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Glossary » Beams » Simply Supported » Uniformly Distributed Load » Four Equal Spans » Wide Flange Steel I Beam » W8 × 28
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 = 98.0 in4) for the W8 × 28 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
   
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 3.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 8.27 × 10-6 13.3
30.0 8.86 × 10-6 14.3
40.0 1.18 × 10-5 19.0
50.0 1.48 × 10-5 23.8
60.0 1.77 × 10-5 28.5
70.0 2.07 × 10-5 33.3
80.0 2.36 × 10-5 38.1
90.0 2.66 × 10-5 42.8
100 2.95 × 10-5 47.6
200 5.91 × 10-5 95.1
300 8.86 × 10-5 143
400 1.18 × 10-4 190
500 1.48 × 10-4 238
600 1.77 × 10-4 285
700 2.07 × 10-4 333
800 2.36 × 10-4 381
900 2.66 × 10-4 428
1000 2.95 × 10-4 476
2000 5.91 × 10-4 951
3000 8.86 × 10-4 1430
4000 0.00118 1900
5000 0.00148 2380
6000 0.00177 2850
7000 0.00207 3330
8000 0.00236 3810
9000 0.00266 4280
1.00 × 104 0.00295 4760
2.00 × 104 0.00591 9510
3.00 × 104 0.00886 1.43 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.0118 1.90 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.0148 2.38 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.0177 2.85 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.0207 3.33 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.0236 3.81 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.0266 4.28 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.0295 4.76 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.0591 9.51 × 104
3.00 × 105 0.0886 1.43 × 105
4.00 × 105 0.118 1.90 × 105
5.00 × 105 0.148 2.38 × 105
6.00 × 105 0.177 2.85 × 105
6.24 × 105 0.184 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 5.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 6.38 × 10-5 37.0
30.0 6.84 × 10-5 39.6
40.0 9.12 × 10-5 52.9
50.0 1.14 × 10-4 66.1
60.0 1.37 × 10-4 79.3
70.0 1.60 × 10-4 92.5
80.0 1.82 × 10-4 106
90.0 2.05 × 10-4 119
100 2.28 × 10-4 132
200 4.56 × 10-4 264
300 6.84 × 10-4 396
400 9.12 × 10-4 529
500 0.00114 661
600 0.00137 793
700 0.00160 925
800 0.00182 1060
900 0.00205 1190
1000 0.00228 1320
2000 0.00456 2640
3000 0.00684 3960
4000 0.00912 5290
5000 0.0114 6610
6000 0.0137 7930
7000 0.0160 9250
8000 0.0182 1.06 × 104
9000 0.0205 1.19 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.0228 1.32 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.0456 2.64 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.0684 3.96 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.0912 5.29 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.114 6.61 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.137 7.93 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.160 9.25 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.182 1.06 × 105
9.00 × 104 0.205 1.19 × 105
1.00 × 105 0.228 1.32 × 105
2.00 × 105 0.456 2.64 × 105
2.25 × 105 0.512 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 10.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 0.00102 148
30.0 0.00109 159
40.0 0.00146 211
50.0 0.00182 264
60.0 0.00219 317
70.0 0.00255 370
80.0 0.00292 423
90.0 0.00328 476
100 0.00365 529
200 0.00729 1060
300 0.0109 1590
400 0.0146 2110
500 0.0182 2640
600 0.0219 3170
700 0.0255 3700
800 0.0292 4230
900 0.0328 4760
1000 0.0365 5290
2000 0.0729 1.06 × 104
3000 0.109 1.59 × 104
4000 0.146 2.11 × 104
5000 0.182 2.64 × 104
6000 0.219 3.17 × 104
7000 0.255 3.70 × 104
8000 0.292 4.23 × 104
9000 0.328 4.76 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.365 5.29 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.729 1.06 × 105
3.00 × 104 1.09 1.59 × 105
4.00 × 104 1.46 2.11 × 105
5.00 × 104 1.82 2.64 × 105
5.62 × 104 2.05 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 15.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 0.00517 333
30.0 0.00554 357
40.0 0.00739 476
50.0 0.00923 595
60.0 0.0111 713
70.0 0.0129 832
80.0 0.0148 951
90.0 0.0166 1070
100 0.0185 1190
200 0.0369 2380
300 0.0554 3570
400 0.0739 4760
500 0.0923 5950
600 0.111 7130
700 0.129 8320
800 0.148 9510
