I Beam weight limit?

[FL Guy]

Looking to add a I beam or H beam in the shop to attach my hoist too. It would span 18' and be supported at each end. The MAX weight Ill ever pick up is about 700lbs.
I was looking at Gantry cranes from HF and NT, but they take up floor space.

Anyone do something like this before? If so, what size beam did you go with?

 

[jkuro]

Talk to your local steel supplier for the needed I beam size. They usually have an engineer to help you out. Easy Pasey.

 

[BigGarage]

Looking to add a I beam or H beam in the shop to attach my hoist too. It would span 18' and be supported at each end. The MAX weight Ill ever pick up is about 700lbs.
I was looking at Gantry cranes from HF and NT, but they take up floor space.

Anyone do something like this before? If so, what size beam did you go with?

I used a very unscientific method to select my aluminum I-beam. I looked on Amazon until I found one and I ordered it. It's only 8' long though. I just looked up the specs for it:

Aluminum 6061-T6 I-Beam, Rounded Corners, ASTM B221, 0.19" Thick, 0.326" Wall Thickness, 2.796" Width, 4" Height, 96" Length

I bought a 1000 lb. limit hoist and mounted it on a trolley. The hoist has an overload circuit breaker and I've only tripped it out when lifting an old cast iron stove. For my purposes this beam works great. I see the link doesn't work longer, this was back in 2012 when I bought it. It was $147.

Here's a half-assed pic of it.

 

[Renegade1LI]

Google steel I beam span schedule

 

[NUTTSGT]

If Bill was still active, that dude would bust out the calculations for you.

@bczygan

 

[Half-fast eddie]

In addition to the beam capacity, you need to be concerned with supporting the beam, and possible foundation issues.

 

[FL Guy]

In addition to the beam capacity, you need to be concerned with supporting the beam, and possible foundation issues.

The beam supports will be sitting on 12x12 footers with (2) #5 rebar

 

[WisJim]

I'm not home and don't have access to my basic steel engineering books, and it's been over 30 years since I've done that work, but this website should help you out. A kip is 1000 pounds so your 700 pounds=0.70 kips in the calculations. https://webstructural.com/beam-designer.html
A 12x12 footer might not be enough area for the potential load, depending on your soil type.

 

[Renegade1LI]

This is a good resource that will get you closer

https://cfsei.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/designguides/3_loadspan.pdf

 

[strutaeng]

There's 2 basic parameters (well, there's more, but for this conversation) that determine capacity: depth and weight.

Most "I beams" used commonly used are actually wide flange beams. For example: W12x19 is 12" nominal depth and 19 pounds per foot. There's also "S" and "M" shapes, but they use the same nomenclature. I think the "S" are most commonly used as gantry crane beams, IIRC.

The gantry crane hoist will have a specification on flange width. Pick a model and someone can run a basic calculation. Keep in mind that most engineers will apply an impact factor to account for dynamic loading, so you are probably looking at twice the load you have in mind. I'd say for that span and load, an 8-10" deep beam will work. That will keep deflection down.

Be conservative on the design.

I think the comment regarding the support was hinting at having strong columns supporting the beam. Yes, also needs good foundations.

 

[cannuck]

Here is the table you need to select an S beam: https://www.yalehoist.com/Catalogs ...NENT_-CRANE_BRIDGE_KITS_THRU_5_TON_MANUAL.pdf

With the weights you are handling, it is not hard to carry into 12x12 of concrete. You have greater loading when using your floor jack.

I build both my heated buildings and unheated outer storage structures with 2 dimensional overhead cranes (one is exactly 18' and I rate at 1,000 lbs.) using 4 x 4 x 0.188 columns. I have another where the columns support a truss that contains the crane runways and carries the building roof loads so use 0.250 wall 4 x 4 for that one. Have only one setup with monorail (as you seem to be doing) and it is fairly limiting but still useful. You might have to get creative on how you mount your trolley unless you have a fair bit of ceiling height to accommodate trolley, hoist and hook.

 

[Half-fast eddie]

The beam supports will be sitting on 12x12 footers with (2) #5 rebar

12x12 x how thick? Two #5 bar doesn't mean much by itself.

 

[readhead]

The connection at the top of the columns is also critical to resist the beam trying to roll over.

 

[f150skidoo]

There's 2 basic parameters (well, there's more, but for this conversation) that determine capacity: depth and weight.

Most "I beams" used commonly used are actually wide flange beams. For example: W12x19 is 12" nominal depth and 19 pounds per foot. There's also "S" and "M" shapes, but they use the same nomenclature. I think the "S" are most commonly used as gantry crane beams, IIRC.

