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Glossary » Beams » Simply Supported » Uniformly Distributed Load » Two Equal Spans » Wide Flange Steel I Beam » W14 × 48
Wide Flange Steel I Beam | Single Span | Two Equal Spans | Three Equal Spans | Four Equal Spans

For a simply supported beam in two equal spans, we compute the displacement at the middle of each span w_mid and the maximum normal stress stress_max occuring at the center support of the beam.
The tabulated data listed in this page are calculated based on the area moment of inertia (Ixx = 485 in4) for the W14 × 48 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
   
Steel I Beam: W14 × 48 (Wide Flange 14 inch tall × 48 lbf/ft)
L = 3.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
48.0 2.37 × 10-6 9.21
50.0 2.47 × 10-6 9.60
60.0 2.96 × 10-6 11.5
70.0 3.45 × 10-6 13.4
80.0 3.95 × 10-6 15.4
90.0 4.44 × 10-6 17.3
100 4.93 × 10-6 19.2
200 9.87 × 10-6 38.4
300 1.48 × 10-5 57.6
400 1.97 × 10-5 76.8
500 2.47 × 10-5 96.0
600 2.96 × 10-5 115
700 3.45 × 10-5 134
800 3.95 × 10-5 154
900 4.44 × 10-5 173
1000 4.93 × 10-5 192
2000 9.87 × 10-5 384
3000 1.48 × 10-4 576
4000 1.97 × 10-4 768
5000 2.47 × 10-4 960
6000 2.96 × 10-4 1150
7000 3.45 × 10-4 1340
8000 3.95 × 10-4 1540
9000 4.44 × 10-4 1730
1.00 × 104 4.93 × 10-4 1920
2.00 × 104 9.87 × 10-4 3840
3.00 × 104 0.00148 5760
4.00 × 104 0.00197 7680
5.00 × 104 0.00247 9600
6.00 × 104 0.00296 1.15 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.00345 1.34 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.00395 1.54 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.00444 1.73 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.00493 1.92 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.00987 3.84 × 104
3.00 × 105 0.0148 5.76 × 104
4.00 × 105 0.0197 7.68 × 104
5.00 × 105 0.0247 9.60 × 104
6.00 × 105 0.0296 1.15 × 105
7.00 × 105 0.0345 1.34 × 105
8.00 × 105 0.0395 1.54 × 105
9.00 × 105 0.0444 1.73 × 105
1.00 × 106 0.0493 1.92 × 105
1.55 × 106 0.0764 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W14 × 48 (Wide Flange 14 inch tall × 48 lbf/ft)
L = 5.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
48.0 1.83 × 10-5 25.6
50.0 1.90 × 10-5 26.7
60.0 2.28 × 10-5 32.0
70.0 2.67 × 10-5 37.3
80.0 3.05 × 10-5 42.6
90.0 3.43 × 10-5 48.0
100 3.81 × 10-5 53.3
200 7.62 × 10-5 107
300 1.14 × 10-4 160
400 1.52 × 10-4 213
500 1.90 × 10-4 267
600 2.28 × 10-4 320
700 2.67 × 10-4 373
800 3.05 × 10-4 426
900 3.43 × 10-4 480
1000 3.81 × 10-4 533
2000 7.62 × 10-4 1070
3000 0.00114 1600
4000 0.00152 2130
5000 0.00190 2670
6000 0.00228 3200
7000 0.00267 3730
8000 0.00305 4260
9000 0.00343 4800
1.00 × 104 0.00381 5330
2.00 × 104 0.00762 1.07 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.0114 1.60 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.0152 2.13 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.0190 2.67 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.0228 3.20 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.0267 3.73 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.0305 4.26 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.0343 4.80 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.0381 5.33 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.0762 1.07 × 105
3.00 × 105 0.114 1.60 × 105
4.00 × 105 0.152 2.13 × 105
5.00 × 105 0.190 2.67 × 105
5.57 × 105 0.212 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W14 × 48 (Wide Flange 14 inch tall × 48 lbf/ft)
L = 10.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
48.0 2.92 × 10-4 102
50.0 3.05 × 10-4 107
60.0 3.66 × 10-4 128
70.0 4.26 × 10-4 149
80.0 4.87 × 10-4 171
90.0 5.48 × 10-4 192
100 6.09 × 10-4 213
200 0.00122 426
