Metal 3D Printing Design Guide

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) 3D printing for parts with reduced cost and little waste.

CNC Machining Design Guide

Optimize your designs, reduce machining time, and lower your costs.

Mechanical Engineers Outlook

Guide for those interested in becoming a mechanical engineer. Includes qualifications, pay, and job duties.

Negotiate Your Salary

Learn the best principles to negotiate the salary you deserve!

more free publications

Materials

Design

Processes

Units

Formulas

Math
Glossary » Beams » Simply Supported » Uniformly Distributed Load » Four Equal Spans » Wide Flange Steel I Beam » W18 × 60
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 = 984 in4) for the W18 × 60 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
L = 125 ft
L = 150 ft
   
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 3.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 1.77 × 10-6 6.43
70.0 2.06 × 10-6 7.50
80.0 2.35 × 10-6 8.58
90.0 2.65 × 10-6 9.65
100 2.94 × 10-6 10.7
200 5.88 × 10-6 21.4
300 8.83 × 10-6 32.2
400 1.18 × 10-5 42.9
500 1.47 × 10-5 53.6
600 1.77 × 10-5 64.3
700 2.06 × 10-5 75.0
800 2.35 × 10-5 85.8
900 2.65 × 10-5 96.5
1000 2.94 × 10-5 107
2000 5.88 × 10-5 214
3000 8.83 × 10-5 322
4000 1.18 × 10-4 429
5000 1.47 × 10-4 536
6000 1.77 × 10-4 643
7000 2.06 × 10-4 750
8000 2.35 × 10-4 858
9000 2.65 × 10-4 965
1.00 × 104 2.94 × 10-4 1070
2.00 × 104 5.88 × 10-4 2140
3.00 × 104 8.83 × 10-4 3220
4.00 × 104 0.00118 4290
5.00 × 104 0.00147 5360
6.00 × 104 0.00177 6430
7.00 × 104 0.00206 7500
8.00 × 104 0.00235 8580
9.00 × 104 0.00265 9650
1.00 × 105 0.00294 1.07 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.00588 2.14 × 104
3.00 × 105 0.00883 3.22 × 104
4.00 × 105 0.0118 4.29 × 104
5.00 × 105 0.0147 5.36 × 104
6.00 × 105 0.0177 6.43 × 104
7.00 × 105 0.0206 7.50 × 104
8.00 × 105 0.0235 8.58 × 104
9.00 × 105 0.0265 9.65 × 104
1.00 × 106 0.0294 1.07 × 105
2.00 × 106 0.0588 2.14 × 105
2.77 × 106 0.0815 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 5.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 1.36 × 10-5 17.9
70.0 1.59 × 10-5 20.8
80.0 1.82 × 10-5 23.8
90.0 2.04 × 10-5 26.8
100 2.27 × 10-5 29.8
200 4.54 × 10-5 59.6
300 6.81 × 10-5 89.3
400 9.08 × 10-5 119
500 1.14 × 10-4 149
600 1.36 × 10-4 179
700 1.59 × 10-4 208
800 1.82 × 10-4 238
900 2.04 × 10-4 268
1000 2.27 × 10-4 298
2000 4.54 × 10-4 596
3000 6.81 × 10-4 893
4000 9.08 × 10-4 1190
5000 0.00114 1490
6000 0.00136 1790
7000 0.00159 2080
8000 0.00182 2380
9000 0.00204 2680
1.00 × 104 0.00227 2980
2.00 × 104 0.00454 5960
3.00 × 104 0.00681 8930
4.00 × 104 0.00908 1.19 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.0114 1.49 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.0136 1.79 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.0159 2.08 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.0182 2.38 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.0204 2.68 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.0227 2.98 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.0454 5.96 × 104
3.00 × 105 0.0681 8.93 × 104
4.00 × 105 0.0908 1.19 × 105
5.00 × 105 0.114 1.49 × 105
6.00 × 105 0.136 1.79 × 105
7.00 × 105 0.159 2.08 × 105
8.00 × 105 0.182 2.38 × 105
9.00 × 105 0.204 2.68 × 105
9.97 × 105 0.226 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 10.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 2.18 × 10-4 71.5
70.0 2.54 × 10-4 83.4
80.0 2.91 × 10-4 95.3
90.0 3.27 × 10-4 107
100 3.63 × 10-4 119
200 7.26 × 10-4 238
300 0.00109 357
400 0.00145 476
500 0.00182 596
600 0.00218 715
700 0.00254 834
800 0.00291 953
900 0.00327 1070
1000 0.00363 1190
2000 0.00726 2380
3000 0.0109 3570
4000 0.0145 4760
5000 0.0182 5960
