How to do a steel beam calculation - Part 1 - Loadings

Learn how to do STEEL BEAM CALCULATIONS in this four part tutorial course by a Chartered Civil Engineer! Use this beam load calculation for load bearing RSJ calculations and for wall removals.
See the next part: Part 2 - How to use free software to get the bending moment and shear force diagrams
• How to do a steel beam...
Part 3 - How to select the right beam section size for a steel UB (RSJ)
Part 4 - How to check the deflection in your chosen beam
Become a successful Civil/Structural Engineer by subscribing to the channel now: kzbin.info...
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#rsj #loadings

[@josemelio5608]

What an amazing and knowledges full person. Thank you very much.

[@wooski9022]

Love the videos! I have a question about a cantilever balcony conversion I have coming up, and haven’t had any luck finding anything so far. Since I can’t upload a drawing, to make it as simple as possible, what would be the square tube steel equivalent to a treated lumber 6x6 being used as a post for a deck or balcony?

[@michaelacheampong2869]

Great Video, I found you on Quora. Keep it up. For me I sometimes prefer to work in kN in the beginning so I multiply each of the loads which is already in kN/m2 by the floor area, which in this case will be 3m x 3m. Calculate the self weight of the beam or assume the self weight of the beam and then group everything into Dead and Live load and factor them. I divide the resultant design load by the span of the steel beam in this case 3m to change all the load into UDL. I do this because occasionally you will have different loads whose units are different some kN/m2, kN/m or kN.

[@michaelacheampong2869]

@@userjn-wv6xu OK Will do that tomorrow

[@smoeuk]

Hi Robin. Great series of videos! Just a question about the assumed roof load, would this be the same for a hipped roof as opposed to pitched? Or might it be less given a lot of the weight is on the external walls?

[@iaincrawford5472]

Great video Robin.

[@RobindeJongh]

Thanks! Let me know how you get on with the other 3 in the series also.

[@moi984]

Very nice explained!!

[@RobindeJongh]

Glad it was helpful!

[@aranbrooks1695]

Hi, interesting video. I have a question. If you have a load like a stud wall past the mid point, do you need to add that to the calculation. Thanks.

[@pro-powerflushing]

Hi Robin great video well explained KZbin is great ! are calculations basicly the same or different for beam insertion or lintel insertion on exterior brick wall please as I need to make an opening or 1200 mm and insert a lintel or beam above it ? We had calculations done for an interior beam as you are explaining now and this has been done now i woud Realy appreciate some advice as I Realy like to understand things like this thank you ,, Barry

[@fizzhill]

Thanks for the very insightful video. What is the British standard / code where these values were obtained?

[@hvacstudent967]

Starting off taking this course today, we just bought property. The property has a 28-30 span creek and we are considering putting a bridge over the creek to get to the rear of the property. I would like to calculate what size beams would be necessary to span the creek. Maximum loads over that span. Wish me luck!

[@RobindeJongh]

I hope you mean feet and not metres! For more comprehensive coverage of beam design see: structural.thinkific.com/

[@bregaladquickbeam595]

Hi Robin - thank you for the very informative series of videos - I am interested in how you would calculate the floor and roof loadings shared between 2 beams running from gable end to gable end - as in your 'How a loft conversion works' - this is not assuming that the front and rear walls are also providing support - Many thanks.

[@RobindeJongh]

Working conservatively, it would be pretty much the full load of the roof and floor, divided by two, per beam. You might be interested in this: structural.thinkific.com

[@bregaladquickbeam595]

Many thanks.

[@gycleebsacdiveclub1131]

Hi Robin, thanks for the video on how to calc up a beam, can you tell me how I go about viewing the remaining videos in the playlist? Ive already subscribed to your channel, cheers Nick

[@RobindeJongh]

Thanks Nick. You can get the whole series over the next 4 days when you subscribe to the course at www.subscribepage.com/structural also I'll be publishing part 2 here soon. Best wishes, Robin

[@naveedahmed5509]

thanks

[@willdixon9249]

Great video. If for example you were calculating the load for making a door opening wider, do you only need to consider the UDL above the clear span of the beam or the overall length including the bearing either side. Thanks

[@RobindeJongh]

Hi Will. Many engineers measure the span to the centre of the bearings.

[@aerialandlasersurveys9075]

Robin, do you do the LSS videos?

[@leonpaul5773]

Great videos. If I were to do the calculations as stated, would I still need a structural engineer to come and inspect it or would these calculations be sufficient to show building control officer before they sign off?

[@YusufKhan-bd7dk]

Hi Robin, very helpful video. Could you tell me where I would find the values for permanent loads in the eurocodes. Many thanks

[@RobindeJongh]

Hi Yusuf. It's BS EN 1991-1-1:2002

[@mr.ship099]

Great

[@deldridg]

Lovely and concise. I'm a bit suspicious though - your English and spelling are too good for an injineer mate! Cheers and thanks from Sydney - Dave (also an injineer)

[@kenantaylan3617]

Thanks Robin for everything you calculated load for second story ceiling and roof how about first story ceiling load?.

