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WebStructural Beta
How to Design a Steel Beam
by Tom Kujawa
Introduction
Designing a steel beam is not as complicated as you may think. There are essentially 6 Steps to design
most steel beams:
1. Material - Choose the appropriate grade of steel for the beam you will be designing.
2. Shape - Select the shape of steel beam you would like to design.
3. Span - Enter the distance you are trying to span.
4. Bracing - Not to be overlooked! Bracing is critical in determining the capacity of a beam.
5. Load - Enter loads base on their type and load case.
6. Design - In the United States, there are two common methods of beam design (ASD and LRFD).
Select the method you would like to use and specify deflection limits.
In the WebStructural Beam Design Module we've given each of these steps an icon to allow you to
efficiently work through the design process:
1. Material
There are many different grades of steel, but usually one common grade for each shape type. The
most commonly used type of Steel I-Beam is the W (wide flange) Shape. W Shapes are usually made
from Grade A992 steel. For our example, we will be designing a W Shape steel I Beam, so we select
A992 from the Material List.
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2. Shape
There are many types of steel shapes, even numerous types of I beams. For our example, select a
W8X15. This beam is roughly 8" deep (or tall), that is the first number following the x. This beam
weighs 15 lbs. That is the second number in the shape name. Typically, the lighter the beam, the less it
will cost, so to design the most cost effective beam, you will want to choose one that weighs the least
but meets you design criteria. After we enter all the design criteria, we can change the shape if it is not
the right size for our design.

3. Span
Span is the distance between points of support for a beam. A beam is often just a single span and
supported at both end, but a single beam can also be supported at more than just both ends. It can
be supported along it's length or it can cantilever beyond it's end support. To add or edit span length in
WebStructural, simply click the Span button or the span dimension and add a span to the left or right,
then adjust the length as appropriate. For our example, add a span to the right and make it 4'-0".
Adjust the first span to equal 12'-0".
Span supports can also be easily changed in WebStructural. Simply by clicking on a support. You can
toggle through Pinned, Fixed, and Free Supports. For our example, change the right most support to
Free to create a cantilever.
4. Bracing
Bracing is an incredibly important, yet often overlooked aspect of beam design. When a member is
bent, tension and compression forces are introduced. For a simple span beam (one spanning between
two pinned supports), the top of the beam will be in compression. It is these compression forces that
can cause a beam to buckled out-of-plane. To understand buckling, think of compressing a short ruler
between your hands. Now think of compressing 3' long ruler. Which one will flex and buckle? Clearly
the longer, more slender one. It is this slenderness that is directly related to buckling. If we are able to
brace a beam against this type of buckling, then we can often achieve greater bending strength.
WebStructural allows you to specify bracings in many different common configurations. Span
supports are automatically assumed to be bracing locations. Remember, continuous bracing assumes
that the compression side of the beam is braced. If you have a continuous beam, look at your moment
diagram in the report to verify that this is truly the case. You can always conservatively assume the
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beam in completely unbraced.
5. Loads Load Cases
A beam can carry loads from many different sources. Below is a list of some of the more common
types of Load Cases:
Dead loads (D) are those which are always present. Think of a concrete slab, or the weight of a wall.
Those loads are always present and do not change.
Live Loads (L) are typically occupancy type loads. You are a type of Live Load in the structure you
are in right now. American Society of Civil Engineers publishes a book (ASCE 7) with guidance for the
amount of live load that should be used for different structures.
Roof Live Loads (Lr) are similar to Live Loads, but are specific to the roof and are typically related to
construction or maintenance activities.
Snow Loads (S) are exactly want they sound like, loads cause by snow. Local building codes often
dictate the appropriate ground or design snow loads to use. These are typically basic loads. Drift and
unbalanced conditions should be accounted for as needed.
Other Loads are less common in beam design but can include Wind (W), Seimic or Earthquake (E),
Rain (R), Lateral Earth (H), etc.
Load Types
Beams can be loaded in many ways, but most loadings that cause flexure can be described as either:
Uniform Loads: These loads have units of force per unit length. With WebStructural, the default units
for Uniform Loads is kips per foot (1 kip = 1000 lbs.). Uniform loads are often used to simplify repetitive
and closely spaced point loads such as floor joists or roof rafters. To calculate the appropriate uniform
load to apply to a beam, simply multiply the beams tributary area by the appropriate area load. Area
loads and other structural loads are established by the American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE7
document and are given as pounds per square foot (psf).