The gantry crane hoist will have a specification on flange width. Pick a model and someone can run a basic calculation. Keep in mind that most engineers will apply an impact factor to account for dynamic loading, so you are probably looking at twice the load you have in mind. I'd say for that span and load, an 8-10" deep beam will work. That will keep deflection down.

Be conservative on the design.

I think the comment regarding the support was hinting at having strong columns supporting the beam. Yes, also needs good foundations.

Some great points, but I believe for overhead lifting the designed safety factor is more like 4-5:1. Off the top of my head I would guess the OP would be looking for a W8x 21

 

[cannuck]

If the OP uses beam as per CRANE table ( very different from distributed building loads ) it will be S7 @ 15.3 lb/ft. IF he is going to use a 4 x 4 column, I would suggest a top pad of 4 x 8 x .375 leaving room for 2 bolts on opposite sides of the column going into the lower cap strip. Obviously using tapered washers (yes, column will stand away from wall). IF the trolley and hoist are hand operated, that is strong enough to resolve loads from moving loaded trolley along beam. Somewhere on the column near the top, though, it should have a tie to the structure if possible to work out side loads as one will often have to be beside the load to operate the chain fall (IF using a manual hoist). You can get away with stuff this simple when hand operated, but if the trolley or monorail (or bridge of full coverage crane) is powered, you have to design for running a fully loaded hoist at maximum travel speed into the bump stops at end of travel paths.

 

[cannuck]

Some great points, but I believe for overhead lifting the designed safety factor is more like 4-5:1. Off the top of my head I would guess the OP would be looking for a W8x 21

If you refer to the Yale crane beam table I linked, you will find that you would have to go there at 20' but only S7 15.3 needed at 18. Another design consideration is that the supporting columns are going to shorten the length under bending load (assuming 18' total monorail length - but I would be comfortable with 18' between inner face of columns as he is rating at 700 lbs., not a fill 1,000 - unless of course his trolley and hoist weigh in at 300#),

 

[kbs2244]

I used a steel I beam as the ridge beam when I built my shop
I told the steel supplier, who also did the install, that I might use it to pull engines
he supplied the beam and the tubes for the end supports
it has a 20 foot span
I do not remember the size but I remember I was surprised at how small it seemed
(it is 14 feet from the floor so I can not measure it)
I installed a HF 1 ton chain fall
I use it mostly to lift the lawn tractor for blade sharpening but have pulled a SB Chev with auto trans with no problems

not the best PIC but you can see the beam was not all that big

 

[WNYflyer]

Talk to your local steel supplier for the needed I beam size. They usually have an engineer to help you out. Easy Pasey.

^^^^
This........as a structural engineer this is your best bet starting out. Don't use information from stuff from the internet, a lot is not up to date with currently available steel sections and material properties not to mention the devil is in the details.

 

[My Old Tools]

mine has a design load of 2000#, so should fail limit at over 4000#. Span is 20 feet between bents.

 

[FL Guy]

12x12 x how thick? Two #5 bar doesn't mean much by itself.

12" wide X 12" depth X the length of the footer for that side which is 35' on one side and 10' on the other side.

 

[FL Guy]

If you refer to the Yale crane beam table I linked, you will find that you would have to go there at 20' but only S7 15.3 needed at 18. Another design consideration is that the supporting columns are going to shorten the length under bending load (assuming 18' total monorail length - but I would be comfortable with 18' between inner face of columns as he is rating at 700 lbs., not a fill 1,000 - unless of course his trolley and hoist weigh in at 300#),

Its an electric hoist from NT, weighs about 40lbs and the trolley will be another 15ish..

 

[FL Guy]

The connection at the top of the columns is also critical to resist the beam trying to roll over.

I was thinking a few grade 8 bolts to help secure it.

 

[Half-fast eddie]

12" wide X 12" depth X the length of the footer for that side which is 35' on one side and 10' on the other side.

Ok. Well, when you said 12x12 i assumed that was plan view dimensions. And i was thinking of the foundation for the post, not the perimeter grade beam.

 

[cannuck]

mine has a design load of 2000#, so should fail limit at over 4000#. Span is 20 feet between bents.

We have a similar setup in off grid storage shelter and use it as you do to feed platform up to mezzanine and load small things (6k forklift for the big stuff). Use a 2k 12V winch on 2 part block but rate it realisiticly at 1,000 lbs. Center of structure is 27' and length is 120' and the thing is invaluable to managing the floor (can only be monorail as arch trusses on tensioned fabric shelter). All impressive and way out of my price range, but best bud owns it.

 

[readhead]

It is the design of the connection that is important not the bolts. It is unlikely that grade eight bolts are necessary.

I was thinking a few grade 8 bolts to help secure it.