I need the load max On a I-Beam that would fit in a 4 foot long gap

I need a smaller I-Beam in the basement of my house. The I-Beam would go wh ere supporting joists are currently. Reason for this = if it works it wil l give me the allowable head room to redo my stairs. The thickest/ tallest I could allow would be 4 inches vertically and up to 2 feet 2 inches wide. This would then be a part of a load bearing wall. So I need to know how muc h weight that this possible I-Beam could hold. Any help is wonderfully take n into account and thank you so much in advance.

Reply to
cleric626
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One approach other than replacing the supporting beam is to make the "supporting wall" self supporting, not only of itself but the load above it. Most generally stated, remove the plaster wall boards and replace with plywood and bracing. And calculate the deflection and then hold the load hi an equivilent amount so the supporting wall, ie beam wall, doesn't sag with the load. In other words, give the "beam wall" a little upward curvature to compensate for the load when applied. There is a bit of calculation required and if you are asking the internet about such things, your task becomes a search for someone familiar the stresses involved; maybe an architect's engineer or one of the companies that make roof truses for houses. If you want to stick with the I beam, start looking for dimensions of the current beam and, with a beam calculator (probably found on the internet with the name "beam"), figure it's capability and then find an appropriate I beam to match it. There are lots of people here that have suitable calculators and would be glad to help, given those dimensions.

Hul

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Reply to
Hul Tytus
2 feet 2 inches wide. This would then be a part of a load bearing wall. So I need to know how much weight that this possible I-Beam could hold. Any help is wonderfully taken into account and thank you so much in advance

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.Cutting the joists changes the support of the remaining sections from fixed to pinned, which is weaker.

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

Good idea, unless there's a door in that wall.

Reply to
Bob Engelhardt

I thought it entertaining that he wanted to use I-beams -sideways-.

4" tall by 26" wide?

- I am a Transfinancial--A rich person born in a poor person's body. Please stop the hate by sending me money to resolve my money identity disorder. --anon

Reply to
Larry Jaques

I didn't understand structural properties until I studied Statics in college. Steel seems infinitely hard and strong if you don't have the means to work with it.

My source of cheap structural steel was a scrap dealer's stack of surplus 3" and 4" channel iron that had been pallet rack shelves.

-jsw

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

Reply to
Hul Tytus

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