In article , "Joseph Meehan" wrote:
dean wrote:
Hi there I have a double garage with a 20' I-beam above, and I want to
know how much I might be able to safely hang on it using a hoist and
trolley. Its 10' high, and holds up a bedroom upstairs.

I-beam size = 20' long, 12" tall, 6.5" wide, 1/2" thick at flange.
It's welded to a 4" steel pole embedded in concrete on one end, and
rests on a basement wall on the other side.

What do you think I should be able to lift? House feels pretty solid.

Thanks

Dean

Well few builders will put a beam in larger than necessary to carry the
weight of the structure. You need to know what it is already supporting.


I think they did in this case: a 12" I-beam can carry an awful lot of
weight... but I agree with the recommendation to have an engineer do a load
calc, especially if the OP is planning to use this I-beam for hoisting auto
engines.

--
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?