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Glossary » Beams » Simply Supported » Uniformly Distributed Load » Single Span » Wide Flange Steel I Beam » W12 × 50
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 = 394 in4) for the W12 × 50 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 × 50 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 50 lbf/ft)
L = 3.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
50.0 7.59 × 10-6 10.4
60.0 9.11 × 10-6 12.5
70.0 1.06 × 10-5 14.6
80.0 1.21 × 10-5 16.7
90.0 1.37 × 10-5 18.8
100 1.52 × 10-5 20.9
200 3.04 × 10-5 41.8
300 4.56 × 10-5 62.7
400 6.07 × 10-5 83.5
500 7.59 × 10-5 104
600 9.11 × 10-5 125
700 1.06 × 10-4 146
800 1.21 × 10-4 167
900 1.37 × 10-4 188
1000 1.52 × 10-4 209
2000 3.04 × 10-4 418
3000 4.56 × 10-4 627
4000 6.07 × 10-4 835
5000 7.59 × 10-4 1040
6000 9.11 × 10-4 1250
7000 0.00106 1460
8000 0.00121 1670
9000 0.00137 1880
1.00 × 104 0.00152 2090
2.00 × 104 0.00304 4180
3.00 × 104 0.00456 6270
4.00 × 104 0.00607 8350
5.00 × 104 0.00759 1.04 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.00911 1.25 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.0106 1.46 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.0121 1.67 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.0137 1.88 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.0152 2.09 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.0304 4.18 × 104
3.00 × 105 0.0456 6.27 × 104
4.00 × 105 0.0607 8.35 × 104
5.00 × 105 0.0759 1.04 × 105
6.00 × 105 0.0911 1.25 × 105
7.00 × 105 0.106 1.46 × 105
8.00 × 105 0.121 1.67 × 105
9.00 × 105 0.137 1.88 × 105
1.00 × 106 0.152 2.09 × 105
1.42 × 106 0.216 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 50 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 50 lbf/ft)
L = 5.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
50.0 5.86 × 10-5 29.0
60.0 7.03 × 10-5 34.8
70.0 8.20 × 10-5 40.6
80.0 9.37 × 10-5 46.4
90.0 1.05 × 10-4 52.2
100 1.17 × 10-4 58.0
200 2.34 × 10-4 116
300 3.52 × 10-4 174
400 4.69 × 10-4 232
500 5.86 × 10-4 290
600 7.03 × 10-4 348
700 8.20 × 10-4 406
800 9.37 × 10-4 464
900 0.00105 522
1000 0.00117 580
2000 0.00234 1160
3000 0.00352 1740
4000 0.00469 2320
5000 0.00586 2900
6000 0.00703 3480
7000 0.00820 4060
8000 0.00937 4640
9000 0.0105 5220
1.00 × 104 0.0117 5800
2.00 × 104 0.0234 1.16 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.0352 1.74 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.0469 2.32 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.0586 2.90 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.0703 3.48 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.0820 4.06 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.0937 4.64 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.105 5.22 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.117 5.80 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.234 1.16 × 105
3.00 × 105 0.352 1.74 × 105
4.00 × 105 0.469 2.32 × 105
5.00 × 105 0.586 2.90 × 105
5.12 × 105 0.600 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 50 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 50 lbf/ft)
L = 10.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
50.0 9.37 × 10-4 116
60.0 0.00112 139
70.0 0.00131 162
80.0 0.00150 186
90.0 0.00169 209
100 0.00187 232
200 0.00375 464
300 0.00562 696
400 0.00750 928
500 0.00937 1160
600 0.0112 1390
700 0.0131 1620
800 0.0150 1860
900 0.0169 2090
1000 0.0187 2320
2000 0.0375 4640
3000 0.0562 6960
4000 0.0750 9280
5000 0.0937 1.16 × 104
6000 0.112 1.39 × 104
7000 0.131 1.62 × 104
8000 0.150 1.86 × 104
9000 0.169 2.09 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.187 2.32 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.375 4.64 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.562 6.96 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.750 9.28 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.937 1.16 × 105
6.00 × 104 1.12 1.39 × 105
7.00 × 104 1.31 1.62 × 105
8.00 × 104 1.50 1.86 × 105
9.00 × 104 1.69 2.09 × 105
1.00 × 105 1.87 2.32 × 105
1.28 × 105 2.40 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 50 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 50 lbf/ft)
L = 15.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
50.0 0.00475 261
60.0 0.00570 313
70.0 0.00664 365
80.0 0.00759 418
90.0 0.00854 470
100 0.00949 522
200 0.0190 1040
300 0.0285 1570
400 0.0380 2090
500 0.0475 2610
600 0.0570 3130
700 0.0664 3650
800 0.0759 4180
900 0.0854 4700
1000 0.0949 5220
2000 0.190 1.04 × 104
3000 0.285 1.57 × 104
4000 0.380 2.09 × 104
5000 0.475 2.61 × 104
6000 0.570 3.13 × 104
7000 0.664 3.65 × 104
8000 0.759 4.18 × 104
