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Glossary » Beams » Simply Supported » Uniformly Distributed Load » Two Equal Spans » Wide Flange Steel I Beam » W8 × 24
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 = 82.8 in4) for the W8 × 24 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 × 24 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 24 lbf/ft)
L = 3.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
24.0 6.94 × 10-6 15.5
30.0 8.67 × 10-6 19.4
40.0 1.16 × 10-5 25.9
50.0 1.45 × 10-5 32.3
60.0 1.73 × 10-5 38.8
70.0 2.02 × 10-5 45.3
80.0 2.31 × 10-5 51.7
90.0 2.60 × 10-5 58.2
100 2.89 × 10-5 64.6
200 5.78 × 10-5 129
300 8.67 × 10-5 194
400 1.16 × 10-4 259
500 1.45 × 10-4 323
600 1.73 × 10-4 388
700 2.02 × 10-4 453
800 2.31 × 10-4 517
900 2.60 × 10-4 582
1000 2.89 × 10-4 646
2000 5.78 × 10-4 1290
3000 8.67 × 10-4 1940
4000 0.00116 2590
5000 0.00145 3230
6000 0.00173 3880
7000 0.00202 4530
8000 0.00231 5170
9000 0.00260 5820
1.00 × 104 0.00289 6460
2.00 × 104 0.00578 1.29 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.00867 1.94 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.0116 2.59 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.0145 3.23 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.0173 3.88 × 104
7.00 × 104 0.0202 4.53 × 104
8.00 × 104 0.0231 5.17 × 104
9.00 × 104 0.0260 5.82 × 104
1.00 × 105 0.0289 6.46 × 104
2.00 × 105 0.0578 1.29 × 105
3.00 × 105 0.0867 1.94 × 105
4.00 × 105 0.116 2.59 × 105
4.59 × 105 0.133 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 24 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 24 lbf/ft)
L = 5.00 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
24.0 5.35 × 10-5 43.1
30.0 6.69 × 10-5 53.9
40.0 8.92 × 10-5 71.8
50.0 1.12 × 10-4 89.8
60.0 1.34 × 10-4 108
70.0 1.56 × 10-4 126
80.0 1.78 × 10-4 144
90.0 2.01 × 10-4 162
100 2.23 × 10-4 180
200 4.46 × 10-4 359
300 6.69 × 10-4 539
400 8.92 × 10-4 718
500 0.00112 898
600 0.00134 1080
700 0.00156 1260
800 0.00178 1440
900 0.00201 1620
1000 0.00223 1800
2000 0.00446 3590
3000 0.00669 5390
4000 0.00892 7180
5000 0.0112 8980
6000 0.0134 1.08 × 104
7000 0.0156 1.26 × 104
8000 0.0178 1.44 × 104
9000 0.0201 1.62 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.0223 1.80 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.0446 3.59 × 104
3.00 × 104 0.0669 5.39 × 104
4.00 × 104 0.0892 7.18 × 104
5.00 × 104 0.112 8.98 × 104
6.00 × 104 0.134 1.08 × 105
7.00 × 104 0.156 1.26 × 105
8.00 × 104 0.178 1.44 × 105
9.00 × 104 0.201 1.62 × 105
1.00 × 105 0.223 1.80 × 105
1.65 × 105 0.369 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 24 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 24 lbf/ft)
L = 10.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
24.0 8.56 × 10-4 172
30.0 0.00107 215
40.0 0.00143 287
50.0 0.00178 359
60.0 0.00214 431
70.0 0.00250 503
80.0 0.00285 575
90.0 0.00321 646
100 0.00357 718
200 0.00714 1440
300 0.0107 2150
400 0.0143 2870
500 0.0178 3590
600 0.0214 4310
700 0.0250 5030
800 0.0285 5750
900 0.0321 6460
1000 0.0357 7180
2000 0.0714 1.44 × 104
3000 0.107 2.15 × 104
4000 0.143 2.87 × 104
5000 0.178 3.59 × 104
6000 0.214 4.31 × 104
7000 0.250 5.03 × 104
8000 0.285 5.75 × 104
9000 0.321 6.46 × 104
1.00 × 104 0.357 7.18 × 104
2.00 × 104 0.714 1.44 × 105
3.00 × 104 1.07 2.15 × 105
4.00 × 104 1.43 2.87 × 105
4.14 × 104 1.48 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 24 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 24 lbf/ft)
L = 15.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
24.0 0.00434 388
30.0 0.00542 485
40.0 0.00723 646
50.0 0.00903 808
60.0 0.0108 970
70.0 0.0126 1130
80.0 0.0145 1290
90.0 0.0163 1450
100 0.0181 1620
200 0.0361 3230
300 0.0542 4850
400 0.0723 6460
500 0.0903 8080
600 0.108 9700
700 0.126 1.13 × 104
800 0.145 1.29 × 104
900 0.163 1.45 × 104
1000 0.181 1.62 × 104
2000 0.361 3.23 × 104
3000 0.542 4.85 × 104
4000 0.723 6.46 × 104
5000 0.903 8.08 × 104
6000 1.08 9.70 × 104
7000 1.26 1.13 × 105
8000 1.45 1.29 × 105
9000 1.63 1.45 × 105
1.00 × 104 1.81 1.62 × 105
1.84 × 104 3.32 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 24 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 24 lbf/ft)
