How to find depth and width of beam for building

How to find depth and width of beam for building, generally we provide simply supported beam and there is important questions arises how to find depth and width of beam for building. What should be minimum depth and width of beam. Actually depth and width of beam decided as per design of structure and various types of load acting on it dead load and live load of slab and its bending moments.

Generally Roof slab transfer its own load uniformally throughout the beam structure. Simply supported beams are those beam which put over two column from two sides. Beam structure and it’s depth and width will be decided as per structure of design.

If we have no available design of structure and want to make own home and for general public who want to make own building then what should be minimum depth and width of beam and how we calculate it. So in this topic we provide simple calculation method for finding depth and width of beam which is quite easier for civil engineer, civil contractor, supervisor, labour and project manager.

1) what should be minimum depth of beam?

2) what should be minimum width of beam

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What should be minimum width and depth of beam

Calculation:- we know that any beam have three dimension its depth width and its length.

As per IS code 456 depth and width of beam depend on its length of beam and various types of load acting on it. according to as per IS code 456 minimum depth of simply supported beam is about L/20 and minimum width of beam is about depth/1.5.

1) Example#1

If Length of simply supported beam is 6 meter then what should be minimum depth and width of beam

A) given Length = 6 meter = 6000 mm

Depth = Length/20

Depth = 6000mm/20

Depth = 300 mm

which is about 1 foot thick

B) calculated depth = 300 mm

Than width = depth/1.5

Width of beam = 300 mm/1.5

Width of beam = 200 mm

2) Example#2

If Length of simply supported beam is 5 meter then what should be minimum depth and width of beam

A) given Length = 5 meter = 5000 mm

Depth = Length/20

Depth = 5000mm/20

Depth = 250 mm

Which is about 10 inch thick

B) calculated depth = 250 mm

Than width = depth/1.5

Width of beam = 250 mm/1.5

Width of beam = 160 mm

● according to ACI (American concrete Institute )code 318—14 minimum depth of beam is depend on length of beam if length of beam is about 20 feet then minimum depth of beam should be 20 inch.

Depth of beam in inches= length of beam in feet

1) Example#1

if Length of beam is 18 feet then minimum depth of beam should be 18 inches

2) Example#2

If length of beam is 25 feet then minimum depth of beam should be 25 inches.

It is better idea to decide depth of beam if value of length of Beam is given in feet then we should take depth of beam in inches