Linear Loads: Linear Loads are very similar to uniform loads, but rather than having a constant
magnitude, vary along their length. Linear Loads also have units of force per length. Linear loads can be
used to represent triangular snow drifts or beams with joists framing in at a skewed angle, or many
other triangular and trapezoidal type loading.
Point Loads: Point loads have units of force. The default in WebStructural is Kips (1 kip = 1000 lbs.).
Point loads can be as simple as a reaction from another member such as a beam framing into another
beam, or a column sitting on a beam.
Moments: Moments are loads which cause rotation in the axis of a beam and have units of force times
length. The default in WebStructural is kip-feet. Moments are more complex to those less familiar with
them, but consider a column welded to the top of a steel beam. If a force is applied to top of the
column, it will cause the beam it is attached to bend as well, just like a lever. This bending type reaction
is a moment. If the force is in the direction of the beam axis (or span direction), it can be input as a
moment in WebStructural. If the force applied is perpendicular to the beam axis, then a torsional
moment will be introduced. WebStructural does not currently allow for torsional loads to be input.
For our example lets use a dead load of 25 psf and a live load of 100 psf. Let's say the next point of
support from our beam is a wall 10' away on one side, and another beam 20' away on the other. We
will enter a uniform dead load D = .625 k/ft = [25 psf x (10'/2 + 20'/2)]/1000lb/k and also enter live
load L = 1.5 k/ft [100psf x (20'/2 + 30'/2)]/1000lb/k. Also make sure to include self weight.
Load Factors
Depending on which design method you choose, (see below) the loads you enter will be factored
appropriately. Simply enter the service (unfactored) loads.
6. Design Design Method (ASD or LRFD)
Structural steel can either be designed by Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) and Allowable
Stress Design (ASD). Both methods yield similar results. Engineers have their opinions about the pros
and cons of each method, but both are currently allowed in the United States. Simply choose the
method you would like to use.
Design Equations
WebStructural will automatically factor your loads and apply them in the appropriate design equations.
You can view these equation and exclude ones you don't want to include in analysis if you wish.
Deflection
Deflection is an important measure of beam performance. Beams that have excessive deflection can be
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strong enough to carry their design loads, but perform poorly in service. Excessive deflections can lead
to user complaint including bouncy floors, cracked building finishes, instability for mechanical
equipment, etc. The International Building Code (IBC) dictates the minimum deflection for various
members and load types. Deflections are typically described as a ratio or L (span) over some value to
allow for comparison and standardization. Example: The deflection ratio for 0.5" delection in a 12' beam
equals L/288 = 12ftx12in/ft (span) 0.5" (deflection). Now consider a beam that deflects 0.75" and is
18' long. It has an equivalent deflection ratio or L/288. In theory, these beams have the same
deflection performance even though the longer span beam has a greater deflection. That is because
the deflection is less noticeable over the greater distance. L/100 is often considered to be near the limit
of deflection that is detectable to the human eye. L/360 is usually considered a minimum accepatlbe
deflection due to live loads on floors, but that is just a minimum.
Reporting
Once you have input all of your criteria, all you have to do it click "Design This Beam". WebStructural
will perform a finite element analysis for your specific beam span, support and loading conditions. It will
determine the design forces and calculate the design capacities of the beam using the American
Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) standards. If you originally selected an appropriate beam size, you
will see a lot of green and bending, shear, and deflection capacity ratios will be less than 1.0. These
values are a percentage of capacity. So if your report reads "Bending 0.79" the beam configuration
you selected is at 79% of flexural capacity (according to AISC).
If your report is red, then your capacity ratios are greater than 1.0 and the beam does not meet the
design criteria. This means you need a bigger beam! Simply choose a different shape and click "Design
This Beam".
At WebStructural we strive to give you high quality design calculations with transparent reports that
you can rely on. If you found this how-to useful please share it with your colleagues.
Finally, we encourage you to keep checking back for updates, and let us know if you have any
suggestions or requests.
Happy Engineering,
The WebStructural Team
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