W36×652 Steel Beam
A W36×652 is a wide flange steel beam 41.1 inches deep with 17.6-inch flanges, weighing 652 pounds per foot. In ASTM A992 steel (Fy = 50 ksi) it has a design bending strength of 10,913 kip-ft (LRFD) when its compression flange is braced, and a design shear strength of 2,429 kips.
Design a W36×652 beam Opens a 63 ft span in the free beam designer.
W36×652 dimensions
| Dimension | Value |
|---|---|
| Depth, d | 41.1 in |
| Flange width, bf | 17.6 in |
| Flange thickness, tf | 3.54 in |
| Web thickness, tw | 1.97 in |
| Distance to web toe of fillet, kdes | 4.49 in |
| Distance between flange centroids, ho | 37.56 in |
| Cross-sectional area, A | 192 in2 |
| Weight | 652 lb/ft |
Dimensions are AISC design values. Detailing dimensions are rounded to the nearest 1/16 in.
W36×652 section properties
| Property | Strong axis (x) | Weak axis (y) |
|---|---|---|
| Moment of inertia, I | 50600 in4 | 3230 in4 |
| Elastic section modulus, S | 2460 in3 | 367 in3 |
| Plastic section modulus, Z | 2910 in3 | 581 in3 |
| Radius of gyration, r | 16.2 in | 4.10 in |
| Torsion and slenderness | Value |
|---|---|
| Torsional constant, J | 593 in4 |
| Warping constant, Cw | 1130000 in6 |
| Effective radius of gyration, rts | 4.96 in |
| Flange slenderness, bf/2tf | 2.48 |
| Web slenderness, h/tw | 16.3 |
W36×652 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 = 10,913 kip-ft | Mn/Ω = 7,260 kip-ft |
| Shear | φVn = 2,429 kips | Vn/Ω = 1,619 kips |
If the compression flange isn't braced, the beam can buckle sideways before it yields. Up to Lp = 14.5 ft between braces it keeps its full strength; past Lr = 77.7 ft it buckles elastically. With uniform moment between braces (Cb = 1.0):
| Unbraced length, Lb | φMn (LRFD) | Mn/Ω (ASD) |
|---|---|---|
| Braced | 10,913 kip-ft | 7,260 kip-ft |
| 10 ft | 10,913 kip-ft | 7,260 kip-ft |
| 14.5 ft (Lp) | 10,913 kip-ft | 7,260 kip-ft |
| 20 ft | 10,524 kip-ft | 7,002 kip-ft |
| 30 ft | 9,819 kip-ft | 6,533 kip-ft |
| 40 ft | 9,114 kip-ft | 6,064 kip-ft |
| 50 ft | 8,410 kip-ft | 5,595 kip-ft |
| 60 ft | 7,705 kip-ft | 5,126 kip-ft |
| 70 ft | 7,000 kip-ft | 4,658 kip-ft |
| 77.7 ft (Lr) | 6,458 kip-ft | 4,297 kip-ft |
| 80 ft | 6,259 kip-ft | 4,165 kip-ft |
| 90 ft | 5,534 kip-ft | 3,682 kip-ft |
| 100 ft | 4,962 kip-ft | 3,301 kip-ft |
| 110 ft | 4,498 kip-ft | 2,993 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.
W36×652 load table by span
The largest uniform load a simply supported W36×652 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 0.652 kips per foot.