900 0.166 1.07 × 104
1000 0.185 1.19 × 104
2000 0.369 2.38 × 104
3000 0.554 3.57 × 104
4000 0.739 4.76 × 104
5000 0.923 5.95 × 104
6000 1.11 7.13 × 104
7000 1.29 8.32 × 104
8000 1.48 9.51 × 104
9000 1.66 1.07 × 105
1.00 × 104 1.85 1.19 × 105
2.00 × 104 3.69 2.38 × 105
2.50 × 104 4.61 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 20.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 0.0163 592
30.0 0.0175 634
40.0 0.0233 846
50.0 0.0292 1060
60.0 0.0350 1270
70.0 0.0408 1480
80.0 0.0467 1690
90.0 0.0525 1900
100 0.0584 2110
200 0.117 4230
300 0.175 6340
400 0.233 8460
500 0.292 1.06 × 104
600 0.350 1.27 × 104
700 0.408 1.48 × 104
800 0.467 1.69 × 104
900 0.525 1.90 × 104
1000 0.584 2.11 × 104
2000 1.17 4.23 × 104
3000 1.75 6.34 × 104
4000 2.33 8.46 × 104
5000 2.92 1.06 × 105
6000 3.50 1.27 × 105
7000 4.08 1.48 × 105
8000 4.67 1.69 × 105
9000 5.25 1.90 × 105
1.00 × 104 5.84 2.11 × 105
1.41 × 104 8.20 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 25.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 0.0399 925
30.0 0.0427 991
40.0 0.0570 1320
50.0 0.0712 1650
60.0 0.0855 1980
70.0 0.0997 2310
80.0 0.114 2640
90.0 0.128 2970
100 0.142 3300
200 0.285 6610
300 0.427 9910
400 0.570 1.32 × 104
500 0.712 1.65 × 104
600 0.855 1.98 × 104
700 0.997 2.31 × 104
800 1.14 2.64 × 104
900 1.28 2.97 × 104
1000 1.42 3.30 × 104
2000 2.85 6.61 × 104
3000 4.27 9.91 × 104
4000 5.70 1.32 × 105
5000 7.12 1.65 × 105
5660 8.06 1.87 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 30.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 0.0827 1330
30.0 0.0886 1430
40.0 0.118 1900
50.0 0.148 2380
60.0 0.177 2850
70.0 0.207 3330
80.0 0.236 3810
90.0 0.266 4280
100 0.295 4760
200 0.591 9510
300 0.886 1.43 × 104
400 1.18 1.90 × 104
500 1.48 2.38 × 104
600 1.77 2.85 × 104
700 2.07 3.33 × 104
800 2.36 3.81 × 104
900 2.66 4.28 × 104
1000 2.95 4.76 × 104
2000 5.91 9.51 × 104
2730 8.06 1.30 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 40.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 0.261 2370
30.0 0.280 2540
40.0 0.373 3380
50.0 0.467 4230
60.0 0.560 5070
70.0 0.654 5920
80.0 0.747 6760
90.0 0.840 7610
100 0.934 8460
200 1.87 1.69 × 104
300 2.80 2.54 × 104
400 3.73 3.38 × 104
500 4.67 4.23 × 104
600 5.60 5.07 × 104
700 6.54 5.92 × 104
800 7.47 6.76 × 104
863 8.06 7.30 × 104
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 50.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 0.638 3700
30.0 0.684 3960
40.0 0.912 5290
50.0 1.14 6610
60.0 1.37 7930
70.0 1.60 9250
80.0 1.82 1.06 × 104
90.0 2.05 1.19 × 104
100 2.28 1.32 × 104
200 4.56 2.64 × 104
300 6.84 3.96 × 104
354 8.06 4.67 × 104
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 60.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 1.32 5330
30.0 1.42 5710
40.0 1.89 7610
50.0 2.36 9510
60.0 2.84 1.14 × 104
70.0 3.31 1.33 × 104
80.0 3.78 1.52 × 104
90.0 4.25 1.71 × 104
100 4.73 1.90 × 104
171 8.06 3.24 × 104
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 70.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 2.45 7250
30.0 2.63 7770
40.0 3.50 1.04 × 104
50.0 4.38 1.29 × 104
60.0 5.25 1.55 × 104
70.0 6.13 1.81 × 104
80.0 7.01 2.07 × 104
90.0 7.88 2.33 × 104
92.0 8.06 2.38 × 104
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 80.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 4.18 9470
30.0 4.48 1.01 × 104
40.0 5.98 1.35 × 104
50.0 7.47 1.69 × 104
54.0 8.06 1.82 × 104
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 90.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 6.70 1.20 × 104
30.0 7.18 1.28 × 104
33.7 8.06 1.44 × 104
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Mechanical Engineers Outlook

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

3D Scanners

A white paper to assist in the evaluation of 3D scanning hardware solutions.

Negotiate Your Salary

Learn the best principles to negotiate the salary you deserve!

STEM Career Outlook

Wages, employment opportunities, and growth projections for STEM jobs.

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