Wide Flanged beams are designed so that they can carry maximum load with the
flanges top and bottom with the web between.
The objective is to locate the maximum amount of material at the
positions of maximum tension and compression. You don't need the material
concentrated at the center of the beam which is what you do when you arrange
a beam horizontally in an "H" position. The web is at the neutral axis.
A similar mistake in understanding occurs when people try to stiffen a
sheet steel wall with angle iron. They stitch it with the "V" against the
skin rather than with on leg of the "L" touching the skin and the other leg
as far away from the skin as possible to increase the moment arm.
Randy

"Proctologically Violated©®" wrote in message
...
Awl--

Been fooling around w/ this program/utility. Pretty neat.

Quick Qs:

For a W beam, you can orient it so that it looks like an "I" or like an "H".
Which orientation does the X-X value for the moment correspond to? I
believe X-X corresponds to the "I" orientation, judging from comparisons w/
channels, whose relative deflections is intuitively clear.

For a "4x13" W beam, whose flange width (4.060) is about equal to the main
web depth (4.160), and considerably thicker (flange thickness .345 vs web
thickness of .280), the program indicates deflection in the H position to be
*3 times* the deflection in the "I" position--about .311" vs. .106", for a
10 foot beam supported at the ends, w/ a 1000 lb point load at the center.

Does this make sense? I would have expected the deflection in the H
position to be only 1/2 the deflection in the I position.

Whazzup?
--
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll