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Glossary » Beams » Simply Supported » Uniformly Distributed Load » Two Equal Spans » Wide Flange Steel I Beam » W6 × 15
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 = 29.1 in4) for the W6 × 15 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
   
Steel I Beam: W6 × 15 (Wide Flange 6 inch tall × 15 lbf/ft)
L = 3.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
15.0 1.23 × 10-5 20.8
20.0 1.64 × 10-5 27.8
30.0 2.47 × 10-5 41.7
40.0 3.29 × 10-5 55.6
50.0 4.11 × 10-5 69.5
60.0 4.93 × 10-5 83.4
70.0 5.76 × 10-5 97.3
80.0 6.58 × 10-5 111
90.0 7.40 × 10-5 125
100 8.22 × 10-5 139
200 1.64 × 10-4 278
300 2.47 × 10-4 417
400 3.29 × 10-4 556
500 4.11 × 10-4 695
600 4.93 × 10-4 834
700 5.76 × 10-4 973
800 6.58 × 10-4 1110
900 7.40 × 10-4 1250
1000 8.22 × 10-4 1390
2000 0.00164 2780
3000 0.00247 4170
4000 0.00329 5560
5000 0.00411 6950
6000 0.00493 8340
7000 0.00576 9730
8000 0.00658 1.11 × 104
9000 0.00740 1.25 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.00822 1.39 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.0164 2.78 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.0247 4.17 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.0329 5.56 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.0411 6.95 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.0493 8.34 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.0576 9.73 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.0658 1.11 × 105
9.00 × 104 0.0740 1.25 × 105
1.00 × 105 0.0822 1.39 × 105
2.00 × 105 0.164 2.78 × 105
2.14 × 105 0.176 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W6 × 15 (Wide Flange 6 inch tall × 15 lbf/ft)
L = 5.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
15.0 9.52 × 10-5 57.9
20.0 1.27 × 10-4 77.2
30.0 1.90 × 10-4 116
40.0 2.54 × 10-4 154
50.0 3.17 × 10-4 193
60.0 3.81 × 10-4 232
70.0 4.44 × 10-4 270
80.0 5.08 × 10-4 309
90.0 5.71 × 10-4 347
100 6.35 × 10-4 386
200 0.00127 772
300 0.00190 1160
400 0.00254 1540
500 0.00317 1930
600 0.00381 2320
700 0.00444 2700
800 0.00508 3090
900 0.00571 3470
1000 0.00635 3860
2000 0.0127 7720
3000 0.0190 1.16 × 104
4000 0.0254 1.54 × 104
5000 0.0317 1.93 × 104
6000 0.0381 2.32 × 104
7000 0.0444 2.70 × 104
8000 0.0508 3.09 × 104
9000 0.0571 3.47 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.0635 3.86 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.127 7.72 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.190 1.16 × 105
4.00 × 104 0.254 1.54 × 105
5.00 × 104 0.317 1.93 × 105
6.00 × 104 0.381 2.32 × 105
7.00 × 104 0.444 2.70 × 105
7.70 × 104 0.488 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W6 × 15 (Wide Flange 6 inch tall × 15 lbf/ft)
L = 10.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
15.0 0.00152 232
20.0 0.00203 309
30.0 0.00305 463
40.0 0.00406 618
50.0 0.00508 772
60.0 0.00609 926
70.0 0.00711 1080
80.0 0.00812 1240
90.0 0.00914 1390
100 0.0102 1540
200 0.0203 3090
300 0.0305 4630
400 0.0406 6180
500 0.0508 7720
600 0.0609 9260
700 0.0711 1.08 × 104
800 0.0812 1.24 × 104
900 0.0914 1.39 × 104
1000 0.102 1.54 × 104
2000 0.203 3.09 × 104
3000 0.305 4.63 × 104
4000 0.406 6.18 × 104
5000 0.508 7.72 × 104
6000 0.609 9.26 × 104
7000 0.711 1.08 × 105
8000 0.812 1.24 × 105
9000 0.914 1.39 × 105
1.00 × 104 1.02 1.54 × 105
