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Glossary » Beams » Simply Supported » Uniformly Distributed Load » Three Equal Spans » Wide Flange Steel I Beam » W8 × 28
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 = 98.0 in4) for the W8 × 28 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
   
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 3.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 8.93 × 10-6 12.4
30.0 9.57 × 10-6 13.3
40.0 1.28 × 10-5 17.8
50.0 1.59 × 10-5 22.2
60.0 1.91 × 10-5 26.6
70.0 2.23 × 10-5 31.1
80.0 2.55 × 10-5 35.5
90.0 2.87 × 10-5 40.0
100 3.19 × 10-5 44.4
200 6.38 × 10-5 88.8
300 9.57 × 10-5 133
400 1.28 × 10-4 178
500 1.59 × 10-4 222
600 1.91 × 10-4 266
700 2.23 × 10-4 311
800 2.55 × 10-4 355
900 2.87 × 10-4 400
1000 3.19 × 10-4 444
2000 6.38 × 10-4 888
3000 9.57 × 10-4 1330
4000 0.00128 1780
5000 0.00159 2220
6000 0.00191 2660
7000 0.00223 3110
8000 0.00255 3550
9000 0.00287 4000
1.00 × 104 0.00319 4440
2.00 × 104 0.00638 8880
3.00 × 104 0.00957 1.33 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.0128 1.78 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.0159 2.22 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.0191 2.66 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.0223 3.11 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.0255 3.55 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.0287 4.00 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.0319 4.44 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.0638 8.88 × 104
3.00 × 105 0.0957 1.33 × 105
4.00 × 105 0.128 1.78 × 105
5.00 × 105 0.159 2.22 × 105
6.00 × 105 0.191 2.66 × 105
6.69 × 105 0.213 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 5.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 6.89 × 10-5 34.5
30.0 7.38 × 10-5 37.0
40.0 9.84 × 10-5 49.3
50.0 1.23 × 10-4 61.7
60.0 1.48 × 10-4 74.0
70.0 1.72 × 10-4 86.4
80.0 1.97 × 10-4 98.7
90.0 2.21 × 10-4 111
100 2.46 × 10-4 123
200 4.92 × 10-4 247
300 7.38 × 10-4 370
400 9.84 × 10-4 493
500 0.00123 617
600 0.00148 740
700 0.00172 864
800 0.00197 987
900 0.00221 1110
1000 0.00246 1230
2000 0.00492 2470
3000 0.00738 3700
4000 0.00984 4930
5000 0.0123 6170
6000 0.0148 7400
7000 0.0172 8640
8000 0.0197 9870
9000 0.0221 1.11 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.0246 1.23 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.0492 2.47 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.0738 3.70 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.0984 4.93 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.123 6.17 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.148 7.40 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.172 8.64 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.197 9.87 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.221 1.11 × 105
1.00 × 105 0.246 1.23 × 105
2.00 × 105 0.492 2.47 × 105
2.41 × 105 0.592 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 10.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 0.00110 138
30.0 0.00118 148
40.0 0.00157 197
50.0 0.00197 247
60.0 0.00236 296
70.0 0.00276 345
80.0 0.00315 395
90.0 0.00354 444
100 0.00394 493
200 0.00787 987
300 0.0118 1480
400 0.0157 1970
500 0.0197 2470
600 0.0236 2960
700 0.0276 3450
800 0.0315 3950
900 0.0354 4440
1000 0.0394 4930
2000 0.0787 9870
3000 0.118 1.48 × 104
4000 0.157 1.97 × 104
5000 0.197 2.47 × 104
6000 0.236 2.96 × 104
7000 0.276 3.45 × 104
8000 0.315 3.95 × 104
9000 0.354 4.44 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.394 4.93 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.787 9.87 × 104
3.00 × 104 1.18 1.48 × 105
4.00 × 104 1.57 1.97 × 105
5.00 × 104 1.97 2.47 × 105
6.00 × 104 2.36 2.96 × 105
6.02 × 104 2.37 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 15.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 0.00558 311
