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Glossary » Beams » Simply Supported » Uniformly Distributed Load » Three Equal Spans » Wide Flange Steel I Beam » W18 × 86
Wide Flange Steel I Beam | Single Span | Two Equal Spans | Three Equal Spans | Four Equal Spans

For a simply supported beam in three equal spans, we compute the displacement at the middle of the first and the third spans, and the maximum normal stress stress_max occuring at the second and third supports of the beam.
The tabulated data listed in this page are calculated based on the area moment of inertia (Ixx = 1530 in4) for the W18 × 86 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
L = 125 ft
L = 150 ft
   
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 3.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 1.76 × 10-6 5.58
90.0 1.84 × 10-6 5.84
100 2.04 × 10-6 6.49
200 4.08 × 10-6 13.0
300 6.13 × 10-6 19.5
400 8.17 × 10-6 26.0
500 1.02 × 10-5 32.5
600 1.23 × 10-5 38.9
700 1.43 × 10-5 45.4
800 1.63 × 10-5 51.9
900 1.84 × 10-5 58.4
1000 2.04 × 10-5 64.9
2000 4.08 × 10-5 130
3000 6.13 × 10-5 195
4000 8.17 × 10-5 260
5000 1.02 × 10-4 325
6000 1.23 × 10-4 389
7000 1.43 × 10-4 454
8000 1.63 × 10-4 519
9000 1.84 × 10-4 584
1.00 × 104 2.04 × 10-4 649
2.00 × 104 4.08 × 10-4 1300
3.00 × 104 6.13 × 10-4 1950
4.00 × 104 8.17 × 10-4 2600
5.00 × 104 0.00102 3250
6.00 × 104 0.00123 3890
7.00 × 104 0.00143 4540
8.00 × 104 0.00163 5190
9.00 × 104 0.00184 5840
1.00 × 105 0.00204 6490
2.00 × 105 0.00408 1.30 × 104
3.00 × 105 0.00613 1.95 × 104
4.00 × 105 0.00817 2.60 × 104
5.00 × 105 0.0102 3.25 × 104
6.00 × 105 0.0123 3.89 × 104
7.00 × 105 0.0143 4.54 × 104
8.00 × 105 0.0163 5.19 × 104
9.00 × 105 0.0184 5.84 × 104
1.00 × 106 0.0204 6.49 × 104
2.00 × 106 0.0408 1.30 × 105
3.00 × 106 0.0613 1.95 × 105
4.00 × 106 0.0817 2.60 × 105
4.58 × 106 0.0935 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 5.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 1.36 × 10-5 15.5
90.0 1.42 × 10-5 16.2
100 1.58 × 10-5 18.0
200 3.15 × 10-5 36.1
300 4.73 × 10-5 54.1
400 6.30 × 10-5 72.1
500 7.88 × 10-5 90.1
600 9.46 × 10-5 108
700 1.10 × 10-4 126
800 1.26 × 10-4 144
900 1.42 × 10-4 162
1000 1.58 × 10-4 180
2000 3.15 × 10-4 361
3000 4.73 × 10-4 541
4000 6.30 × 10-4 721
5000 7.88 × 10-4 901
6000 9.46 × 10-4 1080
7000 0.00110 1260
8000 0.00126 1440
9000 0.00142 1620
1.00 × 104 0.00158 1800
2.00 × 104 0.00315 3610
3.00 × 104 0.00473 5410
4.00 × 104 0.00630 7210
5.00 × 104 0.00788 9010
6.00 × 104 0.00946 1.08 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.0110 1.26 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.0126 1.44 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.0142 1.62 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.0158 1.80 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.0315 3.61 × 104
3.00 × 105 0.0473 5.41 × 104
4.00 × 105 0.0630 7.21 × 104
5.00 × 105 0.0788 9.01 × 104
6.00 × 105 0.0946 1.08 × 105
7.00 × 105 0.110 1.26 × 105
8.00 × 105 0.126 1.44 × 105
9.00 × 105 0.142 1.62 × 105
1.00 × 106 0.158 1.80 × 105
1.65 × 106 0.260 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 10.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 2.17 × 10-4 62.0
90.0 2.27 × 10-4 64.9
100 2.52 × 10-4 72.1
200 5.04 × 10-4 144
300 7.56 × 10-4 216
400 0.00101 288
500 0.00126 361
600 0.00151 433
700 0.00177 505
800 0.00202 577
900 0.00227 649
1000 0.00252 721
2000 0.00504 1440
3000 0.00756 2160
4000 0.0101 2880
5000 0.0126 3610
6000 0.0151 4330
7000 0.0177 5050
8000 0.0202 5770
9000 0.0227 6490
1.00 × 104 0.0252 7210
