Activity 3.2.

6 Beam Design
Introduction
Beam design is based on four important considerations: bending moment, shear,
deflection, and cost. Once the design loads have been determined and the beam
has been analyzed to determine the resulting internal shear forces and bending
moments imposed, a structural engineer can select a cost-effective beam design
that will provide sufficient shear and bending strength and adequate stiffness to limit
deflection to acceptable limits.

Beam design methods are dictated by building codes and standards and require the
inclusion of a factor of safety. Therefore, the beam design selected must possess
more strength than required to resist the imposed loads.

In this activity you will design floor framing (beams and girders) for a hotel.

Equipment
 Pencil
 Calculator
 Computer with internet access
 Website: http://www.structural-drafting-net-expert.com/
 Activity 3.2.4 Beam Analysis Short Cuts (completed)
 MD Solids software

Procedure
The PARTIAL SECOND FLOOR FRAMING PLAN for a new hotel is given below.
The second floor will be used for conference space. Design the following floor
framing members for the hotel structure.
 Interior beam
 Exterior beam
 Girder on Column Line 3
 Girder on Column Line 5

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 Criteria
The following data is to be used for design of the floor framing:
 Dead load = 50 psf
 Assume the weight of the floor beams and girders are included in the dead load.
 Floor live load = 100 psf (Hotels – Public Space per IBC 2009 Table 1607.1)
 Fy = 50,000 psi
 The floor will support a plaster ceiling.
Note: E = 29,000,000 psi for structural steel

1. Complete the following for each beam and girder using the Allowable Strength
Design method. You must show all work and include proper units for full credit.
 Calculate the loading
 Create a beam diagram
 Calculate end reactions
 Calculate the maximum moment
 Calculate the required nominal moment
 Calculate required plastic section modulus
 Choose an efficient steel wide flange to safely carry the load
 Check shear capacity
 Calculate deflection limits
 Check deflection using beam formula; if necessary, revise member
choice and recalculate deflection
 Choose final design; prove that the revised choice is sufficient to carry
bending moment and shear

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 2. Check calculations for each beam and girder using MD Solids. Print out the
following:
 Shear and moment diagrams
 Slope and deflection (in inches) diagrams

Note: Be sure to choose your final beam designation in MD Solids before

producing slope and deflection diagrams since these values are dependent upon
the section properties of the beam. Use inches for the units on the deflection
diagram.

Conclusions
1 If the beam loading and beam span is different for every beam in a building, is it
reasonable and practical to choose a different beam section for every
installation? Why or why not?
Yes, technically it would be cheaper to use different sized beams depending
on what they will hold up. However, realistically, it would be much easier to
assign one beam size per area.
2 Aside from simply pushing the wrong keys on your calculator, what is the most
likely reason for an error in calculating a required section modulus or a
deflection?
Looking up wrong values on the chart.

3 Which structural steel section would carry the largest bending moment, a W12 x
22 or a W14 x 22? Why? If subjected to the same magnitude of loading over the
same span, which beam would display the largest deflection? Why?
The W14x22 because of its longer length.

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 Interior Beam

1 Include the loading and beam diagrams.

1000 plf

3. Calculate the end reaction and maximum moment.

40,500 ft(lb)

4. Calculate the required nominal moment.

67,635 ft(lb)

5. Determine the required plastic section modulus and select an efficient wide
flange.
W12X14
ZX=17.4 in3 lx= 88.6 in4
Tw= 0.2 ind= 11.91 in

6. Check the shear strength.

ITS GOOOOOOOOD

7. Calculate deflection limits.

0.6 in

8. Calculate actual deflections.

0.92 in > 0.9 in
NOT GOOOOOOOOD

9. Select a final design.

Use W12x16

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 Exterior Beam

1 Include the loading and beam diagrams.

500 plf

10. Calculate the end reaction and maximum moment.

20,250 ft(lb)

11. Calculate the required nominal moment.

33,818 ft(lb)

12. Determine the required plastic section modulus and select an efficient wide
flange.
W10x12
Zx= 12.6 in.3 Ix = 53.8 in.4
d = 9.87 in. tw= 0.19 in.

13. Check the shear strength.

ITS GOOOOOOOOD

14. Calculate deflection limits.

0.9 in, 0.6 in

15. Calculate actual deflections.

0.6 in

16. Select a final design.

W10x12

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 Girder on Column Line 3

1 Include the loading and beam diagrams.

18,000 lb
17. Calculate the end reaction and maximum moment.
200,060 ft(lb)
18. Calculate the required nominal moment.
200,500 ft(lb)

19. Determine the required plastic section modulus and select an efficient wide
flange.
W16x31
Zx=54.0 in.3 Ix = 375 in.4
d = 15.88 in. tw= 0.275 in.
20. Check the shear strength.
131,010 > 27,000
ITS GOOOOOOOOD
21. Calculate deflection limits.
1 in, 0.67 in
22. Calculate actual deflections
0.54 in < 0.67 in
ITS GOOOOOOOOD
23. Select a final design.
Use W16 x 31

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 Girder on Column Line 5

1 Include the loading and beam diagrams.

9000 lb
24. Calculate the end reaction and maximum moment.
60,030 ft(lb)

25. Calculate the required nominal moment.

100,250 ft(lb)

26. Determine the required plastic section modulus and select an efficient wide
flange.
24.06 in

27. Check the shear strength.

85,728 lb > 13,500 lb
ITS GOOOOOOOOD

28. Calculate deflection limits.

1 in, 0.67 in

29. Calculate actual deflections.

1.17 in > 1 in
NOT GOOOOOOOOD

0.51 in < 0.67 in

ITS GOOOOOOOOD

30. Select a final design

W14x22

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Copyright 2010
CEA – Unit 3 – Lesson 3.2 – Activity 3.2.6
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