WF BEAM SUPPORTED BY WOOD HEADER

[RareBugTX]

Hi all:

A few years ago I was involved in a residential job where the City plan examiner had a problem with a detail showing masonry veneer supported by double wood lintels.He showed me the Code article.

Now, do you guys know of a code limitation (IRC or other) regarding a steel beam supported at midspan by a wood header. My loads are not that significant and I want to keep my steel beam the lightest possible. Owner does not want a post right in the middle of the kitchen countertop (plan limitations)....and I wouldn't either.
Anything feedback is appreciated.

Rarebug

 

[dhengr]

RareBug:
In the case of the brick veneer/wood lintel you had a load duration, wood creep and shrinkage, long term deflection problem with crack susceptible brick veneer being supported. The brick was a high %age of the total load on the lintel and it was forever, not intermittent. Thus, the code restrictions or limitations.

In the current case (WF supported by wood beam) if the predominant loads are intermittent, all the stresses check out and you can live with the deflections, I’m not aware of any code restrictions to what you want to do.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Old BOCA did not allow for this because of FIRE - at least that was what I was told.

In the new IBC - I don't think this applies. However, watch your creep and deflections. I like something like L/600!!

 

[MTJJ]

My understanding is that steel supported on wood is allowed (but frowned upon) if you account for long term creep and defletions of the wood support.

Masonry supported on wood is generally not allowed, but there are certain exceptions described in the IBC.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

I actaully try to use wood columns or headers when I have that "one of" steel beam in an otherwise wood structure. The idead here is that the wood walls. columns, etc. all shrink and grow at about the same rate - where as a steel or concrete column would not move at all - at least no where near as much as wood.

So far - in the last 20-30 years this has worked quite well.