1.92 × 104 1.95 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W6 × 15 (Wide Flange 6 inch tall × 15 lbf/ft)
L = 15.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
15.0 0.00771 521
20.0 0.0103 695
30.0 0.0154 1040
40.0 0.0206 1390
50.0 0.0257 1740
60.0 0.0308 2080
70.0 0.0360 2430
80.0 0.0411 2780
90.0 0.0463 3130
100 0.0514 3470
200 0.103 6950
300 0.154 1.04 × 104
400 0.206 1.39 × 104
500 0.257 1.74 × 104
600 0.308 2.08 × 104
700 0.360 2.43 × 104
800 0.411 2.78 × 104
900 0.463 3.13 × 104
1000 0.514 3.47 × 104
2000 1.03 6.95 × 104
3000 1.54 1.04 × 105
4000 2.06 1.39 × 105
5000 2.57 1.74 × 105
6000 3.08 2.08 × 105
7000 3.60 2.43 × 105
8000 4.11 2.78 × 105
8550 4.40 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W6 × 15 (Wide Flange 6 inch tall × 15 lbf/ft)
L = 20.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
15.0 0.0244 926
20.0 0.0325 1240
30.0 0.0487 1850
40.0 0.0650 2470
50.0 0.0812 3090
60.0 0.0975 3710
70.0 0.114 4320
80.0 0.130 4940
90.0 0.146 5560
100 0.162 6180
200 0.325 1.24 × 104
300 0.487 1.85 × 104
400 0.650 2.47 × 104
500 0.812 3.09 × 104
600 0.975 3.71 × 104
700 1.14 4.32 × 104
800 1.30 4.94 × 104
900 1.46 5.56 × 104
1000 1.62 6.18 × 104
2000 3.25 1.24 × 105
3000 4.87 1.85 × 105
3690 5.99 2.28 × 105
Steel I Beam: W6 × 15 (Wide Flange 6 inch tall × 15 lbf/ft)
L = 25.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
15.0 0.0595 1450
20.0 0.0793 1930
30.0 0.119 2890
40.0 0.159 3860
50.0 0.198 4820
60.0 0.238 5790
70.0 0.278 6750
80.0 0.317 7720
90.0 0.357 8680
100 0.397 9650
200 0.793 1.93 × 104
300 1.19 2.89 × 104
400 1.59 3.86 × 104
500 1.98 4.82 × 104
600 2.38 5.79 × 104
700 2.78 6.75 × 104
800 3.17 7.72 × 104
900 3.57 8.68 × 104
1000 3.97 9.65 × 104
1510 5.99 1.46 × 105
Steel I Beam: W6 × 15 (Wide Flange 6 inch tall × 15 lbf/ft)
L = 30.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
15.0 0.123 2080
20.0 0.164 2780
30.0 0.247 4170
40.0 0.329 5560
50.0 0.411 6950
60.0 0.493 8340
70.0 0.576 9730
80.0 0.658 1.11 × 104
90.0 0.740 1.25 × 104
100 0.822 1.39 × 104
200 1.64 2.78 × 104
300 2.47 4.17 × 104
400 3.29 5.56 × 104
500 4.11 6.95 × 104
600 4.93 8.34 × 104
700 5.76 9.73 × 104
728 5.99 1.01 × 105
Steel I Beam: W6 × 15 (Wide Flange 6 inch tall × 15 lbf/ft)
L = 40.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
15.0 0.390 3710
20.0 0.520 4940
30.0 0.780 7410
40.0 1.04 9880
50.0 1.30 1.24 × 104
60.0 1.56 1.48 × 104
70.0 1.82 1.73 × 104
80.0 2.08 1.98 × 104
90.0 2.34 2.22 × 104
100 2.60 2.47 × 104
200 5.20 4.94 × 104
230 5.99 5.69 × 104
Steel I Beam: W6 × 15 (Wide Flange 6 inch tall × 15 lbf/ft)
L = 50.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
15.0 0.952 5790
20.0 1.27 7720
30.0 1.90 1.16 × 104
40.0 2.54 1.54 × 104
50.0 3.17 1.93 × 104
60.0 3.81 2.32 × 104
70.0 4.44 2.70 × 104
80.0 5.08 3.09 × 104
90.0 5.71 3.47 × 104
94.4 5.99 3.64 × 104
Steel I Beam: W6 × 15 (Wide Flange 6 inch tall × 15 lbf/ft)
L = 60.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
15.0 1.97 8340
20.0 2.63 1.11 × 104
30.0 3.95 1.67 × 104
40.0 5.26 2.22 × 104
45.5 5.99 2.53 × 104
Steel I Beam: W6 × 15 (Wide Flange 6 inch tall × 15 lbf/ft)
L = 70.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
15.0 3.66 1.13 × 104
20.0 4.88 1.51 × 104
24.6 5.99 1.86 × 104
Additional Information
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