huangyhg

maximum load on beam
what will be the approx. maximum load on a 4"x6" wooden beam, 14 ft long, when downward pressure is applied in the center of this beam?
the beam 7 ft high, supported at 2 places by 6"x 6" posts 14 ft apart.
the beam is laid down with the 4" side resting on top pf the post.
that depends on the species of wood and grade of wood.
to jca, thanks for the quick response.
in reply to your comment, this 4"x 6" beam is pressure treated pine (.40 cca i guess) for outdoor use.
maximum (safe load for a good quality member) would be about 500 lb. which would give you bending stress of about 1200 psi, minimal shear, and 3/4 inch or so of deflection. fourteen feet unbraced length should not be a problem for this size wood beam.
if this is for the swing that you mentioned in your previous posting, i would reduced that to 400 lb. since you could have moving and impact loads plus safety issues.

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