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Glossary » Beams » Simply Supported » Uniformly Distributed Load » Four Equal Spans » Wide Flange Steel I Beam » W12 × 16
Wide Flange Steel I Beam | Single Span | Two Equal Spans | Three Equal Spans | Four Equal Spans

For a simply supported beam in four equal spans, we compute the displacement at the middle of the first and fourth spans, and the maximum normal stress stress_max occuring at the second and fourth supports of the beam.
The tabulated data listed in this page are calculated based on the area moment of inertia (Ixx = 103 in4) for the W12 × 16 Wide Flange Steel I Beam and the typical Young's modulus (E = 3.046 × 107 psi) of steels. Note that the typical yielding stress Yield of steels can range from 1.015 × 104 to 2.970 × 105 psi. The purpose of this page is to give a rough estimation of the load-bearing capacity of this particular beam, rather than a guideline for designing actual building structures. Please check your local building codes for regulatory requirements.
Note: The weight of the beam itself is not included in the calculation.
L = 3 ft
L = 5 ft
L = 10 ft
L = 15 ft
L = 20 ft
L = 25 ft
L = 30 ft
L = 40 ft
L = 50 ft
L = 60 ft
L = 70 ft
L = 80 ft
L = 90 ft
L = 100 ft
  
Steel I Beam: W12 × 16 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 16 lbf/ft)
L = 3.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
16.0 4.50 × 10-6 10.8
20.0 5.62 × 10-6 13.5
30.0 8.43 × 10-6 20.2
40.0 1.12 × 10-5 26.9
50.0 1.41 × 10-5 33.7
60.0 1.69 × 10-5 40.4
70.0 1.97 × 10-5 47.1
80.0 2.25 × 10-5 53.9
90.0 2.53 × 10-5 60.6
100 2.81 × 10-5 67.3
200 5.62 × 10-5 135
300 8.43 × 10-5 202
400 1.12 × 10-4 269
500 1.41 × 10-4 337
600 1.69 × 10-4 404
700 1.97 × 10-4 471
800 2.25 × 10-4 539
900 2.53 × 10-4 606
1000 2.81 × 10-4 673
2000 5.62 × 10-4 1350
3000 8.43 × 10-4 2020
4000 0.00112 2690
5000 0.00141 3370
6000 0.00169 4040
7000 0.00197 4710
8000 0.00225 5390
9000 0.00253 6060
1.00 × 104 0.00281 6730
2.00 × 104 0.00562 1.35 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.00843 2.02 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.0112 2.69 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.0141 3.37 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.0169 4.04 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.0197 4.71 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.0225 5.39 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.0253 6.06 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.0281 6.73 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.0562 1.35 × 105
3.00 × 105 0.0843 2.02 × 105
4.00 × 105 0.112 2.69 × 105
4.41 × 105 0.124 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 16 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 16 lbf/ft)
L = 5.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
16.0 3.47 × 10-5 29.9
20.0 4.34 × 10-5 37.4
30.0 6.51 × 10-5 56.1
40.0 8.68 × 10-5 74.8
50.0 1.08 × 10-4 93.5
60.0 1.30 × 10-4 112
70.0 1.52 × 10-4 131
80.0 1.74 × 10-4 150
90.0 1.95 × 10-4 168
100 2.17 × 10-4 187
200 4.34 × 10-4 374
300 6.51 × 10-4 561
400 8.68 × 10-4 748
500 0.00108 935
600 0.00130 1120
700 0.00152 1310
800 0.00174 1500
900 0.00195 1680
1000 0.00217 1870
2000 0.00434 3740
3000 0.00651 5610
4000 0.00868 7480
5000 0.0108 9350
6000 0.0130 1.12 × 104
7000 0.0152 1.31 × 104
8000 0.0174 1.50 × 104