300 0.00183 640
400 0.00244 853
500 0.00305 1070
600 0.00366 1280
700 0.00426 1490
800 0.00487 1710
900 0.00548 1920
1000 0.00609 2130
2000 0.0122 4260
3000 0.0183 6400
4000 0.0244 8530
5000 0.0305 1.07 × 104
6000 0.0366 1.28 × 104
7000 0.0426 1.49 × 104
8000 0.0487 1.71 × 104
9000 0.0548 1.92 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.0609 2.13 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.122 4.26 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.183 6.40 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.244 8.53 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.305 1.07 × 105
6.00 × 104 0.366 1.28 × 105
7.00 × 104 0.426 1.49 × 105
8.00 × 104 0.487 1.71 × 105
9.00 × 104 0.548 1.92 × 105
1.00 × 105 0.609 2.13 × 105
1.39 × 105 0.849 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W14 × 48 (Wide Flange 14 inch tall × 48 lbf/ft)
L = 15.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
48.0 0.00148 230
50.0 0.00154 240
60.0 0.00185 288
70.0 0.00216 336
80.0 0.00247 384
90.0 0.00278 432
100 0.00308 480
200 0.00617 960
300 0.00925 1440
400 0.0123 1920
500 0.0154 2400
600 0.0185 2880
700 0.0216 3360
800 0.0247 3840
900 0.0278 4320
1000 0.0308 4800
2000 0.0617 9600
3000 0.0925 1.44 × 104
4000 0.123 1.92 × 104
5000 0.154 2.40 × 104
6000 0.185 2.88 × 104
7000 0.216 3.36 × 104
8000 0.247 3.84 × 104
9000 0.278 4.32 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.308 4.80 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.617 9.60 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.925 1.44 × 105
4.00 × 104 1.23 1.92 × 105
5.00 × 104 1.54 2.40 × 105
6.00 × 104 1.85 2.88 × 105
6.19 × 104 1.91 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W14 × 48 (Wide Flange 14 inch tall × 48 lbf/ft)
L = 20.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
48.0 0.00468 409
50.0 0.00487 426
60.0 0.00585 512
70.0 0.00682 597
80.0 0.00780 682
90.0 0.00877 768
100 0.00975 853
200 0.0195 1710
300 0.0292 2560
400 0.0390 3410
500 0.0487 4260
600 0.0585 5120
700 0.0682 5970
800 0.0780 6820
900 0.0877 7680
1000 0.0975 8530
2000 0.195 1.71 × 104
3000 0.292 2.56 × 104
4000 0.390 3.41 × 104
5000 0.487 4.26 × 104
6000 0.585 5.12 × 104
7000 0.682 5.97 × 104
8000 0.780 6.82 × 104
9000 0.877 7.68 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.975 8.53 × 104
2.00 × 104 1.95 1.71 × 105
3.00 × 104 2.92 2.56 × 105
3.48 × 104 3.39 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W14 × 48 (Wide Flange 14 inch tall × 48 lbf/ft)
L = 25.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
48.0 0.0114 640
50.0 0.0119 666
60.0 0.0143 800
70.0 0.0167 933
80.0 0.0190 1070
90.0 0.0214 1200
100 0.0238 1330
200 0.0476 2670
300 0.0714 4000
400 0.0952 5330
500 0.119 6660
600 0.143 8000
700 0.167 9330
800 0.190 1.07 × 104
900 0.214 1.20 × 104
1000 0.238 1.33 × 104
2000 0.476 2.67 × 104
3000 0.714 4.00 × 104
4000 0.952 5.33 × 104
5000 1.19 6.66 × 104
6000 1.43 8.00 × 104
7000 1.67 9.33 × 104
8000 1.90 1.07 × 105
9000 2.14 1.20 × 105
1.00 × 104 2.38 1.33 × 105
2.00 × 104 4.76 2.67 × 105
2.23 × 104 5.30 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W14 × 48 (Wide Flange 14 inch tall × 48 lbf/ft)
L = 30.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
48.0 0.0237 921
50.0 0.0247 960
60.0 0.0296 1150
70.0 0.0345 1340
80.0 0.0395 1540
90.0 0.0444 1730
100 0.0493 1920
200 0.0987 3840
300 0.148 5760
400 0.197 7680
500 0.247 9600
600 0.296 1.15 × 104
700 0.345 1.34 × 104
800 0.395 1.54 × 104
900 0.444 1.73 × 104
1000 0.493 1.92 × 104
2000 0.987 3.84 × 104
3000 1.48 5.76 × 104
4000 1.97 7.68 × 104
5000 2.47 9.60 × 104
6000 2.96 1.15 × 105
7000 3.45 1.34 × 105
8000 3.95 1.54 × 105
9000 4.44 1.73 × 105
1.00 × 104 4.93 1.92 × 105
1.55 × 104 7.64 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W14 × 48 (Wide Flange 14 inch tall × 48 lbf/ft)
L = 40.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
48.0 0.0749 1640
50.0 0.0780 1710
60.0 0.0936 2050
70.0 0.109 2390
80.0 0.125 2730
90.0 0.140 3070
100 0.156 3410
200 0.312 6820
300 0.468 1.02 × 104
400 0.624 1.36 × 104
500 0.780 1.71 × 104
600 0.936 2.05 × 104
700 1.09 2.39 × 104
800 1.25 2.73 × 104
900 1.40 3.07 × 104
1000 1.56 3.41 × 104
2000 3.12 6.82 × 104
3000 4.68 1.02 × 105
4000 6.24 1.36 × 105
5000 7.80 1.71 × 105
6000 9.36 2.05 × 105
7000 10.9 2.39 × 105
8000 12.5 2.73 × 105
8710 13.6 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W14 × 48 (Wide Flange 14 inch tall × 48 lbf/ft)
L = 50.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
48.0 0.183 2560
50.0 0.190 2670
60.0 0.228 3200
70.0 0.267 3730
80.0 0.305 4260
90.0 0.343 4800
100 0.381 5330
200 0.762 1.07 × 104
300 1.14 1.60 × 104
400 1.52 2.13 × 104
500 1.90 2.67 × 104
600 2.28 3.20 × 104
700 2.67 3.73 × 104
800 3.05 4.26 × 104
900 3.43 4.80 × 104
1000 3.81 5.33 × 104
2000 7.62 1.07 × 105
3000 11.4 1.60 × 105
3620 13.8 1.93 × 105
Steel I Beam: W14 × 48 (Wide Flange 14 inch tall × 48 lbf/ft)
L = 60.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
48.0 0.379 3680
50.0 0.395 3840
60.0 0.474 4610
70.0 0.553 5370
80.0 0.632 6140
90.0 0.711 6910
100 0.790 7680
200 1.58 1.54 × 104
300 2.37 2.30 × 104
400 3.16 3.07 × 104
500 3.95 3.84 × 104
600 4.74 4.61 × 104
700 5.53 5.37 × 104
800 6.32 6.14 × 104
900 7.11 6.91 × 104
1000 7.90 7.68 × 104
1750 13.8 1.34 × 105
Steel I Beam: W14 × 48 (Wide Flange 14 inch tall × 48 lbf/ft)
L = 70.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
48.0 0.702 5020
50.0 0.731 5220
60.0 0.878 6270
70.0 1.02 7310
80.0 1.17 8360
90.0 1.32 9400
100 1.46 1.04 × 104
200 2.93 2.09 × 104
300 4.39 3.13 × 104
400 5.85 4.18 × 104
500 7.31 5.22 × 104
600 8.78 6.27 × 104
700 10.2 7.31 × 104
800 11.7 8.36 × 104
900 13.2 9.40 × 104
943 13.8 9.85 × 104
Steel I Beam: W14 × 48 (Wide Flange 14 inch tall × 48 lbf/ft)
L = 80.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
48.0 1.20 6550
50.0 1.25 6820
60.0 1.50 8190
70.0 1.75 9550
80.0 2.00 1.09 × 104
90.0 2.25 1.23 × 104
100 2.50 1.36 × 104
200 4.99 2.73 × 104
300 7.49 4.09 × 104
400 9.98 5.46 × 104
500 12.5 6.82 × 104
553 13.8 7.54 × 104
Steel I Beam: W14 × 48 (Wide Flange 14 inch tall × 48 lbf/ft)
L = 90.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
48.0 1.92 8290
50.0 2.00 8640
60.0 2.40 1.04 × 104
70.0 2.80 1.21 × 104
80.0 3.20 1.38 × 104
90.0 3.60 1.55 × 104
100 4.00 1.73 × 104
200 7.99 3.45 × 104
300 12.0 5.18 × 104
345 13.8 5.96 × 104
Steel I Beam: W14 × 48 (Wide Flange 14 inch tall × 48 lbf/ft)
L = 100 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
48.0 2.92 1.02 × 104
50.0 3.05 1.07 × 104
60.0 3.66 1.28 × 104
70.0 4.26 1.49 × 104
80.0 4.87 1.71 × 104
90.0 5.48 1.92 × 104
100 6.09 2.13 × 104
200 12.2 4.26 × 104
226 13.8 4.83 × 104
Steel I Beam: W14 × 48 (Wide Flange 14 inch tall × 48 lbf/ft)
L = 125 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
48.0 7.14 1.60 × 104
50.0 7.44 1.67 × 104
60.0 8.92 2.00 × 104
70.0 10.4 2.33 × 104
80.0 11.9 2.67 × 104
90.0 13.4 3.00 × 104
92.7 13.8 3.09 × 104
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Negotiate Your Salary

Learn the best principles to negotiate the salary you deserve!

CNC Machining Design Guide

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

Mechanical Engineers Outlook

Guide for those interested in becoming a mechanical engineer. Includes qualifications, pay, and job duties.

STEM Career Outlook

Wages, employment opportunities, and growth projections for STEM jobs.

more publications