CNC Machining Design Guide

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

Essentials of Manufacturing

Information, coverage of important developments and expert commentary in manufacturing.

Injection Molding Design Guide

Guide for high quality and cost-effective plastic injection molding.

Metal 3D Printing Design Guide

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

more free publications
Glossary » Beams » Simply Supported » Uniformly Distributed Load » Single Span » Wide Flange Steel I Beam » W12 × 210
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 = 2140 in4) for the W12 × 210 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 × 210 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 210 lbf/ft)
L = 3.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
210 5.87 × 10-6 9.74
300 8.39 × 10-6 13.9
400 1.12 × 10-5 18.6
500 1.40 × 10-5 23.2
600 1.68 × 10-5 27.8
700 1.96 × 10-5 32.5
800 2.24 × 10-5 37.1
900 2.52 × 10-5 41.8
1000 2.80 × 10-5 46.4
2000 5.59 × 10-5 92.8
3000 8.39 × 10-5 139
4000 1.12 × 10-4 186
5000 1.40 × 10-4 232
6000 1.68 × 10-4 278
7000 1.96 × 10-4 325
8000 2.24 × 10-4 371
9000 2.52 × 10-4 418
1.00 × 104 2.80 × 10-4 464
2.00 × 104 5.59 × 10-4 928
3.00 × 104 8.39 × 10-4 1390
4.00 × 104 0.00112 1860
5.00 × 104 0.00140 2320
6.00 × 104 0.00168 2780
7.00 × 104 0.00196 3250
8.00 × 104 0.00224 3710
9.00 × 104 0.00252 4180
1.00 × 105 0.00280 4640
2.00 × 105 0.00559 9280
3.00 × 105 0.00839 1.39 × 104
4.00 × 105 0.0112 1.86 × 104
5.00 × 105 0.0140 2.32 × 104
6.00 × 105 0.0168 2.78 × 104
7.00 × 105 0.0196 3.25 × 104
8.00 × 105 0.0224 3.71 × 104
9.00 × 105 0.0252 4.18 × 104
1.00 × 106 0.0280 4.64 × 104
2.00 × 106 0.0559 9.28 × 104
3.00 × 106 0.0839 1.39 × 105
4.00 × 106 0.112 1.86 × 105
5.00 × 106 0.140 2.32 × 105
6.00 × 106 0.168 2.78 × 105
6.40 × 106 0.179 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 210 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 210 lbf/ft)
L = 5.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
210 4.53 × 10-5 27.1
300 6.47 × 10-5 38.7
400 8.63 × 10-5 51.6
500 1.08 × 10-4 64.4
600 1.29 × 10-4 77.3
700 1.51 × 10-4 90.2
800 1.73 × 10-4 103
900 1.94 × 10-4 116
1000 2.16 × 10-4 129
2000 4.31 × 10-4 258
3000 6.47 × 10-4 387
4000 8.63 × 10-4 516
5000 0.00108 644
6000 0.00129 773
7000 0.00151 902
8000 0.00173 1030
9000 0.00194 1160
1.00 × 104 0.00216 1290
2.00 × 104 0.00431 2580
3.00 × 104 0.00647 3870
4.00 × 104 0.00863 5160
5.00 × 104 0.0108 6440
6.00 × 104 0.0129 7730
7.00 × 104 0.0151 9020
8.00 × 104 0.0173 1.03 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.0194 1.16 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.0216 1.29 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.0431 2.58 × 104
3.00 × 105 0.0647 3.87 × 104
4.00 × 105 0.0863 5.16 × 104
5.00 × 105 0.108 6.44 × 104
6.00 × 105 0.129 7.73 × 104
7.00 × 105 0.151 9.02 × 104
8.00 × 105 0.173 1.03 × 105
9.00 × 105 0.194 1.16 × 105
1.00 × 106 0.216 1.29 × 105
2.00 × 106 0.431 2.58 × 105
2.30 × 106 0.497 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 210 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 210 lbf/ft)
L = 10.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
210 7.25 × 10-4 108
300 0.00104 155
400 0.00138 206
500 0.00173 258
600 0.00207 309
700 0.00242 361
800 0.00276 412
900 0.00311 464
1000 0.00345 516
2000 0.00690 1030
3000 0.0104 1550
4000 0.0138 2060
5000 0.0173 2580
6000 0.0207 3090
7000 0.0242 3610
8000 0.0276 4120
9000 0.0311 4640