[@RobindeJongh]

When you create a loading sheet, the ceiling load is added in for the first floor, and again for the roof. So in this simplified example it's already in the 2kN/m2.

[@userjn-wv6xu]

Isn't the first story ceiling load just part of the floor?

[@algabron4281]

How to calculate roof load if there is trusses?

[@netnitin]

what type & size of iron I beam should I put if I need to put 4 tons water tank on brick pillars, & iron I beam structure on it at 6x4 feet length position

[@wesbendle9960]

I still can't work out what I need, to do my loft conversion. I am looking to span 2 lengths of steel across 6 metres in a semi detached house with a purling style roof. The steels will run parallel to the purlins so I can brace them but also carry the load of the new floor and stairs. I need to know the dimensions of the steel I need, to support this. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

[@RobindeJongh]

Hi Wes. Work out the full floor and full roof load, and apply half to each beam. This is simplified but near enough. Also check out bit.ly/3pC34lA if you'd like further help.

[@800bhpvideos]

Hi ive got a 8 metre span post to post and want to use a collam (steel beam 5" x 5") to put on top, nothing heavy on top will it steel bow?

[@RobindeJongh]

Hi. Looks like you need a structural engineer to prepare some calculations for that.

[@kevinbailey9564]

Thank you for walking us through the process. I do have a question about the area of the roof that is bearing on the wall. With the angled roof braces as shown in your sketch wouldn’t the roof load area include the span between the two angled braces plus 1/2 of the spans from each angled brace to the building sidewalls?

[@RobindeJongh]

Hi Kevin. Perhaps so! In this video we're just looking at the basic principles with a basic sketch to show that the roof could be supported off an inner wall.

[@pgtips4240]

Where can I find the imposed loading for domestic situations?

[@RobindeJongh]

In the UK it would be BS 6399 or Eurocode EN 1991-1-1:2002

[@naveedahmed5509]

Do you have a video for a single story extension beam calcs? I have an existing 3m extension but want to extend it by another 3m any suggestions as to whether I need to rip the existing 3m roof off and start again please? England based

[@RobindeJongh]

Hi Naveed. No need to rip the existing roof off. Normally it would be able to be supported by a steel. Yes, I have a tutorial here: structural.thinkific.com/courses/steel-beam-calculations

[@naveedahmed5509]

@@RobindeJongh thank you!

[@febryugalde4671]

I need the books simplified if you have..ill buy them...

[@borabora7870]

There is win load ?

[@RobindeJongh]

In the UK for a domestic property we would not consider wind load for a beam design, because the snow load on the roof is likely to be the more onerous load case. Thus by using 0.6 or 0.75kN/m2 imposed load on a roof, both wind and snow cases are considered to have been covered.

[@jakebillington6817]

Hi, how come you used 1.5 as a factor of safety? I'm at uni and we are used to Euro codes. Dead load factor of safety is 1.35 Live load f.o.s is 1.5 Thanks

[@RobindeJongh]

Hi Jake. This is a simplified way to do loadings for those just starting out, with a total FOS of 1.5 for all loads rather than splitting out imposed and dead loads.

[@jakebillington6817]

@@RobindeJongh thank you for replying. I'm sure that comes with experience. What books would you recommend or guides for typical building loadings?

[@RobindeJongh]

@@jakebillington6817 Design of Structural Elements by Chanakya Arya has a good primer on loadings. The steel construction institute (SCI) does a great range of design guides, and I would take a look at www.steelconstruction.info/images/8/86/SCI_P365.pdf for multi-storey buildings as a starter. The IStructE do a great "essential knowledge series": www.istructe.org/resources/guidance/ekt-10-structural-behaviour-selection-analysis/

[@jakebillington6817]

@@RobindeJongh thank you very much

[@scottnever8732]

sorry getting a bit lost here, you said earlier roof and floor = 2kn/m2 then later said floor is 2kn/m2 and roof is 2kn/m2 so which is it? also on wall loading 2kn/m2 x 2.5 isn't the area of the wall, surely 3m x 2.5m= 7.5m2/3m=2.5kn/m

[@RobindeJongh]

You need to add them up. Using this simplified method each is 2kN/m2.

[@rickwhitehill1801]

Wha about the rear wall of a bungalow with loft room floor on one side?

[@SpannerAT34]

Sqeeky pen!!!

[@christianskis5544]

😈

[@RobindeJongh]

📈Continue your learning journey with BRILLIANT: sovrn.co/16qqwyx

[@JanasZoro]

My only worry is that DIY people and builders will use this things to calculate structural beams. Please, do not do STRUCTURAL CALCULATION by your own for building purposes it is not easy as you can think, there are so many other things than a 10 minute video on youtube, please always call a structural engineer or architects, people who have studied these things at the university and have the right experience to go through . Do not do any structural design if you do not have the right degree, you will play with the life of the people.

[@RobindeJongh]

Quite right - these beam calculations should be used only to work out a preliminary size for estimating. A structural engineer would look at many other things such as the supporting walls, which are often the critical component.