2.00 × 104 0.0504 1.44 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.0756 2.16 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.101 2.88 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.126 3.61 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.151 4.33 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.177 5.05 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.202 5.77 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.227 6.49 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.252 7.21 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.504 1.44 × 105
3.00 × 105 0.756 2.16 × 105
4.00 × 105 1.01 2.88 × 105
4.12 × 105 1.04 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 15.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 0.00110 140
90.0 0.00115 146
100 0.00128 162
200 0.00255 325
300 0.00383 487
400 0.00511 649
500 0.00638 811
600 0.00766 974
700 0.00894 1140
800 0.0102 1300
900 0.0115 1460
1000 0.0128 1620
2000 0.0255 3250
3000 0.0383 4870
4000 0.0511 6490
5000 0.0638 8110
6000 0.0766 9740
7000 0.0894 1.14 × 104
8000 0.102 1.30 × 104
9000 0.115 1.46 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.128 1.62 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.255 3.25 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.383 4.87 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.511 6.49 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.638 8.11 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.766 9.74 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.894 1.14 × 105
8.00 × 104 1.02 1.30 × 105
9.00 × 104 1.15 1.46 × 105
1.00 × 105 1.28 1.62 × 105
1.83 × 105 2.34 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 20.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 0.00347 248
90.0 0.00363 260
100 0.00403 288
200 0.00807 577
300 0.0121 865
400 0.0161 1150
500 0.0202 1440
600 0.0242 1730
700 0.0282 2020
800 0.0323 2310
900 0.0363 2600
1000 0.0403 2880
2000 0.0807 5770
3000 0.121 8650
4000 0.161 1.15 × 104
5000 0.202 1.44 × 104
6000 0.242 1.73 × 104
7000 0.282 2.02 × 104
8000 0.323 2.31 × 104
9000 0.363 2.60 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.403 2.88 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.807 5.77 × 104
3.00 × 104 1.21 8.65 × 104
4.00 × 104 1.61 1.15 × 105
5.00 × 104 2.02 1.44 × 105
6.00 × 104 2.42 1.73 × 105
7.00 × 104 2.82 2.02 × 105
8.00 × 104 3.23 2.31 × 105
9.00 × 104 3.63 2.60 × 105
1.00 × 105 4.03 2.88 × 105
1.03 × 105 4.15 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 25.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 0.00847 388
90.0 0.00886 406
100 0.00985 451
200 0.0197 901
300 0.0295 1350
400 0.0394 1800
500 0.0492 2250
600 0.0591 2700
700 0.0689 3160
800 0.0788 3610
900 0.0886 4060
1000 0.0985 4510
2000 0.197 9010
3000 0.295 1.35 × 104
4000 0.394 1.80 × 104
5000 0.492 2.25 × 104
6000 0.591 2.70 × 104
7000 0.689 3.16 × 104
8000 0.788 3.61 × 104
9000 0.886 4.06 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.985 4.51 × 104
2.00 × 104 1.97 9.01 × 104
3.00 × 104 2.95 1.35 × 105
4.00 × 104 3.94 1.80 × 105
5.00 × 104 4.92 2.25 × 105
6.00 × 104 5.91 2.70 × 105
6.59 × 104 6.49 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 30.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 0.0176 558
90.0 0.0184 584
100 0.0204 649
200 0.0408 1300
300 0.0613 1950
400 0.0817 2600
500 0.102 3250
600 0.123 3890
700 0.143 4540
800 0.163 5190
900 0.184 5840
1000 0.204 6490
2000 0.408 1.30 × 104
3000 0.613 1.95 × 104
4000 0.817 2.60 × 104
5000 1.02 3.25 × 104
6000 1.23 3.89 × 104
7000 1.43 4.54 × 104
8000 1.63 5.19 × 104
9000 1.84 5.84 × 104
