W14×500 Steel Beam
A W14×500 is a wide flange steel beam 19.6 inches deep with 17-inch flanges, weighing 500 pounds per foot. In ASTM A992 steel (Fy = 50 ksi) it has a design bending strength of 3,938 kip-ft (LRFD) when its compression flange is braced, and a design shear strength of 1,288 kips.
Design a W14×500 beam Opens a 30 ft span in the free beam designer.
W14×500 dimensions
| Dimension | Value |
|---|---|
| Depth, d | 19.6 in |
| Flange width, bf | 17.0 in |
| Flange thickness, tf | 3.50 in |
| Web thickness, tw | 2.19 in |
| Distance to web toe of fillet, kdes | 4.10 in |
| Distance between flange centroids, ho | 16.10 in |
| Cross-sectional area, A | 147 in2 |
| Weight | 500 lb/ft |
Dimensions are AISC design values. Detailing dimensions are rounded to the nearest 1/16 in.
W14×500 section properties
| Property | Strong axis (x) | Weak axis (y) |
|---|---|---|
| Moment of inertia, I | 8210 in4 | 2880 in4 |
| Elastic section modulus, S | 838 in3 | 339 in3 |
| Plastic section modulus, Z | 1050 in3 | 522 in3 |
| Radius of gyration, r | 7.48 in | 4.43 in |
| Torsion and slenderness | Value |
|---|---|
| Torsional constant, J | 514 in4 |
| Warping constant, Cw | 187000 in6 |
| Effective radius of gyration, rts | 5.26 in |
| Flange slenderness, bf/2tf | 2.43 |
| Web slenderness, h/tw | 5.21 |
W14×500 bending and shear strength
For ASTM A992 steel (Fy = 50 ksi, E = 29,000 ksi) per AISC 360-16. Its flanges and web are compact for bending, so with its compression flange braced it reaches its full plastic moment.
| Strength | LRFD | ASD |
|---|---|---|
| Bending, compression flange braced | φMn = 3,938 kip-ft | Mn/Ω = 2,620 kip-ft |
| Shear | φVn = 1,288 kips | Vn/Ω = 858 kips |
If the compression flange isn't braced, the beam can buckle sideways before it yields. Up to Lp = 15.6 ft between braces it keeps its full strength; past Lr = 195.7 ft it buckles elastically. With uniform moment between braces (Cb = 1.0):
| Unbraced length, Lb | φMn (LRFD) | Mn/Ω (ASD) |
|---|---|---|
| Braced | 3,938 kip-ft | 2,620 kip-ft |
| 10 ft | 3,938 kip-ft | 2,620 kip-ft |
| 15.7 ft (Lp) | 3,937 kip-ft | 2,620 kip-ft |
| 20 ft | 3,896 kip-ft | 2,592 kip-ft |
| 30 ft | 3,799 kip-ft | 2,528 kip-ft |
| 40 ft | 3,703 kip-ft | 2,463 kip-ft |
| 50 ft | 3,606 kip-ft | 2,399 kip-ft |
| 60 ft | 3,510 kip-ft | 2,335 kip-ft |
| 70 ft | 3,413 kip-ft | 2,271 kip-ft |
| 80 ft | 3,317 kip-ft | 2,207 kip-ft |
| 90 ft | 3,220 kip-ft | 2,142 kip-ft |
| 100 ft | 3,124 kip-ft | 2,078 kip-ft |
| 110 ft | 3,027 kip-ft | 2,014 kip-ft |
| 195.8 ft (Lr) | 2,199 kip-ft | 1,463 kip-ft |
A beam with a uniform load between braces has Cb above 1.0 (1.14 for a simple span braced only at its ends), so these values are conservative. The beam designer works out Cb for every segment between braces.
W14×500 load table by span
The largest uniform load a simply supported W14×500 can carry, in kips per foot, with its compression flange braced along its length (by a floor or roof deck, for example). The loads include the beam's own weight of 0.500 kips per foot.
| Span | Factored load (LRFD) | Allowable load (ASD) | Load at span/360 | Load at span/240 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ft | 257.5* | 171.7* | 352.7 | 529.1 |
| 12 ft | 214.6* | 143.1* | 204.1 | 306.2 |
| 14 ft | 160.7 | 106.9 | 128.5 | 192.8 |
| 16 ft | 123.0 | 81.9 | 86.1 | 129.2 |
| 18 ft | 97.2 | 64.7 | 60.5 | 90.7 |
| 20 ft | 78.8 | 52.4 | 44.1 | 66.1 |
| 22 ft | 65.1 | 43.3 | 33.1 | 49.7 |
| 24 ft | 54.7 | 36.4 | 25.5 | 38.3 |
| 26 ft | 46.6 | 31.0 | 20.1 | 30.1 |
| 28 ft | 40.2 | 26.7 | 16.1 | 24.1 |
| 30 ft | 35.0 | 23.3 | 13.1 | 19.6 |
| 32 ft | 30.8 | 20.5 | 10.8 | 16.1 |
| 34 ft | 27.2 | 18.1 | 8.97 | 13.5 |
| 36 ft | 24.3 | 16.2 | 7.56 | 11.3 |
| 38 ft | 21.8 | 14.5 | 6.43 | 9.64 |
| 40 ft | 19.7 | 13.1 | 5.51 | 8.27 |
| 42 ft | 17.9 | 11.9 | 4.76 | 7.14 |
| 44 ft | 16.3 | 10.8 | 4.14 | 6.21 |
| 46 ft | 14.9 | 9.90 | 3.62 | 5.44 |
| 48 ft | 13.7 | 9.10 | 3.19 | 4.78 |
- Factored and allowable loads are limited by bending, or by shear where marked *.
- The deflection columns are the service loads that make the beam sag span/360 or span/240. Compare span/360 with the live load alone and span/240 with dead plus live load, the usual floor limits in IBC Table 1604.3.
Reading the table
At a 30 ft span, a W14×500 carries a factored load of 35.0 kips per foot (LRFD) or an allowable load of 23.3 kips per foot (ASD). A live load of 13.1 kips per foot would deflect it span/360, which is 1.00 in. The beam works if the factored load is under the first number and the live and total loads are under the deflection numbers. For other spans, supports or loads, open it in the beam designer, or follow the steel beam design guide to check one by hand.
W14×500 questions
What does W14×500 mean?
W means a wide flange shape. 14 is its nominal depth in inches (the actual depth is 19.6 in) and 500 is its weight in pounds per foot.
How much does a W14×500 weigh?
500 pounds per foot, so a 20 ft W14×500 weighs about 10,000 pounds.
How far can a W14×500 span?
It depends on the load. Braced along its length, it carries 257.5 kips per foot of factored load at 10 ft and 13.7 kips per foot at 48 ft; the load table has the spans in between. Floor beams are often 29 to 39 ft for this depth (span-to-depth ratios of about 18 to 24), where deflection usually governs.
Is a W14×500 a compact section?
Yes. Its flanges (bf/2tf = 2.43) and web (h/tw = 5.21) are both compact for bending in 50 ksi steel.