I have a wood 8" x 10" beam in my basement that runs the long of my house
about 23' supported by 1 jack post midway through the length of the beam
which is right in the middle of my basement.
I'm wanting to encompass the wood beam with a metal "U" beam to add strength
and then add 2 jack posts at the end of the beam.

My question is ... what thickness must the metal be of in order to have the
necessary strength to support my home?

thanks
Felix

"Felix" wrote in message news:42177b12$1_1@aeinews....
I have a wood 8" x 10" beam in my basement that runs the long of my house
about 23' supported by 1 jack post midway through the length of the beam
which is right in the middle of my basement.
I'm wanting to encompass the wood beam with a metal "U" beam to add
strength
and then add 2 jack posts at the end of the beam.

My question is ... what thickness must the metal be of in order to have
the
necessary strength to support my home?

thanks
Felix

In this situaion, I'd bolt plate steel to each side of your current beam. I
have no idea what thickness your application will require.

KB

Felix,

I don't think you will find a U beam. You can have a good steel
yard brake a steel U for you. You would be at the mercy of what
dimension their equipment is capable of braking. 1/4" should be
readily available.

I wonder what it is that you are trying to accomplish. Is your
existing beam sagging or failing in some way? Are you just
wanting to wrap it in steel for some other reason? If you think
that you are going to remove the center post, I think you better
get some better advice. There are ways to move the post(s) to
different loading conditions (this would still require engineering
sizes, spacing, and footings), but pulling posts out to provide a
clearspan will require more beam than I think you can duck under.

(top posted for your convenience)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"Felix" wrote in message
news:42177b12$1_1@aeinews....
I have a wood 8" x 10" beam in my basement that runs the long of
my house
about 23' supported by 1 jack post midway through the length of
the beam
which is right in the middle of my basement.
I'm wanting to encompass the wood beam with a metal "U" beam to
add strength
and then add 2 jack posts at the end of the beam.

My question is ... what thickness must the metal be of in order
to have the
necessary strength to support my home?

thanks
Felix

In article , "Kyle Boatright" wrote:

"Felix" wrote in message news:42177b12$1_1@aeinews....
I have a wood 8" x 10" beam in my basement that runs the long of my house
about 23' supported by 1 jack post midway through the length of the beam
which is right in the middle of my basement.
I'm wanting to encompass the wood beam with a metal "U" beam to add
strength
and then add 2 jack posts at the end of the beam.

My question is ... what thickness must the metal be of in order to have
the necessary strength to support my home?

In this situaion, I'd bolt plate steel to each side of your current beam.

I concur. The horizontal part of a "U-beam" (steel channel, actually) adds
very little to the beam's resistance to vertical loads. Almost all of the
benefit comes from the side pieces.

To the original poster: do a Google search on "flitched beam".

I have no idea what thickness your application will require.

1/4" is probably plenty.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

Get yourself an professional engineer to look at it. You don't screw around
on something like this. Even drilling holes in the beam to attack
reinforcement might cause problems.


"Felix" wrote in message news:42177b12$1_1@aeinews....
I have a wood 8" x 10" beam in my basement that runs the long of my house
about 23' supported by 1 jack post midway through the length of the beam
which is right in the middle of my basement.
I'm wanting to encompass the wood beam with a metal "U" beam to add
strength
and then add 2 jack posts at the end of the beam.

My question is ... what thickness must the metal be of in order to have
the
necessary strength to support my home?

thanks
Felix

thanks to all who added their comments and input,
I believe I will consult an engineer and go from there.
thanks again
Felix
"Art" wrote in message
nk.net...
Get yourself an professional engineer to look at it. You don't screw
around
on something like this. Even drilling holes in the beam to attack
reinforcement might cause problems.


"Felix" wrote in message news:42177b12$1_1@aeinews....
I have a wood 8" x 10" beam in my basement that runs the long of my house
about 23' supported by 1 jack post midway through the length of the
beam
which is right in the middle of my basement.
I'm wanting to encompass the wood beam with a metal "U" beam to add
strength
and then add 2 jack posts at the end of the beam.

My question is ... what thickness must the metal be of in order to have
the
necessary strength to support my home?

thanks
Felix