9000 0.854 4.70 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.949 5.22 × 104
2.00 × 104 1.90 1.04 × 105
3.00 × 104 2.85 1.57 × 105
4.00 × 104 3.80 2.09 × 105
5.00 × 104 4.75 2.61 × 105
5.69 × 104 5.40 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 50 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 50 lbf/ft)
L = 20.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
50.0 0.0150 464
60.0 0.0180 557
70.0 0.0210 650
80.0 0.0240 743
90.0 0.0270 835
100 0.0300 928
200 0.0600 1860
300 0.0900 2780
400 0.120 3710
500 0.150 4640
600 0.180 5570
700 0.210 6500
800 0.240 7430
900 0.270 8350
1000 0.300 9280
2000 0.600 1.86 × 104
3000 0.900 2.78 × 104
4000 1.20 3.71 × 104
5000 1.50 4.64 × 104
6000 1.80 5.57 × 104
7000 2.10 6.50 × 104
8000 2.40 7.43 × 104
9000 2.70 8.35 × 104
1.00 × 104 3.00 9.28 × 104
2.00 × 104 6.00 1.86 × 105
3.00 × 104 9.00 2.78 × 105
3.20 × 104 9.60 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 50 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 50 lbf/ft)
L = 25.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
50.0 0.0366 725
60.0 0.0439 870
70.0 0.0513 1020
80.0 0.0586 1160
90.0 0.0659 1310
100 0.0732 1450
200 0.146 2900
300 0.220 4350
400 0.293 5800
500 0.366 7250
600 0.439 8700
700 0.513 1.02 × 104
800 0.586 1.16 × 104
900 0.659 1.31 × 104
1000 0.732 1.45 × 104
2000 1.46 2.90 × 104
3000 2.20 4.35 × 104
4000 2.93 5.80 × 104
5000 3.66 7.25 × 104
6000 4.39 8.70 × 104
7000 5.13 1.02 × 105
8000 5.86 1.16 × 105
9000 6.59 1.31 × 105
1.00 × 104 7.32 1.45 × 105
1.66 × 104 12.2 2.41 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 50 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 50 lbf/ft)
L = 30.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
50.0 0.0759 1040
60.0 0.0911 1250
70.0 0.106 1460
80.0 0.121 1670
90.0 0.137 1880
100 0.152 2090
200 0.304 4180
300 0.456 6270
400 0.607 8350
500 0.759 1.04 × 104
600 0.911 1.25 × 104
700 1.06 1.46 × 104
800 1.21 1.67 × 104
900 1.37 1.88 × 104
1000 1.52 2.09 × 104
2000 3.04 4.18 × 104
3000 4.56 6.27 × 104
4000 6.07 8.35 × 104
5000 7.59 1.04 × 105
6000 9.11 1.25 × 105
7000 10.6 1.46 × 105
8000 12.1 1.67 × 105
8030 12.2 1.68 × 105
Steel I Beam: W12 × 50 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 50 lbf/ft)
L = 40.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
50.0 0.240 1860
60.0 0.288 2230
70.0 0.336 2600
80.0 0.384 2970
90.0 0.432 3340
100 0.480 3710
200 0.960 7430
300 1.44 1.11 × 104
400 1.92 1.49 × 104
500 2.40 1.86 × 104
600 2.88 2.23 × 104
700 3.36 2.60 × 104
800 3.84 2.97 × 104
900 4.32 3.34 × 104
1000 4.80 3.71 × 104
2000 9.60 7.43 × 104
2540 12.2 9.43 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 50 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 50 lbf/ft)
L = 50.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
50.0 0.586 2900
60.0 0.703 3480
70.0 0.820 4060
80.0 0.937 4640
90.0 1.05 5220
100 1.17 5800
200 2.34 1.16 × 104
300 3.52 1.74 × 104
400 4.69 2.32 × 104
500 5.86 2.90 × 104
600 7.03 3.48 × 104
700 8.20 4.06 × 104
800 9.37 4.64 × 104
900 10.5 5.22 × 104
1000 11.7 5.80 × 104
1040 12.2 6.03 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 50 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 50 lbf/ft)
L = 60.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
50.0 1.21 4180
60.0 1.46 5010
70.0 1.70 5850
80.0 1.94 6680
90.0 2.19 7520
100 2.43 8350
200 4.86 1.67 × 104
300 7.29 2.51 × 104
400 9.72 3.34 × 104
500 12.1 4.18 × 104
502 12.2 4.19 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 50 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 50 lbf/ft)
L = 70.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
50.0 2.25 5690
60.0 2.70 6820
70.0 3.15 7960
80.0 3.60 9100
90.0 4.05 1.02 × 104
100 4.50 1.14 × 104
200 9.00 2.27 × 104
271 12.2 3.08 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 50 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 50 lbf/ft)
L = 80.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
50.0 3.84 7430
60.0 4.61 8910
70.0 5.38 1.04 × 104
80.0 6.14 1.19 × 104
90.0 6.91 1.34 × 104
100 7.68 1.49 × 104
159 12.2 2.36 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 50 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 50 lbf/ft)
L = 90.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
50.0 6.15 9400
60.0 7.38 1.13 × 104
70.0 8.61 1.32 × 104
80.0 9.84 1.50 × 104
90.0 11.1 1.69 × 104
99.1 12.2 1.86 × 104
Steel I Beam: W12 × 50 (Wide Flange 12 inch tall × 50 lbf/ft)
L = 100 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
50.0 9.37 1.16 × 104
60.0 11.2 1.39 × 104
65.0 12.2 1.51 × 104
Additional Information
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