Fabricated Steel W-shapes
Fabricated Steel W-shapes
(OP)
I have a need to use fabricated I-sections rather than wide flange rolled beams (W12 & W14), and would welcome any discussion on the following question:
Is there a particular size (width/depth) of section that is more economical to fabricate due to the size of the automated SAW equipment used to fabricate these small shapes?
Is there a particular size (width/depth) of section that is more economical to fabricate due to the size of the automated SAW equipment used to fabricate these small shapes?






RE: Fabricated Steel W-shapes
As to large sections, there is lots of literature on girder sections, starting with the "Plate Girders" section of Part 2 of any Manual of Steel Construction.
Imagineer
RE: Fabricated Steel W-shapes
There is an advantage in using fabricated truss members since you can keep the depth of section constant and avoid filler plates at the gussets.
An added twist is that the aesthetics of the truss is playing a LARGE part in the design process, and if fabricated sections are used, the size (i.e. viewable area) of the gusset plates could be reduced.
Thanks for your comments. Any other thoughts?
TTK