L = 20.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
24.0 0.0137 690
30.0 0.0171 862
40.0 0.0228 1150
50.0 0.0285 1440
60.0 0.0343 1720
70.0 0.0400 2010
80.0 0.0457 2300
90.0 0.0514 2590
100 0.0571 2870
200 0.114 5750
300 0.171 8620
400 0.228 1.15 × 104
500 0.285 1.44 × 104
600 0.343 1.72 × 104
700 0.400 2.01 × 104
800 0.457 2.30 × 104
900 0.514 2.59 × 104
1000 0.571 2.87 × 104
2000 1.14 5.75 × 104
3000 1.71 8.62 × 104
4000 2.28 1.15 × 105
5000 2.85 1.44 × 105
6000 3.43 1.72 × 105
7000 4.00 2.01 × 105
8000 4.57 2.30 × 105
9000 5.14 2.59 × 105
1.00 × 104 5.71 2.87 × 105
1.03 × 104 5.90 2.97 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 24 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 24 lbf/ft)
L = 25.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
24.0 0.0335 1080
30.0 0.0418 1350
40.0 0.0558 1800
50.0 0.0697 2240
60.0 0.0836 2690
70.0 0.0976 3140
80.0 0.112 3590
90.0 0.125 4040
100 0.139 4490
200 0.279 8980
300 0.418 1.35 × 104
400 0.558 1.80 × 104
500 0.697 2.24 × 104
600 0.836 2.69 × 104
700 0.976 3.14 × 104
800 1.12 3.59 × 104
900 1.25 4.04 × 104
1000 1.39 4.49 × 104
2000 2.79 8.98 × 104
3000 4.18 1.35 × 105
4000 5.58 1.80 × 105
5000 6.97 2.24 × 105
5690 7.93 2.55 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 24 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 24 lbf/ft)
L = 30.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
24.0 0.0694 1550
30.0 0.0867 1940
40.0 0.116 2590
50.0 0.145 3230
60.0 0.173 3880
70.0 0.202 4530
80.0 0.231 5170
90.0 0.260 5820
100 0.289 6460
200 0.578 1.29 × 104
300 0.867 1.94 × 104
400 1.16 2.59 × 104
500 1.45 3.23 × 104
600 1.73 3.88 × 104
700 2.02 4.53 × 104
800 2.31 5.17 × 104
900 2.60 5.82 × 104
1000 2.89 6.46 × 104
2000 5.78 1.29 × 105
2740 7.93 1.77 × 105
Steel I Beam: W8 × 24 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 24 lbf/ft)
L = 40.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
24.0 0.219 2760
30.0 0.274 3450
40.0 0.365 4600
50.0 0.457 5750
60.0 0.548 6900
70.0 0.640 8040
80.0 0.731 9190
90.0 0.822 1.03 × 104
100 0.914 1.15 × 104
200 1.83 2.30 × 104
300 2.74 3.45 × 104
400 3.65 4.60 × 104
500 4.57 5.75 × 104
600 5.48 6.90 × 104
700 6.40 8.04 × 104
800 7.31 9.19 × 104
868 7.93 9.98 × 104
Steel I Beam: W8 × 24 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 24 lbf/ft)
L = 50.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
24.0 0.535 4310
30.0 0.669 5390
40.0 0.892 7180
50.0 1.12 8980
60.0 1.34 1.08 × 104
70.0 1.56 1.26 × 104
80.0 1.78 1.44 × 104
90.0 2.01 1.62 × 104
100 2.23 1.80 × 104
200 4.46 3.59 × 104
300 6.69 5.39 × 104
356 7.93 6.38 × 104
Steel I Beam: W8 × 24 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 24 lbf/ft)
L = 60.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
24.0 1.11 6210
30.0 1.39 7760
40.0 1.85 1.03 × 104
50.0 2.31 1.29 × 104
60.0 2.78 1.55 × 104
70.0 3.24 1.81 × 104
80.0 3.70 2.07 × 104
90.0 4.16 2.33 × 104
100 4.63 2.59 × 104
171 7.93 4.43 × 104
Steel I Beam: W8 × 24 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 24 lbf/ft)
L = 70.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
24.0 2.06 8450
30.0 2.57 1.06 × 104
40.0 3.43 1.41 × 104
50.0 4.28 1.76 × 104
60.0 5.14 2.11 × 104
70.0 6.00 2.46 × 104
80.0 6.85 2.82 × 104
90.0 7.71 3.17 × 104
92.5 7.93 3.26 × 104
Steel I Beam: W8 × 24 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 24 lbf/ft)
L = 80.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
24.0 3.51 1.10 × 104
30.0 4.39 1.38 × 104
40.0 5.85 1.84 × 104
50.0 7.31 2.30 × 104
54.3 7.93 2.49 × 104
Steel I Beam: W8 × 24 (Wide Flange 8 inch tall × 24 lbf/ft)
L = 90.0 ft
P (lbf/ft) w_max (in) stress_max (psi)
24.0 5.62 1.40 × 104
30.0 7.02 1.75 × 104
33.9 7.93 1.97 × 104
Additional Information
Related Pages
FREE Publications
Essentials of Manufacturing

Information, coverage of important developments and expert commentary in manufacturing.

Mechanical Engineers Outlook

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

3D Scanners

A white paper to assist in the evaluation of 3D scanning hardware solutions.

Metal 3D Printing Design Guide

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) 3D printing for parts with reduced cost and little waste.

more publications