W14×730 Steel Beam
A W14×730 is a wide flange steel beam 22.4 inches deep with 17.9-inch flanges, weighing 730 pounds per foot. In ASTM A992 steel (Fy = 50 ksi) it has a design bending strength of 6,225 kip-ft (LRFD) when its compression flange is braced, and a design shear strength of 2,063 kips.
Design a W14×730 beam Opens a 33 ft span in the free beam designer.
W14×730 dimensions
| Dimension | Value |
|---|---|
| Depth, d | 22.4 in |
| Flange width, bf | 17.9 in |
| Flange thickness, tf | 4.91 in |
| Web thickness, tw | 3.07 in |
| Distance to web toe of fillet, kdes | 5.51 in |
| Distance between flange centroids, ho | 17.49 in |
| Cross-sectional area, A | 215 in2 |
| Weight | 730 lb/ft |
Dimensions are AISC design values. Detailing dimensions are rounded to the nearest 1/16 in.
W14×730 section properties
| Property | Strong axis (x) | Weak axis (y) |
|---|---|---|
| Moment of inertia, I | 14300 in4 | 4720 in4 |
| Elastic section modulus, S | 1280 in3 | 527 in3 |
| Plastic section modulus, Z | 1660 in3 | 816 in3 |
| Radius of gyration, r | 8.17 in | 4.69 in |
| Torsion and slenderness | Value |
|---|---|
| Torsional constant, J | 1450 in4 |
| Warping constant, Cw | 362000 in6 |
| Effective radius of gyration, rts | 5.68 in |
| Flange slenderness, bf/2tf | 1.82 |
| Web slenderness, h/tw | 3.71 |
W14×730 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 = 6,225 kip-ft | Mn/Ω = 4,142 kip-ft |
| Shear | φVn = 2,063 kips | Vn/Ω = 1,375 kips |
If the compression flange isn't braced, the beam can buckle sideways before it yields. Up to Lp = 16.6 ft between braces it keeps its full strength; past Lr = 275.5 ft it buckles elastically. With uniform moment between braces (Cb = 1.0):
| Unbraced length, Lb | φMn (LRFD) | Mn/Ω (ASD) |
|---|---|---|
| Braced | 6,225 kip-ft | 4,142 kip-ft |
| 10 ft | 6,225 kip-ft | 4,142 kip-ft |
| 16.6 ft (Lp) | 6,225 kip-ft | 4,142 kip-ft |
| 20 ft | 6,187 kip-ft | 4,116 kip-ft |
| 30 ft | 6,076 kip-ft | 4,043 kip-ft |
| 40 ft | 5,966 kip-ft | 3,969 kip-ft |
| 50 ft | 5,855 kip-ft | 3,896 kip-ft |
| 60 ft | 5,744 kip-ft | 3,822 kip-ft |
| 70 ft | 5,634 kip-ft | 3,748 kip-ft |
| 80 ft | 5,523 kip-ft | 3,675 kip-ft |
| 90 ft | 5,412 kip-ft | 3,601 kip-ft |
| 100 ft | 5,302 kip-ft | 3,527 kip-ft |
| 110 ft | 5,191 kip-ft | 3,454 kip-ft |
| 275.5 ft (Lr) | 3,358 kip-ft | 2,234 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.
W14×730 load table by span
The largest uniform load a simply supported W14×730 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 0.730 kips per foot.
| Span | Factored load (LRFD) | Allowable load (ASD) | Load at span/360 | Load at span/240 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 ft | 375.1* | 250.1* | 461.6 | 692.4 |
| 13 ft | 294.7 | 196.1 | 279.6 | 419.5 |
| 15 ft | 221.3 | 147.3 | 182.0 | 273.1 |
| 17 ft | 172.3 | 114.6 | 125.0 | 187.6 |
| 19 ft | 138.0 | 91.8 | 89.6 | 134.4 |
| 21 ft | 112.9 | 75.1 | 66.3 | 99.5 |
| 23 ft | 94.1 | 62.6 | 50.5 | 75.7 |
| 25 ft | 79.7 | 53.0 | 39.3 | 59.0 |
| 27 ft | 68.3 | 45.5 | 31.2 | 46.8 |
| 29 ft | 59.2 | 39.4 | 25.2 | 37.8 |
| 31 ft | 51.8 | 34.5 | 20.6 | 30.9 |
| 33 ft | 45.7 | 30.4 | 17.1 | 25.6 |
| 35 ft | 40.7 | 27.0 | 14.3 | 21.5 |
| 37 ft | 36.4 | 24.2 | 12.1 | 18.2 |
| 39 ft | 32.7 | 21.8 | 10.4 | 15.5 |
| 41 ft | 29.6 | 19.7 | 8.91 | 13.4 |
| 43 ft | 26.9 | 17.9 | 7.73 | 11.6 |
| 45 ft | 24.6 | 16.4 | 6.74 | 10.1 |
| 47 ft | 22.5 | 15.0 | 5.92 | 8.88 |
| 49 ft | 20.7 | 13.8 | 5.22 | 7.83 |
| 51 ft | 19.1 | 12.7 | 4.63 | 6.95 |
| 53 ft | 17.7 | 11.8 | 4.13 | 6.19 |
| 55 ft | 16.5 | 11.0 | 3.69 | 5.54 |
- 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 33 ft span, a W14×730 carries a factored load of 45.7 kips per foot (LRFD) or an allowable load of 30.4 kips per foot (ASD). A live load of 17.1 kips per foot would deflect it span/360, which is 1.10 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.
W14×730 questions
What does W14×730 mean?
W means a wide flange shape. 14 is its nominal depth in inches (the actual depth is 22.4 in) and 730 is its weight in pounds per foot.
How much does a W14×730 weigh?
730 pounds per foot, so a 20 ft W14×730 weighs about 14,600 pounds.
How far can a W14×730 span?
It depends on the load. Braced along its length, it carries 375.1 kips per foot of factored load at 11 ft and 16.5 kips per foot at 55 ft; the load table has the spans in between. Floor beams are often 34 to 45 ft for this depth (span-to-depth ratios of about 18 to 24), where deflection usually governs.
Is a W14×730 a compact section?
Yes. Its flanges (bf/2tf = 1.82) and web (h/tw = 3.71) are both compact for bending in 50 ksi steel.