6000 0.0218 7150
7000 0.0254 8340
8000 0.0291 9530
9000 0.0327 1.07 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.0363 1.19 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.0726 2.38 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.109 3.57 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.145 4.76 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.182 5.96 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.218 7.15 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.254 8.34 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.291 9.53 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.327 1.07 × 105
1.00 × 105 0.363 1.19 × 105
2.00 × 105 0.726 2.38 × 105
2.49 × 105 0.906 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 15.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 0.00110 161
70.0 0.00129 188
80.0 0.00147 214
90.0 0.00165 241
100 0.00184 268
200 0.00368 536
300 0.00552 804
400 0.00736 1070
500 0.00919 1340
600 0.0110 1610
700 0.0129 1880
800 0.0147 2140
900 0.0165 2410
1000 0.0184 2680
2000 0.0368 5360
3000 0.0552 8040
4000 0.0736 1.07 × 104
5000 0.0919 1.34 × 104
6000 0.110 1.61 × 104
7000 0.129 1.88 × 104
8000 0.147 2.14 × 104
9000 0.165 2.41 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.184 2.68 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.368 5.36 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.552 8.04 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.736 1.07 × 105
5.00 × 104 0.919 1.34 × 105
6.00 × 104 1.10 1.61 × 105
7.00 × 104 1.29 1.88 × 105
8.00 × 104 1.47 2.14 × 105
9.00 × 104 1.65 2.41 × 105
1.00 × 105 1.84 2.68 × 105
1.11 × 105 2.04 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 20.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 0.00349 286
70.0 0.00407 334
80.0 0.00465 381
90.0 0.00523 429
100 0.00581 476
200 0.0116 953
300 0.0174 1430
400 0.0232 1910
500 0.0291 2380
600 0.0349 2860
700 0.0407 3340
800 0.0465 3810
900 0.0523 4290
1000 0.0581 4760
2000 0.116 9530
3000 0.174 1.43 × 104
4000 0.232 1.91 × 104
5000 0.291 2.38 × 104
6000 0.349 2.86 × 104
7000 0.407 3.34 × 104
8000 0.465 3.81 × 104
9000 0.523 4.29 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.581 4.76 × 104
2.00 × 104 1.16 9.53 × 104
3.00 × 104 1.74 1.43 × 105
4.00 × 104 2.32 1.91 × 105
5.00 × 104 2.91 2.38 × 105
6.00 × 104 3.49 2.86 × 105
6.23 × 104 3.62 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 25.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 0.00851 447
70.0 0.00993 521
80.0 0.0114 596
90.0 0.0128 670
100 0.0142 744
200 0.0284 1490
300 0.0426 2230
400 0.0568 2980
500 0.0709 3720
600 0.0851 4470
700 0.0993 5210
800 0.114 5960
900 0.128 6700
1000 0.142 7440
2000 0.284 1.49 × 104
3000 0.426 2.23 × 104
4000 0.568 2.98 × 104
5000 0.709 3.72 × 104
6000 0.851 4.47 × 104
7000 0.993 5.21 × 104
8000 1.14 5.96 × 104
9000 1.28 6.70 × 104
1.00 × 104 1.42 7.44 × 104
2.00 × 104 2.84 1.49 × 105
3.00 × 104 4.26 2.23 × 105
3.99 × 104 5.66 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 30.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 0.0177 643
70.0 0.0206 750
80.0 0.0235 858
90.0 0.0265 965
100 0.0294 1070
200 0.0588 2140
300 0.0883 3220
400 0.118 4290
500 0.147 5360
600 0.177 6430
700 0.206 7500
800 0.235 8580
900 0.265 9650
1000 0.294 1.07 × 104
2000 0.588 2.14 × 104
3000 0.883 3.22 × 104
4000 1.18 4.29 × 104
5000 1.47 5.36 × 104
6000 1.77 6.43 × 104
7000 2.06 7.50 × 104
8000 2.35 8.58 × 104
9000 2.65 9.65 × 104
1.00 × 104 2.94 1.07 × 105
2.00 × 104 5.88 2.14 × 105
2.77 × 104 8.15 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 40.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 0.0558 1140
70.0 0.0651 1330
80.0 0.0744 1520
90.0 0.0837 1720
100 0.0930 1910
200 0.186 3810
