18' span

[rwgust]

I have a 18'x24' workshop that I wanted to build a shelf that would span across the back of the building. So basically it would be about 3' down from the ceiling and come out about 4' and then be the width of the entire shop. I was going to cut into the sheetrock wall and add add 2x6 supports that the LVL beams would rest on. My plan was to us 9 1/2" LVL beams. My question is would I be ok with 2 beams glued together or would it be worth it to use 3? I know the question is going to be weight and honestly I don't quite know, thinking it will primarily be a storage area, so my rough guess is somewhere around up to 1,000 lbs. The ledger board would be lag bolted onto the wall, so certainly not all the weight is on the beams if that makes sense. My goal was to build this in a way to avoid having to have a support beam in the middle as that would be in the way. Any advice??

 

[RVDan]

Go to the place where you plan to buy the beams, they will have a chart that lists what size you need.

 

[LX-Markham]

Why not go steel?

I made a tire shelf above my garage door, used a 5" channel. It's a 19' span and holds all my 10 tires

 

[rwgust]

I could go steel too, hadn't thought about that but that may be the way to go.

 

[schor]

I did it no problem with 12" i-joists with 3/4" ply glued and screwed. 12" centers.

 

[rwgust]

Wow that looks really neat, do you have any idea how much each beam weighed? And if I can ask, what do you think they cost approx?

 

[hefnerconstructionlc]

How about a shelf like this if you're wanting to avoid posts and obstructions. Much cheaper and easier to manage. If you go freespan I would suggest an I beam vs LVL. They are cheaper per foot and don't need to be as deep for strength. Also just rent a material lift to get in place with the help of a few friends. A wide flange I beam should do it.

 

[schor]

I could pick up each beam myself, installed them alone, no problem but with some effort.

Cost me $20 for each one if I remember correctly, but that was a long time ago, maybe 16 years ago.

 

[schor]

Here's another shot. There is that room on the left but it is not required to have any support over the 18 feet as long as I screwed and glued the 3/4" plywood.

I removed the ceiling joists and put in hurricane clips to hold the rafters. It's only 5' deep so its not like there is any problem removing the joists.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Looks like you are also referbing a drill press.

 

[schor]

Yup

 

[jspa]

beam calculator

http://www.awc.org/codes-standards/calculators-software/spancalc#answer

 

[maxpower_hd]

The I-Beams are lighter than pretty much anything else you might use. And if you use joist hangers they are pretty easy to put in yourself. A little awkward but very doable. You might not find them at the local Big Box store. You may need to go to a smaller lumber yard that caters to builders and deals less with "everything" like a Home Depot. They usually have people that can help size what you need and may very likely have what you need in stock rather than needing to order it.