Price for used i-beams?

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

I did a quick search, wasn't smart enough to find anything.

I bought a used w8-18 today for $.25 per lb. It still has a couple brackets welded/bolted to it. they had 3 others (longer ones) that were "cleaned up" for $.35. just a few bolt holes in them
Is this in the ballpark price wise? I'm thinking I might NEED a bridge crane instead of a gantry or maybe use the 34' s to support a 2nd floor deck AND put a trolley @ each door HMMMMM.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

You bought what is commonly called an "H" beam, not an I beam. The W indicates its a Wide flange. This beam is more commonly used for vertical installations as a post or column, and while it will carry a load (and is used in horizontal installations), to the best of my knowledge (and I'm NO engineer), it will not carry the loads an I beam will carry in a horizontal installation..

If you are planning on spanning 34 ft (you didn't say how long the beam you purchased is), you will need a lot more than an 8" beam anyhow.

http://www.engineersedge.com/standard_material/Steel_ibeam_properties.htm

http://www.slingchoker.com/sling2/coffing/ix/ix65.htm

Charles

 

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

thanks Charles

Yes these were upright supports. The one I bought is 17'. I plan on cutting it down to 12' for a gantry. I am positive it will support any of my needs, I have seen posts @ practical machinist claiming a 4K lb limit @ 10'. I will never get close to that.

as far as the long beams, if I was to buy them, the span would be 16', (with a post in the middle) I'm just thinking out loud here.


Thanks for the input!

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

You bought what is commonly called an "H" beam, not an I beam. The W indicates its a Wide flange. This beam is more commonly used for vertical installations as a post or column, and while it will carry a load (and is used in horizontal installations), to the best of my knowledge (and I'm NO engineer), it will not carry the loads an I beam will carry in a horizontal installation..

If you are planning on spanning 34 ft (you didn't say how long the beam you purchased is), you will need a lot more than an 8" beam anyhow.

http://www.engineersedge.com/standard_material/Steel_ibeam_properties.htm

http://www.slingchoker.com/sling2/coffing/ix/ix65.htm
Charles

Charles,

What you are thinking of is called an "S" shape (standard) and they are mainly used for monorail beams, "H" piles for driving into grade for building supports, "M" misc shapes, "C" channels for American std channels and "MC" misc channels are also common steel shapes. As you noted, "W" shapes are what a lot of people call "I" beams and they are used for column, beams and heavy bracing in buildings.

These can be compact or non compact sections and are used depending on the load requirements of the job. "I" shapes disappeared a long time ago in the steel business. I hate to disagree with you but I happen to detail structural steel for a living (since 77) and have mostly done heavy industrial work (power house, petro chemical, nuclear) for most of that time. Trust me, "W" shapes are as good as it gets unless you go to a WWF (welded wide flange) or a plate girder for solid steel supports (no trusses or joist girders).

 

[cal67ss396]

Well to answer your question. .25/lb is a good price seeing how to buy them right now from my steel supplier it would cost about.58/lb cut to length. I am a project manager/estimator for my companies structural steel division and just today priced W8x24, W8x18, W8x10's today. I am in the Indianapolis area and don't know what accurate price per pound would be in your area but can't imagine its to far off of our prices given the recent current pricing escalations steel has been going through.

Another way to look at it I wouldn't have paid over scrap price for it as that is what they would have gotten for it.