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minimum beam dimensions

| Posted in General Discussion on February 6, 2000 09:43am

*
What are the minimum beam dimensions to open up a load bearing wall for a single story home and span 20 feet. We are wanting to remove an exterior load bearing wall and add on approximately 20 feet and we were wondering what our options might be. We only have 8 ft 4in cielings and wanted the most clearance. We could use columns if needed. Any suggestions?

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  1. Guest_ | Feb 04, 2000 10:50pm | #1

    *
    20' is a long span for an exterior load bearing wall. But; with steel, almost anything is possible.

    No one can answer your question with the information you've given. All exterior loadbearing walls support a different load. Is there a second floor? a gable? a roof eave? What's the snow load? What's the roof span?

    I'm not actually asking for answers to these questions, just showing how much must be considered. Actually, it comes down to only one number, what is the weight per linear foot that the beam must support...Unless there are any concentrated loads.

    Talk to an engineer. Someone will need to see your project and do some math.

    1. Guest_ | Feb 04, 2000 11:25pm | #2

      *This is definitely Engineering territory. Even if you do the research yourself (which doesn't hurt), ultimately you'll need a stamped Engineer's drawing to get permits. Around here anyway, maybe things work differently in your neck or you have other plans.Engineers are sometimes hit and miss, but for something like this I think you can expect to be charged by the foot of beam. You're looking for 20' so the charge is going to be 20 x their "per foot" fee. They'll ask for all the usual information, size of the existing building, floors and roof above, pitch, location of other supports, foundation, etc.If you're just looking for ideas and not ready to commit to a full drawing many structural Engineers will be happy to sit down with you and discuss what options you have, provided they're not very busy. As a rule, they work to your requirements. If you want an un-interrupted span with no loss in ceiling height, they'll design the cheapest way to do it, whether it be steel, wood, truss or whatever. They can also ballpark the cost for you and suggest where a compromise or two (like a support post, or a slight loss of ceiling height) can save you big dollars.At least that's the kind of service I've gotten from Engineers here.

      1. Guest_ | Feb 06, 2000 02:17am | #3

        *If you intend to do the work yourself, ask the engineer about a box beam. You can build one yourself with common building materials a lot cheaper than steel. Just another thought.

        1. Guest_ | Feb 06, 2000 09:42pm | #4

          *You may find that the beam is the easy part. Removing 20 of bearing wall will definitely affect the shear strength of the entire building. Your engineer must look at more than the beam size alone.

  2. elizabeth_kieffer | Feb 06, 2000 09:43pm | #5

    *
    What are the minimum beam dimensions to open up a load bearing wall for a single story home and span 20 feet. We are wanting to remove an exterior load bearing wall and add on approximately 20 feet and we were wondering what our options might be. We only have 8 ft 4in cielings and wanted the most clearance. We could use columns if needed. Any suggestions?

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