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Side Loading an “I” beam

MrSQL | Posted in Construction Techniques on February 11, 2005 07:13am

Hello,

My original engineering called for drop “I” beams.  To get the cieling height in the garage and basement, I’m plannning on side loading these beams.   The “I” beams are w14x30 ~ 25′ long and W12x26.  I was going to bolt 2×10’s to the sides of the “I” beams and use joist hangers or ledger boards.  Also, top-dress for nailing purposes.

Questions:

  1. Do you bolt 1 thickness of 2x to the sides, or two thicknesses of 2x?
  2. What kind of bolt placements do you normally see in this kind of application?
  3. What size bolts (1/2″ or 5/8″)?
  4. Would you use ledgers or joist hangers?

The engeneer at the Steel place has answered 2 and 3 (oficially), I’m just hoping to validate these two with some practical expereince from you all.

 

Thanks,

Roger <><

 

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Replies

  1. User avater
    CloudHidden | Feb 11, 2005 07:35pm | #1

    If you're wanting to hang joists from the side, and are planning to put a board on the top, what about top-mounted joist hangers? Or, one thing I've done is weld top-mounted joist hangers to the beam. The joists are sized to sit proud of the beam/hanger/weld bead so that the subfloor spans the beam without problem.

    Any of these give you ideas?

  2. AXE | Feb 11, 2005 07:39pm | #2

    My beams were drilled 16" oc for 1/2" bolts.  I packed the wood out to be beyond the flange.  In the case of my 12x26, that was I believe (2) 2x on each side.  My w12x50 required an extra 3/4" ply in there to get it out.

    I used a ledger board, but I was remodeling.  I found it faster to toenail the joists to the I beam packing, then install ledger, then go back and force blocking in between the joists. Then I toenailed the joists again to the blocking.

    Another beam I did here I used top flange hangers and didn't even pack the web out.  I bolted a ledger onto each truss end and slipped that inside the flanges so I have weight riding on the bottom flange via the ledger and the top flange via the top flange hanger.

    All of this was stamped by an engineer.  He did whine some about "bottom loading" the beam by putting the weight on the bottom flange, but he got over it.

    I have pictures if you want to see anthing.

    MERC.

    1. User avater
      MrSQL | Feb 11, 2005 07:46pm | #3

      Great!   Thanks for the info.  I wouldn't mind seeing the pics if you have the time to post them.

      I've actually not heard of the top flange hangers before, so this is new info for me.

      Thanks,

      Roger <>< 

      1. User avater
        CloudHidden | Feb 11, 2005 08:10pm | #4

        Simpson makes top flange. They can nail or weld...weldable ones are a different part number...different metal. The engineer will likely have you use blocking in the beam web. For us, it was the easiest of the alternatives.

        1. zendo | Feb 11, 2005 08:20pm | #5

          Cloud,

          Could you take a look at this thread... I dont know anything about TJI members.

          Are there some sort of hangable alternatives?

          -zen

           

          http://forums.taunton.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=tp-housechat&msg=464.1

          Edited 2/11/2005 12:24 pm ET by zendo

          1. User avater
            CloudHidden | Feb 11, 2005 09:57pm | #7

            zen,From the info provided--which doesn't include spans or spacing--you likely have it right with "the problem here is that the spans are too long for the rating of the TJIs." I don't know a quick fix. I'd refer it to a qualified structural engineer. In my house, where we're spanning 24', there's practically no deflection be/c the size and spacing were conservative--14" tji's @ 12 oc.

            Edited 2/11/2005 2:02 pm ET by Cloud Hidden

      2. AXE | Feb 11, 2005 08:56pm | #6

        You can see in the I beam picture the bolt holes are 16" oc and two on either end.  I also counterbored for the bolt head and nut so they wouldn't stick out and interfere with the joists.  I stacked one side of the I beam with the wood and then drilled through the web holes.  Then keeping that wood in place, I stacked the other side of the wood and used the holes to back drill the second side.  Then I counterbored each hole with a forstner bit and a little template to guide the bit (drill a hole in a 1x4 with teh forstner bit and then attach that little scrap of wood to the wood blocking and it will guide the forstner bit).  I could pack out a 25' I beam in about one hour working by myself.

         

        the other pictures show the top flange handers and the ledger that is bolted to the back side of my trusses.

        MERC.

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