What size I beam?

[Jaromir Svoboda]

I will be building new woodshop this year and I would like to install "I" beam for trolley hoist.
Can someone help me with beam selection? Span is 16' and it would be nice to lift 1,000 or 1,500 lb.
Thank you.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jaromir,

Contact the company from whom you plan on buying the I-beam. They can contact a structural engineer with the manufacturing company. He can suggest the proper I-beam.

When I needed to replace an existing header on my carport with a glue-lam, the lumberyard where I ordered it called the manufacturer. A structural engineer employed by the manufacturer asked me a few questions about the roof over it and span. He then made a recommendation.

[Peter Aeschliman]

Agreed. Definitely not the sort of thing you should trust to strangers on the internet. :)

[John K Jordan]

I will be building new woodshop this year and I would like to install "I" beam for trolley hoist.
Can someone help me with beam selection? Span is 16' and it would be nice to lift 1,000 or 1,500 lb.
Thank you.

My son is an architect, I have several friends who are architects, and I have experience designing and building things. We all pay for a structural engineer's time when designing something that will hold up a lot of weight. This is surprisingly inexpensive - the last time I hired an engineer for a wooden beam calculation it was only $100. You can probably call an architect and get the name of a reliable engineer.

When I do design it all myself, I way overbuild. You can find tables with the strengths of different sized wood beams and I-beams for specified spans.

Also, did you check with the hoist manufacturer? Lots of manufacturers will provide engineering guidelines on their products if you ask - I have no idea if the hoist people will.

JKJ

[Robin Frierson]

I put a 24 foot steel I-beam in my last shop that was 12 inches high. The contractor who helped build my shop just happen to have that size laying around as salvage. We also put an I-beam of the same width across the barn door and bolted and welded it together. Inside the shop we had a metal pole to hold up the other end. I had two trolleys And could pick up anything from the bed of my truck. It was a joy to have that set up. I have no idea what the weight limit was on that set up. We never consulted an engineer we just built it.

[Jaromir Svoboda]

Thanks, good idea.
Jaromir,

Contact the company from whom you plan on buying the I-beam. They can contact a structural engineer with the manufacturing company. He can suggest the proper I-beam.

When I needed to replace an existing header on my carport with a glue-lam, the lumberyard where I ordered it called the manufacturer. A structural engineer employed by the manufacturer asked me a few questions about the roof over it and span. He then made a recommendation.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Agreed. Definitely not the sort of thing you should trust to strangers on the internet. :)

^^^Best advise you'll get!!


Jaromir,

Contact the company from whom you plan on buying the I-beam. They can contact a structural engineer with the manufacturing company. He can suggest the proper I-beam.

When I needed to replace an existing header on my carport with a glue-lam, the lumberyard where I ordered it called the manufacturer. A structural engineer employed by the manufacturer asked me a few questions about the roof over it and span. He then made a recommendation.

^^^ The hoist manufacturer will also be an excellent source of info. This is just the first to pop up in a quick search: http://www.harringtonhoists.com/tech_support/edocs/EDOC%200367%20rev02.pdf In a sitaution like your's, you'll always go the next higher rating. So in the Harrington chart, you'd look at 1 ton, 20' span and get a S10x25.4 beam. This is a ASTM standard I-beam, 10" tall x 4.66" wide and weighs 25.4 lbs/ft (so your 16' beam will weigh ~406 lbs.). Please note this is only what Harrington recommends, and the hoist and beam need to 'fit' each other, as well as match the lift requirement. Your specific hoist may require something completely different!! Consult with an expert. Please.



I put a 24 foot steel I-beam in my last shop that was 12 inches high. The contractor who helped build my shop just happen to have that size laying around as salvage. We also put an I-beam of the same width across the barn door and bolted and welded it together. Inside the shop we had a metal pole to hold up the other end. I had two trolleys And could pick up anything from the bed of my truck. It was a joy to have that set up. I have no idea what the weight limit was on that set up. We never consulted an engineer we just built it.

Unfortunately, you may get very little warning when you or the next owner overload it and it fails. ...Search Youtube 'fails'; decide which one you want in your shop.

[Jerry Bruette]

Just as if not more important than "what size I beam" is what are you supporting the I beam with. If the wall or post or whatever method you use isn't rated to support the load the size of the I beam really won't matter.