Steel Beam Question

That sounds like a W6x15.5 wide flange beam. If you place the beam on its side both load bearing capacity and stiffness will be approx 1/3 of the normal orientation.

Ned Simmons

If you got the beam back up where it belongs with lolly colums, jacks or whatever, why not just bolt a fish plate on each side of the wooden beam, 18 to 24 inches on each side of the knot. Use (4) or (6) 1/2 bolts on each side of the knot. Should be stronger than new and a much easier fix. I doubt you will find mending plates this big at the local hardware, but suitable steel sheet [1/4?] should be available most anywhere. Get two pieces sheared to the right size and go for it.

Unka George (George McDuffee)

...and at the end of the fight is a tombstone white with the name of the late deceased, and the epitaph drear: ?A Fool lies here, who tried to hustle the East.?

Rudyard Kipling The Naulahka, ch. 5, heading (1892).

Unless you are an engineer -Jack it up with a post then just install a

Mike

Thanks you two but both sides are already full of Joist hangers and 2x6 floor joists. Can't add any thing to the sides.

Thanks Ned that's what I needed to know. I guess I better put it right side up.

I think you mean "flitch plate"

Steve.

I vote for adding the flitch plates as being the easiest. If you're worried about the joist hangers and such, build a short 2x4 temporary wall on either side of the area where the flitch plates are to be added, shimmed up about 1/4". This will support the joists above while you saw out the hangers and shorten the joists to allow for the addtion of the flitch plates and new 2x nailers. Run bolts all the way through both nailers, both plates and the beam. Attach new joist hangers to the nailers, you'll need to use short joist hanger nails because long nails would bottom out on the flitch plates. Remove the temporary walls and you're done. This sounds sticky but not that hard really. I've done much worse.

Short plates will not work or prevent a beam from bending. It is in fact a kind of hinge. mike

Back when my dad was on active duty in the fire department they had a house fire at a place that was off the main road a ways, on the other side of a bridge over a stream. He had one of the firefighters go check the bridge to see if it'd carry the truck.

They guy came back and reported that it had 12" I-beams under it, so it should take anything.

When they got the truck 1/2 way across the bridge buckled. On inspection, the I beams were there -- 2" or 3" x 12", on their sides...

buy and install a proper i beam in place of the 5 x 12 wood beam , or a gluelam wood beam , you will need temporary shoring to replace , but not a major thing , this is probably covered under your homeowners insurance

i would not advise any one regarding any engineering , but if this is a wide flange or "w" beam then laying on its side would be way too much deflection under a 50 lb per ft load which is the minimum load requirement for attic space in my state .

i would think that at minimum you would need a standard or s beam with an 8 inch height , preferably a 10 inch i beam

if your beam is a true h beam or bearing pile then it is intended for vertical loading only and is not rated for horizontal use

snipped-for-privacy@n> >

No, Fish plate is right. A flitch plate is the piece of 1/2" plywood you put between to 2 bys on a built up header to make the thickness match your studwall. A fish plate is a metal scab that spans a butt joint .

Paul K. Dickman

A piece of plywood in a header is a spacer.

A fish plate may very well be a metal scab that spans a butt joint but that has nothing to do with what the problem being discussed.

Do a search on "flitch plate"

Steve.

Lots of advise on how to fix the "problem". BUT, it may not be a problem. If the knot is in the middle of the beam, what you have is a "check" and it does not weaken the beam. The top of a beam is in compression and the bottom in tension. The middle does nothing except keep the top and bottom apart.

If the knot is close enough to the top or bottom that there is an actual splitting of the wood on that *surface*, then you have a problem. If the wood is just separating along the grain within the beam, then you do not.

Bob