1.00 × 104 0.0345 5160
2.00 × 104 0.0690 1.03 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.104 1.55 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.138 2.06 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.173 2.58 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.207 3.09 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.242 3.61 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.276 4.12 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.311 4.64 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.345 5.16 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.690 1.03 × 105
3.00 × 105 1.04 1.55 × 105
4.00 × 105 1.38 2.06 × 105
5.00 × 105 1.73 2.58 × 105
5.76 × 105 1.99 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 210 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 210 lbf/ft)
L = 15.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
210 0.00367 244
300 0.00524 348
400 0.00699 464
500 0.00874 580
600 0.0105 696
700 0.0122 812
800 0.0140 928
900 0.0157 1040
1000 0.0175 1160
2000 0.0350 2320
3000 0.0524 3480
4000 0.0699 4640
5000 0.0874 5800
6000 0.105 6960
7000 0.122 8120
8000 0.140 9280
9000 0.157 1.04 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.175 1.16 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.350 2.32 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.524 3.48 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.699 4.64 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.874 5.80 × 104
6.00 × 104 1.05 6.96 × 104
7.00 × 104 1.22 8.12 × 104
8.00 × 104 1.40 9.28 × 104
9.00 × 104 1.57 1.04 × 105
1.00 × 105 1.75 1.16 × 105
2.00 × 105 3.50 2.32 × 105
2.56 × 105 4.48 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 210 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 210 lbf/ft)
L = 20.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
210 0.0116 433
300 0.0166 619
400 0.0221 825
500 0.0276 1030
600 0.0331 1240
700 0.0387 1440
800 0.0442 1650
900 0.0497 1860
1000 0.0552 2060
2000 0.110 4120
3000 0.166 6190
4000 0.221 8250
5000 0.276 1.03 × 104
6000 0.331 1.24 × 104
7000 0.387 1.44 × 104
8000 0.442 1.65 × 104
9000 0.497 1.86 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.552 2.06 × 104
2.00 × 104 1.10 4.12 × 104
3.00 × 104 1.66 6.19 × 104
4.00 × 104 2.21 8.25 × 104
5.00 × 104 2.76 1.03 × 105
6.00 × 104 3.31 1.24 × 105
7.00 × 104 3.87 1.44 × 105
8.00 × 104 4.42 1.65 × 105
9.00 × 104 4.97 1.86 × 105
1.00 × 105 5.52 2.06 × 105
1.44 × 105 7.96 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 210 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 210 lbf/ft)
L = 25.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
210 0.0283 677
300 0.0405 967
400 0.0539 1290
500 0.0674 1610
600 0.0809 1930
700 0.0944 2260
800 0.108 2580
900 0.121 2900
1000 0.135 3220
2000 0.270 6440
3000 0.405 9670
4000 0.539 1.29 × 104
5000 0.674 1.61 × 104
6000 0.809 1.93 × 104
7000 0.944 2.26 × 104
8000 1.08 2.58 × 104
9000 1.21 2.90 × 104
1.00 × 104 1.35 3.22 × 104
2.00 × 104 2.70 6.44 × 104
3.00 × 104 4.05 9.67 × 104
4.00 × 104 5.39 1.29 × 105
5.00 × 104 6.74 1.61 × 105
6.00 × 104 8.09 1.93 × 105
7.00 × 104 9.44 2.26 × 105
8.00 × 104 10.8 2.58 × 105
9.00 × 104 12.1 2.90 × 105
9.22 × 104 12.4 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 210 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 210 lbf/ft)
L = 30.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
210 0.0587 974
300 0.0839 1390
400 0.112 1860
500 0.140 2320
600 0.168 2780
700 0.196 3250