9000 0.0195 1.68 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.0217 1.87 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.0434 3.74 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.0651 5.61 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.0868 7.48 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.108 9.35 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.130 1.12 × 105
7.00 × 104 0.152 1.31 × 105
8.00 × 104 0.174 1.50 × 105
9.00 × 104 0.195 1.68 × 105
1.00 × 105 0.217 1.87 × 105
1.59 × 105 0.344 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 16 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 16 lbf/ft)
L = 10.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
16.0 5.55 × 10-4 120
20.0 6.94 × 10-4 150
30.0 0.00104 224
40.0 0.00139 299
50.0 0.00174 374
60.0 0.00208 449
70.0 0.00243 524
80.0 0.00278 598
90.0 0.00312 673
100 0.00347 748
200 0.00694 1500
300 0.0104 2240
400 0.0139 2990
500 0.0174 3740
600 0.0208 4490
700 0.0243 5240
800 0.0278 5980
900 0.0312 6730
1000 0.0347 7480
2000 0.0694 1.50 × 104
3000 0.104 2.24 × 104
4000 0.139 2.99 × 104
5000 0.174 3.74 × 104
6000 0.208 4.49 × 104
7000 0.243 5.24 × 104
8000 0.278 5.98 × 104
9000 0.312 6.73 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.347 7.48 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.694 1.50 × 105
3.00 × 104 1.04 2.24 × 105
3.97 × 104 1.38 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 16 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 16 lbf/ft)
L = 15.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
16.0 0.00281 269
20.0 0.00351 337
30.0 0.00527 505
40.0 0.00703 673
50.0 0.00878 842
60.0 0.0105 1010
70.0 0.0123 1180
80.0 0.0141 1350
90.0 0.0158 1510
100 0.0176 1680
200 0.0351 3370
300 0.0527 5050
400 0.0703 6730
500 0.0878 8420
600 0.105 1.01 × 104
700 0.123 1.18 × 104
800 0.141 1.35 × 104
900 0.158 1.51 × 104
1000 0.176 1.68 × 104
2000 0.351 3.37 × 104
3000 0.527 5.05 × 104
4000 0.703 6.73 × 104
5000 0.878 8.42 × 104
6000 1.05 1.01 × 105
7000 1.23 1.18 × 105
8000 1.41 1.35 × 105
9000 1.58 1.51 × 105
1.00 × 104 1.76 1.68 × 105
1.76 × 104 3.10 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 16 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 16 lbf/ft)
L = 20.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
16.0 0.00888 479
20.0 0.0111 598
30.0 0.0167 898
40.0 0.0222 1200
50.0 0.0278 1500
60.0 0.0333 1800
70.0 0.0389 2090
80.0 0.0444 2390
90.0 0.0500 2690
100 0.0555 2990
200 0.111 5980
300 0.167 8980
400 0.222 1.20 × 104
500 0.278 1.50 × 104
600 0.333 1.80 × 104
700 0.389 2.09 × 104
800 0.444 2.39 × 104
900 0.500 2.69 × 104
1000 0.555 2.99 × 104
2000 1.11 5.98 × 104
3000 1.67 8.98 × 104
4000 2.22 1.20 × 105
5000 2.78 1.50 × 105
6000 3.33 1.80 × 105
7000 3.89 2.09 × 105
8000 4.44 2.39 × 105
9000 5.00 2.69 × 105
9930 5.51 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 16 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 16 lbf/ft)
L = 25.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
16.0 0.0217 748
20.0 0.0271 935
30.0 0.0407 1400
40.0 0.0542 1870
50.0 0.0678 2340
60.0 0.0813 2810
70.0 0.0949 3270
80.0 0.108 3740
90.0 0.122 4210
100 0.136 4680
200 0.271 9350
300 0.407 1.40 × 104
400 0.542 1.87 × 104
500 0.678 2.34 × 104
600 0.813 2.81 × 104
700 0.949 3.27 × 104
800 1.08 3.74 × 104
900 1.22 4.21 × 104
1000 1.36 4.68 × 104
2000 2.71 9.35 × 104
3000 4.07 1.40 × 105
4000 5.42 1.87 × 105
5000 6.78 2.34 × 105
6000 8.13 2.81 × 105
6350 8.61 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 16 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 16 lbf/ft)
