Structural & Civil Engineering

What is the mid-span deflection of a W10x22 beam spanning 3.0 meters under 10.0 kN/m?

⚡ Instant Calculated Answer

A W10x22 steel beam across a 3.0 meter span under a 10.0 kN/m uniform distributed load deflects by 1.07 mm at mid-span, which PASSES the standard building code L/360 serviceability limit (8.33 mm).

1.07 mm Primary Metric
Limit: 8.33 mm Secondary Metric

📐 Mathematical Formula & Step-by-Step Substitution

\[ \delta_{max} = \frac{5 \cdot w \cdot L^4}{384 \cdot E \cdot I_x} = \frac{5 \cdot 10000 \cdot (3.0)^4}{384 \cdot (200 \times 10^9) \cdot (4.91e-05)} = 1.07 \text{ mm} \]
delta = (5 * 10000.0 * 3.0^4) / (384 * 200e9 * 4.91e-05) = 1.07 mm
  1. Identify beam properties: Section W10x22, Moment of Inertia I_x = 4,910 cm⁴ (4.9100e-05 m⁴), Young's Modulus E = 200 GPa.
  2. Convert units: Span L = 3.0 m, Load w = 10.0 kN/m = 10,000 N/m.
  3. Calculate numerator: 5 × 10,000 × (3.0)⁴ = 5 × 10,000 × 81.00 = 4,050,000.0.
  4. Calculate denominator: 384 × 200×10⁹ × 4.9100e-05 = 3,770,880,000.0.
  5. Evaluate deflection: 4,050,000.0 / 3,770,880,000.0 = 0.00107 m = 1.07 mm (compared to L/360 = 8.33 mm).

📊 Nearby Parameter Reference Table

Span Length Uniform Load Mid-Span Deflection L/360 Code Limit
2.0 m 10.0 kN/m 0.21 mm 5.56 mm (OK)
2.5 m 10.0 kN/m 0.52 mm 6.94 mm (OK)
3.0 m 10.0 kN/m 1.07 mm 8.33 mm (OK)
3.5 m 10.0 kN/m 1.99 mm 9.72 mm (OK)
4.0 m 10.0 kN/m 3.39 mm 11.11 mm (OK)
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