Beam Project

XLIX Engineering Design Firm

Team 2
June 13, 2014
Ben Mayfield, Cory Sloan, Jordan Schnall, Travis Tessier


























Date: 6/13/14
Problem Statement:
The XLIX Engineering Design Firm sent a notice to all interns to design a prototype beam for Flexible
Beams, Inc.
Team 2 members will research, sketch computer generated drawings, calculate and design a proposal of a
beam prototype that will hold a specified weight, and stay within the design and performance requirements to
present to the team.
The beam will be 24 inches long and the overall cross section dimensions of the beam may not be larger
than a two inch by two inch. The beam will span a distance of 18 inches on the testing apparatus. The beam must
weigh less than 240 grams. The beam must support an X-Axis load of 300 pounds and a Y-Axis load of 100
pounds. The beam must have a minimum X-Axis deflection of .06 inches and a maximum deflection of .250 inches.
The beam must have a minimum Y-Axis deflection of .04 inches and a maximum deflection of .175 inches. The
beam also has a maximum cost limit of $10.00.
The team assumes that the basswood has a modulus of elasticity of 1.46x10^6 psi. The team assumes that
the density of the basswood is 28 lbm/ft^3. The team assumes that the testing apparatus gives the appropriate
amount of weight to the beam. The team assumes that the deflection calculator is properly set up. The team
assumes that the load is played on the center of the beam. The team assumes that the 1201 Lumber Yard will have
the necessary wood needed for the project.
Research:
When a beam has a force applied to it and it begins to deflect the top of the beam compresses and the
bottom gains tension (ABES Engineering College).
When timber is not subject to fungal, fire, or insect damage it can be remarkably strong and last for an
incredible amount of time (J.M. Dinwoodie). There are timber items preserved that are over 2000 years old in the
Egyptian tombs.
When designing a beam bending stress, lateral buckling, shear stress, deflection, and web buckling are the
major concerns (Timber Designers Manual).
Timber and other wood based products can sustain a larger load for a short period of time better than a
lesser load for a long time interval (Timber Designers Manual). Timber does not fully deflect until several hours
after the load has been applied.
The strength of glue has been calculated to be stronger than the surrounding timber, however the glue does
not have much tensile strength (Timber Designers Manual).
I beams or cantilever beams are known for their stiffness. This stiffness is because of the web support
between the two horizontal flanges at either end of the web. The moment of inertia in the x-axis direction of the web
of an I beam is very high, resulting in a very low deflection. For center concentrated loads, the web of an I beam
absorbs a lot of the force acting on the top flange. The deeper it is, the stronger it is, were the words used by Civil
Engineer Steve Knight. However, the web also creates moments of inertia at each joint with the flanges.
After research on beam theory and analysis of the Design Criteria, the box beam design was deemed not economic,
given the four needed glue joints and four pieces of wood, along with excessive.


Moment of Inertia (I)

(

b= Base Length (inches), h= Height of beam (inches)

Deflection ()

P= Force Applied
L= Span Length of Beam (inches)
E= Moment of Elasticity
I= Moment of Inertia
Calculations:

Travis Calculations

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Bens Calculations

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Jordans Calculations

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Corys Calculations

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Drawings:
Travis Beam
Hollow Box Beam













Bens Beam
I-Beam














Jordans Beam
I-Beam














Corys Beam
I-Beam














Decision Matrix:
Rating Scale:
5 = Excellent 4 = Very Good 3 = Good 2 = Fair 1 = Poor
Weights Criteria Beam Designs
Travis Ben Jordan Cory
Rating Score Rating Score Rating Score Rating Score
20% Cost 3 .6 4 .8 5 1 2 .4
30% X-
Deflection
5 1.5 4 1.2 5 1.5 2 .6
30% Y-
Deflection
4 1.2 4 1.2 4 1.2 2 .6
10% Ease of
Production
3 .3 4 .4 4 .4 4 .4
10% Weight 4 .4 5 .5 4 .4 0 0
100% Total 4 4.1 4.5 2

Cost is a major factor in the design and production of beams. This being said a hollow box beam has a larger cost
because of the extra glue joints and the extra piece of wood. The less expensive and easier to produce I-Beams tend
to be more effective for the needs of the team.


Bill of Materials
Object Quantity Price
1-1/8 x 5/16 2 $4.50
7/8 x 1/4 1 $1.58
Glue Joints 2 $1.00
Total $7.08

Bibliograpy:
Dimwoodie, J.M.. "Durability of TImber." In Timber: Its Nature and Behavior, 2000.
ENGR, ETGR 1201. "Beam Theory Pre-Class Reading." Accessed March 22, 2014.
"General Notes." In The Design of Beams.