i'm going to put up a post building this spring ( cutting wood now for it ) i'm thinking 28x 40 is that big enough, i want to build everything myself,( i've build 2 houses,) but i don't know how big a beam i need to span at least 18 ft, i want to stack my lumber inside building then lug it out with tractor so i'm going to have to big doors, how big do you think ? an how big a beam to span it safely. thanks
What kind of wood will the beam be made out of?
We usually use 6X10 or 6X12 Fir. I don't know what kind of wood you have though.
Quote from: thecfarm on January 22, 2014, 10:24:02 AM
What kind of wood will the beam be made out of?
i have both spruce an pine i've cut 2 21ft spruce that are about 16 inches top end
Pete, a lot depends on what you use for roofing, metal roofing with a good pitch would be best as the snow will scoot off on its own. I would use oak mayby something like 6x10 or 6x12. You could always have a post to put in when expecting heavy snow and remove it when sawing. Frank C.
Don't know how old you are pete but an old friend of mine Elwin Page used to live in Corinna me. Frank C.
If the gable end is over the 18' span, and a supporting roof truss over that, then a wood beam likely will work.
If that beam has to support a load other than itself, then not so likely.
No builder here, but I had built for me a 30x50, with 12' clearance. Two slide doors on each end 14' opening, Log entry hole 20' one side door 12' seems like I run out of room at times, it would be better if I had a shed for the lift, david
I'm not a big fan of white pine for strength in a span like that. But that is just me too.
When I built my pole barn I had 40' trusses 10' on center. When I went to span 20' and leave out one post my structural engineer had a heart attack when I suggested using two 2x12's sandwiched together with 3/4" plywood between. I was resting the intermediate 40' truss on the beam. I ended up having to go with a 5-1/4 x 14 LVL to span the distance and still hold up the truss and roof. The LVL was made up of three 1-3/4" x 14 LVL beams that had to be lag bolted in a specific pattern that the engineer gave me.
Dave C
i am doing steel mono roof,almost strait front then pitched to back, what if i built a beam three 2x12x20 sandwiched with plywood with 18ft opening,would that be ok to support the roof, if not what do builders us to span 18ft doors
What on earth is a LVL beam?? ??? ??? ???
I ain't no builder, carpender, framer, or otherwise.
If you can go with steel for your opening that will work.
to span a 18 ft load bearing door would require 2 micro-lam beams 2 inch x18 inch x 19ft at least here where I live .
Quote from: JB Griffin on January 22, 2014, 05:37:48 PM
What on earth is a LVL beam?? ??? ??? ???
I ain't no builder, carpender, framer, or otherwise.
LVL is laminated veneer lumber. Very strong, and made up of several layers of veneer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laminated_veneer_lumber
Don't let the LVL get wet :D
Yep, have to keep the LVL out of the weather.
Dave C
LVL is laminated veneer lumber. Very strong, and made up of several layers of veneer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laminated_veneer_lumber
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OK now I see, I saw some of them that were special ordered in the lumberyard I worked at, they were 1.5-2" thick x 10-12" wide
I special ordered my LVL through the local Lowes store. They delivered it to the mill so I didn't have to pick it up. Bolting it all together took some time. Had to bold both sides in a 6"x3.5" pattern with 1/4"x5" lag bolts. . With the 6"x3.5" spacing, I had three lag bolts along the 14" depth spaced 3.5" apart. Then the rows of 3 were spaced 6" apart down the 20' length. The opposite side had to be offset by 3" so there was overlap in the pattern. It took a lot of 1/4" lag bolts!
Dave C
why not saw out 2 posts to support the 18" x 21' log you have and use it for your header? could flatten 1 side if needed to be flush with outside of building. set it level on top to hold your trusses. plenty strong & save lots of $$$ and add "character" to your build.
Quote from: 1938farmall on January 23, 2014, 01:35:51 PM
why not saw out 2 posts to support the 18" x 21' log you have and use it for your header? could flatten 1 side if needed to be flush with outside of building. set it level on top to hold your trusses. plenty strong & save lots of $$$ and add "character" to your build.
so if i could saw a 16-18 x 21ft beam that would hold the roof ok i'm pretty sure the spruce is big enough to do that that would be a load bearing wall,, the other 18ft door will not be load bearing will a 16inch x 21 be ok for that door thanks for all the help
Peterrob - I am currently milling lumber to build a round bale hay shed. It will be 24' by 30' with the front 30' unsupported. I am going to build an engineered joist like the one in the picture. I've studied several joist span tables which state that an 16" engineered joist can be used to span 32' without support. I'm going to make mine 24" deep and it will be boarded in on the front and the back to give it more strength. If you build a engineered joist out of 2x4 lumber, 18" deep, then you'll be able to span the 21 feet without any worries. Use steel roofing with a 8/12 pitch (or greater) and you'll take care of the snow load.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/31852/joist.jpg)
I'm not a structural engineer so don't quote me as an authority!
10 years ago I built a 32'x70' horse barn from lumber milled from logs I took off my property. When I built the two 70' load carrying beams, my neighbour, who was my sawyer and a licensed structural engineer, advised me to 'put the nails to 'em' as the nails are what provides the strength. I laminated 4 rough cut 2x8 together with 4" spiral spikes at 6" intervals every 6", supported at 11 foot intervals. My neighbour was quite surprised when he saw them. He exclaimed "you couldn't break those with a Hough!"
With 60'000lbs of hay in the loft, the barn hasn't moved.
Bill
QuoteI am going to build an engineered joist like the one in the picture.
Which one of the engineered joists shown?
I am going to build the first one in the picture simply because I have the materials and won't have to buy any (OSB board) except the spikes.
Peterrob - you may want to look at dchiapin's shed that he posted on another thread. Simple design (but very nice) with roof trusses that span 30'. 12/12 pitch on the roof. It looks good.