W14×605 Steel Beam
A W14×605 is a wide flange steel beam 20.9 inches deep with 17.4-inch flanges, weighing 605 pounds per foot. In ASTM A992 steel (Fy = 50 ksi) it has a design bending strength of 4,950 kip-ft (LRFD) when its compression flange is braced, and a design shear strength of 1,630 kips.
Design a W14×605 beam Opens a 32 ft span in the free beam designer.
W14×605 dimensions
| Dimension | Value |
|---|---|
| Depth, d | 20.9 in |
| Flange width, bf | 17.4 in |
| Flange thickness, tf | 4.16 in |
| Web thickness, tw | 2.60 in |
| Distance to web toe of fillet, kdes | 4.76 in |
| Distance between flange centroids, ho | 16.74 in |
| Cross-sectional area, A | 178 in2 |
| Weight | 605 lb/ft |
Dimensions are AISC design values. Detailing dimensions are rounded to the nearest 1/16 in.
W14×605 section properties
| Property | Strong axis (x) | Weak axis (y) |
|---|---|---|
| Moment of inertia, I | 10800 in4 | 3680 in4 |
| Elastic section modulus, S | 1040 in3 | 423 in3 |
| Plastic section modulus, Z | 1320 in3 | 652 in3 |
| Radius of gyration, r | 7.80 in | 4.55 in |
| Torsion and slenderness | Value |
|---|---|
| Torsional constant, J | 869 in4 |
| Warping constant, Cw | 258000 in6 |
| Effective radius of gyration, rts | 5.44 in |
| Flange slenderness, bf/2tf | 2.09 |
| Web slenderness, h/tw | 4.39 |
W14×605 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 = 4,950 kip-ft | Mn/Ω = 3,293 kip-ft |
| Shear | φVn = 1,630 kips | Vn/Ω = 1,087 kips |
If the compression flange isn't braced, the beam can buckle sideways before it yields. Up to Lp = 16.1 ft between braces it keeps its full strength; past Lr = 231.7 ft it buckles elastically. With uniform moment between braces (Cb = 1.0):
| Unbraced length, Lb | φMn (LRFD) | Mn/Ω (ASD) |
|---|---|---|
| Braced | 4,950 kip-ft | 3,293 kip-ft |
| 10 ft | 4,950 kip-ft | 3,293 kip-ft |
| 16.1 ft (Lp) | 4,950 kip-ft | 3,293 kip-ft |
| 20 ft | 4,910 kip-ft | 3,267 kip-ft |
| 30 ft | 4,807 kip-ft | 3,198 kip-ft |
| 40 ft | 4,704 kip-ft | 3,129 kip-ft |
| 50 ft | 4,601 kip-ft | 3,061 kip-ft |
| 60 ft | 4,498 kip-ft | 2,992 kip-ft |
| 70 ft | 4,395 kip-ft | 2,924 kip-ft |
| 80 ft | 4,292 kip-ft | 2,855 kip-ft |
| 90 ft | 4,189 kip-ft | 2,787 kip-ft |
| 100 ft | 4,086 kip-ft | 2,718 kip-ft |
| 110 ft | 3,983 kip-ft | 2,650 kip-ft |
| 231.7 ft (Lr) | 2,730 kip-ft | 1,816 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.
W14×605 load table by span
The largest uniform load a simply supported W14×605 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 0.605 kips per foot.
| Span | Factored load (LRFD) | Allowable load (ASD) | Load at span/360 | Load at span/240 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ft | 326.0* | 217.4* | 464.0 | 696.0 |
| 12 ft | 271.7* | 181.1* | 268.5 | 402.8 |
| 14 ft | 202.0 | 134.4 | 169.1 | 253.6 |
| 16 ft | 154.7 | 102.9 | 113.3 | 169.9 |
| 18 ft | 122.2 | 81.3 | 79.6 | 119.3 |
| 20 ft | 99.0 | 65.9 | 58.0 | 87.0 |
| 22 ft | 81.8 | 54.4 | 43.6 | 65.4 |
| 24 ft | 68.8 | 45.7 | 33.6 | 50.3 |
| 26 ft | 58.6 | 39.0 | 26.4 | 39.6 |
| 28 ft | 50.5 | 33.6 | 21.1 | 31.7 |
| 30 ft | 44.0 | 29.3 | 17.2 | 25.8 |
| 32 ft | 38.7 | 25.7 | 14.2 | 21.2 |
| 34 ft | 34.3 | 22.8 | 11.8 | 17.7 |
| 36 ft | 30.6 | 20.3 | 9.95 | 14.9 |
| 38 ft | 27.4 | 18.2 | 8.46 | 12.7 |
| 40 ft | 24.8 | 16.5 | 7.25 | 10.9 |
| 42 ft | 22.4 | 14.9 | 6.26 | 9.39 |
| 44 ft | 20.5 | 13.6 | 5.45 | 8.17 |
| 46 ft | 18.7 | 12.5 | 4.77 | 7.15 |
| 48 ft | 17.2 | 11.4 | 4.20 | 6.29 |
| 50 ft | 15.8 | 10.5 | 3.71 | 5.57 |
| 52 ft | 14.6 | 9.74 | 3.30 | 4.95 |
- 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 32 ft span, a W14×605 carries a factored load of 38.7 kips per foot (LRFD) or an allowable load of 25.7 kips per foot (ASD). A live load of 14.2 kips per foot would deflect it span/360, which is 1.07 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.
W14×605 questions
What does W14×605 mean?
W means a wide flange shape. 14 is its nominal depth in inches (the actual depth is 20.9 in) and 605 is its weight in pounds per foot.
How much does a W14×605 weigh?
605 pounds per foot, so a 20 ft W14×605 weighs about 12,100 pounds.
How far can a W14×605 span?
It depends on the load. Braced along its length, it carries 326.0 kips per foot of factored load at 10 ft and 14.6 kips per foot at 52 ft; the load table has the spans in between. Floor beams are often 31 to 42 ft for this depth (span-to-depth ratios of about 18 to 24), where deflection usually governs.
Is a W14×605 a compact section?
Yes. Its flanges (bf/2tf = 2.09) and web (h/tw = 4.39) are both compact for bending in 50 ksi steel.