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Glossary » Beams » Simply Supported » Uniformly Distributed Load » Single Span » Wide Flange Steel I Beam » W12 × 120
Wide Flange Steel I Beam | Single Span | Two Equal Spans | Three Equal Spans | Four Equal Spans

For a simply supported beam in a single span, the maximum displacement w_max and the maximum normal stress stress_max occur at the center of the beam.
The tabulated data listed in this page are calculated based on the area moment of inertia (Ixx = 1070 in4) for the W12 × 120 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 × 120 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 120 lbf/ft)
L = 3.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
120 6.71 × 10-6 9.93
200 1.12 × 10-5 16.6
300 1.68 × 10-5 24.8
400 2.24 × 10-5 33.1
500 2.80 × 10-5 41.4
600 3.36 × 10-5 49.7
700 3.91 × 10-5 57.9
800 4.47 × 10-5 66.2
900 5.03 × 10-5 74.5
1000 5.59 × 10-5 82.8
2000 1.12 × 10-4 166
3000 1.68 × 10-4 248
4000 2.24 × 10-4 331
5000 2.80 × 10-4 414
6000 3.36 × 10-4 497
7000 3.91 × 10-4 579
8000 4.47 × 10-4 662
9000 5.03 × 10-4 745
1.00 × 104 5.59 × 10-4 828
2.00 × 104 0.00112 1660
3.00 × 104 0.00168 2480
4.00 × 104 0.00224 3310
5.00 × 104 0.00280 4140
6.00 × 104 0.00336 4970
7.00 × 104 0.00391 5790
8.00 × 104 0.00447 6620
9.00 × 104 0.00503 7450
1.00 × 105 0.00559 8280
2.00 × 105 0.0112 1.66 × 104
3.00 × 105 0.0168 2.48 × 104
4.00 × 105 0.0224 3.31 × 104
5.00 × 105 0.0280 4.14 × 104
6.00 × 105 0.0336 4.97 × 104
7.00 × 105 0.0391 5.79 × 104
8.00 × 105 0.0447 6.62 × 104
9.00 × 105 0.0503 7.45 × 104
1.00 × 106 0.0559 8.28 × 104
2.00 × 106 0.112 1.66 × 105
3.00 × 106 0.168 2.48 × 105
3.59 × 106 0.201 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 120 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 120 lbf/ft)
L = 5.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
120 5.18 × 10-5 27.6
200 8.63 × 10-5 46.0
300 1.29 × 10-4 69.0
400 1.73 × 10-4 92.0
500 2.16 × 10-4 115
600 2.59 × 10-4 138
700 3.02 × 10-4 161
800 3.45 × 10-4 184
900 3.88 × 10-4 207
1000 4.31 × 10-4 230
2000 8.63 × 10-4 460
3000 0.00129 690
4000 0.00173 920
5000 0.00216 1150
6000 0.00259 1380
7000 0.00302 1610
8000 0.00345 1840
9000 0.00388 2070
1.00 × 104 0.00431 2300
2.00 × 104 0.00863 4600
3.00 × 104 0.0129 6900
4.00 × 104 0.0173 9200
5.00 × 104 0.0216 1.15 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.0259 1.38 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.0302 1.61 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.0345 1.84 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.0388 2.07 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.0431 2.30 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.0863 4.60 × 104
3.00 × 105 0.129 6.90 × 104
4.00 × 105 0.173 9.20 × 104
5.00 × 105 0.216 1.15 × 105
6.00 × 105 0.259 1.38 × 105
7.00 × 105 0.302 1.61 × 105
8.00 × 105 0.345 1.84 × 105
9.00 × 105 0.388 2.07 × 105
1.00 × 106 0.431 2.30 × 105
1.29 × 106 0.557 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 120 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 120 lbf/ft)
L = 10.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
120 8.28 × 10-4 110
200 0.00138 184
300 0.00207 276
400 0.00276 368
500 0.00345 460
600 0.00414 552
700 0.00483 644
800 0.00552 736
900 0.00621 828
1000 0.00690 920
2000 0.0138 1840
3000 0.0207 2760
4000 0.0276 3680
5000 0.0345 4600
6000 0.0414 5520
7000 0.0483 6440
8000 0.0552 7360
9000 0.0621 8280
1.00 × 104 0.0690 9200
2.00 × 104 0.138 1.84 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.207 2.76 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.276 3.68 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.345 4.60 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.414 5.52 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.483 6.44 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.552 7.36 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.621 8.28 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.690 9.20 × 104
2.00 × 105 1.38 1.84 × 105
3.00 × 105 2.07 2.76 × 105
3.23 × 105 2.23 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 120 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 120 lbf/ft)
L = 15.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
120 0.00419 248
200 0.00699 414
300 0.0105 621
400 0.0140 828
500 0.0175 1030
600 0.0210 1240
700 0.0245 1450
800 0.0280 1660
900 0.0315 1860
1000 0.0350 2070
2000 0.0699 4140
3000 0.105 6210
4000 0.140 8280
5000 0.175 1.03 × 104
6000 0.210 1.24 × 104
7000 0.245 1.45 × 104
8000 0.280 1.66 × 104
9000 0.315 1.86 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.350 2.07 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.699 4.14 × 104
