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Glossary » Beams » Simply Supported » Uniformly Distributed Load » Single Span » Wide Flange Steel I Beam » W12 × 45
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 = 350 in4) for the W12 × 45 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 × 45 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 45 lbf/ft)
L = 3.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
45.0 7.69 × 10-6 10.5
50.0 8.55 × 10-6 11.6
60.0 1.03 × 10-5 14.0
70.0 1.20 × 10-5 16.3
80.0 1.37 × 10-5 18.6
90.0 1.54 × 10-5 20.9
100 1.71 × 10-5 23.3
200 3.42 × 10-5 46.5
300 5.13 × 10-5 69.8
400 6.84 × 10-5 93.0
500 8.55 × 10-5 116
600 1.03 × 10-4 140
700 1.20 × 10-4 163
800 1.37 × 10-4 186
900 1.54 × 10-4 209
1000 1.71 × 10-4 233
2000 3.42 × 10-4 465
3000 5.13 × 10-4 698
4000 6.84 × 10-4 930
5000 8.55 × 10-4 1160
6000 0.00103 1400
7000 0.00120 1630
8000 0.00137 1860
9000 0.00154 2090
1.00 × 104 0.00171 2330
2.00 × 104 0.00342 4650
3.00 × 104 0.00513 6980
4.00 × 104 0.00684 9300
5.00 × 104 0.00855 1.16 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.0103 1.40 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.0120 1.63 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.0137 1.86 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.0154 2.09 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.0171 2.33 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.0342 4.65 × 104
3.00 × 105 0.0513 6.98 × 104
4.00 × 105 0.0684 9.30 × 104
5.00 × 105 0.0855 1.16 × 105
6.00 × 105 0.103 1.40 × 105
7.00 × 105 0.120 1.63 × 105
8.00 × 105 0.137 1.86 × 105
9.00 × 105 0.154 2.09 × 105
1.00 × 106 0.171 2.33 × 105
1.28 × 106 0.218 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 45 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 45 lbf/ft)
L = 5.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
45.0 5.94 × 10-5 29.1
50.0 6.60 × 10-5 32.3
60.0 7.91 × 10-5 38.8
70.0 9.23 × 10-5 45.2
80.0 1.06 × 10-4 51.7
90.0 1.19 × 10-4 58.1
100 1.32 × 10-4 64.6
200 2.64 × 10-4 129
300 3.96 × 10-4 194
400 5.28 × 10-4 258
500 6.60 × 10-4 323
600 7.91 × 10-4 388
700 9.23 × 10-4 452
800 0.00106 517
900 0.00119 581
1000 0.00132 646
2000 0.00264 1290
3000 0.00396 1940
4000 0.00528 2580
5000 0.00660 3230
6000 0.00791 3880
7000 0.00923 4520
8000 0.0106 5170
9000 0.0119 5810
1.00 × 104 0.0132 6460
2.00 × 104 0.0264 1.29 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.0396 1.94 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.0528 2.58 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.0660 3.23 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.0791 3.88 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.0923 4.52 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.106 5.17 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.119 5.81 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.132 6.46 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.264 1.29 × 105
3.00 × 105 0.396 1.94 × 105
4.00 × 105 0.528 2.58 × 105
4.60 × 105 0.606 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 45 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 45 lbf/ft)
L = 10.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
45.0 9.50 × 10-4 116
50.0 0.00106 129
60.0 0.00127 155
70.0 0.00148 181
80.0 0.00169 207
90.0 0.00190 233
100 0.00211 258
200 0.00422 517
300 0.00633 775
400 0.00844 1030
500 0.0106 1290
600 0.0127 1550
700 0.0148 1810
800 0.0169 2070
900 0.0190 2330
1000 0.0211 2580
2000 0.0422 5170
3000 0.0633 7750
4000 0.0844 1.03 × 104
5000 0.106 1.29 × 104
6000 0.127 1.55 × 104
7000 0.148 1.81 × 104
8000 0.169 2.07 × 104
9000 0.190 2.33 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.211 2.58 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.422 5.17 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.633 7.75 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.844 1.03 × 105
5.00 × 104 1.06 1.29 × 105
6.00 × 104 1.27 1.55 × 105
7.00 × 104 1.48 1.81 × 105
8.00 × 104 1.69 2.07 × 105
9.00 × 104 1.90 2.33 × 105
1.00 × 105 2.11 2.58 × 105
1.15 × 105 2.43 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 45 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 45 lbf/ft)
L = 15.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
45.0 0.00481 262
50.0 0.00534 291
60.0 0.00641 349
70.0 0.00748 407
80.0 0.00855 465
90.0 0.00962 523
100 0.0107 581
200 0.0214 1160
300 0.0321 1740
400 0.0427 2330
500 0.0534 2910
600 0.0641 3490
700 0.0748 4070
800 0.0855 4650
900 0.0962 5230
1000 0.107 5810
2000 0.214 1.16 × 104
3000 0.321 1.74 × 104
4000 0.427 2.33 × 104
5000 0.534 2.91 × 104
6000 0.641 3.49 × 104
7000 0.748 4.07 × 104
8000 0.855 4.65 × 104
9000 0.962 5.23 × 104
