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I need to replace a 40'beam was wondering if any of my fellow creeker's have any sugestion's on how to go about this? I have a plan but would like to get imput from from other sources before i get started.All thought's will be considered.So step up and tell how you would proceed. Thank's in advance for your thought's.
Robert,
I had to replace a 25' header on my carport.
I framed a temporary wall that went across the carport. One end was temporarily nailed to my house. At the other end I framed a 6' wall perpendicular to the main wall. The shorter wall was to provide lateral stability. The height of these walls were 1" short of reaching the gussets where the bottom chord meets the rafters.
I made a jig for my table saw. The jig was "ambidextrous". I put a 12' piece of 2x4 in one side...I could rip it diagonally in the 1 1/2" plane. Then I turned the 2x4 over and put it in the other side of the jig...moved the jig to the other miter slot adn finish ripping it. I made up 23 shims/wedges that went from 0" to 1 1/2".
I drove opposing wedges under each of the gussets...Using a sawsall...I cut the existing header out.
I used some "high lift" jacks from work....imagine GIANT bumper jacks...and lifted the new header into position.
Good luck! BE SAFE!
Robert, can you provide more info? Is the beam steel or wood? What is the weight per foot and what are it's dimensions? Is it a free span or does it have intermediate supports? What type of supports on each end(pipe, block, wall pockets, ?)
Can you access both sides of the beam, and what is the headroom. Where is it located - basement with difficult access for equipment or out in the open?
There are a lot of ways that it can be done. If it's holding up floor joists you can put in some temporary posts and beams adjacent to the one being replaced and remove them afterward.
The new beam can be placed using jacks (hi-lift as Ken mentioned or hydraulic, or man-handled into place. You can also use block and tackles or electric winches to get it close into position, and then use the jacks for the final couple of feet. If the beam is accessible to equipment, build temporary supports behind it and have a forklift come in to lift the new one into position.
There are lots of different approaches depending upon the circumstances.
Pictures help a lot, too!
It is a free span i plan.It is a wood beam,I plan to support both sides with 6" channel and 4x4"s ever 4' it will have to be done in two section's.I will use 2x12's and laminate osb until i have an overall thickness oh 8".There will be a stud wall 13' on one end of building.The other end i will support with 4" pipe and plate under the beam.There will be 12/14' in the center where the garage door is.The building is my shop in the making.The bean that is noe in use is made of 2x6"s and is not enough support,has 4x4's ever 3' and is just a pain to work around.
I would suggest you look into an LVL (laminated Veneer Lumber) beam. They are much stiffer than regular lumber and are available in longer lengths. I replaced a failing timber beam in my work shop a few years ago and it was a pretty neat process and the shop ceiling (attic floor) has never been so solid and flat since the day the house was built. I have less than 1/4" sag on an 18 foot span with no center post.
One more suggestion.
I used rented Genie lifts to install many heavy beams during remodelling projects. The lift is a rolling, telescoping fork lift that is hand cranked to raise/lower the load. Most well equipped rental yards have them and some yards have a smaller non-telescoping model too. The lift capacity escapes my aging mind but the yard can advise. Moving the lift with an elevated load is dangerous and you still need helpers to stabilize things as you go up.
I built a 24 x 40' pole barn, my roof is held up by a doubled 2x14 LVL, it is clear span and 40' long. After 5 years, no ridge deflection yet, still nice and straight. I bought the 2 LVLs from a local yard, when they delivered it, they sent a big fork lift type truck that raised it up the 24' to place it in the two pockets I created for the ridge. I didn't have to pay extar for that assistance, may be cheaper at the big box store, but the benefits of getting it up were worth it.
You might also look into renting the Roust-a-bout (Sumner Mfg) to move heavy loads (or several depending on need).
As for the beam, if you want 40' clear span, than you would be best getting either LVL at 40', or a steel beam at 40'. Not sure if i would screw together a bunch of 16 footers into a 40' assembly. The weakest link could get expensive.
Steel would be my choice, you would need an engineer to figure out:
1) Size (I beams are Approx Height x Weight/ft)
That is, a W16x40 is 16" tall and 40 pounds per foot
2) End connections/supports
3) Any need for camber or stiffeners depending on loading.
FWIW, a taller beam is stronger than a wider one, as long as you have the headroom. Eg, its cheaper to get a W18x40 than a W12x65, if they have the same engineered capacity.
Expect to pay .50 to 1 per lb in steel from a fabricator
If you are going with channel as mentioned, remember that taller is better, take a look at the C12x20.7 as a possibility (not engineered). You could even have a taller channel split down the middle to make two pieces, that is a C12 could become two 5 3/4" tall pieces.
You might even get away with instead adding a flitch plate or two (maybe 1/2"x12), but they would need to be butt welded (full penetration) as plates are normally max 20' long.
Just be careful working up there with heavy stuff.
I just had a room added over my 26' wide garage. The architect called for a significant steel "I" beam (I think it was 8" wide X 14" tall) being added on top of 2 concrete filled 4" diameter steel posts. The guys who installed the steel rented lifts to move the steel into place and get the posts underneath it. Then everything was bolted together.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Snowden
Robert, I'm not totally following what you're saying, you state that it will be a free span, but then you state that you will support it on both sides every 4' with 4 x 4's. Also, making a 40' free span beam out of two sections will probably result in a very weak spot in the center.
If you can elaborate a bit further it would help us to provide usable feedback. Thanks much.
Scott
It sounds to me like you need to talk to a structural engineer!
A 40' clear span for a wood beam is a long way. I often hear about people "cowboying" in a beam to fix a problem. Everything looks good for a while, but after a couple of years they are getting significant deflection because wood will have significant creep over time (creep meaning additional permanent deflection without an increase in load).