1.00 × 104 2.04 6.49 × 104
2.00 × 104 4.08 1.30 × 105
3.00 × 104 6.13 1.95 × 105
4.00 × 104 8.17 2.60 × 105
4.58 × 104 9.35 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 40.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 0.0555 992
90.0 0.0581 1040
100 0.0646 1150
200 0.129 2310
300 0.194 3460
400 0.258 4620
500 0.323 5770
600 0.387 6920
700 0.452 8080
800 0.516 9230
900 0.581 1.04 × 104
1000 0.646 1.15 × 104
2000 1.29 2.31 × 104
3000 1.94 3.46 × 104
4000 2.58 4.62 × 104
5000 3.23 5.77 × 104
6000 3.87 6.92 × 104
7000 4.52 8.08 × 104
8000 5.16 9.23 × 104
9000 5.81 1.04 × 105
1.00 × 104 6.46 1.15 × 105
2.00 × 104 12.9 2.31 × 105
2.57 × 104 16.6 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 50.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 0.136 1550
90.0 0.142 1620
100 0.158 1800
200 0.315 3610
300 0.473 5410
400 0.630 7210
500 0.788 9010
600 0.946 1.08 × 104
700 1.10 1.26 × 104
800 1.26 1.44 × 104
900 1.42 1.62 × 104
1000 1.58 1.80 × 104
2000 3.15 3.61 × 104
3000 4.73 5.41 × 104
4000 6.30 7.21 × 104
5000 7.88 9.01 × 104
6000 9.46 1.08 × 105
7000 11.0 1.26 × 105
8000 12.6 1.44 × 105
9000 14.2 1.62 × 105
1.00 × 104 15.8 1.80 × 105
1.65 × 104 26.0 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 60.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 0.281 2230
90.0 0.294 2340
100 0.327 2600
200 0.654 5190
300 0.980 7790
400 1.31 1.04 × 104
500 1.63 1.30 × 104
600 1.96 1.56 × 104
700 2.29 1.82 × 104
800 2.61 2.08 × 104
900 2.94 2.34 × 104
1000 3.27 2.60 × 104
2000 6.54 5.19 × 104
3000 9.80 7.79 × 104
4000 13.1 1.04 × 105
5000 16.3 1.30 × 105
5630 18.4 1.46 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 70.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 0.521 3040
90.0 0.545 3180
100 0.605 3530
200 1.21 7070
300 1.82 1.06 × 104
400 2.42 1.41 × 104
500 3.03 1.77 × 104
600 3.63 2.12 × 104
700 4.24 2.47 × 104
800 4.84 2.83 × 104
900 5.45 3.18 × 104
1000 6.05 3.53 × 104
2000 12.1 7.07 × 104
3000 18.2 1.06 × 105
3040 18.4 1.07 × 105
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 80.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 0.888 3970
90.0 0.930 4150
100 1.03 4620
200 2.07 9230
300 3.10 1.38 × 104
400 4.13 1.85 × 104
500 5.16 2.31 × 104
600 6.20 2.77 × 104
700 7.23 3.23 × 104
800 8.26 3.69 × 104
900 9.30 4.15 × 104
1000 10.3 4.62 × 104
1780 18.4 8.22 × 104
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 90.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 1.42 5020
90.0 1.49 5260
100 1.65 5840
200 3.31 1.17 × 104
300 4.96 1.75 × 104
400 6.62 2.34 × 104
500 8.27 2.92 × 104
600 9.93 3.50 × 104
700 11.6 4.09 × 104
800 13.2 4.67 × 104
900 14.9 5.26 × 104
1000 16.5 5.84 × 104
1110 18.4 6.49 × 104
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 100 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 2.17 6200
90.0 2.27 6490
100 2.52 7210
200 5.04 1.44 × 104
300 7.56 2.16 × 104
400 10.1 2.88 × 104
500 12.6 3.61 × 104
600 15.1 4.33 × 104
700 17.7 5.05 × 104
729 18.4 5.26 × 104
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 125 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 5.29 9690
90.0 5.54 1.01 × 104
100 6.16 1.13 × 104
200 12.3 2.25 × 104
299 18.4 3.37 × 104
Steel I Beam: W18 × 86 (Wide Flange 18 inch tall × 86 lbf/ft)
L = 150 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
86.0 11.0 1.40 × 104
90.0 11.5 1.46 × 104
100 12.8 1.62 × 104
144 18.4 2.34 × 104
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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.

Selecting the Right 3D Printer

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