300 000 psi so use span table column fb 1100. But larger is not always better when builders are constructing a home or adding a room addition. The user enters the member geometry adds loads holes and other relevant data and then selects a product for analysis. Live load is weight of furniture wind snow and more.

Download a pdf tables 13 14. The 2012 irc code calls for a minimum of a 32 o c. 2 grade of douglas fir are indicated below. Dimensional lumber deck beam span chart.

Though joists may be any size that you desire using typical floor joist and beam specifications ensures that you can find hardware to fit the joists and that the floor provides adequate support for furniture and other items in a room. A 3 ply with 2 x 10s would mean that three 2 x 10s are. 1 psf lb f ft 2 47 88 n m 2. It is simple to use yet flexible enough to analyze a variety of common applications.

Dead load weight of structure and fixed loads 10 lbs ft 2. A double 2x12 beam can span 12 feet. Floor joists or beams provide the below surface support for the wood subfloor of a room. Use the span tables below to determine allowable lengths of joists and rafters based on size and standard design loads.

You can also use the wood beam calculator from the american wood council website to determine maximum rafter and joist lengths. Determine the total load per foot of beam. When supporting joists that span 12 feet with no overhang beyond the beam a double ply beam can span in feet a value equal to its depth in inches.