3.00 × 104 1.05 6.21 × 104
4.00 × 104 1.40 8.28 × 104
5.00 × 104 1.75 1.03 × 105
6.00 × 104 2.10 1.24 × 105
7.00 × 104 2.45 1.45 × 105
8.00 × 104 2.80 1.66 × 105
9.00 × 104 3.15 1.86 × 105
1.00 × 105 3.50 2.07 × 105
1.44 × 105 5.02 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 120 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 120 lbf/ft)
L = 20.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
120 0.0133 441
200 0.0221 736
300 0.0331 1100
400 0.0442 1470
500 0.0552 1840
600 0.0663 2210
700 0.0773 2570
800 0.0884 2940
900 0.0994 3310
1000 0.110 3680
2000 0.221 7360
3000 0.331 1.10 × 104
4000 0.442 1.47 × 104
5000 0.552 1.84 × 104
6000 0.663 2.21 × 104
7000 0.773 2.57 × 104
8000 0.884 2.94 × 104
9000 0.994 3.31 × 104
1.00 × 104 1.10 3.68 × 104
2.00 × 104 2.21 7.36 × 104
3.00 × 104 3.31 1.10 × 105
4.00 × 104 4.42 1.47 × 105
5.00 × 104 5.52 1.84 × 105
6.00 × 104 6.63 2.21 × 105
7.00 × 104 7.73 2.57 × 105
8.00 × 104 8.84 2.94 × 105
8.07 × 104 8.92 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 120 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 120 lbf/ft)
L = 25.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
120 0.0324 690
200 0.0539 1150
300 0.0809 1720
400 0.108 2300
500 0.135 2870
600 0.162 3450
700 0.189 4020
800 0.216 4600
900 0.243 5170
1000 0.270 5750
2000 0.539 1.15 × 104
3000 0.809 1.72 × 104
4000 1.08 2.30 × 104
5000 1.35 2.87 × 104
6000 1.62 3.45 × 104
7000 1.89 4.02 × 104
8000 2.16 4.60 × 104
9000 2.43 5.17 × 104
1.00 × 104 2.70 5.75 × 104
2.00 × 104 5.39 1.15 × 105
3.00 × 104 8.09 1.72 × 105
4.00 × 104 10.8 2.30 × 105
4.86 × 104 13.1 2.80 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 120 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 120 lbf/ft)
L = 30.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
120 0.0671 993
200 0.112 1660
300 0.168 2480
400 0.224 3310
500 0.280 4140
600 0.336 4970
700 0.391 5790
800 0.447 6620
900 0.503 7450
1000 0.559 8280
2000 1.12 1.66 × 104
3000 1.68 2.48 × 104
4000 2.24 3.31 × 104
5000 2.80 4.14 × 104
6000 3.36 4.97 × 104
7000 3.91 5.79 × 104
8000 4.47 6.62 × 104
9000 5.03 7.45 × 104
1.00 × 104 5.59 8.28 × 104
2.00 × 104 11.2 1.66 × 105
2.35 × 104 13.1 1.94 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 120 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 120 lbf/ft)
L = 40.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
120 0.212 1770
200 0.353 2940
300 0.530 4410
400 0.707 5890
500 0.884 7360
600 1.06 8830
700 1.24 1.03 × 104
800 1.41 1.18 × 104
900 1.59 1.32 × 104
1000 1.77 1.47 × 104
2000 3.53 2.94 × 104
3000 5.30 4.41 × 104
4000 7.07 5.89 × 104
5000 8.84 7.36 × 104
6000 10.6 8.83 × 104
7000 12.4 1.03 × 105
7420 13.1 1.09 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 120 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 120 lbf/ft)
L = 50.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
120 0.518 2760
200 0.863 4600
300 1.29 6900
400 1.73 9200
500 2.16 1.15 × 104
600 2.59 1.38 × 104
700 3.02 1.61 × 104
800 3.45 1.84 × 104
900 3.88 2.07 × 104
1000 4.31 2.30 × 104
2000 8.63 4.60 × 104
3000 12.9 6.90 × 104
3040 13.1 6.99 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 120 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 120 lbf/ft)
L = 60.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
120 1.07 3970
200 1.79 6620
300 2.68 9930
400 3.58 1.32 × 104
500 4.47 1.66 × 104
600 5.37 1.99 × 104
700 6.26 2.32 × 104
800 7.16 2.65 × 104
900 8.05 2.98 × 104
1000 8.95 3.31 × 104
1470 13.1 4.85 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 120 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 120 lbf/ft)
L = 70.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
120 1.99 5410
200 3.32 9010
300 4.97 1.35 × 104
400 6.63 1.80 × 104
500 8.29 2.25 × 104
600 9.95 2.70 × 104
700 11.6 3.15 × 104
791 13.1 3.57 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 120 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 120 lbf/ft)
L = 80.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
120 3.39 7060
200 5.66 1.18 × 104
300 8.48 1.77 × 104
400 11.3 2.35 × 104
464 13.1 2.73 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 120 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 120 lbf/ft)
L = 90.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
120 5.44 8940
200 9.06 1.49 × 104
290 13.1 2.16 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 120 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 120 lbf/ft)
L = 100 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
120 8.28 1.10 × 104
190 13.1 1.75 × 104
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