Steel Beam Questions

[gpalmer77]

My design calls for a 20 ft long steel beam, W12X35, supported at each end by 3.5 inch steel posts. The front post will sit between the two garage doors, the rear post sits in the wall of the stairwell, 4 feet off the back of the garage.

The beam will support the attic floor on one side of the garage @ 8' ceiling height for my workshop upstairs. Their will be a wall built along the top of the beam, all the way to the ridge line. The ceiling joists for the other side will be supported in this wall at 12' for the high bay lift area.

Location is South 'burbs of Chicago.

My questions:

1. W12x35 is 12" deep and 35 lbs per foot of length, correct?
2. All I can find listed online are posts that extend across a 4" size adjustment range. Is this normal? Only ones I've ever seen are one piece. Where can I get a one piece design the right length?
3. Any ideas on approximate cost for the 20 ft W12x35? Sources?
4. I believe the beam has to be drilled for (2) 2x12s to be bolted into the web on one side, for hangers to support the attic floor on one side of the garage. The joists are not being rested on top of the beam for height considerations. Should I assume that I also need to bolt a nailer to the top of the beam, basically a sill plate for the wall that will sit above?

Thanks in advance.

Gavin.

 

[DekeT]

W12x35 is 12" deep and 35 lbs per foot of length, correct?

Nominally, yes.

All the other questions need to be answered by whomever did your design.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

A W12x35 is 12 1/2" deep with a 3/16" thick web and a 6 1/2" wide, 1/2" thick flange. Talk to a local steel fabricator about your posts and the beam as they have the equipment to punch the holes in the cap and base plate on the column as well as the beam. Your costs are going to be better than a dollar a pound in most cases because of the small order.

Most everyone punches either 7/16" or 9/16" nailer holes in the top flange of a beam in that condition

 

[EvilWelder]

Here is a beam chart for you
http://www.turnersteelcoinc.com/html/s_flange.html
All dimensions are nominal, the weight of the beam is how they figure the job. As far as the holes and all locations that should be on the print and done at the fab shop.

 

[gpalmer77]

Plan calls for (1/2" ABs @ 16" OC Staggered) for the 2x12s in the side of the beam.

No call-out for the attachment of the sill plate to the top flange of the beam. (Actually, the subfloor sits on the beam, then the sill plate on the subfloor.)

 

[gpalmer77]

So, at a dollar a pound, 20 feet of w12x35 would be $700 ballpark. That number does not make me cry too much..... I guess what I am trying to figure out is the order of magnitude. This isn't my area of expertise by any stretch, I have no idea if it should be $400 or $2000.

Thanks for all the help so far.

 

[BD1]

Standard SCHEDULE 40 black pipe is 3 1/2'' O.D. Normal length is 21 feet.
Some supply house carry RANDOMS which maybe 40 to 42 feet. Call a local pipe supplier. Columbia Pipe and supply or maybe Porter pipe.

 

[kwb]

Price should be closer to $.75/lb if you have nothing done to it based on what I have paid for steel lately.

 

[nmk_61802]

A W12x35 is 12 1/2" deep with a 3/16" thick web and a 6 1/2" wide, 1/2" thick flange.

Close, you are misreading the dimensions Tw/2 is 3/16 (.15 actual) Tw is .3 or the web thickness is 5/16"

 

[kwb]

Close, you are misreading the dimensions Tw/2 is 3/16 (.15 actual) Tw is .3 or the web thickness is 5/16"

You might want to look again
http://www.engineersedge.com/standard_material/Steel_ibeam_properties.htm

 

[nmk_61802]

You might want to look again
http://www.engineersedge.com/standard_material/Steel_ibeam_properties.htm

Actually the chart you linked to just proves my point. The Web (Tw) is 5/16" thick not 3/16" While the chart is correct, I am reading directly from an AISC (American Institute of Steel Construction) manual, which I know is correct.

 

[gpalmer77]

Got a couple of quotes...... first guys wanted $1300 for the beam and two posts...... and they were substituting in a W12x40 at a discount. Way too high.

Second quote came in at around $850 for the specified W12x35 and the two posts. I'm going with this for now.

Thanks for the information. I know people hate "ball park pricing" questions, but it helped me realize that the first bid was unreasonable.

 

[KCarGuy]

I did almost the same thing in my Garage when I built it.
But, I didnt go with the steel posts, The area between my Garage doors is all 2x4's lined up next to each other and nailed together. We left the spot where the Beam was going to sit, cut slightly shorter. The height of the Beam, plus 1 1/2 inches for a 2x6 that was nailed to the top of the beam.
The Back wall had the same setup. I think it was so close to perfect, that we only had to add a thin steel shim under the beam to line up with the tops of the walls.
The Floor Joists for the second level laid ontop to the 2x6 (on the Beam) and overlaped 2 feet. (2x12x20 on one side and 2x12x12 on the other side)
I went thru Horn Steel in Geneva, Illinois.
An Engineer spec'd out the size beam for me (with a second floor for storage or a shop) and for something crazy like an extra $80...Horn Steel upgraded the beam to a larger one. If I could get Cars upstairs...I could Park them upstairs!
I will look for my old paperwork. Its been about 18 years ago.
Good Luck!

 

[KCarGuy]

Hey...Here is is,
10/12/1995 WM. Horn Structural Steel Co.
(1) Beam W12 x 26 X 25-0 total $274.00

Delivered to my driveway and 8 of us lifted it up into place.

 

[bad_idea]

I just bought some steel the other day. For new it was $.80-$.85 per lb. Used averages $.40-$.50 per lb. Look around town for yards that sell used steel. You may be able to find a used beam at a good bit cheaper price. Used means it has been laying around in someone's inventory and then sold. With used materials you want to look it over for excessive rust (pitting) or bent. It's hard to really mess up a piece of steel. I just saw in my local trading post today an ad for beams at prices around $300.

 

[isaac338]

Got a couple of quotes...... first guys wanted $1300 for the beam and two posts...... and they were substituting in a W12x40 at a discount. Way too high.

Second quote came in at around $850 for the specified W12x35 and the two posts. I'm going with this for now.

Thanks for the information. I know people hate "ball park pricing" questions, but it helped me realize that the first bid was unreasonable.

I think I paid around $1500 for 2x 12x22 C-channel 24 ft long, including all the fab work (match drilling, welded webs for column attachment, etc).