800 0.224 3710
900 0.252 4180
1000 0.280 4640
2000 0.559 9280
3000 0.839 1.39 × 104
4000 1.12 1.86 × 104
5000 1.40 2.32 × 104
6000 1.68 2.78 × 104
7000 1.96 3.25 × 104
8000 2.24 3.71 × 104
9000 2.52 4.18 × 104
1.00 × 104 2.80 4.64 × 104
2.00 × 104 5.59 9.28 × 104
3.00 × 104 8.39 1.39 × 105
4.00 × 104 11.2 1.86 × 105
5.00 × 104 14.0 2.32 × 105
5.26 × 104 14.7 2.44 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 210 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 210 lbf/ft)
L = 40.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
210 0.186 1730
300 0.265 2470
400 0.353 3300
500 0.442 4120
600 0.530 4950
700 0.619 5770
800 0.707 6600
900 0.795 7420
1000 0.884 8250
2000 1.77 1.65 × 104
3000 2.65 2.47 × 104
4000 3.53 3.30 × 104
5000 4.42 4.12 × 104
6000 5.30 4.95 × 104
7000 6.19 5.77 × 104
8000 7.07 6.60 × 104
9000 7.95 7.42 × 104
1.00 × 104 8.84 8.25 × 104
1.66 × 104 14.7 1.37 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 210 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 210 lbf/ft)
L = 50.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
210 0.453 2710
300 0.647 3870
400 0.863 5160
500 1.08 6440
600 1.29 7730
700 1.51 9020
800 1.73 1.03 × 104
900 1.94 1.16 × 104
1000 2.16 1.29 × 104
2000 4.31 2.58 × 104
3000 6.47 3.87 × 104
4000 8.63 5.16 × 104
5000 10.8 6.44 × 104
6000 12.9 7.73 × 104
6820 14.7 8.79 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 210 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 210 lbf/ft)
L = 60.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
210 0.939 3900
300 1.34 5570
400 1.79 7420
500 2.24 9280
600 2.68 1.11 × 104
700 3.13 1.30 × 104
800 3.58 1.48 × 104
900 4.03 1.67 × 104
1000 4.47 1.86 × 104
2000 8.95 3.71 × 104
3000 13.4 5.57 × 104
3290 14.7 6.10 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 210 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 210 lbf/ft)
L = 70.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
210 1.74 5300
300 2.49 7580
400 3.32 1.01 × 104
500 4.14 1.26 × 104
600 4.97 1.52 × 104
700 5.80 1.77 × 104
800 6.63 2.02 × 104
900 7.46 2.27 × 104
1000 8.29 2.53 × 104
1770 14.7 4.48 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 210 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 210 lbf/ft)
L = 80.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
210 2.97 6930
300 4.24 9900
400 5.66 1.32 × 104
500 7.07 1.65 × 104
600 8.48 1.98 × 104
700 9.90 2.31 × 104
800 11.3 2.64 × 104
900 12.7 2.97 × 104
1000 14.1 3.30 × 104
1040 14.7 3.43 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 210 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 210 lbf/ft)
L = 90.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
210 4.76 8770
300 6.79 1.25 × 104
400 9.06 1.67 × 104
500 11.3 2.09 × 104
600 13.6 2.51 × 104
649 14.7 2.71 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 210 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 210 lbf/ft)
L = 100 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
210 7.25 1.08 × 104
300 10.4 1.55 × 104
400 13.8 2.06 × 104
426 14.7 2.20 × 104
Additional Information
Related Pages
CNC Machining Design Guide

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

Essentials of Manufacturing

Information, coverage of important developments and expert commentary in manufacturing.

Injection Molding Design Guide

Guide for high quality and cost-effective plastic injection molding.

Metal 3D Printing Design Guide

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