300 0.279 5720
400 0.372 7620
500 0.465 9530
600 0.558 1.14 × 104
700 0.651 1.33 × 104
800 0.744 1.52 × 104
900 0.837 1.72 × 104
1000 0.930 1.91 × 104
2000 1.86 3.81 × 104
3000 2.79 5.72 × 104
4000 3.72 7.62 × 104
5000 4.65 9.53 × 104
6000 5.58 1.14 × 105
7000 6.51 1.33 × 105
8000 7.44 1.52 × 105
9000 8.37 1.72 × 105
1.00 × 104 9.30 1.91 × 105
1.56 × 104 14.5 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 50.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 0.136 1790
70.0 0.159 2080
80.0 0.182 2380
90.0 0.204 2680
100 0.227 2980
200 0.454 5960
300 0.681 8930
400 0.908 1.19 × 104
500 1.14 1.49 × 104
600 1.36 1.79 × 104
700 1.59 2.08 × 104
800 1.82 2.38 × 104
900 2.04 2.68 × 104
1000 2.27 2.98 × 104
2000 4.54 5.96 × 104
3000 6.81 8.93 × 104
4000 9.08 1.19 × 105
5000 11.4 1.49 × 105
6000 13.6 1.79 × 105
7000 15.9 2.08 × 105
8000 18.2 2.38 × 105
8030 18.2 2.39 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 60.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 0.282 2570
70.0 0.330 3000
80.0 0.377 3430
90.0 0.424 3860
100 0.471 4290
200 0.942 8580
300 1.41 1.29 × 104
400 1.88 1.72 × 104
500 2.35 2.14 × 104
600 2.82 2.57 × 104
700 3.30 3.00 × 104
800 3.77 3.43 × 104
900 4.24 3.86 × 104
1000 4.71 4.29 × 104
2000 9.42 8.58 × 104
3000 14.1 1.29 × 105
3870 18.2 1.66 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 70.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 0.523 3500
70.0 0.610 4090
80.0 0.698 4670
90.0 0.785 5250
100 0.872 5840
200 1.74 1.17 × 104
300 2.62 1.75 × 104
400 3.49 2.33 × 104
500 4.36 2.92 × 104
600 5.23 3.50 × 104
700 6.10 4.09 × 104
800 6.98 4.67 × 104
900 7.85 5.25 × 104
1000 8.72 5.84 × 104
2000 17.4 1.17 × 105
2090 18.2 1.22 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 80.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 0.893 4570
70.0 1.04 5340
80.0 1.19 6100
90.0 1.34 6860
100 1.49 7620
200 2.98 1.52 × 104
300 4.46 2.29 × 104
400 5.95 3.05 × 104
500 7.44 3.81 × 104
600 8.93 4.57 × 104
700 10.4 5.34 × 104
800 11.9 6.10 × 104
900 13.4 6.86 × 104
1000 14.9 7.62 × 104
1230 18.2 9.35 × 104
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 90.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 1.43 5790
70.0 1.67 6750
80.0 1.91 7720
90.0 2.14 8680
100 2.38 9650
200 4.77 1.93 × 104
300 7.15 2.89 × 104
400 9.53 3.86 × 104
500 11.9 4.82 × 104
600 14.3 5.79 × 104
700 16.7 6.75 × 104
765 18.2 7.38 × 104
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 100 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 2.18 7150
70.0 2.54 8340
80.0 2.91 9530
90.0 3.27 1.07 × 104
100 3.63 1.19 × 104
200 7.26 2.38 × 104
300 10.9 3.57 × 104
400 14.5 4.76 × 104
500 18.2 5.96 × 104
502 18.2 5.98 × 104
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 125 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 5.32 1.12 × 104
70.0 6.21 1.30 × 104
80.0 7.09 1.49 × 104
90.0 7.98 1.68 × 104
100 8.87 1.86 × 104
200 17.7 3.72 × 104
206 18.2 3.83 × 104
Steel I Beam: W18 × 60 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 60 lbf/ft)
L = 150 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
60.0 11.0 1.61 × 104
70.0 12.9 1.88 × 104
80.0 14.7 2.14 × 104
90.0 16.5 2.41 × 104
99.2 18.2 2.66 × 104
Additional Information
Related Pages
FREE Publications
Metal 3D Printing Design Guide

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) 3D printing for parts with reduced cost and little waste.

CNC Machining Design Guide

Optimize your designs, reduce machining time, and lower your costs.

Mechanical Engineers Outlook

Guide for those interested in becoming a mechanical engineer. Includes qualifications, pay, and job duties.

Negotiate Your Salary

Learn the best principles to negotiate the salary you deserve!

more publications