1.00 × 104 1.07 5.81 × 104
2.00 × 104 2.14 1.16 × 105
3.00 × 104 3.21 1.74 × 105
4.00 × 104 4.27 2.33 × 105
5.00 × 104 5.34 2.91 × 105
5.11 × 104 5.46 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 45 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 45 lbf/ft)
L = 20.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
45.0 0.0152 465
50.0 0.0169 517
60.0 0.0203 620
70.0 0.0236 724
80.0 0.0270 827
90.0 0.0304 930
100 0.0338 1030
200 0.0675 2070
300 0.101 3100
400 0.135 4130
500 0.169 5170
600 0.203 6200
700 0.236 7240
800 0.270 8270
900 0.304 9300
1000 0.338 1.03 × 104
2000 0.675 2.07 × 104
3000 1.01 3.10 × 104
4000 1.35 4.13 × 104
5000 1.69 5.17 × 104
6000 2.03 6.20 × 104
7000 2.36 7.24 × 104
8000 2.70 8.27 × 104
9000 3.04 9.30 × 104
1.00 × 104 3.38 1.03 × 105
2.00 × 104 6.75 2.07 × 105
2.87 × 104 9.70 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 45 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 45 lbf/ft)
L = 25.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
45.0 0.0371 727
50.0 0.0412 808
60.0 0.0495 969
70.0 0.0577 1130
80.0 0.0660 1290
90.0 0.0742 1450
100 0.0824 1620
200 0.165 3230
300 0.247 4850
400 0.330 6460
500 0.412 8080
600 0.495 9690
700 0.577 1.13 × 104
800 0.660 1.29 × 104
900 0.742 1.45 × 104
1000 0.824 1.62 × 104
2000 1.65 3.23 × 104
3000 2.47 4.85 × 104
4000 3.30 6.46 × 104
5000 4.12 8.08 × 104
6000 4.95 9.69 × 104
7000 5.77 1.13 × 105
8000 6.60 1.29 × 105
9000 7.42 1.45 × 105
1.00 × 104 8.24 1.62 × 105
1.84 × 104 15.2 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 45 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 45 lbf/ft)
L = 30.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
45.0 0.0769 1050
50.0 0.0855 1160
60.0 0.103 1400
70.0 0.120 1630
80.0 0.137 1860
90.0 0.154 2090
100 0.171 2330
200 0.342 4650
300 0.513 6980
400 0.684 9300
500 0.855 1.16 × 104
600 1.03 1.40 × 104
700 1.20 1.63 × 104
800 1.37 1.86 × 104
900 1.54 2.09 × 104
1000 1.71 2.33 × 104
2000 3.42 4.65 × 104
3000 5.13 6.98 × 104
4000 6.84 9.30 × 104
5000 8.55 1.16 × 105
6000 10.3 1.40 × 105
7000 12.0 1.63 × 105
7050 12.1 1.64 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 45 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 45 lbf/ft)
L = 40.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
45.0 0.243 1860
50.0 0.270 2070
60.0 0.324 2480
70.0 0.378 2890
80.0 0.432 3310
90.0 0.486 3720
100 0.540 4130
200 1.08 8270
300 1.62 1.24 × 104
400 2.16 1.65 × 104
500 2.70 2.07 × 104
600 3.24 2.48 × 104
700 3.78 2.89 × 104
800 4.32 3.31 × 104
900 4.86 3.72 × 104
1000 5.40 4.13 × 104
2000 10.8 8.27 × 104
2230 12.1 9.23 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 45 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 45 lbf/ft)
L = 50.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
45.0 0.594 2910
50.0 0.660 3230
60.0 0.791 3880
70.0 0.923 4520
80.0 1.06 5170
90.0 1.19 5810
100 1.32 6460
200 2.64 1.29 × 104
300 3.96 1.94 × 104
400 5.28 2.58 × 104
500 6.60 3.23 × 104
600 7.91 3.88 × 104
700 9.23 4.52 × 104
800 10.6 5.17 × 104
900 11.9 5.81 × 104
914 12.1 5.91 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 45 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 45 lbf/ft)
L = 60.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
45.0 1.23 4190
50.0 1.37 4650
60.0 1.64 5580
70.0 1.91 6510
80.0 2.19 7440
90.0 2.46 8370
100 2.74 9300
200 5.47 1.86 × 104
300 8.21 2.79 × 104
400 10.9 3.72 × 104
441 12.1 4.10 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 45 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 45 lbf/ft)
L = 70.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
45.0 2.28 5700
50.0 2.53 6330
60.0 3.04 7600
70.0 3.55 8860
80.0 4.05 1.01 × 104
90.0 4.56 1.14 × 104
100 5.07 1.27 × 104
200 10.1 2.53 × 104
238 12.1 3.01 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 45 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 45 lbf/ft)
L = 80.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
45.0 3.89 7440
50.0 4.32 8270
60.0 5.19 9920
70.0 6.05 1.16 × 104
80.0 6.92 1.32 × 104
90.0 7.78 1.49 × 104
100 8.65 1.65 × 104
139 12.1 2.31 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 45 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 45 lbf/ft)
L = 90.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
45.0 6.23 9420
50.0 6.92 1.05 × 104
60.0 8.31 1.26 × 104
70.0 9.69 1.47 × 104
80.0 11.1 1.67 × 104
87.1 12.1 1.82 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 45 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 45 lbf/ft)
L = 100 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
45.0 9.50 1.16 × 104
50.0 10.6 1.29 × 104
57.1 12.1 1.48 × 104
Additional Information
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