L = 30.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
16.0 0.0450 1080
20.0 0.0562 1350
30.0 0.0843 2020
40.0 0.112 2690
50.0 0.141 3370
60.0 0.169 4040
70.0 0.197 4710
80.0 0.225 5390
90.0 0.253 6060
100 0.281 6730
200 0.562 1.35 × 104
300 0.843 2.02 × 104
400 1.12 2.69 × 104
500 1.41 3.37 × 104
600 1.69 4.04 × 104
700 1.97 4.71 × 104
800 2.25 5.39 × 104
900 2.53 6.06 × 104
1000 2.81 6.73 × 104
2000 5.62 1.35 × 105
3000 8.43 2.02 × 105
4000 11.2 2.69 × 105
4410 12.4 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 16 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 16 lbf/ft)
L = 40.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
16.0 0.142 1910
20.0 0.178 2390
30.0 0.267 3590
40.0 0.355 4790
50.0 0.444 5980
60.0 0.533 7180
70.0 0.622 8380
80.0 0.711 9570
90.0 0.800 1.08 × 104
100 0.888 1.20 × 104
200 1.78 2.39 × 104
300 2.67 3.59 × 104
400 3.55 4.79 × 104
500 4.44 5.98 × 104
600 5.33 7.18 × 104
700 6.22 8.38 × 104
800 7.11 9.57 × 104
900 8.00 1.08 × 105
1000 8.88 1.20 × 105
1350 12.0 1.62 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 16 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 16 lbf/ft)
L = 50.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
16.0 0.347 2990
20.0 0.434 3740
30.0 0.651 5610
40.0 0.868 7480
50.0 1.08 9350
60.0 1.30 1.12 × 104
70.0 1.52 1.31 × 104
80.0 1.74 1.50 × 104
90.0 1.95 1.68 × 104
100 2.17 1.87 × 104
200 4.34 3.74 × 104
300 6.51 5.61 × 104
400 8.68 7.48 × 104
500 10.8 9.35 × 104
553 12.0 1.03 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 16 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 16 lbf/ft)
L = 60.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
16.0 0.720 4310
20.0 0.899 5390
30.0 1.35 8080
40.0 1.80 1.08 × 104
50.0 2.25 1.35 × 104
60.0 2.70 1.62 × 104
70.0 3.15 1.89 × 104
80.0 3.60 2.15 × 104
90.0 4.05 2.42 × 104
100 4.50 2.69 × 104
200 8.99 5.39 × 104
267 12.0 7.18 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 16 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 16 lbf/ft)
L = 70.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
16.0 1.33 5860
20.0 1.67 7330
30.0 2.50 1.10 × 104
40.0 3.33 1.47 × 104
50.0 4.17 1.83 × 104
60.0 5.00 2.20 × 104
70.0 5.83 2.57 × 104
80.0 6.67 2.93 × 104
90.0 7.50 3.30 × 104
100 8.33 3.67 × 104
144 12.0 5.27 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 16 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 16 lbf/ft)
L = 80.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
16.0 2.27 7660
20.0 2.84 9570
30.0 4.26 1.44 × 104
40.0 5.69 1.91 × 104
50.0 7.11 2.39 × 104
60.0 8.53 2.87 × 104
70.0 9.95 3.35 × 104
80.0 11.4 3.83 × 104
84.4 12.0 4.04 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 16 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 16 lbf/ft)
L = 90.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
16.0 3.64 9690
20.0 4.55 1.21 × 104
30.0 6.83 1.82 × 104
40.0 9.11 2.42 × 104
50.0 11.4 3.03 × 104
52.7 12.0 3.19 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 16 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 16 lbf/ft)
L = 100 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
16.0 5.55 1.20 × 104
20.0 6.94 1.50 × 104
30.0 10.4 2.24 × 104
34.6 12.0 2.58 × 104
Additional Information
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Information, coverage of important developments and expert commentary in manufacturing.

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