| Span | Factored load (LRFD) | Allowable load (ASD) | Load at span/360 | Load at span/240 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 ft | 198.0 | 131.7 | 234.7 | 352.1 |
| 23 ft | 165.0 | 109.8 | 178.7 | 268.0 |
| 25 ft | 139.7 | 92.9 | 139.1 | 208.7 |
| 27 ft | 119.8 | 79.7 | 110.4 | 165.7 |
| 29 ft | 103.8 | 69.1 | 89.1 | 133.7 |
| 31 ft | 90.8 | 60.4 | 73.0 | 109.5 |
| 33 ft | 80.2 | 53.3 | 60.5 | 90.7 |
| 35 ft | 71.3 | 47.4 | 50.7 | 76.1 |
| 37 ft | 63.8 | 42.4 | 42.9 | 64.4 |
| 39 ft | 57.4 | 38.2 | 36.6 | 55.0 |
| 41 ft | 51.9 | 34.6 | 31.5 | 47.3 |
| 43 ft | 47.2 | 31.4 | 27.3 | 41.0 |
| 45 ft | 43.1 | 28.7 | 23.9 | 35.8 |
| 47 ft | 39.5 | 26.3 | 20.9 | 31.4 |
| 49 ft | 36.4 | 24.2 | 18.5 | 27.7 |
| 51 ft | 33.6 | 22.3 | 16.4 | 24.6 |
| 53 ft | 31.1 | 20.7 | 14.6 | 21.9 |
| 55 ft | 28.9 | 19.2 | 13.1 | 19.6 |
| 57 ft | 26.9 | 17.9 | 11.7 | 17.6 |
| 59 ft | 25.1 | 16.7 | 10.6 | 15.9 |
| 61 ft | 23.5 | 15.6 | 9.58 | 14.4 |
| 63 ft | 22.0 | 14.6 | 8.69 | 13.0 |
| 65 ft | 20.7 | 13.7 | 7.92 | 11.9 |
| 67 ft | 19.4 | 12.9 | 7.23 | 10.8 |
| 69 ft | 18.3 | 12.2 | 6.62 | 9.93 |
| 71 ft | 17.3 | 11.5 | 6.07 | 9.11 |
| 73 ft | 16.4 | 10.9 | 5.59 | 8.38 |
| 75 ft | 15.5 | 10.3 | 5.15 | 7.73 |
| 77 ft | 14.7 | 9.80 | 4.76 | 7.14 |
| 79 ft | 14.0 | 9.31 | 4.41 | 6.61 |
| 81 ft | 13.3 | 8.85 | 4.09 | 6.14 |
| 83 ft | 12.7 | 8.43 | 3.80 | 5.70 |
| 85 ft | 12.1 | 8.04 | 3.54 | 5.31 |
| 87 ft | 11.5 | 7.67 | 3.30 | 4.95 |
| 89 ft | 11.0 | 7.33 | 3.08 | 4.63 |
| 91 ft | 10.5 | 7.01 | 2.88 | 4.33 |
| 93 ft | 10.1 | 6.72 | 2.70 | 4.05 |
| 95 ft | 9.67 | 6.44 | 2.54 | 3.80 |
| 97 ft | 9.28 | 6.17 | 2.38 | 3.57 |
| 99 ft | 8.91 | 5.93 | 2.24 | 3.36 |
| 101 ft | 8.56 | 5.69 | 2.11 | 3.16 |
| 103 ft | 8.23 | 5.47 | 1.99 | 2.98 |
- 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 63 ft span, a W36×652 carries a factored load of 22.0 kips per foot (LRFD) or an allowable load of 14.6 kips per foot (ASD). A live load of 8.69 kips per foot would deflect it span/360, which is 2.10 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.
W36×652 questions
What does W36×652 mean?
W means a wide flange shape. 36 is its nominal depth in inches (the actual depth is 41.1 in) and 652 is its weight in pounds per foot.
How much does a W36×652 weigh?
652 pounds per foot, so a 20 ft W36×652 weighs about 13,040 pounds.
How far can a W36×652 span?
It depends on the load. Braced along its length, it carries 198.0 kips per foot of factored load at 21 ft and 8.23 kips per foot at 103 ft; the load table has the spans in between. Floor beams are often 62 to 82 ft for this depth (span-to-depth ratios of about 18 to 24), where deflection usually governs.
Is a W36×652 a compact section?
Yes. Its flanges (bf/2tf = 2.48) and web (h/tw = 16.3) are both compact for bending in 50 ksi steel.