30.0 0.00598 333
40.0 0.00797 444
50.0 0.00996 555
60.0 0.0120 666
70.0 0.0140 777
80.0 0.0159 888
90.0 0.0179 999
100 0.0199 1110
200 0.0399 2220
300 0.0598 3330
400 0.0797 4440
500 0.0996 5550
600 0.120 6660
700 0.140 7770
800 0.159 8880
900 0.179 9990
1000 0.199 1.11 × 104
2000 0.399 2.22 × 104
3000 0.598 3.33 × 104
4000 0.797 4.44 × 104
5000 0.996 5.55 × 104
6000 1.20 6.66 × 104
7000 1.40 7.77 × 104
8000 1.59 8.88 × 104
9000 1.79 9.99 × 104
1.00 × 104 1.99 1.11 × 105
2.00 × 104 3.99 2.22 × 105
2.68 × 104 5.33 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 20.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 0.0176 553
30.0 0.0189 592
40.0 0.0252 790
50.0 0.0315 987
60.0 0.0378 1180
70.0 0.0441 1380
80.0 0.0504 1580
90.0 0.0567 1780
100 0.0630 1970
200 0.126 3950
300 0.189 5920
400 0.252 7900
500 0.315 9870
600 0.378 1.18 × 104
700 0.441 1.38 × 104
800 0.504 1.58 × 104
900 0.567 1.78 × 104
1000 0.630 1.97 × 104
2000 1.26 3.95 × 104
3000 1.89 5.92 × 104
4000 2.52 7.90 × 104
5000 3.15 9.87 × 104
6000 3.78 1.18 × 105
7000 4.41 1.38 × 105
8000 5.04 1.58 × 105
9000 5.67 1.78 × 105
1.00 × 104 6.30 1.97 × 105
1.50 × 104 9.48 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 25.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 0.0431 864
30.0 0.0461 925
40.0 0.0615 1230
50.0 0.0769 1540
60.0 0.0923 1850
70.0 0.108 2160
80.0 0.123 2470
90.0 0.138 2780
100 0.154 3080
200 0.308 6170
300 0.461 9250
400 0.615 1.23 × 104
500 0.769 1.54 × 104
600 0.923 1.85 × 104
700 1.08 2.16 × 104
800 1.23 2.47 × 104
900 1.38 2.78 × 104
1000 1.54 3.08 × 104
2000 3.08 6.17 × 104
3000 4.61 9.25 × 104
4000 6.15 1.23 × 105
5000 7.69 1.54 × 105
5240 8.06 1.62 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 30.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 0.0893 1240
30.0 0.0957 1330
40.0 0.128 1780
50.0 0.159 2220
60.0 0.191 2660
70.0 0.223 3110
80.0 0.255 3550
90.0 0.287 4000
100 0.319 4440
200 0.638 8880
300 0.957 1.33 × 104
400 1.28 1.78 × 104
500 1.59 2.22 × 104
600 1.91 2.66 × 104
700 2.23 3.11 × 104
800 2.55 3.55 × 104
900 2.87 4.00 × 104
1000 3.19 4.44 × 104
2000 6.38 8.88 × 104
2530 8.06 1.12 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 40.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 0.282 2210
30.0 0.302 2370
40.0 0.403 3160
50.0 0.504 3950
60.0 0.605 4740
70.0 0.705 5530
80.0 0.806 6320
90.0 0.907 7110
100 1.01 7900
200 2.02 1.58 × 104
300 3.02 2.37 × 104
400 4.03 3.16 × 104
500 5.04 3.95 × 104
600 6.05 4.74 × 104
700 7.05 5.53 × 104
800 8.06 6.31 × 104
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 50.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 0.689 3450
30.0 0.738 3700
40.0 0.984 4930
50.0 1.23 6170
60.0 1.48 7400
70.0 1.72 8640
80.0 1.97 9870
90.0 2.21 1.11 × 104
100 2.46 1.23 × 104
200 4.92 2.47 × 104
300 7.38 3.70 × 104
328 8.06 4.04 × 104
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 60.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 1.43 4970
30.0 1.53 5330
40.0 2.04 7110
50.0 2.55 8880
60.0 3.06 1.07 × 104
70.0 3.57 1.24 × 104
80.0 4.08 1.42 × 104
90.0 4.59 1.60 × 104
100 5.10 1.78 × 104
158 8.06 2.81 × 104
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 70.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 2.65 6770
30.0 2.84 7250
40.0 3.78 9670
50.0 4.73 1.21 × 104
60.0 5.67 1.45 × 104
70.0 6.62 1.69 × 104
80.0 7.56 1.93 × 104
85.3 8.06 2.06 × 104
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 80.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 4.51 8840
30.0 4.84 9470
40.0 6.45 1.26 × 104
50.0 8.06 1.58 × 104
Steel I Beam: W8 × 28 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 28 lbf/ft)
L = 90.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
28.0 7.23 1.12 × 104
30.0 7.75 1.20 × 104
31.2 8.06 1.25 × 104
Additional Information
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