Steel Beam on Wood Column Connection

[DevinTheStudent]

Hi all,

Quick question, I currently have a W8x18 steel ridge beam spanning 20'5'' suppporting a 0.98 kip/ft UDL (snow load) in a residential area with one support fixed going into an exterior wall below and the other support needing a column down to the ground floor. The total length of the column is 14.75' (6.25' unbraced in attic and 8.5' braced in ground floor wall). going through this forum I've seen that you guys don't usually agree with steel beam on wood column fixed connections.

attached is a photo of said beam.

questions

1) Can steel beams be supported by wood columns?
2) can this situation take on either pinned or fixed connections?
3) if so, what do these connections look like?

thanks in advance.

 

[jayrod12]

1) Can steel beams be supported by wood columns? Yes of course. I usually have the steel fabricator weld plates on the bottom of the beam that extend downward for fasteners into the column
2) can this situation take on either pinned or fixed connections? Why do either connection need to be fixed? Fixed connections with wood are complicated and their performance is questionable. Especially in standard residential construction. If it means increasing your beam size one weight, I'd just do that.
3) if so, what do these connections look like? We don't want to go there. They get overly complicated. Especially on top of a wood stud wall(EDIT: that's for moment connections, for shear/gravity only you just don't want it moving around while they're working so a couple of screws through the beam bottom flange are usually sufficient in those instances).

 

[XR250]

I never do any attachment - other than direct bearing on studs. The roof diaphragm will hold things in place in most cases.

 

[8thStreet]

Steel Beam should bear on the wood column with a tab from the bottom of the beam that bolts into the side of the column

Do not do a moment connection to the wood column.

 

[nac521]

Why steel? Is there a member depth limitation?